Page 81 of The Bartender Special

There was no doubt in his mind now that she had picked this specific game to torture him specifically.

Feeling awkward, exposed, and panicked all at once, Benny repeated the name of the game.

“Two truths and a lie.”

He could do this.

Out of his periphery, Jack gave him a smile.

He wanted to smack the man.

Their cover was on the line and Jack had been happy to know more about Felicity than anyone else had.

He’d been so confident.

Confidence like that was sexy.

Sometimes.

Sitting across from your fake boyfriend's very real long-time ex-girlfriend?

Not sexy.

Not even a little.

There had to still be some feelings there, right?

In contrast, Benny had nothing but hesitation for Jack’s answer.

And it weirdly hurt that he’d only had a one in three chance of getting it right and, still, he’d picked the wrong one.

Felicity, however, hadn’t.

None of it should have been surprising and none of it should have made his chest squeeze just a little.

But it had and it did.

Now Benny had a feeling that no one on the boat was going to get his answer right.

Which was fine because it was just a game…

But he still hated it.

In the middle of his spiral, Benny heard a woman’s laughter.

It tied to a memory that was achingly old.

“Some people like ice cream only when it’s ice and some only like it when it’s cream. But at the end of the day it is and was both, so who cares?”

Stella De Carlo had been trying to explain to her sons—using her favorite food—how to not take life so seriously. Callum had called her cheesy for the sentiment and Benny had laughed at the eye roll she’d given him. Their father had yelled from the other room that no self-respecting person went to get ice cream only to drink the cream part.

A throwaway quote from their mother.

However, years later, and that’s all Benny could hear.

At least, the last part.

At the end of the day, it’s all ice cream so who cares?