On the Rocks (Mixology #2)(3)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“What’s the occasion?” I took a seat at the large island and watched him cook. He seemed to be handling everything just fine on his own.

“You know, just thought I’d make you guys something.” He played it off as no biggie.

“Where’s Maddy?” I got up, deciding I couldn’t wait any longer for a cup of coffee. I needed caffeine in the morning.

“Still sleeping. She’s usually up by now, but I thought I’d let her sleep in.”

I smiled. “Good decision. Now you can bring her breakfast in bed.”

He poured batter onto the waffle maker. “Good idea. Could you make her a cup of tea?”

“Yeah. Definitely.” I rifled through the cabinets until I found the stash of teas Colin kept for her. He never drank them himself.

After settling on green tea, I walked around Colin to the sink and filled up the kettle. “What time are you going into work?”

“I’m not.” He finished the first waffle and went to work on another. “It’s Saturday, remember?”

“Since when did the day of the week dictate whether you went to work or not?” I knew my brother was trying to make more time for Maddy, but taking all of Saturday off seemed like a stretch.

“Since Paris. Maddy’s working tonight, so I’ll get work done when she’s at the Grille.”

“Are you okay with her bartending again?” I figured this might be my one chance to ask. I certainly wouldn’t ask in front of Maddy.

“Sure. It seems to make her happy enough. She’s still trying to figure out what she wants to do.”

I drank my coffee and put two waffles on my plate before Colin made a tray to bring up to Maddy. I figured I didn’t need to be involved in the delivery.

“What’s really going on, Carly?” Colin pulled the syrup out of the fridge. It was the real maple kind that cost a fortune.

“What do you think is going on?” I let some annoyance slip into my voice. Colin new exactly why I’d shown up on his door step.

“You’re going to have to face her sometime.” He gave me a knowing look.

“Easy for you to say.” I crossed my arms.

He leaned on his elbows. “She’s your sister too.”

“Don’t remind me.” I walked back to my room in a huff. I couldn’t afford to fight with Colin. He was the only one in my family who didn’t hate me.

Chapter Two

Macon

I’m not a morning person. Dragging myself out of bed at the crack of dawn isn’t my idea of fun, but it’s completely worth it when I’m taking out a dive boat. I don’t know where it came from, but I have a love of water that runs deep. It’s like I come alive as soon as I disappear under the surface. It’s probably why I was still at my job as a dive instructor at a scuba shop nearly two years after arriving in the Outer Banks.

“What’s up, man?” Ralph, another instructor at the shop, asked. He downed a cup of coffee like a parched man drinks water.

“Not much. It’s too early, but what’s new?”

He laughed. “Yeah. I hear you.” He held up his cup in evidence.

I nodded before heading into the back to pick up some gear.

“So, how’s Maddy?” Ralph tried to make it sound nonchalant, but I knew it wasn’t. I’d been an idiot to set him up on a date with my best friend and roommate. I’d purposely sabotaged it, and now he blamed that on why she wasn’t interested.

“She’s fine. Still with Colin.”

“Oh. Really?”

“You can’t be surprised. She lived with him in Paris for months.”

“Yeah, but he seems too uptight for her.”

“Do you even know Maddy? She’s as type-A as they come.”

“Really?” His eyes widened. “She doesn’t seem that way.”

“I’ve known her for years. This whole wandering nomad thing is just a stage.” I’d said the same thing about myself at one point, but I was starting to doubt it.

“Well, I guess it’s good she’s happy with him at least.”

I laughed. “Say it like you mean it, man.”

“Hey, I’ll give you the same treatment when you finally meet a girl you want to do more than fuck. Seriously man, is there really no one?”

“Not now. What’s the point?” At his reference to sex my thoughts went immediately to Colin’s little sister. Had she really been that cute the first time I met her? Maybe it was that she wasn’t in college anymore. It’s funny how one piece of paper can change someone. A fleeting thought of that reddish brown hair of hers sprawled across my pillow came to mind. I only enjoyed the thought for a second. Bringing that image to reality would lead to trouble with Maddy. I’d learned at an early age that pissing off my best friend was a bad idea. Besides, Maddy seemed happy with Colin, and I wasn’t about to wreck that for her by sleeping with the sister.

“Suit yourself. Get your crap together though, we’re running late.”

“Yeah, I’m going.”

***

“I’ll take my usual.” I sat down on a stool at the outdoor Tikki bar at the Grille. Maddy was working, and I tried to stop by a few times a week to hang out. Otherwise we barely saw each other. Even living in the same condo, if your work hours don’t match, it’s hard to catch up. It also didn’t help that she had started spending almost every night with her boyfriend. I wasn’t sure why she hadn’t just moved in with him already.

“One Long Island coming right up.” She tried to put some enthusiasm in her voice, but she didn’t sound like herself. I decided to ignore it. She’d tell me if there was something she needed to talk about. I could usually rely on her being open with me. I couldn’t say the same about myself lately. I’d been holding a hell of a lot back. I just didn’t want to put anything more on her plate.

“Thanks, Sunshine.” I glanced around the crowded patio. Beach music played at a low level from the speakers, but the noise from the other customers mostly drowned it out.

“Here you go.” She set the glass down in front of me.

I took a long sip. “Thanks.” Maddy could mix a mean Long Island iced tea. She was meticulous in her measuring, and she always seemed to get it right.

“No problem.” She leaned back against the counter for about two seconds before a couple came over.

“Two Shark Baits.” By the slur in the man’s voice this couldn’t be his first.