Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Nonsense,” Bryan replies. “It would be rude and, besides, we’re quite the group here, already. Please, join us. Callie’s sister is always welcome at our table.” He gives Alex, Oscar, and Kellan a brief, curious glance.
Oscar lowers his gaze but replies with a subtle nod. He’s got the triplets’ approval, I guess. The more I observe, the more bothered I am. There is something going on here, but this also isn’t the right time or the right place to push for answers.
“Good, I’m glad,” Melanie says, giving my brother a hug. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Bryan says, coming around to kiss Callie on the cheek.
Melanie stands up to make room for him, offering her hand to Kellan. I stand up too, because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her take the spotlight. Kellan shakes her hand briefly. I watch carefully for signs of any interest on his part, but there are none.
“Hi,” Oscar mutters.
She gives him a warm smile. “Hey…”
Oh, the familiarity between them unnerves me and then some. Yet I notice the interest comes mostly from her. None from my guys.
Kellan looks over at me, his eyes sparkling. He’s not even looking at Melanie at the moment, and I hope that means she can just fade into the wallpaper. Oscar comes up to pull my chair out for me. He doesn’t even bother to shake Melanie’s hand. Alex offers the requisite handshake but is just as uninterested in her as his brothers.
“How was the whiskey lounge, then?” I ask.
“Oh, it exceeded our expectations,” Kellan answers easily. “The single malt collection is truly impressive. I plan on spending an evening or two in there before we leave. Henrik, the bartender, promised he’d organize a private tasting session for the four of us.”
I giggle. “Look at you, all excited.”
“He did give us a few samples before we came back here,” Bryan says, taking his seat beside Callie. “I have to admit, I did not expect the Japanese to make such fine whiskey.”
I sit on Callie’s other side, while Oscar sits beside me. Alex chooses a seat next to Bryan, opposite me so that I can see him clearly across the table. That leaves only two empty seats for Melanie and Kellan. Kellan smiles at Melanie, but it’s so superficial, I’m sure there’s no meaning behind it. He decides to sit next to Alex, leaving Melanie at the end of the table between two of my wonderful suitemates. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
“Historically speaking, the Japanese have plenty to prove,” Melanie says. “They excel at almost everything, and with their tradition of sake and advanced fermentation techniques—”
“True, but whiskey is a different beast,” I cut in, keeping my tone polite. No way I’m letting her steer this after that jab at my looks and career. “Historically speaking, as you said, the Scottish are the best because they perfected the distillation and the aging techniques. Fermentation is just one stage of the process, and it’s not the only contributing factor to a drink’s success.”
Bryan chuckles. “Listen to her go—our future winemaker.”
“That being said, the fact that there is at least one good Japanese whiskey out there shouldn’t come as a shock,” Melanie insists. “They tend to learn quickly and apply swiftly, by nature.”
“This whiskey follows the peaty style of Laphroaig,” Kellan says.
Under the table, Oscar’s hand brushes my thigh. I look over, trying not to give him away. We can’t exactly play footsie at this table, tempting as it is.
“Well, I’m glad you’re so excited about that whiskey lounge,” Callie observes, then puts on a slight pout. “It’s a shame they don’t let girls into your fancy whiskey club, though. I would’ve liked a sip or two in your company,” she tells Bryan.
“I’m sure we can get the manager to make an exception,” Kellan says with a wink. “Besides, we agreed we’d cut back on our working hours even more while we’re here,” he adds. “It should give you two lovebirds plenty of time to try everything that this resort has to offer.”
Callie looks surprised. “Really?” She puts a hand on his arm and gazes lovingly into Bryan’s eyes. “That’s wonderful news, baby. You work too hard, anyway. You could use a break.”
“And I’ll do my best to relax a bit and enjoy myself,” Oscar announces, raising his water glass.
“Where’s the waiter?” Melanie asks, not at all impressed by our collective determination to have fun. “I’d love a glass of Bordeaux before dinner.”
Bryan looks around, locating a waitress on the other side of the room. He holds his hand up to signal that we’re ready for service, and she walks over, smiling politely.
“Can we have one bottle of Bordeaux for the table and,” he pauses to look around, his gaze settling on me. “Another Cabernet for you?”
“Actually, make that two bottles of Bordeaux. Specifically, the ’87 Rothschild,” I say, giving Melanie a confident smile. “You’ll love it.”