Page 12 of On the Rocks

“Wait,” Allie said. “Let’s discuss the new line some more. Cora, I think partnering with Elixir could be mutually beneficial for us both.”

“I doubt it,” I said. Nothing about a partnership with Aiden was ever going to be beneficial.

“She didn’t really seem to be showing Elixir any love last night,” Aiden pointed out. “I don’t see what we would gain.”

I shrugged. “I had other, better options on the table. I saw no reason to water down my drinks with Elixir.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched, and it gave me an insane amount of pleasure.

“Okay,” Allie said, cutting Aiden off before he could respond. “Think of it this way, Cora. This is your chance to make something you genuinelydolove. Something you can be proud to attach your name and your brand to. Something you will happily endorse because you’ve had a hand in crafting the recipes and selecting the ingredients.”

“We want something that’s never been done before,” Aiden said. “Unique flavor profiles, playing with combinations, turning the expected on its head. Think the Masked Mixer could handle all that?”

What a dick! That’s exactly what I did on my socials, and he should know that, if he’d ever actually watched them—which, to be honest, he probably hadn’t. Not recognizing me when I’m wearing a mask in a bar with atmospheric lighting is one thing, but if he’d watched hours of my content online andstilldidn’t recognize me? There really would be no hope for him.

Not that it mattered. I wouldn’t work for him whether he recognized me or not. I wouldn’t work for him in a bar; I wouldn’t work for him in a car. I wouldn’t work for him here or there—I wouldn’t work for him anywhere.

You cannot buy me with your bling; screw you, Mr. Cocktail King.

As if on cue, the next words out of Aiden’s mouth were, “Did you already discuss salary?”

Allie pulled another document from her bag. “I didn’t have a chance before you got here.” She shoved it in my direction, motioning with her pen. “But salary-wise, this is what we’re talking about.”

My eyes almost bugged out of my head. That was easily fifty grand more than I was making now even with my added Masked Mixer gigs. With that kind of money on the table, my speakeasy could go from a dream to a reality in no time at all. No.No! I’d just settled on the fact that I would never work for Aiden.

“Of course, this is just a starting point,” Aiden said, taking the pen and scratching out the number on the contract. “For someone with your knowledge and previous experience, I’m sure we can bump you up another…” He glanced at Allie. “Twenty grand?”

She shrugged.

“Forty?” he suggested.

Now he was just throwing his money around. I opened my mouth to tell him where he could shove his assumptions about me being a sellout without morals or a brain in my head.

“Fifty,” he jumped in, clearly assuming my silence was me waiting to see how high he would go.

“Why is everything about the money with you?” I asked, so offended my hands clenched into fists.

“Why do you have such a problem accepting my money?” he countered. “You’re the one shaking up drinks for a living. I’m just trying to pay you for it.”

“And you’re still shaking up the world with your ego, I see. I can’t believe your head ever fit into a football helmet.”

“I think what you mean is ‘Congrats on turning that football scholarship into a multi-million-dollar company.’”

“Well, at least you could keep your commitments to something.” He certainly hadn’t kept them to me.

He didn’t rise to the bait. “Don’t you want to get out from behind the bar? You could be crafting drinks for someone who truly appreciates your talent.”

“Oh, that someone being you?” I snorted.

Where had all this appreciation been in high school when he dumped me out of the blue? When he hadn’t even bothered to give me a reason?

“I’m not something to be bought!” I spat out.

He snorted. “Well, I don’t think you want to work for free.”

“Actually, I don’t want to work for you at all!” I fired back, jumping to my feet. “It was nice meeting you, Allie, but we’re done here.” I turned away from the table and stalked across the restaurant, exiting onto the street. I’d barely made it past the door before I heard footsteps catch up behind me.

“Cora, wait! There’s also a state-of-the-art lab!” Allie shouted after me, breathless. “If that sways you at all. You’ll have access to all the finest equipment, not to mention our full array of supplies.”

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