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Jeremiah held up his hands, smiling right back at her. “Honest togoodness truth. I didn’t get the construction gene, so I stick to alcohol.Learning about it, not just drinking.” He laughed.

Hadley joined him. “Can you imagine?”

Spencer listened as the two chatted animatedly about Venice, the coolerweather, and how often they visited Calabasas and its little-known ice creamshop. It turned out she wasn’t the only one who found Hadley easy to talk to.It was becoming clear that she made friends wherever she went, like aninescapable ray of sunshine. Where in the world had this woman come from? Nicepeople didn’t work on Rodeo Drive: a cosmic rule.

“And this is Spencer. My date,” Hadley told Jeremiah, after theirfirst tasting, a shot of tequila that Spencer made sure to sip and discard.Hadley, on the other hand, drank and talked, and drank and talked until hershot glass was empty.

“Nice to officially meet you,” Spencer told Jeremiah. “I feel likeI already know so much about you.”

He shook his head, a giant grin spread across his face. “The worldis a small place, and it’s nice to meet a kindred spirit like Hadley.”

“We should exchange information after,” Hadley said. “TwoCalabasas kids and all.”

“Definitely,” he said, and poured them a sample of vanilla rum.“My girlfriend would love you guys. We could make it a foursome some night fordinner. Either here or in Calabasas.”

“You’re on.” Hadley turned to Spencer after downing the smallglass. “My lips are numb,” she said, touching them. “Do you think it’s okaythat my lips are numb? Where did they go?”

Spencer grinned. “Might mean that you want to slow down.”

“Good call,” Hadley said. “I’d love my lips to come back.” Hercheeks were flushed and she seemed a tad tipsy. Spencer decided to keep an eyeon her intake, just in case.

After they progressed to a mellow vodka, Hadley was talking kindof fast. “The thing about Venice,” Hadley said, speaking with an alcohol-fueledconviction, “is that it’s so darn expensive. I just can’t get away from itthough. The people, the culture. They speak to me, ya know?” The alcohol wasalso speaking to her. It was cute, but Spencer thought maybe they should pausethe tasting.

“Hey, Hadley?” she asked. “You know what I’ve always wanted to doin Venice?”

“What’s that?”

“See the canals. Maybe we can skip the rest of the tasting andcheck them out. What do you think?”

“Yeah. Yes. Definitely,” she turned to Jeremiah. “Do you mind ifwe skip the rest? My lips never returned.”

“Not at all,” he said warmly, and passed Hadley his card. “I’mglad you two stopped in.”

Hadley took his hand and shook it. “You’ve done an amazing jobtonight. You’re going to go far.”

Jeremiah and Spencer exchanged an amused smile. “Thanks,” Spencermouthed back at him and then walked a very tipsy, quite possibly drunk Hadley,out of the store. “So, that was fun,” she said,

“Wow!” Hadley exclaimed once they hit the streets. “That stuffhits you out of nowhere.” She touched her forehead. “I apologize. I’m not usedto straight alcohol all on its own. Oh! Look at the birds up there, flyingfree!”

“It’s nice when they’re able to do that,” Spencer said. “Can Itell you something? You’re a different kind of fun when you’re drinking. Likeregular Hadley times six.”

“Can I tellyousomething right on back? You’re really sexy when I’m drinking.” She closed hereyes. “That’s ridiculous. You’re really sexy all the time. I just said that outloud and it’s fine.”

“It is.” Spencer smiled. “Nothing wrong with that.”

Hadley held up one finger. “Time to cut me off, ma’am.”

“I’ll fight off any potential barkeeps who may approach us.”

“You would do that for me?” Hadley asked, exponentially touched.

Spencer laughed at her drunken sincerity. “Come on. Show me thesefamous canals I’ve heard so much about, and then you can tell me how sexy I amagain.” She handed Hadley one of the bottles of water she’d picked up in thestore.

“Don’t tempt me,” Hadley said, gesturing with the water. “C’mon.It’s a nice night out. We can walk. Maybe the air will help sober me up so Istop complimenting you like an idiot.”

“Maybe there’s a compromise in there somewhere,” Spencer said.

“We could negotiate.”