Page 75 of The Cask

“Not just my business, your business, too!” I gestured between the both of us. “I’m looking out for both of us. I cannot be responsible for you getting sick. We’ll just go back, and I’ll ask Luch—”

“Enough,” he said roughly. He brought his face close to mine. “You don’t need him to do shit for you. I got you. I told you that and I mean that shit, Ebony. Do you understand?”

My heart slammed into my chest. “Yes.”

He cradled my face with his hands. “And the cough is nothing. It will not kill me. I’m not going to die of a cough.”

I searched his eyes. “True, true.”

“And our businesses will survive.”

“Okay.” I ignored the pit that his words planted in my belly. “I wasn’t trying to upset you, Omari.” My voice was soft, much like my touch. “I just wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. You saved my ass last night.” I rose up on my toes and kissed the corner of his mouth. “And tonight, you offered to help me with the Amontillado.” I kissed the other corner of his mouth. “I just wanted to make sure you knew that you didn’t have to sacrifice your health for me.”

“There’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.” He brushed his lips against mine. “You got me in this lair, didn’t you?”

My head fell back, and a belly laugh burst out of me. “You are ridiculous!”

He looked around. “I’m just playing with you. This place is nice. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.” He pointed to a spot behind me on the far wall. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“It looks like a Black foot stepping on a snake and the snake’s fangs are imbedded in the heel.”

I didn’t even need to turn around. “Oh, it’s our family crest.”

“Oh, that’s dope. I don’t know any Black people who have family crests.”

“Yeah, my grandfather didn’t either. That’s why he created one for us.”

“Wow.”

I smiled thinking about the story. “Yeah.” I winked. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime. But first things first…” I stepped up and grabbed the Amontillado.

Moving the casks that I typically stood on to reach the top shelves closer together, I gestured for him to have a seat.

“Oh shit,” he remarked as soon as I showed off the leather case the bottle came in.

“Right?!” I agreed excitedly.

His eyes were zeroed in on the case. I opened it and pulled out the bottle. My corkscrew was exactly where I had left it, so I pulled it from the shelf and opened the expensive bottle.

“There’s a bit of cloudiness, but that’s to be expected when it’s bottled straight from the cask,” I pointed out.

He nodded. “I’ve been looking to get my hands on one of these for over a year now.”

“Well, I’ll let you taste mine.”

The heated look he gave me spoke volumes. “Don’t play with me, Ebony.”

“What?” I giggled.

He shook his head and grabbed the wine glasses for me. “Oh, youknowwhat.”

I poured the amber colored liquid and sat the bottle back in its case. He handed me one of the glasses and grinned.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

He lifted his glass to toast. “To us.”

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