It's Better This Way(20)

“A whole new experience for us both,” Heath said. He didn’t frequent taverns and rarely drank beer, unless he was with friends who did, and then only sparingly.

Julia set the pale ale aside and as best they could exchanged notes with Kennedy and her friend. Next, Heath indicated she should be the first to sample the blond. From the short lecture, he recalled the brewing process included pale malt hops and yeast. He was good at taking mental notes and was impressed with the different varieties. It was enlightening to learn how many different types of beers there were.

    “What do you think?” Julia asked after he tasted the blond ale.

He nodded, giving it his limited approval. If their first stop was any indication, the darker the beer, the more he enjoyed the tasting.

He reached for the third sample, which he had learned was a German beer known as Hefeweizen. After his first sip, he frowned and handed it to Julia.

“Tell me what you taste.”

She took a tiny sample and then raised her eyes to meet his, full of question.

“Well?” he asked.

“Don’t laugh,” she said. “Banana?”

He could barely hear her above the rowdy crowd. He nodded. “I thought I was losing it. Banana flavoring in beer?”

They both laughed, the alcohol loosening them up more with each drink.

The last two tastes in the flight were a porter and a stout. They were heavy and not to Julia’s liking, so he drank them both. The flavors were strong and distinctive, to the point that he felt he could almost chew them.

By the time they left for the third of the four pubs, they were in good spirits and even a little tipsy, which surprised Heath. He wasn’t sure this heady feeling was entirely due to the alcohol. Julia had gone to his head as potently as any fine scotch. He felt at ease with her, comfortable. It had been a long time since he’d experienced anything close to what he did with her.

    Had it been like this when he’d first met Lee? He couldn’t recall, and decided it was a mistake to look back instead of forward. He didn’t know what the future held when it came to him and Julia. What he did feel was encouragement and the eagerness to learn more about her. He’d basically given up on relationships, and to find a woman who seemed perfect, living right under his nose, was a complete surprise.

As they left the pub to walk to the next one on the crawl, Heath reached for Julia’s hand, using the excuse that he didn’t want to lose her in the crowd. It would have been easy to get separated. Heath was determined to hold on to this woman in more ways than simple hand-holding.



* * *



—

At the end of the evening they were on the Seattle waterfront. Heath felt the need to get some food in his stomach. He hadn’t eaten before the crawl. They passed Ivar’s, a well-known and beloved fish-and-chips restaurant.

“Are you hungry?” he asked Julia.

“I’m more drunk than hungry,” she said, smiling up at him.

It demanded every ounce of his restraint not to lean down and kiss her. Her lips were moist and parted, and her beautiful eyes smiled up at him. He’d never been one for PDAs, but for the life of him, he was tempted.

“How about fish and chips?” he said, purposely looking away.

“Not on a date, right?” she teased, slightly slurring her words.

Yup, they needed some food in their stomachs to counterbalance the beer. “Date or no date, I’m buying. You paid for the crawl tickets, so dinner is on me.”

    For a moment she looked like she wanted to argue, then seemed to change her mind. “One piece of cod with a side of chowder. Their chowder is the best.”

“You got it.”

Heath approached the window and placed their food order, along with two cups of coffee. When it arrived, he carried it to a picnic table on the pier and sat across from Julia.

Summer in Seattle didn’t officially begin until after the Fourth of July. It continued to get better with every passing day and reached a peak in August and September. Heath loved the Seattle summers. This July evening couldn’t have been any more perfect. The sky was clear, and the stars were just starting to come out as dusk settled over the city. Shadows fell from the skyscrapers. A gentle breeze blew off the cool waters of Puget Sound, and Heath sat with the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. How any man could walk away from Julia left him speechless. The woman was the entire package.

They took an Uber back to The Heritage and Heath rode the elevator up with Julia. Being a gentleman, he walked with her to her condo. When she unlocked the door, he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. She didn’t look surprised or agitated, and he was grateful. Either he kissed her or he would go insane. He’d been waiting for this moment all night.

“I had a great time,” she said. The light remained off, and moonlight glowed through the window, bathing her in its golden softness. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and she looked up at him.

Neither spoke.

Heath placed his hands on her shoulders and said, “I had a great time, too. Thanks for inviting me.”

    “I wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much alone. Spending the evening with you made this experience a thousand times better.”

“I agree.” And then, because he couldn’t wait a moment longer, he lowered his mouth to hers.