Page 33 of Long Shot

Cade blinks. “Seriously? Fifteen hundred dollars?”

Carrie bounces. “I want to try it!”

“We have to do this right.” Beck strokes the bottle reverently. “At the right time. With the right people.”

I watch this unfold. Damn. I would die to taste a tequila that fine.

“How the hell did you get that?” Cade demands.

“At an auction.” Beck sets the bottle gently on the desk and passes a hand down the side. “Okay, when are we going to do this?”

“Later tonight,” Marco says. “Hayden has to be here, too.”

“Yes,” Carrie agrees.

“Maybe we should wait for a special occasion,” Beck says. “Like your wedding.” He looks at Marco.

“We don’t even have a date yet,” Marco objects. “I can’t wait that long. I can’t even wait until tonight.”

“Delayed gratification” Beck waves both hands. “Oh, hell, who am I to talk. I want to crack that baby open right now, too. I’ll call Hayden and see when she can get here.”

I back out of the office. I’m not a part of this. But as I do so, I meet Cade’s eyes across the room. Something passes between us. He knows I enjoyed tasting those tequilas. He knows I want to try this expensive tequila.

Damn.

I hurry to change out of jeans and flip-flops into my black dress and ballet flats.

As I start my shift, I’m pleased that people are ordering the new salsa that’s been added to the daily specials. And they’re loving it.

Of course Sid is getting all the compliments for it. I pretend not to listen as Marco tells Sid what a great job he’s doing lately and to keep it up. “We want to sit down with you and talk about revamping the entire menu,” Marco tells him.

Sid glances at me and I read the panic in his eyes.

Shit.

Welp, there’s no way I can sneak into that meeting. We’ll just have to hope Sid can handle it somehow. With a small knot in my stomach, I pick up my order and head back to the bar.

When things get quieter later in the afternoon, I start refilling salt and pepper shakers on tables. Marco, Beck, and Cade are at the bar in a heated discussion about something. I can’t help but overhear.

“We need to make money off this bottle,” Marco says.

I presume he’s referring to the tequila Beck bought.

“We don’t need to make money off it,” Beck says. “I paid for it. I say we just enjoy it ourselves.”

“I have another idea,” Cade says. “Why don’t we share it with our staff? Sid’s doing great with the menu. We’ve managed to not have anyone quit for a couple of months now. It would be a nice gesture of appreciation for them.”

“We pay them to be here,” Beck says drily.

Marco and Cade both make noises of disapproval and Beck laughs. “I’m kidding.”

“There really is potential for some great marketing with it,” Marco says.

“True.” Cade sighs. “It would bring in some real aficionados to be able to offer this. But our staff is more important.”

I blink at this. Cade the numbers guy is concerned about the people who work for him?

I don’t know why that surprises me. It’s not like he’s an asshole boss, someone who doesn’t give a shit about the people who work for him. But I would have expected this more from Beck, who’s the fun guy.

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