28. Narrow-Minded
NARROW-MINDED
“ I didn’t know you were dating Elias,” Kayla said to her five days later.
Phoebe expected her staff to have found out long before now.
“Elias Carlisle?” Sophie yelled from the front.
Ellen popped her head out of her office too. So much for stopping to see Kayla in her office to ask her something quickly.
It was turned around on her before she could get her question out.
Now everyone was making their way closer.
“Yes, I’m dating Elias,” she said. “I hadn’t been aware I needed to let everyone know that.”
She was smiling at least.
There wasn’t anything to hide. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t go anywhere without someone bringing it up.
“How long have you been dating?” Sophie asked. “My cousin works at the brewery.”
“I worked there for a few summers,” Kayla said. “I never talked to Elias, but he was always all over the building. He’s nice and well liked. Don’t take this the wrong way, but he’s hot .”
“Yes, he is,” Phoebe said proudly. She’d never talked like that before with staff, but it felt like it was the thing to do.
It was a professional law office, but they had fun and were more laid back.
Not as stuffy as the office in Charlotte.
She hadn’t realized how much she would enjoy a place like this.
“I didn’t think you’d answer that way,” Kayla said, grinning.
“Why?” she asked.
Kayla shrugged. “No reason.”
“She doesn’t want to say that weeks ago you were more tightly wound,” Ellen said. “Not in a bad way. A professional way with a goal and a purpose. Most law offices are run in a businesslike manner.”
“So it’s a bad thing?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow. She wanted to cross her arms but resisted.
“Not at all,” Sophie said. “You can and are that way when clients are here or you’re dealing with them. But with us, it’s fun to be like this. It really is.”
“It is,” Kayla said. “I’d never say what I had if clients were here. I wouldn’t have even brought up about Elias other than when I heard it I thought it was nice. I can see you two together even though I’m sure you’re opposites.”
“That’s funny,” she said. “I don’t think we are. I think we have a lot more in common than most would think.”
They were personal ideas and thoughts.
Nothing she’d ever shared with coworkers or employees before.
Hell, she didn’t share those things with friends.
Friends that she hadn’t stayed in contact with since she moved here.
“That’s between both of you,” Sophie said.
“Thanks,” Phoebe said. “It is. Dare I ask how you found out?”
“I used to work there, as I said,” Kayla said. “I’ve still got friends that do. Elias’s sister works there now and someone overheard her and Elias talking about you and how their mother came to town on Saturday unannounced.”
Good Lord, there were some big ears in this small town.
“Yes,” she said. “Aileen came to town to meet me. We had a lovely dinner out with her. I met Talia on Monday night.”
Elias’s sister spent the night and the three of them had a nice dinner at his house. Talia cooked for her and it was very sweet and she liked the youngest child of the family.
“I think that’s nice,” Ellen said. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard anything before now. I grew up here and couldn’t wait to leave. There is nothing worse than every time you go into any establishment someone calls your name.”
“I’m learning that,” Phoebe said, snorting. “Why did you come back? Or did you never leave?”
“I never left,” Sophie said. “I think many people say they are going to, but something keeps them grounded here. Normally family. It’s a pretty area. It’s located close enough to other big cities. But I’ve got family here. I think I like the small town feel to raise a kid too.”
“I grew up in Charlotte. Trust me, you can walk around for months and never run into someone who knows you. It’s nice to have that anonymity.”
Kayla giggled. “This has to feel like you being a shark in a pond then.”
“I’m not sure I’m a shark. But I get what you’re saying. Elias is the big fish in a pond.”
“No,” Ellen said. “Or yes, but he’d be that in a sizeable area too. Just because of who his brother is.”
“And now that he has that big collaboration with Fierce, things are going to get even bigger for him,” Kayla said.
“How do you know about that?” Phoebe asked.
“I told you I still talk to people there,” Kayla said. “I don’t think it’s a secret. No one said it was. And many know Mason Fierce and his brewmaster. Ben someone. They’ve been there a few times.”
She had to decide what to say. She really wanted to stay out of it, but it was too small of an area at this point for people not to put her and Ben together with the way everyone was talking about them.
“Ben Kelly,” she said.
Several jaws were dropping. “Is he related to you?”
“He’s my brother. And before you ask, whatever was in the works with Fierce was happening before Elias and I knew Ben was connected to us. Once we realized it, we thought it was funny. Nothing more than that. One didn’t lead to the other.”
She didn’t want anyone to think Elias was dating her for her business with her brother any more than she wanted anyone to think she was using Elias to expand her business.
“That’s sweet,” Kayla said. “Anyway, didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just found it funny when I heard.”
“Funny how?” she asked.
“As I said, I didn’t expect it. You don’t come across as the beer-drinking type.”
“I’m not,” she said. “Much to my brother’s frustration. But that means nothing. Sophie, what does your husband do?”
“He works construction,” Sophie said.
“I don’t think you’re the type to swing a hammer unless you do it on the weekends. But looking at you now, I wouldn’t say that.”
“I understand what you’re saying,” Kayla said, smirking. “It’s narrow-minded of me. I’m sorry.”
Phoebe smiled. “Think nothing of it,” she said. “I’m glad you felt you could talk to me about it. All of you. We should get back to work now.”
Everyone returned to their offices, but she sent a text to Elias and let him know what happened.
He might want to know that some of his employees were listening in and talking.
Though she knew that happened everywhere, she also knew he’d been concerned over other issues and had emailed it out on Tuesday as she suggested.
She even looked it over for him quickly since he didn’t want to bother his brother with it.
She was shocked when her phone went off with a text and thought it was Elias returning hers, but it wasn’t.
Since she wasn’t busy, she decided maybe she’d take a drive and visit Elias. Might as well shake some trees and see what fell out for him.
“I’ll be back in about an hour,” she said. “Call if you need me.”
No one questioned when she left. Oftentimes it was to meet with a client or go to court. Not trials so much yet, but she had one coming up soon in traffic court. Guess she was getting a lot of referrals there since Regina’s charges were dropped.
One good thing about a small town that she found. Word of mouth worked in her favor this time.
She drove to the brewery on the outskirts of town and parked.
This might be a mistake. She didn’t even know where to go park or to walk in.
There were cars everywhere. All the to-go parking spots were filled and employees were bringing beer out. There were two food trucks with people in line and more in line to get into the building.
This was much bigger and set up differently than Fierce, but it appeared a lot busier too.
She didn’t want to wait in line to go in as it would take longer than she had.
Then she saw a door to enter a store, so she went around to the side. There were more people everywhere and she realized she shouldn’t have come.
Her phone went off in her pocket and she pulled it out to see Elias’s text.
She replied she was in his store and wasn’t sure why and didn’t know what to do now.
If she thought she was out of place before, it was nothing like now.
Here she was dressed as if she was going to court and everyone around her was having a grand old time loading up on beer and merchandise.
Her phone went off again that he’d be there in five minutes, to stay put.
It’s not as if she had much of a choice so she browsed different merchandise available.
She had a pink hat in her hand and was turning it around to see if it was fitted or adjustable.
“That would look cute on you,” Elias said, his hand landing on her shoulder. “This is a pleasant surprise. Why are you here?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, looking around. She didn’t want to say much out in the open like this.
“Why don’t we go to my office,” he said. She went to put the hat back and he picked it up. “Nope, I want to see this on you.”
He waved the hat to the woman at the counter, then they left through a side door.
“Did you just steal that?” she asked, laughing.
“I don’t think it’s stealing when I own the place,” he said. “But I was responsible enough to let them know at the register to ring it up and mark it free to keep inventory straight.”
“Very responsible,” she said.
It took them almost five minutes to get to his office, the whole time her eyes taking in every sight and sense she could.
“Is the smell getting to you?” he asked.
“It’s not bad,” she said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things.”
“It is,” he said. “This is my office.”
“It’s nice,” she said. “What I expected.”
It was up above and open with sight lines onto the production floor below. Or whatever they called things here. Lots of vats and stainless barrels for the eyes to see.
“I’m not sure if that is good or bad,” he said.
“Just what I expected,” she said. “It’s what Mason’s office is like, somewhat. Ben has a closet.”
“Kyle is the same,” he said. “He’d rather be on the floor.”
“That is what Ben said too.”
“So can I ask why you’re here?”
“This is so stupid. Remember how I told you I hired someone that used to work here?”
“Yes,” he said. “Let me guess. She found out we were dating? I have to say it’s much slower than I thought it’d be.”
“I was surprised my staff just found out too. But she said she still talks to people here and that someone overheard you and Talia talking about your mother surprising us for a visit on Saturday. It just felt very specific.”
He frowned. “Yeah,” he said. “I know I can sit here and say I don’t like that shit but not much I can do about it. I can’t monitor every conversation and it’s more important to me to make sure other facts are out.”
“I should have realized that too before I drove here. Normally I would have.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” he said. “Do you want a tour? Get some tongues wagging even more.”
“Would you find it funny if I told you that part of the reason I wanted to come was that I thought maybe it’d shake some trees? I know it was all probably just an innocent mistake with things before, even the online beer forum.”
“But you’re feeling like it’s not?” he asked.
He hadn’t been able to find out who posted the information.
“I don’t know what I think,” she said. “Give me that tour if you want and then we can both keep our eyes out.”
“Then let’s have some fun.”
“Fun seems to be the name of the game for me lately,” she said, laughing.
“Do I want to know what that means?”
“My secret,” she said, smirking.