Brewing Up Some Love
Page 3
Out of the dresser drawer, Shia took off her wrinkled dress and tugged on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt of her favorite band. Picking up some discarded magazines on her bedroom floor, she made her way down the hall to the kitchen to make coffee.
There was a knock on her front door, she looked through the peep hole and then opened it.
“Good morning Are you feeling better?” Regan asked. His smile was warm and easy.
“A little.”
No one should look this good in the morning. His brown dark hair was mussed and a five o’clock shadow darkened his jaw line. If it was possible, his unkempt look was even sexier. She locked this memory safely away. She hoped she would be able to add another. How he looked when he woke up beside her on a pillow.
“I hated to leave you alone,” he said. “But it was bad enough you drank my beer… that I talked you into drinking, and then you broke out in hives.”
Her tone softened. “It was late when you came over. You could have slept on the couch.”
“It was a difficult decision, but I decided I’d better go home. I didn’t want you to think I’d tried any funny business.”
“I was pretty out of it.”
“I’m not into necrophilia.”
Shia broke out in a laugh and pulled a stool out from the breakfast nook. “So what now? I feel like we’ve spent a lifetime in one day, and we haven’t even been on a first date.”
He came towards her and pulled her hair off her shoulders. “I don’t see any splotches.”
“Nope. I’m lucky a few over the counter pills will take care of it.”
“I have an idea. Can you be at the coffee shop in a half an hour?”
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“I’ll see you there.” Before she could answer, he was gone.
Shia showered, changed, put on fresh makeup and headed out with record speed. The giddy anticipation of seeing Regan again put a spring in her step. This guy could be a keeper. But she needed to remind herself not to jump ahead.
The Mud Puddle popped into view as she came around the corner. When she opened the door, she expected to see Regan, but he wasn’t there. Maybe he had gone home to take a shower. She decided to order her morning Chia tea and wait.
“Morning, Hillary,” she said brightly. “How is your day going?”
“But how are you this morning?” a deep voiced asked behind her. Regan stepped to stand beside her.
The phone in her purse rang and she burst out laughing.
“Déjà vu,” he said.
She reached in and pulled it out just as Bohemian Rhapsody hit the first high notes. “In case it’s an emergency.” She shook her head as she glanced at the number. “It’s a number I don’t recognize.”
“If you decided to answer, it was me. By the way, now you also have my cell number” He lifted his phone in his hand. “This time I thought I would cover all my bases and not let a phone call from someone else mess up my big moment.”
Shia grinned and dropped the phone back in her purse. “Smart man.”
“Do you come here often?” he asked as he paid for their drinks.
“Every morning.”
“That’s good to know. I was wondering if your schedule was open today, there’s a great new Degas exhibit downtown, and I happen to have a couple of tickets. I’d love it if you would escort me.”
She followed him out to the park next to the coffee shop. He stopped and turned to face her.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Yes, I am. But not before we set some ground rules. Before I came to talk to you yesterday, I made up some rules in the shower.”
“The shower… you don’t say.” She gave him a slow up and down perusal.
“My rules were: 1.Be honest. 2. Don’t sound or be like a stalker. 3. Don’t make a fool out of yourself. I have to give it to myself because I managed to break all of my own rules with cosmic proportions.”
“About the beer… I didn’t do a very good job of being honest either.”
He looked up at the sky and shook his head. “How can I ever date a woman who is allergic to beer? I own a brewery.”
Shia bit her lip, and shrugged. “I don’t know. I know how passionate you are about your craft and business.”
He took a step closer and leveled his gaze to hers. “Well I guess it’s a good thing that Ben and I have decided to branch our brewing to hard apple cider. I did some research online on my phone on the walk over here and it said that if you are allergic to beer, you’ll probably be okay with the cider.”
“You’re doing that for me?”
He grinned. “Naw. I’d like to say I had, but it was already in the works. But now I don’t have to worry about you itching and passing out if we have another function. You can drink our cider.”
“What about your blood issue.”
“No guarantees, but I’d like to try donating blood again. If I do, I wouldn’t anyone else but you to draw it.”
She faked a swoon and laughed. “That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He sat his coffee down on a park bench and then took hers from her hand. He pulled her close and took her face. “I am petitioning for a complete day do-over. I know that doesn’t happen too many times in our lives, but I think this time, it’s worth it. Let’s start our meeting over, because I think you’re worth repeating a whole day to get to know.”
Shai wound hands behind Regan’s neck. “Okay, now that was the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. I like your plan, but I also like starting where we left off last night on the balcony.”
“Hmmm… I think you’ll need to refresh my memory.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Shia breathed deeply. He smelled of toothpaste and coffee.
Without saying a word, his mouth swooped down to take hers. He tasted…perfect.
Regan took control of the kiss, taking it deeper, bending her back slightly while all the time holding her cradled in the small of her back. His mouth was hungry and warm. He drew her closer, until she couldn’t breathe.
Final he broke away. They were both breathing heavy.
“Wow. I’m happy I’m not considering this to be our first date… cause… wow.”
His grin formed dimples in his cheeks. “Are you counting this as our second date?”
“Yes… why?”
His grin widened. “How about I take you to the exhibit, and you can wear the green dress you wore last night. Let’s just say, I’m out of the ER and you are not passed out. Sooo…”
“I have a black dress I think you might like even more.” She kissed the tip of his nose.
“I’m not sure if that’s possible, but we can give it a try.” His face grew serious. “If we’re being truthful, I want to put something else out there. It’s fun for the two of us to spend casual time, but I’ve seen my brother and dad go through women like water. That’s not my thing. If this starts to work out between us, I’m ready to look for more in a relationship. After my mother’s death, my father played the field, and Ben followed his example. This is probably the exact reason I strive to choose a different path. I want that special woman. Someone I come home to every night, pop in a movie and cuddle up on the couch, not the revolving door my dad and brother have.”
“I am too. I don’t have time to play-the-field. I want someone I can come home to at night and talk about our day. But I have to warn you, if I do get in to nursing school, I’ll be super busy and I’ll be gone a lot studying.”
“Schedules can be worked around.”
“If we spend time together, can you cook?”
“My mom passed on her best Italian recipes, and I can make a mean stir-fry.”
“I can’t cook worth beans.”
“I’d like to teach you.”
“I think I’d like that. I guess if you hadn’t followed me and been a stalker, we may never have met.”
“I am not a stalker, I was just curious. I’m s
tarting a new list of rules. 1. Be honest.” He stopped. “That was on the old list, but I think it needs to be updated and we both need to follow it this time. Number two…”
She laughed. “Okay. Okay. I don’t care what number two is on the list. Stop with the lists and kiss me!”
He slid both his hands into her hair, cupped her head and drew her forward. He lowered his mouth until their lips gently met. Her heart did a flip as he pulled her on to her tiptoes.
Regan was sweet, considerate, caring, and a great kisser. With her shy brew master, she saw a future. A future where they might brew up some love.