Page 18 of The Cask

“My office,” I told him, opening my unlocked door.

He looked around, peering down the hallway before following me in. “This is wild.”

I closed the door behind him and pressed the button for the space heater. “Welcome to my office.” I grabbed my phone from the desk before I sat down. “One missed call from Mr. Omari Fortune.”

“See!” He sat down in the chair across from me. “Now you can stop calling me creepy.” He made a face. “Especially since you work in a dungeon.”

An unexpected laugh escaped me. “What?”

“You called me creepy and the whole time you have a lair.”

“A lair?!” I cackled, tears pricked my eyes and my stomach tightened. “What?!”

His eyes crinkled and it looked like he was holding back his own laughter as he shook his head. “You’ve seen the movieUs,right?” He gestured around wildly and then gave me a look. “Was it filmed here?”

I was laughing so hard, the tears started streaming down my face. When I caught my breath, I shook my head. “That was funny. I didn’t realize you were funny.”

He grinned. “Well, I’m hoping to show you a number of things you didn’t realize about me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Like what?”

“Like my favorite Italian restaurant has an outdoor seating area with a fireplace.” He sat back in the chair. “How does dinner at seven o’clock sound followed by a show?”

“It sounds nice,” I admitted. “And the attire for this restaurant?”

He winked. “Dress up.”

Oh, I have just the dress to wear—wait! Focus!I chastised myself.

“Do you work tomorrow?” I wondered, trying to get back on track with my plan. There were only five days until the festival weekend began.

“Yeah, I do. But only for a few hours,” he told me. “Why? What’s up?”

“I’m coming in for a couple hours tomorrow to do some inventory,” I told him. “We’re getting something special in.”

“Something special?”

I nodded. “A special shipment. I like to be the one to receive and stock everything we get. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. And this particular vineyard always likes to send me a gift as a thank you so win win.”

He gave me a knowing smile. “Do you ever have a complete day off?”

I pointed to my cozy corner—an oversized chair with a fluffy pillow and big, thick napping blankets. “If I get to sit in my chair and catch a nap, I consider that a day off,” I said only half joking. I twisted my lips. “I rarely have a complete day off because even when I’m not here, I’m doing something for my business or I’m thinking about stuff for my business.” I shook my head. “What about you?”

He grinned. “No. I’m trying to get better though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been trying to take more time for myself. I’ve been accused of being a workaholic.”

I let out a short, dry laugh. “Yeah, I’ve been there. People think it’s cool to date a business owner until it’s actually time to date a business owner.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Especially in the bar and lounge business. If you do meet someone, it’s most likely at work. And then you spend the whole relationship defending working in a bar and lounge and not being available.”

“Exactly!” Nodding, I sat back in my chair. “Most people claim to get it, but they don’t. And I’m not even saying it’s their fault. They just have no frame of reference to get it.”

“Yes.” He stared at me, searching my face. “Exactly.”

The longer I held his gaze, the warmer I became. A flash of the dream I had popped into my mind and I shifted in my seat. “So, uh, when did you get into the bar and lounge business?”

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