Page 77 of The Cask

“Yes!” He coughed. “And do you know where it is?”

“In your pocket?”

“In a safe in my office that only I know the code to unlock.”

I didn’t say anything at first. Honestly, I didn’t think he was looking for me to have a response. “I’m sorry…” I offered feebly after a minute had passed.

“Do you know how bad it’ll look if on my opening night I don’t follow through with what I said? Do you know the type of reputation I’ll get? They’ll call me a fraud! And do you know how hard it will be to bounce back from that?” His questions came in quick succession, each more forceful than the one before.

I remained silent with just the low whirring of the space heater in the background.

I watched carefully as Omari paced outside of my office. He abruptly stopped at the door before he walked in. His jaw and his fists were clenched and even though his face was emotionless, his eyes told a completely different story.

“I’m sorry,” he started, shaking his head. “I don’t know how this happened. I didn’t think I closed it that hard. But either way, I fucked up and I’ll get us out of this.”

My eyebrows shot up. I wasn’t expecting him to take the blame. I expected him to blame me, the door, the building, anything else. I didn’t expect him to take responsibility and that simultaneously made my plan easier and harder at the same time.

“Don’t apologize for that.” I rose from my chair and walked around to the front of my desk. “I’m sure Kim will figure out what to do for the winner. And even though I didn’t get a chance to reset the bar, I’ll figure it out. What we can’t do is panic.”

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “This could ruin my business. If word gets out that I’m running a scam, I might not recover from that. You know bars and restaurants don’t get too many chances to get it right.”

“It’s late and there’s literally nothing we can do about this right now.”

“I know but—”

“But Alexis will be here in the morning,” I interrupted firmly. “We just have to make it until ten o’clock and then we’ll be out of here.”

The worried look was still in his eyes, but his face softened. He took a deep breath. “You’re right.”

“So, how about we get more of that Amontillado”—I rose up and gave him a peck— “and we get to know each other a little better.”

His eyes flashed. “What do you mean?”

“Have a seat.”

I turned around and opened the beautiful leather packaging of the wine. I poured two full glasses. Bending down, I grabbed two bottles of water from my mini refrigerator and a container of toasted nuts. I felt him staring at me, but I focused on creating a nice spread as I put cheese and crackers on a plate.

“Ta-da!” I said when I was done. “We are going to wait it out in style.”

And I’m going to get you to show me the real you.

He was reasonable and handled his anger well when he realized his business launch and his relationship with his GM would be on its deathbed by morning. But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t a serpent.

Let’s see how he acts once he has had a little more to drink…

“Wow.” The amusement was evident in his tone. “You keep a tasting spread in your office.”

I snickered. “Do you think I want to keep running upstairs every time I need a snack?” I pulled my chair from around my desk and sat next to him. “Now”—I picked up both glasses, handed one to him, and clicked mine against his— “tell me something I don’t know about you.”

He took a sip. “Well, I’m Greek.” He did a hand gesticulation that I didn’t understand.

I looked at him in surprise. “What?”

He barked, repeating the movement—a grotesque one, because he added a twisted face.

I drank my wine as I watched the display. Shaking my head, I frowned curiously.

He cocked his head to the side. “You don’t understand?”

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