Page 13 of Fierce-Matt

“What are you doing here?” Ben asked him a few minutes later.

“I came in for some beer,” he said, “and thought I’d say hi to my older brother. Problem with that?”

“Nope,” Ben said. “Want to come back? Too many people up here.”

“Yep,” he said. It was exactly as he’d hoped for.

He followed his brother out of the store, past the hostess who was taking money for the tours, then into the tasting room, through security doors, and to the back.

The hum of workers was much quieter back here than the loud, excited chatter of guests receiving their favorite brews.

“What brings you by in the middle of the afternoon dressed like you should be in court slinging fancy words at jurors?”

Matt snorted. “Some of us don’t have a problem wearing a suit.”

“Your tie is missing, so you must not have been trying to impress a judge.”

One side of his lip curled up in a smirk. “It’s in the car. I took it off when I was done. I’m ditching the rest of the day and wanted to pick up some beer for the weekend.”

“You came to the right place,” Ben said. “The question is what do you want?”

“I’m always open to suggestions,” he said. He was looking through the glass to the bar as they walked down the hall.

Ben laughed. “I don’t think you came to see me.”

“What?” he asked.

“Do you really want to get your nuts shoved down your throat again?” Ben asked.

His shoulders dropped. His brother had busted his ass over the way Anya had left him standing on the dance floor a month ago with his jaw open.

So much for hoping no one witnessed it.

He’d brushed it off and laughed, then made a joke about it.

Ben wasn’t buying it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can play it that way,” Ben said. “Or better yet, we can go get a beer for you to try. Got a new one on tap. Then I can witness her reaction to you firsthand.”

No one ever said he shied away from a bet.

“Why don’t we do that?”

“You really are a glutton for punishment,” Ben said, shaking his head. “But I could use a good laugh.”

They turned and went back to another door. Ben swiped his badge, then the two of them butted in front of everyone else to go around the back of the bar.

“You’re going to serve me,” he said. “Sweet. I might have to mark my calendar.”

“It will be the last time I serve you,” Ben said over his shoulder. His brother grabbed a glass, filled it halfway and handed it over, then got another glass and did it for a second. “You can decide which one you like better.”

Matt took a sip of the first and pursed his lips. A little sweet for his liking. Before he sipped the second, Anya turned and made eye contact with him.

He grinned and winked at her.

She actually flushed and returned his smile, then went back to her customer with a full glass.