Page 3 of Untethered Heart
She claps her hands and directs my focus to where her presentation is starting.
I pop on my glasses and see the logo for what will be my brother’s new whiskey lounge, Smoke and Barrel. The idea is to set up shop in an old entertainment venue that currently shares property with the High Rollers Casino. They’re building a new theatre, and there are currently plans to demolish the old one to make way for a parking lot, but not if I can convince them our project is a perfect companion for the casino. Especially if we can push it out to the other High Rollers Casinos around Australia.
“This is perfect, Iz. You did a great job. Have you sent the files to Gage?” My brother currently runs a dive bar, The Wayside, which does great with the younger crowd. But he wants to attract a different clientele with Smoke and Barrel.
I notice Isabelle chew on her bottom lip, her blue eyes searching the room. “He hasn’t been too receptive to my calls and emails. I don’t want to bother him.” She pauses. “Would you mind sending them to him?”
I nod. My brother is not the most approachable person. He’s gruff and guarded. I understand his reasons. Life has handed a kind man undeserving demons. The piercings and tattoos don’t help to soften his image, either.
“No problem. I’ll send them to him now.” I stand and make my way back over to my desk. “What else have you got on today?”
“Tenley Callahan is coming in. We’re reviewing the plans for the aquarium’s reopening.”
“Is that still on track?”
“Yep, last weekend in January should be the opening, which ties in perfectly before kids go back to school. I want to organise some mermaids to appear.”
I look at her over my glasses. Isabelle is an intelligent young woman, but she’s what most people might call quirky.
“Mermaids?”
“Not real ones, obviously.” She rolls her eyes. “But you can hire entertainers that swim in tanks like real ones.”
“Like real mermaids?”
“Yeah.” She nods with a smile, completely immune to my sarcasm, and starts packing up her stuff. “Anyway, all the files for Gage are on the shared drive.”
“Thanks, Iz.” I push my glasses up my nose, an amused smirk pulling at my lips. “Hey, can you make sure your calendar is clear on Friday in two weeks? I finally got a meeting with the High Rollers, but we’ll need to make the flight over to Royal Harbour.”
I see Isabelle’s steps falter on her way to the door. “You want me to go to Royal Harbour with you?”
“For the initial pitch, yes. You’re Smoke and Barrel’s brand and marketing manager.”
Her hands roll and stutter over each other. “I-I’m not a very good flyer.”
“It’s a private plane, Iz. You’ll be fine.” I try to reassure her. “And if you really need it, we can knock you out with a sleeping pill and put you in the bed cabin.” I smile.
Her lips are tight as they stretch in a grimace, but she nods and heads back to the door.
I send Isabelle’s files to Gage, then review my calendar for the day. I feel at ease here. I know what I’m doing. I’m proud of what I do. Everything’s going according to plan. Just the way I like it.
Chapter two
“Where did you find this guy?”
I can feel the easy beat of music thrumming through the bar as I sit in Gage’s back office at The Wayside. He’s pouring us a finger of whiskey each from a nondescript bottle.
Handing me a glass, he answers, “He came in yesterday. Been distilling his own recipes for a few years now.”
I stick my nose deep into the glass, enjoying the spicy aroma that wafts out. I take a tentative sip, surprised at how smooth the liquid is as it runs down my throat and warms my stomach.
“He only serves them at his own pub for now, but he’s small town. Wants to bring his name up to the city.”
“I can’t imagine he’d struggle. This is good.”
The whiskey goes down easy. You can taste how much love and dedication has gone into perfecting the recipe.
“He’s only got a small crew,” Gage says, taking a sip from his glass, his tattooed knuckles wrapped loosely around it. “Can only offer small batch orders, which is fine if I’m just going to try him out at first. He’s looking for an investor so he can grow enough to handle wholesale quantities.”
