4
Signs
Mitch
The unassuming dark red brick front of the building and black-metal framed windows draw me closer to the brewery as I cross the street in a slow jog. Hunter and Spencer are standing out front, their heads craned back as they stare up at the white sheet hanging above the door, hiding the new sign.
“You two are always fucking slacking,” I tease.
They turn around, beaming. Like long-lost siblings, we open our arms for a group hug, and I’m filled with a warmth that seeps into my being. Despite not sharing one ounce of DNA with these guys, they are my family. Going through puberty and endless summers together will do that to people.
“You made it!” Spencer smacks my back, not bothering to hide his genuine disbelief.
“Why is everyone so shocked I’ve shown up? I said I’d be here, didn’t I?”
“I never doubted you’d make it, Mitch.” Always the kindest of the group, Hunter smiles, his baby face looking more mature since I saw him a few months back in New York City. Then again, it could be the pounds of muscle he’s put on and his summer tan.
I grip his shoulder. “Jesus, Hunter. What are you at, like, zero percent body fat?”
I work out as much as he does, but my weightlifting makes me look thick, whereas the hours he spends at his yoga studio make him lean and cut.
“Not zero.” He chuckles. “I’m at two, actually,” he adds.
I blink a few times. “Two? Damn, you’re letting yourself go.”
“You should try some yoga,” he says, giving my stomach a playful tap. He’s joking, of course. This is what we do—we tease each other like brothers.
“All right, if you two have finished flirting, can we get on with this?” Spencer complains haughtily. “Some of us have plans.”
“And do these plans involve a sexy brunette?” Hunter asks, meaning Bethany, Spencer’s girlfriend.
“I’ve got to be honest, Spence,” I say. “I’m impressed you’ve stuck around this long.”
He frowns, but then his expression softens, and I swear his eyes light up like hearts. If a person could turn into an emoji, Spencer just did. “She’s the one, dude. I’ve never met someone like her. Can’t wait for you two to meet.”
Surprised by his sincere smile, mine stretches across my face. It almost makes me forget how my day started. “Yeah, what’s that about? I’m a little offended that I haven’t met her yet. I mean, you’ve been together for a year!”
“And whose fault is that?” Spencer asks with an arched eyebrow.
“Right, well, you know how it is?” I rub the back of my neck. “Schedules. Meetings. Yada-yada.” I glance up at the sign, and ignore the guilt gnawing in my gut. How would they react to finding out that I haven’t been that busy at all, only hiding? “Okay, are we ready to do this?”
Hunter steps up to the building and grabs the rope hanging from the sheet above. “If it’s all right, I’d like to say something first.”
Spencer shakes his head, and I drop mine. “Oh no, here he goes.”
“All I ask is that you don’t make us cry, Hunter,” Spencer teases.
“Assholes. I’m serious.” Hunter’s brow pinches. “This has been our dream for a long time, even if we didn’t realize it. And there’s no one else in the world I’d want to share it with or have by my side.” His expression drops a little, as his gaze flickers down the street.
Spencer sniffles beside me, but being the actor that he is, I know he’s faking it. I elbow him in the ribs, and he hides a laugh behind his fist.
“Seth would be proud of us today. That we turned his dream into a reality,” Hunter continues, ignoring Spencer. “I hope this is the first day of many that will continue to make him proud.”
We share a solemn nod and take a moment to remember our lost friend, but all too soon, heaviness weighs me down, so I crack my neck and pull my phone out. “Okay, enough sappiness. Let’s light this spark!” I say, hitting the record button.
“Without further ado, I present to you…” Hunter looks up and tugs on the rope. “The Four Brothers Brewery!”
He steps back as the sheet falls to the ground at his feet. The carved, bold gold letters of the sign stand out sharply against the black background, and we share an audible gasp.
“Real nice,” I say a minute later. “Love it.”
Hunter comes to our side of the sidewalk, a serene expression on his face.
“It’s perfect, Hunt.” Flanked between us, Spencer wraps his arms around our shoulders.
We stand staring at the sign, three brothers remembering the one that’s missing. I can’t speak for the others, but I feel Seth close by, giving us his approval.
Today’s importance is significant for all of us, but especially for Hunter.
We were all close with Seth, but Hunter shared something a little extra with him.
Nothing could keep them apart. From the swell of tears in Hunter’s eyes, something tells me that bond hasn’t lessened, even though Seth isn’t around anymore.
I squeeze Hunter’s shoulder. “Should we go inside?” I ask, curious for my first in-person visit. It’s hard to believe that we’re so close to our grand opening and I’ve only seen the brewery through a phone screen.
“Hell, yeah!” Excited like a kid, Spencer grabs the keys from Hunter and hurries to unlock the door. We follow him inside.
The immaculately clean place still smells of fresh paint, beer, and a hint of sawdust. In a daze, I walk around, my eyes finding it hard to focus on one thing.
The exposed brick walls, the gleaming brass taps, the black metal pipe tables with wood tabletops; it’s all gorgeous and well-designed.
But it’s the back garden area, with its open-air decor, pretty hanging white lights, and lush greenery, that steals my breath away.
“It’s fucking… perfect. Well done, boys. It’s stunning. Truly.”
They exchange smiles before Spencer gives Hunter a swift punch on the arm. “I told you he’d love it.”
Pride is etched all over their faces and strangely, I’m struck with envy.
We’re all in this together, and I’ve contributed my fair share—financial backing and creating the menu—but I wish I’d been here for it all.
Physically present and not over the phone.
I should have been here, where they needed me.
Not hiding away in the city and waiting for the team to beg me back.
Then maybe this moment would fill me with as much pride as it does for Hunter and Spencer.
And I’d have gotten to spend more time with Dad instead of rushing through what might very well be his last days.
Suddenly exhausted, emotionally and otherwise, I drop into a chair.
“Mitch, you good?” Hunter asks, sitting next to me, his kind voice soothing. “Is it your dad?”
I drop my head into my hands and nod. “He’s just so… broken.”
“It’s a real shame, Mitch,” Spencer adds, sitting across from us. “Why the hell is he refusing treatment?”
“It’s his choice,” Hunter states with a sharp edge. “His body.”
“I get that, I do, but he’s leaving behind—” Spencer stops, his gaze shifting to mine, and he raises his hands. “Sorry, it’s not my place.”
I rub the back of my neck and shake off this sudden morbidity. “Fuck this. We’re supposed to be celebrating. Why don’t we sample some of our hard work?”
Spencer slaps his hands against his thighs and shoves his chair back. “Now we’re talking.”
Hunter pushes the chair back into place, and they return inside toward the taproom. I lag behind, pausing to breathe in the smell of newness. The smell of clean slates and new possibilities.
Max
“Come on, stay,” I plead, stroking Tucker’s semi-hard length through his pants, but he swiftly grips my hand and yanks it away.
“No, Maxy. We can’t.”
“Oh, we definitely can. You’re the one that won’t.” I roll off of his lap onto the couch and bring my knees up, tucking them to my chest.
We’ve been here before. The making out, the inevitable shut-down, the unsatisfied needs.
It’s like I’m a teenager all over again, stuck between wanting something so bad it hurts and knowing that things won’t move forward. Only I’m not the one getting in my way.
“You know how I feel about you.” Tucker cradles my face, caressing my cheek with his thumb. “About us and… sex.” His hazel eyes drop to his lap, and he shifts in his seat as if only now realizing he’s hard.
“I know how you claim to feel about me.” I move away from his touch, and his hand drops. “But I don’t get why you keep stopping this.”
The long breath he takes and his equally long exhale fill my ears and grate on my nerves. I hate it when he makes it seem like I’m annoying him. He runs his fingers through his brown, wavy hair. “Why are you in such a rush?”
“Who wouldn’t be?” I snap.
I’m sure I could blame this horny, bitchy side on my lack of sex, but deep down, this anger has been sitting with me since I saw Mitchell earlier today.
“This is hard for me, too. But there’s something between us, right?” Tucker searches my eyes.
I think about it, then nod.
Tucker is the polar opposite of the men who’ve left me devastated and the poor choices that came along with them. He’s the new direction my life needs.
“I figure if this is going to last, then we should take our time.” He runs his fingers through my hair.
Once I let my guard down, I see the charm in his gaze, the non-threatening one I saw when we first met that promises something healthy.
“I get it.” I stroke his smooth cheek, making him smile. “I like you and want you, but I guess there’s no sense in rushing it.” No sooner are the words out that I wonder what made me speak them. I should believe them, but also, I sort of don’t.
Tucker leans in and kisses me, but when he moves away, I run my lips along his jaw and down his neck, tickling his skin with the tip of my tongue. I hear him take a sharp inhale, but it stops there as he plants both hands on my shoulders and moves back.
“I should go,” he says.
With a huff, I fall back into the couch cushions, cross my arms, and nibble on my inner lip.
“Don’t be mad, Maxy. All in due time.” He kisses the top of my head, but there’s no warmth in it. It’s robotic, forced, withdrawn. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”