A Room with a Brew by Joyce Tremel

Author:Joyce Tremel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-10-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was lunchtime before Candy came into the brew house. Nicole and I were behind the bar, and Candy sat on one of the stools eating Jake’s semi-famous Buffalo chicken pierogies, while I told them about the gallery opening last night. When I got to the part about Victoria being there and that she was the buyer of the painting, Nicole audibly gasped.

“You’re kidding,” she said.

“Nope.”

“I’m sure that went over well with Jake,” Candy said. She knew all about his former fiancée. “What’s the witch like?”

“Exactly how I imagined she’d be. Gorgeous and thin, with the personality of a snake. Although that might be giving snakes a bad name. I have a feeling she only bought that painting so she could say she owns something by a famous artist.”

Cassie, one of the servers, came to the bar with a beer order and I poured it, then continued. “Jake made it clear he didn’t want to have anything to do with her. I’m hoping by now she’s on her way back to New York.”

I looked up when the door opened. The infamous Victoria sashayed into the pub, followed by Philip Rittenhouse. Great. So much for hoping she’d be gone. I kind of felt sorry for Philip. Apparently he was at her beck and call. “Guess who just came in?” I said.

Nicole’s eyes widened. “That’s her?”

“The one and only.” I didn’t want to, but I went around the bar and headed their way.

Candy was right behind me. “Oh, this is going to be good.”

I could only imagine what she was going to do. “Try and behave yourself.” That was like asking a shark not to take a bite out of a tasty swimmer.

From the way Victoria was standing, it looked like she was trying to get the attention of everyone in the room. A few people glanced up, but most were too busy with their food. I reached her in seconds, with Candy right at my elbow.

I pasted a smile on my face, wishing I was wearing something besides the jeans and T-shirt that I’d worn that morning to keg beer. I probably smelled like it, too. At least I’d donned a clean apron. “Welcome to the Allegheny Brew House,” I said.

I’d heard the expression look down your nose at someone numerous times, but this was the first time I’d actually seen anyone do it.

“Hello, Max,” Victoria said. She swept her right arm over her head. “So this is your brewpub.”

“Yes, it is.”

“It’s very quaint.” She didn’t say it like that was a good thing.

Candy nudged me aside, grabbed her hand, and pumped it like she was trying to shake bugs off it. “Oh. My. Gawd. I can’t believe I’m meeting a supermodel. I see your picture in the fashion magazines and . . . oh, I just can’t believe it!”

Philip took a step back in case he was next in Candy’s line of attack.

Victoria’s shocked expression changed to a smile. “Why, thank you very much. You don’t know how much that means to me.

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