Brew Ha Ha Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bria Quinlan

  “Well, the girl has connections. There’s no party she can’t get us into.”

  “Right. Because you’ve always been such a party girl. I know how those museum curators are. Crazier than rock stars.”

  “You totally underestimate the rock star’ness of some of my sistren.”

  “Why don’t you just come here? You know you’re always welcome. You don’t need a guy to get into my house.”

  The best part of the statement was I knew she meant it. It wasn’t a pity thing, or a—because-we’re-friends-I-have-to-say-this—thing.

  “I know. And thanks. But I have to have a life outside the museum, and occasionally visiting you and Michelle.” I choked back the rest of the words about how I was starting to feel left behind and how I was afraid of being alone—not just with no boyfriend, but with no free girlfriends.

  “There’s no sense in being miserable on New Year’s just to prove you can. We’re having a game night. Michelle and Roger are coming over. Our new neighbors Mitch and Emily will be here. We hired a neighborhood girl to babysit.”

  “Wow, you got a babysitter?” That involved letting Dahlia out of her line of vision.

  “Um. Well, yes.” Jane made a small coughing noise.

  “What was that?”

  “I said…she’s going to babysit in the back room.”

  “Jane, if I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t bother to tell you you’re one TIME Magazine cover away from being that Mom.”

  She laughed, which was good. Even as we built different lives, we still got each other.

  “Sarah, she’s four months, not four years. I’m getting better. I let Matt’s mother take her the other day and didn’t even call to check in—even when she was ten minutes late. I’m sure she did it on purpose. You know that woman doesn’t like me.”

  See? Right there? A reason it was better to be single.

  Mothers-in-law.

  “I think I’ll try Plan A first.”

  “You only have four weeks till New Year’s. How are you going—Dahlia. No. Don’t drink that. That’s shampoo. Yucky.”

  I laughed as the splashing got louder. When Jane had first had the baby, we’d have hung up and hoped to talk later. But over the last few months we’d learned better.

  “Sorry about that. So, the plan?”

  “I’m going to narrow it down to my top five guys in the first week. I’ll spend the second week getting to know them. Then the few days before and after Christmas I’ll do meet-ups and see how it goes. That gives me a little squishy room before New Year’s.”

  This met with silence. Even the splashing had magically stopped.

  “Well, see what you think of my notes. Also, I expect you to send me your username and password so I can check these guys out.” Jane sucked in a breath. I could picture her working up the nerve to say something. “You know it doesn’t matter if you’re dating someone or not. That was girls’ night. If they screw it up, that’s not on you.”

  I shouldn’t have needed to hear that so badly, but all the same….

  “Thanks. Really. Thanks.”

  “Don’t forget…username and password.”

  “As long as you don’t start masquerading as me.”

  “I make no promise.”

  Of course she didn’t.

  3

  Downtown Doctor – I work at a large medical center downtown. It takes a lot of my time, but I’m looking for someone to share those other moments with. Someone who enjoys museums, movies, music, and a good meal. I’d love to find an independent woman who still lets me spoil her a little.

  Downtown Doctor—or Trey—was scheduled to meet me at one-thirty. We’d been emailing almost since the beginning. Obviously, he had me at museum, but I was looking forward to seeing if that spark was there. From his profile, he was exactly my type: Tall, good looking, successful. He understood having a career that was not only very involving, but a passion.

  On Jane’s command, we were meeting at a neutral location—a coffee shop I’d found online.

  The cafe was about half a block away from the train, tucked down a side street. At the sight of it, I sucked in a little breath. It was the most magical looking coffee shop ever.

  It was as if someone had taken an Irish cottage and set it down among the taller brownstones of the neighborhood. Green shutters stretched out around black framed windows, and gas lamps flickered on each side of the entry.

  Talk about romantic meeting places.

  I pushed through the heavy oak door and stopped, surprised to see the inside matched the outside. Instead of ugly wooden IKEA chairs and sterile metal and wood tables, cozy looking mix-and-match chairs nestled under oak tables of different sizes and shapes. At the far end of the room, a fireplace crackled away, framed by floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Several stuffed chairs and a heavy looking coffee table cornered them off.

  But the best part was the art.

  An obviously well planned collection graced one wall, but the exhibit itself needed work.

  All the right information was there, but the lighting was off and the placards poorly placed. The work would never sell like that, no matter how talented the artist.

  “Do you like it?” The deep voice rumbled behind me, not at all what I expected in such a quaint setting.

  Hopefully it was Trey because there was no way anything less than hot could be connected to a voice like that. I turned, expecting to see perfectly polished, six-foot-two, suited professional hotness. That wasn’t what I met at all and I was seriously beginning to question eLove’s search engine capabilities and men’s profiles.

  He wasn’t hot. And he wasn’t tall. He definitely wasn’t polished. To be fair, he was taller than me at five-ten, but I like my men towering. And I guess he was good looking in an approachable way. Lean with wide shoulders where I liked my men built. But his hair…His hair made me want to smooth it down—too long to tame, too short to lay flat.

  This had definitely better not be Trey.

  “The artist obviously has a lot of skill. I like the series. Cathedral naves? Not a lot of people would think to paint such a small detail from such a large space.”

  “I know. That’s what drew me to it. It’s very…safe feeling, right?” He stared at the paintings a bit longer before turning his warm brown eyes on me. “I’m John.”

  I took his offered hand, trying to be polite while I moved things along. I suspected hanging out with some random guy when your date came in was not the best first impression.

  “Sarah.”

  “Welcome to The Brew Ha Ha, Sarah. First time in?”

  “Um, yes?” It seemed odd to share that with someone, especially someone I didn’t know.

  “Great. I bought the place about four months ago. I’m still getting to know the regulars. Can I get you something?”

  Oh. The owner. Less weird then.

  “I’m meeting someone, but sure.” I followed him to the counter and looked over the menu. It was oddly comforting to see the sizes small, medium and large. I wasn’t a fan of coffee guess work. After ordering a medium chai tea, I headed back to the art wall.

  It was quiet, only one older gentleman sitting in the corner reading a newspaper. I knew that couldn’t be great for business, but it was perfect for me.

  “You really seem to like the gallery.”

  “Exhibit. Or showing. Or even display.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “That’s what you call the display, not a gallery. That’s something else.”

  “Oh.” John smiled a funny little smile. He seemed more confused by my correcting him than by the word.

  “Sorry. It’s just…I work in a museum. This is part of what I do.”

  I didn’t tell him how poorly planned his display was.

  “That must be really interesting. This is my first time having anything on the walls. I mean, besides the bad prints that were here before. I’m trying to bring in some more clientele.”

  “I like it like this.” Th
e voice came from the far side of the room. “Nice and quiet.”

  “That’s Ernest.” John lowered his voice. “Don’t mind him. His hobby is being grumpy.”

  “Oh.” I mean, what else could you really say to that?

  “I’ll let you relax before your friend gets here. If you need anything, let me know.”

  John gave me a grin and headed back toward the counter, pulling a towel off a table as he went.

  I settled in one of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace, enjoying the space. I was checking my emails—a weekend hazard when you worked for a museum—when a tall man who was even better looking than the picture of him at his sister’s wedding rushed in the door.

  “Sarah? I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  I glanced at the clock over the counter. He was two minutes late—if the clock wasn’t fast.

  I rose and stuck my hand out, unsure of etiquette for eLove meet-ups.

  “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. You’re not late at all.” I smiled, trying to go for reassuring, when really I was just feeling nervous.

  “Really?” He glanced at his watch and sort of frowned. In his world two minutes must have been an eternity.

  Good to know.

  “Can I get you a refill?”

  I hefted my half-full tea and shook my head. “No thanks. I just got this.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He smiled. It was a reassuring smile. One I was sure he used in the hospital all the time. It made me wonder how used to handling people he was. If he was handling me.

  Stop. Just stop.

  Jane had warned me not to jump to the worst assumptions right away. She said, let things play out and not read into everything.

  She also said she wanted immediate text updates as soon as he left. He was so good looking I wanted to pre-date text her.

  Trey paid for his drink and gave John a curt nod to end their conversation. He wandered across the café, glancing at all the hominess.

  “Cute place. Do you come here often?” As soon as the words left his mouth he blushed. And just like that I relaxed. “I mean, is this a regular hangout?”

  “It is really cute, isn’t it? And nope, this is my first time here. I thought somewhere neither of us would feel like we might run into people would be comfortable.”

  “You put a lot of thought into this?”

  “To be honest, this is my first time online dating. My girlfriends had a lot to say about it. Lots of so-called rules.”

  “Like what?”

  “Oh, you know. Be on time, but that’s just manners. Coffee, not dinner. Somewhere not too close to home. Don’t get in anyone’s car.” I shrugged. “Most of them were just common sense.”

  “Any really odd ones?”

  I almost hated to tell him, but why not find out if he had a sense of humor?

  “Michelle suggested getting close enough to smell you. If you smelled like a pet, then your house would reek of animals and if we got married I’d be stuck in a dog-scented house for the rest of my life and probably even win it in the divorce. She’s such an optimist. I told her let’s see if we make it through coffee.”

  He laughed—a deep-chested sound. Obviously weird smells and marriage in the first five minutes wasn’t going to scare him off.

  “I don’t have pets. I’d love to have a dog, but my hours are a little crazy. I don’t think it would be fair to him to be stuck in the house all day. How about you?”

  “Well, there’s Winston. But he’s just a beta fish, so he’s stuck in the house all day either way.”

  Look at me being all charming and stuff.

  “So, Trey, tell me about your job.” I ran through all the directions in the dating books. Ask about him, smile, lean in, look interested even if you’re not.

  Although, let’s be honest. A good-looking, successful doctor starts telling you how he enjoys his practice as a primary care physician and spending his vacation time hiking in Europe, it’s pretty easy to look interested.

  Every time I tried to follow up, he’d jump in with something like Sarah, where has your favorite trip been or I know you work in a museum, does that mean you don’t enjoying going to them anymore?

  “Why exactly are you online dating?” I’d been wanting to ask since he’d whistled—a pre-email move—at me online. No one could be this good, could he?

  “I work with doctors and nurses all day. I know the kind of schedule and pressures we have.” He shrugged as if it just couldn’t be helped. “I know I’d never be able to make it work with someone just like me. I wanted to meet someone outside that world. Someone a bit…softer. I know. That sounds horrible. I’m not a monster or anything. Just too focused. My best friend told me I need to meet someone who knows how to help me leave it at work.”

  I could understand that. Everyone needed balance. My last boyfriend didn’t understand that being a curator meant I was often at the museum for special events…even at night, even on the weekends.

  “What about you? Why online dating?”

  Because I was desperate for a New Year’s date just didn’t seem to have the same ring to it.

  “Well, most of my close friends are married, so my social life often revolves around places you don’t meet other singles. I’m not looking to end up at the altar tomorrow, but I realized all the places I used to meet interesting men were places you can’t go alone. And you also can’t bring a pregnant woman with a stroller.”

  “Like Sweet Home Alabama.”

  He did not just reference my favorite movie.

  “You have a baby,” he continued, “in a bar.”

  “Exactly. Although I’m a little surprised by your ability to quote chick flicks.”

  “My last girlfriend loved movies. All we did was stay in and watch rom coms.”

  “Oh.” Yeah, not the life I envisioned for myself.

  “Exactly. You can see why it didn’t work out. Even getting her to try a new restaurant was like pulling teeth.”

  We chatted for almost three hours—or two chai tea refills—before I realized the time.

  I’d expected him to stay an hour tops. There was no way I’d thought my first date would be it—would be the guy I not only wanted to spend New Year’s with, but maybe a whole bunch of time after that. He was exactly what I’d always been looking for. We totally matched.

  Unfortunately, I’d planned to meet someone else that afternoon. Both men had said it was their only day free for the next few weeks, so I’d said yes to both.

  I was trying to figure out a nice way to end the date, when I heard, “Trey. What’s up?”

  I glanced up and panicked.

  The table was too small. I’d never be able to hide under it. The bathroom? Too far away.

  4

  Rock Guy – I like to climb stuff—and I don’t mean just the corporate ladder. In my free time I rock climb locally as well as a guided climb trip each summer. I’m looking for someone to share that sense of wonder and adventure with and bring it into everyday life.

  I glanced over my shoulder to find a good-looking man in a blue pullover smiling down at us. One who looked suspiciously like Date Two’s profile picture.

  “Hey, man.” Trey stood and shook the guy’s hand, doing that half-hug thing men do instead of just showing affection. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m meeting someone.”

  “Weird.” Trey turned to me, offering his hand as I stood. “This is Sarah.”

  “Sarah?” It was the way he said my name that told me we were all going downhill from there. “Sarah, Art Girl, Sarah?”

  “Oh. Yeah.” I should have known my perfect date would get not-so-perfect at some point. But hey…as Jane always joked, it was a story we could tell our grandkids. “Adam?”

  Trey waved a hand between us. “How do you guys know each other?”

  “We don’t. I mean, we do, but we don’t. Adam and I were matched up on eLove too.” This shouldn’t feel so awkward. “You were so busy and interesting and stuff, I fi
gured we'd get together and then you’d be off to do something. So, when Adam said he could only meet up tonight, it seemed like a good idea.”

  Both guys looked at me. Maybe less would have been more in that explanation.

  “Oh.” Trey studied me, disappointment coming through as his brows drew together. “So…”

  “So?” I wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. All I knew was I’d just been on one the best dates of my life and I was really hoping it wasn’t going to end awkwardly.

  “So, Adam’s my best friend. High school. College roommates. Travel buddies.”

  “Oh.” Okay. Adam’s date was going to go down as the shortest one in the history of mankind. Basically ending when he said hello.

  “We’ve made a deal we’d…” Trey looked at Adam who only raised an eyebrow at him. “We don’t date the same girls.”

  So, Adam’s one-second date would have to be struck from the dating history of Sarah Joy Gable. I was okay with that.

  “Okay.” I got it. Never come between friends. It was good to see guys who had been that close for so long. It said a lot of good things about Trey.

  “So, I’m going to have to cancel our plans for next week.” He took my hand and smiled down at me; that reassuring smile I’m sure he used all the time at work. “You understand, right?”

  “Um, no?” We’d had a great date. It went three times longer than expected with nothing but good vibes and, because I’d chatted with his best friend, we were off?

  “Adam’s been one of the few friends I’ve been able to keep through all the crazy school and residency and work stuff. We can’t go out with the same girl. And since you guys have been chatting, we’d never make anyone pick. It would just get…awkward.”

  As compared to this. This wasn’t awkward at all—unless you were, you know, human.

  “So. That’s it then.” I tried not to let the last word drift into a question. Trey was being pretty clear.

  “I’m sorry. It was great to meet you. I hope I meet someone just like you soon.”