Tipsy

Ten

Chapter Ten

Mikah

After enjoying the first coffee of the day from the balcony of my suite, I dressed casually in swim trunks and a tee. It was unlikely I'd be hitting the water today, as we were only a few hours out from Ollie and Sloan's wedding, but I wanted to be ready if the need for an ocean dive struck. I got in a quick breakfast before finally making my way to the sandy beaches of Cancun. Even though it was early, the beach behind our resort was already bustling.

Paragliding, painting, horse-back riding, surfing, snorkeling... you could name it, and it would be an option here. I did my best to thank or avoid any offers. The beach, the sun, an alcoholic beverage poured by someone else, and the book in my hand were all I needed this morning. It felt like ages since I felt any sort of peace like this. With every wave came a breeze, and the air here was so fresh compared to back home in Chicago.

Upon acquiring my first drink of the day—a margarita on the rocks—I planted my ass into the sand, donned my favorite sunglasses, and opened my book... A Beginner's Guide to Brewing. It wasn't the first time I'd read it. In fact, it was the fifth, and the pages showed it. They were worn down, sticky, some torn. Today the sand would be added to the creases, and maybe a few more folded pages where I'd left off. It was the first time since Dad died I'd picked it back up. I didn't need to impress Henry Mulligan anymore; it was my big brother.

Ollie's temperaments could swing at a moment's notice. Maybe that's what I used as a reason not to tell him about the dreams I had for Mulligan's. With his and Dad's love of cooking, I guess I never felt like I got a say in the restaurant. While I hated being there, I also strived to want the want to be there. I wanted days where my dad would be just as proud of me as he was of his firstborn. They had a connection that no one could penetrate, just like Mom and Kit. I was stuck somewhere in the middle, watching those relationships thrive and then burn around me.

The day I told my dad that I wanted to brew was the single biggest blowout we'd ever had. I'd read this book twice. I'd begun purchasing the tools needed. I spent days in the college library, reading every single piece of literature I could find on the benefits of wheat and barley with various brewing techniques. It was the first time I felt like I enjoyed something. However, my dad didn't see it that way. Especially when I started the conversation off with how I'd quit college the week before coming home, and I wanted to spend my life drinking and making beer. He never let me get to the part where I wanted his help, and I wanted Mulligan's to be where that happened.... right beside the two people I strived to be like most.

A bookmark was stuck somewhere between two pages, and on it read Mulligan's Fine Dining & Brewing in my best cursive—a reminder of what I wanted more than anything. If I was going to tell Ollie that this was where I wanted to steer Mulligan's to, I needed him to be in the best of moods. I couldn't think of a better timing than his damn wedding. Could he really be in a sour mood when marrying your soulmate?

And if he was in a shit mood, at least he'd be drunk!

I still couldn't believe that the day was actually here. Ollie was getting married, and I couldn't have been happier for him and bummed for myself. He had it figured out... like he always did. His life was together, mostly. He found the one. I tried hard to read the pages of the book, but I was basically skimming and stewing in envy at the same time. I wanted it. All of it. The right career, the right house, the right partner by your side...

I shut the book and gave it a toss to my side, along with the sunglasses. The margarita disappeared in just a few heavy swallows, leaving behind some salt and a hint of lemon along my lower lip. After putting the glass down with the rest of my items, I leaned back on my hands, feeling the bite of hot sand upon my fingers and palms. I scanned the beach, watching couples, friends, and families play and enjoy their vacations. But there was one other on this beach, who was alone and off in her own world while staring at the waves with her hands in a fist that held up her chin. She looked lost, and I had a pretty good idea of why.