22

Alistair

I should have anticipated that Liliana might bring someone else from the agency with her to the meeting. Benedict was a regular presence, after all. But I had hoped that once Liliana arrived and we completed the tour, we would have a chance to talk privately.

Liliana arrived with Charity, Bethany, and Maddie.

I let Benedict lead the tour, explaining the brewery's features and answering questions.

I stayed close to Liliana throughout. I couldn't help it. It was like being drawn to a magnet whenever she was near.

Maybe I was being unreasonable in my feelings, but I wasn't going to let a boyfriend of just a few months deter me. After all, she had been with Julian longer than that, and it hadn't ended well for her.

I was determined to make my feelings known to her. This time, I wouldn't let her slip away.

"Here we have our fermentation tanks," Benedict pointed out, guiding the group to the towering metal vats.

"And this is our bottling and canning line," I added, leading the group across the production floor.

"You've built an impressive operation here," Liliana remarked, giving me a proud look.

I smiled warmly. "Thank you. We've put in a lot of effort to reach this point."

Our hands brushed as we walked, and Liliana subtly moved away. I glanced at her and saw her blushing.

"And here's the taproom," Benedict announced as we reached it.

Dinner was served shortly afterward, and we settled in at the bar to eat. I positioned myself next to Liliana on one of the barstools.

Bethany asked why we didn't have a dinner menu at the brewery.

"It's something we've been considering," I replied. "We do offer snacks, and on weekends, we've experimented with items like wings and pizza."

Liliana spoke up then. "Taprooms typically focus on beer, but offering the right foods can be profitable. I've done some research if you'd like a copy. If you're thinking about expanding into more food service, that is."

I grinned at her. She had clearly done her homework and was fully invested in the campaign.

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you. We should sit down and discuss it further sometime," I suggested.

Charity ran with that idea, and Benedict and Liliana discussed the types of foods usually served at breweries while we ate.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Liliana. She wore a soft shade of lipstick that seemed to make her skin look creamier and her eyes even more bright blue.

Everything she said demonstrated a knowledge of breweries and their customer base that she had to have gained in the previous few days with a lot of research. I was impressed, but I’d expected to be.

“You really know your stuff,” I said when the conversation died down. “I’m more confident than ever that we’re putting Hard Rock in the right hands.”

Her sweet little blush made me want to touch her cheek. If we’d been alone, I would have.

Maddie said, “Liliana tells me you two know each other. Or knew each other, before the other day.”

She was clearly just trying to make friendly conversation, but I wished she hadn’t brought that up in front of the other team members.

I wasn’t even sure why it bothered me. It felt a little like putting our past relationship on display, even though Maddie probably didn’t know the half of it.

“I dated his brother,” Liliana said quickly, glancing at Charity and then at me. “And his late grandfather was my grandpa’s best friend.”

I thought it was curious that she didn’t mention our grandfathers first. Grandpa had passed a couple of years earlier, and his friendship with James had been what introduced us in the first place.

It was clear she wanted to emphasize that she had dated Julian to ensure I didn’t mention anything about our past. As if I would ever disclose our one passionate night together before she left.

“Thank you, by the way,” I said to her. “For the card. It meant a lot.”

She had sent a condolence card after my grandpa passed away, addressed to both me and Julian. Inside, she had written about what a special man he was, how fortunate he had been to have us as grandsons, and how touched she was that he had been her grandpa’s best friend.

After dinner, we continued the brewery tour. I was ready for the evening to conclude long before it did.

As the group gathered with Benedict in another room, Liliana moved to follow, but I gently took her arm to stop her.

“It’s really nice to see you again, Liliana,” I began. “And I appreciate the effort you’re putting into this project. But I’d like to see you outside of work sometime,” I suggested. “Maybe I could take you to dinner?”

I stepped closer, heartened by the way she looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. She still desired me, despite her intentions to deny herself what she wanted because of her current boyfriend.

She swallowed hard and stepped back slightly, though she didn’t pull away from my grasp. “Alistair—”

“I’m sorry I never reached out,” I interjected quickly. “I should have. But I didn’t want to hold you back. Now that you’re here again,” I continued, leaning in closer. “I want to see you, Liliana. I hope you want that too,” I whispered.

She stared at me for a moment, long enough that I thought she might confess her feelings. Instead, she withdrew her arm carefully from my grip and lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.

“We can’t, Alistair.”

“Why not?” I asked, attempting to hide any trace of hurt in my voice.

Liliana gave me a frustrated look. “You know why. You’re a client, I’m working on your account. And I have a boyfriend.”

“Right. Boyfriend,” I replied, tightening my jaw.

Perhaps her relationship was more serious than I had assumed. The realization twisted my gut.

I had no right to jeopardize a relationship that seemed to be going well. But I needed to know if there was any chance for us.

Cutting to the chase, I asked, “Do you love him?”

Her eyes snapped back to mine, and she took a sharp breath. There was a moment of hesitation.

“I care about him. But that’s not the point.”

She didn’t love him.

I smiled as I nodded. "Okay.”

“The point is you’re my client now and I’m in a relationship,” she said, sensing my skepticism.

“I could always fire the agency, if that helps,” I said, only half teasing. “If I’m not your client, then that won’t stand in the way.”

She laughed softly, probably thinking I wasn’t serious. “You wouldn’t fire us just to—”

The group came back, interrupting us, so I simply raised my eyebrows as if to say that maybe I would.