you now?” he asked, glancing sideways at her as he drove.
"Twenty-four. You?"
"Just turned thirty."
She nodded thoughtfully. “Tell me how you started your business."
"Well, like I told you, Connor and I spent most of high school drinking beer and playing pool.” He grinned. “And getting into trouble. For some reason, I decided I wanted to try making beer. My mother had a fit when she found out what we were doing in the garage. I told her it was a science project.” He laughed. “She almost bought it. After school I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I went to Europe. I spent some time bumming around, working in pubs in England and breweries in Germany and Denmark. When I got home, I decided I wanted to start my own brewery. I like to drink beer"—he grinned—"why not make it? So I convinced Connor to go into business with me. He was just finishing his business degree. I took some brewing courses at UC Davis. In retrospect, we were two crazy kids and shouldn't have been so successful, but we lucked out."
"It was probably more than luck,” she said. “Luck doesn't get you far in this world."
Zach pulled into a parking lot near Doc McCue's. “Maybe,” he said. “I actually owe a lot to Connor. I have tons of great ideas, but sometimes I'm a little rash. He likes to plan and assess and make decisions based on facts and logic. I get these crazy ideas and I just want to do them.” He shrugged. “And we did work really hard.” She was right. They'd busted their butts making this work.
He led her into the bar, dim and noisy on a Friday evening. This time, instead of going to the bar, he led her over to an empty booth against the far wall. A waitress quickly arrived to take their order.
"Two Gold Coast Pale Ale,” he requested, the same thing they'd been drinking the night they met.
He looked at Ashlyn sitting across from him and couldn't help but smile. Finally! Relief and excitement bubbled up in him.
He grabbed the menu. “Pizza okay?"
"Sure. I like any kind of pizza."
"Their special is good,” he said. “Was last time the first time you've been here?"
"Yeah."
"It's a great place. Connor and I come here a lot. Well,we used to. We've been so damn busy at work lately, we haven't had much time for anything. After we order, you want to play?"
She smiled. “Sure."
They sat there smiling at each other until the waitress bought their drinks. Zach had just ordered the pizza when an older man stopped at their table.
"Zach Montgomery! Haven't seen you here in a dog's age!"
Zach grinned and stood up to shake hands. “Hey, Doc, how are ya?” He turned to Ashlyn. “Ashlyn, this is Doc McCue, the owner of this place. Doc, Ashlyn."
She shook his hand. “Your name can't really be Doc McCue,” she said with a smile.
The man grinned. “No. But I've been doing this so long, that's what everyone calls me.” He turned to Zach. “We need to talk business. I can't keep that Sunshine Brown Ale in stock."
Zach beamed. “We're upping our production. I'll call you."
Doc moved off with a friendly wave.
"We only supply to a few bars and restaurants,” Zach explained. “We're working on a plan for expansion. Demand just keeps growing."
"That's good, right?"
"Hell yeah! Come on, let's play."
Zach's hard-on grew as he watched Ashlyn play. He checked out her ass whenever she bent over and watched her cute little tongue emerge between her lips when she concentrated. She really was sexy as hell.
His jeans felt uncomfortably tight when he took his turn. This time Ashlyn played even better and confirmed his suspicion: she'd been holding out on him.
"Damn,” he muttered as she sank the eight ball in the corner pocket and pumped a fist in the air.
"It's just a game,” she purred, running her hand over his cheek as she passed by him. He grinned like an idiot.
"You're pretty competitive, aren't you?” she asked back in their booth.
"Who, me?” He waited as the server placed their pizza on the table
"Twenty-four. You?"
"Just turned thirty."
She nodded thoughtfully. “Tell me how you started your business."
"Well, like I told you, Connor and I spent most of high school drinking beer and playing pool.” He grinned. “And getting into trouble. For some reason, I decided I wanted to try making beer. My mother had a fit when she found out what we were doing in the garage. I told her it was a science project.” He laughed. “She almost bought it. After school I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I went to Europe. I spent some time bumming around, working in pubs in England and breweries in Germany and Denmark. When I got home, I decided I wanted to start my own brewery. I like to drink beer"—he grinned—"why not make it? So I convinced Connor to go into business with me. He was just finishing his business degree. I took some brewing courses at UC Davis. In retrospect, we were two crazy kids and shouldn't have been so successful, but we lucked out."
"It was probably more than luck,” she said. “Luck doesn't get you far in this world."
Zach pulled into a parking lot near Doc McCue's. “Maybe,” he said. “I actually owe a lot to Connor. I have tons of great ideas, but sometimes I'm a little rash. He likes to plan and assess and make decisions based on facts and logic. I get these crazy ideas and I just want to do them.” He shrugged. “And we did work really hard.” She was right. They'd busted their butts making this work.
He led her into the bar, dim and noisy on a Friday evening. This time, instead of going to the bar, he led her over to an empty booth against the far wall. A waitress quickly arrived to take their order.
"Two Gold Coast Pale Ale,” he requested, the same thing they'd been drinking the night they met.
He looked at Ashlyn sitting across from him and couldn't help but smile. Finally! Relief and excitement bubbled up in him.
He grabbed the menu. “Pizza okay?"
"Sure. I like any kind of pizza."
"Their special is good,” he said. “Was last time the first time you've been here?"
"Yeah."
"It's a great place. Connor and I come here a lot. Well,we used to. We've been so damn busy at work lately, we haven't had much time for anything. After we order, you want to play?"
She smiled. “Sure."
They sat there smiling at each other until the waitress bought their drinks. Zach had just ordered the pizza when an older man stopped at their table.
"Zach Montgomery! Haven't seen you here in a dog's age!"
Zach grinned and stood up to shake hands. “Hey, Doc, how are ya?” He turned to Ashlyn. “Ashlyn, this is Doc McCue, the owner of this place. Doc, Ashlyn."
She shook his hand. “Your name can't really be Doc McCue,” she said with a smile.
The man grinned. “No. But I've been doing this so long, that's what everyone calls me.” He turned to Zach. “We need to talk business. I can't keep that Sunshine Brown Ale in stock."
Zach beamed. “We're upping our production. I'll call you."
Doc moved off with a friendly wave.
"We only supply to a few bars and restaurants,” Zach explained. “We're working on a plan for expansion. Demand just keeps growing."
"That's good, right?"
"Hell yeah! Come on, let's play."
Zach's hard-on grew as he watched Ashlyn play. He checked out her ass whenever she bent over and watched her cute little tongue emerge between her lips when she concentrated. She really was sexy as hell.
His jeans felt uncomfortably tight when he took his turn. This time Ashlyn played even better and confirmed his suspicion: she'd been holding out on him.
"Damn,” he muttered as she sank the eight ball in the corner pocket and pumped a fist in the air.
"It's just a game,” she purred, running her hand over his cheek as she passed by him. He grinned like an idiot.
"You're pretty competitive, aren't you?” she asked back in their booth.
"Who, me?” He waited as the server placed their pizza on the table
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