Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology #1)(24)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Brody chuckled. “You’re something else, Maddy.”

“Am I?”

“Uh-huh. When Macon told me his little friend from home was moving in, I was expecting spoiled Prada girl.”

“Why? Charlottesville isn’t that wealthy.”

“It is compared to Augusta. Besides, I knew you were a Delta Mu. At my school, that house was full of rich girls.”

“How’d you know what sorority I was in?” I pushed his blatant stereotyping of my house aside. I was guilty of the same thing when it came to frats.

“I may have done some research.”

“Seriously? Does that make you a stalker?”

He laughed hard enough to spill some water down his white t-shirt. “No. I just like to know what I’m in for.”

“I didn’t look you up.”

“You took Macon’s word that I wasn’t an ax murderer?”

“Yes, I guess I didn’t even think about it. Maybe I trust Macon too much.”

“What’s the story there?” He stirred the sauce.

“With Macon?”

“Yeah. I don’t get it. I’ve known plenty of guys and girls who are friends, but I get this vibe there’s history.”

“We made out once when we were drunk. It sucked.”

He laughed again. “Really? And here I thought Macon was the ladies’ man.”

“He is…or usually is. I guess it was a sign we weren’t supposed to be doing that with each other. Now we joke about wanting to sleep together. It’s perfectly normal and healthy.”

“If I didn’t know you guys, I’d say it wasn’t, but with you, it seems to work.”

I shrugged. “I can’t afford to lose him as a friend. I need him.” Wow, I’d never admitted that out loud. It was a vulnerability I wasn’t sure I liked. Needing people could be dangerous.

“Want to know a secret?” Brody placed his empty glass in the dishwasher.

“Sure.”

“He needs you too. He’s been happier since you moved in.”

“Yeah? Was he ever not happy?” I felt slightly guilty talking about Macon when he wasn’t there, but I couldn’t deny the curiosity. Macon was always the upbeat one.

“You’re not the only one here to run away. He took the rejection worse than he’s playing off.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Worry set in.

“Shit. Forget I said anything.”

“No. Now you have to tell me.”

Brody sighed. “His uncle said he didn’t think he was the right fit for the company.”

“What?” My jaw was probably on the floor. “Who is the ‘right fit’?”

“I don’t remember her name. Some woman who goes by initials.”

“AJ? Was it AJ?” He turned down the heat and covered the sauce.

“Yes.”

“That’s this brat who’s worked there for a few years. Geez. Poor Macon. I can’t believe he never told me.” Macon had complained about AJ more than a few times, but I doubt he ever considered she’d be actual competition.

“Don’t tell him I told you.”

“I won’t.” How could he have kept that from me? He had to have had his reasons, so for his sake, I decided to let it go. He was a super smart guy and loved by everyone. He’d probably be better off working somewhere else anyway.

“Good. Well, I need to get ready for work. Have fun on your date, whatever it is you do.”

“Thanks. I hope work’s decent.”

“Thanks.” He cast a glance back before walking into his room.

***

“Where are we going?” I asked as Colin slowed down. I’d thought over every possible place he could be taking me, but nothing seemed to fit.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He turned on the headlights. The days were already getting shorter. I loved fall, but I missed the long days of summer.

“Then when are you going to tell me?” I leaned back against the leather seat of his car.

“I’m not going to. You’ll see it for yourself.”

“Are we almost there?”

“Are you always this hard on guys who want to impress you?”

“There haven’t been many guys trying to impress me.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.” He put his hand on my bare leg like it was something he did every day.

“It’s not that I haven’t dated. I have. Plenty. But the usual guys I attract aren’t worried about impressing me.”

“Why not? Did you kick them to the curb before they had the chance?”

“No. They didn’t care enough. I’ve never had trouble getting a date—but I don’t think I’ve ever been someone anyone was concerned with keeping around.” The mini speech was far more personal than I intended it to be.

“I know the feeling.” Four words said more than one hundred could. I loved how he did that sometimes. He spoke so simply, but so meaningfully.

“That surprises me.”

“It shouldn’t, but I suppose I should be flattered if it does. It doesn’t matter though. I’m glad I have the opportunity to try to impress you. I want to keep you around.”

“You want to keep me around? That’s quite a romantic statement.”

“I promised you a surprise. I didn’t promise you romance.” A tiny smile played on the corner of his lips, making me even more curious about what he had up his sleeve.

My curiosity was satisfied moments later when he pulled into a small parking lot.

I looked around at where we were. “Why are we stopping?”

“Because we’re here.”

“At a lighthouse? It’s got to be closed.”

“It is closed.” He turned off the engine, got out and came around to open my door.

“Then why are we here?”

“Just trust me on this.” He took my hand, and we walked the path to the lighthouse. In the distance I saw a figure leaning against the structure.

I decided to take Colin up on his challenge and trusted him.

“Hey, man, it’s all yours.” A guy maybe a year or two older than me nodded up at the lighthouse.

“Thanks, I owe you.”

Still trying to make sense of things, I followed Colin into the base of the towering brick structure. Colin’s flashlight was the only thing lighting our way up the hundreds of steps in the spiral staircase. I held onto the metal railing, wondering what Colin had waiting for us. Surely he wasn’t having me climb that many steps for the fun of it. I’d heard there was a gorgeous view, but I doubted we’d be able to see much so late at night.