Page 16 of The Cask

I walked into my high-rise building and took the stairs to the second floor. I entered my condo and took a deep breath. Being at home always made me feel more relaxed. My home was my Zen garden. It was my place of peace. It was truly my sanctuary.

Ebony Montresor:I can call you in twenty minutes.

Omari Fortune:I look forward to it.

I stared at my phone for a second before I put it on my nightstand. I took a shower, moisturized my body, and then climbed into bed.

I’m too tired for this shit,I grumbled as I made the call.

I knew if my plan was going to work, I couldn’t give him any reason to suspect that anything was amiss.

“Ebony,” Omari answered the phone and my stomach fluttered.

Maybe it was because I was tired, but his voice was deeper and sexier than before. Or maybe it was just the way he said my name.

I swallowed hard. “Omari,” I returned evenly. “You’ve requested a call.”

“I did. Thank you for making the time.” He let out a light chuckle. “Are you in bed yet?”

“Yeah, just got out the shower and climbed in.”

There was a slight hesitation before he cleared his throat. “Well, I won’t keep you up too much longer. We didn’t get to finish our conversation since I had to run back to Luxe. I believe there was a question you didn’t get a chance to answer.”

I adjusted my position against my pillows. “What was that?”

“What day would you be available for me to take you out on a date?”

I bit my lip, relishing in my plan coming together. “Monday.”

“Monday it is. You told me the other day you liked Italian food, right?”

“I do.”

“That’s all I need to know. I’ll stop by tomorrow to let you know the time and everything.”

“You know you could call or text the time.”

“But then I would miss an opportunity to see your beautiful face.”

The butterflies moved through my belly before I could remind myself that it was all a game.

“I’ll come to you. And I hope you don’t think I’m going to fall for your charm that easily,” I murmured into the phone.

“Oh, I picked up on that the minute you told me you wouldn’t have a drink with me,” he chuckled.

“I didn’t have a drink with you for reasons that had nothing at all to do with your charm.”

“That’s a fair point. But I’m trying to right my wrongs. So, I’m just asking for a chance to get to know you while showing you the real me. That’s all.”

“Because of your nice and thorough apology, I think it’s only right that I take you up on your offer.”

“You won’t regret it,” he promised me.

I smiled.You will.

Chapter Four

“It was just a dream,” I told myself as I placed the finalized Sunday menus on each table. “It was just a dream. It means nothing.”

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