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As I take a step closer again, I channel my inner redhead and in a husky voice, that’s not even put on, I say, “I might be safe from you, but areyousafe with me?”
Aiden’s smile grows as he clears his throat. “Touché, Sunshine. Touché.” Then he slaps me hard on my butt. It’s totally unexpected and I wish I could suppress my yelp. But too late for that.
We both laugh, and Aiden once more takes my hand. “Come on. I was showing you my tap handles. Let’s go.” I giggle like a schoolgirl… what the actual heck?
I definitely need to stop drinking. But slightly buzzed or not, I realize just how much I needed this… this light-hearted, fun night out in an environment that’s filled with laughter and joy. After all the drama of the past few weeks, it’s a breath of fresh air for my soul.
Aiden leads me through the crowded room to a set of stairs in the corner. People are dancing and we weave in and around them.
I actually want to see these tap handles; they’re quirky enough to catch my interest. We quickly climb the stairs and when we get to the top, Aiden unlocks the door with a biometric hand scan. Why do they need such high-tech security in a small brewery? But I guess these guys work for Freemont, so perhaps it’s not that unusual. It makes me wonder, though, what exactly is inside this room.
He turns on soft lighting as we enter, and I take in the wonder before me. It’s a relatively small room and floor to ceiling display cases line the walls. They’re filled with lots and lots of bottles.
“You weren’t kidding. You really do collect beers,” I say as I step closer to have a better look. “Are these all rare?”
“Yes, every single bottle.” The pride in Aiden’s voice is unmistakable.
“Are these any good to drink?” I ask.
“I’d say so. But I sure as hell am not going to find out.” He laughs.
“Which one is your most special bottle?”
Aiden points to a glass case in the back corner of the room that’s reinforced with its own security system. “That would be theEnd of HistoryScottish Brewery BrewDog. It’s one of the strongest beers ever made with an alcohol content of fifty-five percent. It’s a unique blonde Belgian ale infused with nettles from the nearby Scottish Highlands and juniper berries. Only a dozen bottles were ever made. And as you can see, it comes in a rather unique presentation.”
That’s an understatement! The bottle is housed in a taxidermy squirrel wearing a tuxedo. I’m really not sure how I feel about it. “I’m glad they only ever made twelve of these,” I say, scrunching up my face in distaste.
“They didn’t kill these animals,” Aiden assures me. “They were roadkill.”
Hmm, not sure this makes it much better. “If so few were ever made, this must be worth a small fortune.”
“It’s worth about twenty thousand dollars,” Aiden replies.
Holy shit. My eyes go wide. “That’s insane.” No wonder this room is locked and secured. All these rare bottles together must be worth a lot.
Aiden taps my arm and guides me to a display case in the middle of the room. “But we came up here to admire the tap handles. There’s only a dozen of them so far. We haven’t been collecting them for long.”
There are some that have animals as handles, and one is a mermaid, but the one that catches my attention is the handle in the shape of the triquetra. “Wow! Where did you find that?” I ask, pointing at the Celtic knot.
“I had it custom made as a present to Ethan and Axel the day we left the Green Berets to remind them that we’ve got a purpose outside the army.” The air has turned more solemn.
“I noticed your tattoo… the triquetra. What made you choose it? Why is it over your heart?” It’s been in the back of my mind ever since I saw it.
Aiden’s face loses his jovial gleam, and I immediately regret asking. Was that too personal a question?
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I’m quick to say when Aiden doesn’t answer right away.
“No. It’s okay. I… I just didn’t expect that question, that’s all.”
Why do I get the sense that this isn’t a happy story? Do I really want to know and spoil the party for Aiden? But it’s too late now.
Chapter Nineteen
Aiden
Ella’sastuteeyesstudyme, and I wonder if she already regrets having asked. She can sense this isn’t a straightforward story.
We sit down on the couch under the window, and I lean over the side to get us a couple of bottles of water from the mini fridge. It buys me time to contemplate her questions.
