Pippa shrugged. “I couldn’t say. The last fewyears, really since he joined the SEALs, he hasn’t gone outpartying or acted promiscuous. He doesn’t even drink more than oneor two drinks in a night anymore, and even that’s a rarity.”
Sophie couldn’t stand it anymore. Did theynot know him at all? She knew he had a history, but since she’d methim, what, eleven days ago, he hardly drank, he had a strict dailyexercise regimen, ate well, worked on his truck, and was trying tomake sense of his future. He didn’t verbalize it, but likely makesense of his past as well.
And very regrettably was not having sex withher. She couldn’t help but defend him. “He is nearly thirty and haslived away from you all for almost twelve years. A lot can happenin twelve years.”
Keeping her eyes on the road, Sophie triednot to fluster when Pippa stared at her suspiciously. “You and hehaven’t…”
“Of course not.” She hoped she didn’t overdothe denial. They hadn’t slept together, that was true. Nor did theyintend to. Well, not yet anyway.
“He keeps to his room or the garage most ofthe time, what makes you think you know my brother so well?”
Oh boy, this was getting ugly. Pippa had someserious issues when it came to her brother. Normally she mostlyspoke pretty well of her brother, but Sophie suspected the weddingstress was thinning the filter and letting the negative feelingssurface.
“You’re right. You know him way better than Ido. I share a bathroom with the guy. As they say, you can learn alot about a person based on their bathroom.” Sophie confidentlybullshitted her friend as she pulled into Ahab’s.
“True that.” Freya nodded from the back seat,finally leaning back as they pulled into the parking lot.
Pausing, Sophie added one last defense beforegetting out of the car, as subtly as possible. Turning toward herfriend, she brought her knee up to the center console. “Pip, justnine years ago I was a freshman in college. I told you about thosefirst few years, before I met you, right?”
Pippa softened. “I know about thetattoo.”
Sophie gestured loosely, “I did a lot ofthings you wouldn’t dream of trying. The tattoo is a drop in thebucket. I had my share of one-nighters and drinking and smoking. AmI at all like that anymore?”
She hadn’t been stupid though. Experimentedwith weed and alcohol, but didn’t get into anything heavy. Had alittle random sex, but always used protection and only with guysand girls she knew from the dorms, never some random hit from thebar.
Patting her friend on the arm, Pippa pursedher lips in sympathy. “Not at all. You’re ridiculously responsible.I get it. I’ll give him a break.”
Hand on Sophie’s shoulder, Freya halted theirprogress out the door. “Tattoo? I have several, but the way shesaid it, yours sounds quite mysterious.”
With an impish wink, Sophie shrugged and gotout of the car.
***
Ahab’s was packed with hiking boots and IPAs.A local favorite, from what she had heard. Clearly the touristsloved it too, judging by the sheer number of outdoorsy typesmingling, their bikes and kayaks strapped onto mud-encrustedSubarus in the parking lot.
It was clear why it was named Ahab’s whenthey walked in. Fishing nets, and even the hull of a massive woodenship, covered most of the ceiling. Model whales and fish, seafaringquirkiness in general, dominated the décor. The far wall of the barwas a huge mural of an old-style maritime scene.
Sophie had to shout to the server thatgreeted them to be heard over the swarm of summer adventurersscattered around the pool tables, seated at high-top tables, andmore crowded several rows deep around the bar itself. “Were youable to save us the table for six? Sutherland?” She’d given Pippa’ssurname, hoping it would carry a little weight.
Perky and not an inch over five feet tall,the server was so animated that she danced as she talked. “Suredid, come on back.” Following the bouncy black curls through thecrowd, they arrived at the only open table, tucked away in the backcorner. Two round, high-top tables were pushed together anddecorated with white balloons.
As they sat at the table, Sophie expected thechipper woman to take their orders. Apparently, that wasn’t asimportant as catching up, so to speak. She’d have to get used tosmall town friendliness and the fact that everyone knew each other.“Hey Pippa, congratulations on the wedding coming up. I heard Asheris back in town. Is he coming tonight?”
Aha, that’s why the name Sutherland carriedweight here. Not the pillar-of-the-community reputation from thesenior Sutherlands, rather a devoted member of the Asher fan club.Pippa masked her groan with an overly perky smile. “Thanks. Andyes, yes he is.”
Perky server with the big boobs nearly forgotto take their order, then remembered why they were here. “What canI get you ladies while you wait for the rest of your party?”
Freya ordered them a pair of pitchers, one ofthe hoppiest on the menu and a fruitier seasonal ale for variety,plus glasses for six. She added an order of nachos and wings andpretzels with cheese dip. And waters all around.
Scoping out the food at nearby tables, Sophieobserved nothing more than ordinary tavern food. Nothing special.Music blasted from a modern electronic low-profile jukebox,currently playing Halsey. There were pool tables, darts, a fewarcade games. All was as expected, standard tavern amenities, asidefrom the over-the-top hokey whaling décor… in the middle of amountain town.
Nothing about Ahab’s made sense. “Why is thisplace so popular? I’m honestly not seeing anything extraordinaryabout it.”
Looking around, Pippa took in the scene as iffor the first time. “It’s a little weird, I’ll give you that. Therewas a crazy article about it inThe Strangerabout twentyyears back. A feature on Captain Ahab himself; how he settled hereafter his whaling days were done. Nearly as creative of a marketingscheme as the Bavarian themed tourist town of Leavenworth northeastof here, the article put us on the map and Ahab’s has become a bitof a cult-classic.”
Freya waved down their boys that were makingtheir way through the crowd. “You can’t head up to the slopeswithout stopping here on your way home. There’s a curse to thosewho don’t pay their respects and toast the captain, or so goes thelegend.”
Throwing his arms around an unsuspectingPippa, Lincoln growled playfully as he embraced his fiancée. Shesquealed before she realized it was him and smacked him in thechest. She nearly fell out of her chair laughing.
