Six Month Rule (Kingston Ale House) by A.J. Pine Page B

tonight, and she’d just brought the table another pitcher of Jamie’s chocolate stout, even though Holly hadn’t finished her second pint. Or was it her third?
    “Huh?” Holly asked.
    Brynn nudged her shoulder with her own.
    “Not like I blame you,” Brynn continued. “I mean, jeez, Holl. All I’ve heard you talk about is what a jerk this guy is, but you never said he looked like that . Not that that ”—Brynn nodded toward Will and Marisa, the latter of whom seemed to be heckling the tall drink of British water as he scratched trying to sink the eight ball—“excuses jerky behavior, but tonight he’s been nothing but super—”
    “Charming?” Holly interrupted. “Delightful? Way too easy on the eyes when he smiles?”
    Brynn hopped onto the stool next to her sister. “Like I said—stargazing face.”
    Holly waved off her sister’s insinuations. “He’s a coworker.” She cocked her head to the side. “Actually, since his client hired Trousseau for this event, you could consider him my boss.”
    Brynn chuckled. “His client also hired him, sweetie. So…level playing field, if you ask me.”
    Holly shrugged. “It’s just a crush, and an intermittent one at that. This is not typical Will Evans. Plus, I’d like to restate the obvious—we work together. Conflict of interest.”
    This time Brynn threw back her head and laughed. She almost toppled her stool.
    “If Andrea Ross had any sort of fraternizing-at-the-office rules, you never would have hooked up with Charlie for your little six-month experiment. You’re just looking for excuses not to be…” Brynn slapped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late.
    “Happy?” Holly asked, brows raised. “Is that what you were going to say? Because that’s Mom’s line, sis. And you know what it means when you start parroting your own mother, right?”
    Brynn shook her head wildly. “You can never tell Mom I did that. I’ll never hear the end of it, even if she might have a point.”
    Holly groaned. “I’m happy,” she argued, though the statement would probably be more believable if she was smiling when she said it. “I love what I do, and I love living life on my terms. Add anyone else into the mix, and there’s bound to be disappointment.” Holly drained the pint she’d been nursing. Yeah, it had only been two. She could stand another, so she refilled her glass one more time. “Maybe it sounds selfish to you, Brynn, but the six-month thing? It’s not an experiment. It’s like my entire dating life since high school has been the experiment, and the only constant is the breaking point. Six months. The newness wears off, and either feelings fizzle or I get accused of not being present enough in the relationship anymore. So I pulled out the biggest variable in the equation—expectation. If we both know going in that whatever this is has an expiration date, then we let the thing run its course and go our separate ways without all the hurt. Honeymoon phase plus no broken heart. Win-win.”
    Brynn sighed. “Oh, honey. I want more than that for you.”
    Holly shook her head. “I don’t. Not now. I’ve never been able to put a guy first, back then before theater and now before my career. I’m being fair to me and any guy I get involved with. And if Charlie taught me one thing, it’s that six-month rule or not, it’s best to keep work at work and other stuff, well, other places.”
    Both sisters watched Marisa finally sink the eight ball and win, so she and Will hung up their cues and gave the table to waiting patrons.
    “Want a refill?” Holly asked as Marisa put her empty pint on the table.
    “Thank you, but no,” she said. “My husband just got off work, so I’m heading home. I’ve barely seen him all week.”
    “Must be hard with the two of you working long hours,” Holly said, wondering if the statement was too personal, but Marisa just shrugged.
    “It is,” she admitted. “But we work at putting each other first even