I started an every other weekend performance rotation, coordinating with Bre's volunteer weekend, to be more convenient for the four of us to hang out.
I told Bre my plan for meddling, and she liked it. Brad and I hosted a backyard grilling potluck for Kate from the humane society, Bre, Steve, and Marcus.
Saturday afternoon, everyone gathered in our backyard. Steve was in charge of the grill, only because he had the most practice, while I got Kate and Bre introduced and chatting, and we put food and dishes out on the deck. We also had a giant cooler filled with ice and a plethora of drinks.
As the afternoon progressed into evening, we were all well-fed and had tapped into some alcohol. Even I had ventured into my fire whiskey. I literally hadn't drank since the night I tried to kill myself with it. It didn't taste the same as I recalled, and I felt disappointed.
Brad had watched me take the first sip and immediately asked, "You wanna try something else, baby?"
"Here, try this", Bre said, shoving a canned fruity drink into my hand.
I eyed it skeptically.
"She drinks whiskey, hun", Steve chuckled.
"Exclusively?", Bre asked in disbelief.
"Yeah", Brad said, standing and snatching the glass out of my hand, slipping into the house.
"I like wine also", I explained to Bre, "but it lacks initiative. Whiskey doesn't mess around".
Marcus snorted and Bre rolled her eyes with a little smile.
Brad emerged momentarily with the same glass, but a deep brown liquid had replaced the reddish gold one.
I took a whiff and exhaled, taking a swig and swallowing before inhaling again. It was salted caramel whiskey, and it was delicious. Brad was still standing next to my chair. I looked up at him.
"Yeah?", he asked.
I smiled and nodded. He ran his hand over my head as he passed me back to his seat next to Steve.
Marcus and Kate were deep in conversation about some movie series I hadn't heard of. My evil plan seemed be playing out perfectly. They were both animated and enthused. Kate kept fiddling with her hair. All good signs. I caught Bre's eye and winked. She smiled back and took a sip of her drink.
I was in charge of music and periodically would get lost in it. Marcus interrupted the jam session I had going on in my head.
"I hear I missed a killer performance at church last week".
I opened my eyes. "I'm singing again next Sunday".
"Girl, did you really leap off the stage?", he asked, erupting into laughter and clutching his stomach with one arm.
My cheeks started burning. "I did, and everyone cheered, so shut it".
He was still laughing with his head thrown back. I watched Kate admiring his laughing face, brown skin, perfect white teeth and immaculately groomed facial hair. His mustache and goatee was so closely clipped, smooth, and with such perfect lines that it looked drawn on as it stretched across his jawline.
Kate spoke up, "I know you had to cut back on your hours to do that instead. Is it still a volunteer position?"
"Yeah. I know it's strange that I don't have a job but it's really important that I figure out what I want to do for paid work, and I'm doing only what I want to do for volunteer work in the meantime".
"Oh. What were you doing before?", Kate asked. A very natural question.
"I was working for my brother at Jansen Tech, second in command in Human Resources".
YOU ARE READING
The Neverending Hangover
Romance*Second in the Fire Whiskey series* 'I had been amazed at the connection Brad and I had, and our connection was inexplicable, but this with Rev was something else. It was different but just as impressive. Was I cursed or blessed to have two amazing...
