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I laughed and dealt the cards, still wondering if Todd came to see him because he missed me, or because it made him feel the loss of his own grandpa a little less.
24
DYLAN
“Go out with me,”I said to Lana on the phone.
“Dylan, we’ve discussed this,” she answered, her voice shaking a little.
“Hear me out, Lana. Killer Luck Brewery. They do a booming business and serve food in their taproom. I figure we can go and check it out. For business reasons, of course.”
“Business reasons,” Lana said, her voice skeptical. “Well, let me see when Chelsea or Beth can fit it into their schedules and—”
“That’s not going to work for me.”
“Why not?” Lana cleared her throat. “Wouldn’t you want the team there to soak up the atmosphere and take notes? Offer suggestions?”
“Not really.” I knew my ploy risked being transparent, and I didn’t care. “I think you’re perfectly capable of handing it without help. And your input is really all I’m interested in.”
“The more people helping, the better. Let me check with them,” she said, sounding almost as if she was pleading.
“I’d like this meeting to be just us. I want to experience the place as a regular customer would. Not an agency analyzing every last detail. Know what I mean?” I held my breath and waited for her to answer.
“As old friends,” I added, when she didn’t reply.
She sighed and finally said, “Fine. But it’s a business meeting, even if it’s at night at a brewery, Dylan.”
“Of course. I’ll pick you up so we can talk more in the car.”
She started to protest, but I turned on my ‘boss’ voice and said, “I just need your address, and I’ll be there tomorrow at five sharp.”
She caught the change in my tone—that of a client to the account manager working for his company—and gave me the address.
Maybe she thought I really did mean it to be all business after that. As long as she came, I didn’t care.
I just needed some time with her, just the two of us, so I could convince her to give us another try.
So I could remind her howrightwe were together.
The next day, I pulled up to Lana’s place at five till. I was going to knock on her door, but she must have been watching for me. She came outside as soon as I pulled up.
My breath caught in my throat.
She looked gorgeous in dark skinny jeans that hugged every curve and a loose sweater that hung casually off one shoulder. I drank in the sight of her as she slid into my car, catching a whiff of her flowery perfume.
"Thanks for indulging me on this research outing," I said, flashing her a grin. "I think you'll really like this place, Killer Luck Brewery. Super hip vibe with amazing beers."
Lana gave me a wry look. "Well, it is technically work related. And beneficial to check out the competition." But her lips twitched into a hint of a smile that gave me hope.
“Hands-on experience is best. And two heads are better than one.” I was a filthy liar.
Sure, I thought it was a good idea to see how some other owners ran their business. But it was really just an excuse to spend time with Lana. If she didn’t already know that, she would soon enough.
At the brewery, I led Lana inside the bustling taproom.
The space was crowded, forcing us to squeeze through crowds of drinkers to get to the bar. I’d picked the right one to research given how many people were there.
Maybe serving more food was a good idea after all. We walked around the place, then ended up back in the taproom.
