Page 12 of The Cask

“Gel inserts and I pray over the numbness in my pinky toe.”

She laughed, but I was serious.

“You usually have on your sneakers by now.”

“I left them at home.” I stuck my hands in my pocket, fighting against the cool air. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

“I’ll drive you back to your car,” she giggled as we reached her car.

I looked down at my feet. “Thanks.”

“Not every boss would make sure staff got home safely,” she pointed out after we’d climbed in the two-door sedan. “You’re the best boss. I don’t take that for granted. That’s why I would never leave The Cask to go work for Luxe or anywhere else.”

My eyes widened at the name of the cigar bar. “What?”

She checked her mirrors as she pulled away from the curb. “They offered me a job at Luxe and said that since Luxe was bigger, I’d have more opportunity to make more money,” she said as she pulled onto Broad Street and quickly approached my car. She slowed to a stop to let me out. “No need to look like that.” She grinned. “I told them no, of course.”

Ice ran through my veins as I thanked her and got out of her car. With a wave to Alexis, I climbed into my own car. Staring over at Luxe, and the crowd pouring out of their doors, I felt something dark brewing inside of me. I’d endured the thousand injuries of Omari Fortune as best as I could, but when it ventured on insult, I vowed revenge.

Chapter Three

Saturday morning I woke up and the darkness I’d felt before had intensified. Part of what burned me up was the fact that I didn’t do anything to deserve the disrespect of which I’d been on the receiving end. The more I thought about it, the more set on revenge I became.

I must not only punish but punish with impunity.

I was wronged, but I didn’t intend to go overboard. I needed something that carried the same impact. I needed to set things right and the only way that could be done was by imposing the same vitriol that was inflicted on me.

And I knew the perfect time to do it—the weekend of the festival.

It was perfect.

Luxe was having their grand opening that weekend so the impact of my revenge would not only even the score, but maybe even humble the well-respected businessman.

I could try to convince Samuel Joseph not to sell to Luxe anymore,I mused silently.

That would’ve been the perfect plan, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Samuel wasn’t going to jeopardize his money or his business to help me exact revenge.

I could have his car towed.

That would be too small scale in comparison to how I’ve been wronged. And besides the fact that I didn’t know what his car looked like, his car being towed is a minor inconvenience and doesn’t avenge me.

I could get my cousin and her friends to go buy drinks with their fake IDs. Once they’re served, I could call the Virginia ABC board and have their liquor license revoked!

I didn’t want to involve my nineteen-year-old cousin, but I knew at least one of her friends had a fake ID. She was in her second year at the university and her social media is full of pictures of her in bars. I wouldn’t want to involve her in my drama so I wouldn’t tell her what was really going on. But if things worked the way I planned, Luxe would lose their liquor license.

I smiled to myself as I carried the last of the bottles I needed to restock upstairs.

“You’re here early,” Alexis remarked when she walked into the bistro fifteen minutes later.

I placed the last bottle in place and turned around. “I wanted to get a head start on things,” I told her.

But in truth, I was restless and too mad to sit still. So, after an early morning walk around my neighborhood, cleaning my house, and a long, hot shower, I decided the only thing that would help would be channeling my anger into my work. Before I knew it, I was back in my office revamping my fourth quarter projects and planning out new ways to drum up business. I thought keeping busy would change my mind, but it didn’t.

I still wanted revenge.

Alexis looked around before joking, “Is there anything left for me to do?”

I smiled. “Once you get settled, look over the new plans for the rest of the quarter. I made some changes.”

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