I stare at the mason jar still in my hand, watching the dark liquid swirl. Even when the sunlight hits it, this stuff is pitch-black.
Yeah, if I抎 had my head in the game, I抎 already have an interview set up with that headstrong, fearless face behind the witch抯 brew.
I wouldn抰 have taken her shit if I抎 had my wits.
We抣l blame it on the ample figure I hate that I noticed.
The curves for days.
The prettiest amber-brown eyes sparking with anger like melting caramel.
I certainly wouldn抰 be waiting around for some bearded gnome at one of my shops to hook me up with an interview.
Twenty minutes later, Tom, my driver, pulls up to Wired Cup Headquarters and opens the back door. Destiny climbs out first and rushes off before I can move.
He helps my executive assistant out of the car, and I follow.
Katelyn Storm glances at the mason jar I抦 holding. 揥ant me to take that off your hands? I can drop it off in research now so they can analyze it.?
揟echnically, my young hothead is right. This isn抰 technically corporate property梟ot yet梕ven if it was negligently left behind by its owner in her hit-and-run raid on my pride. I won抰 open a legal can of worms over some coffee. Let抯 track down that girl. We抣l have her friend at the store bridge the communication gap.?
She stares at me blankly. 揧ou抮e serious, Mr. Lancaster? I thought you took care of making the connection? Isn抰 that why you sent me outside with Destiny??
I wish. I was too damn riled up by that pixie and her mouth to handle it properly.
If there抯 one thing I despise, it抯 turning into a mess in front of my daughter.
How the hell did I let some twenty-something brunette chick get to me, anyhow?
揟he barista said he抎 put us in touch,?I tell her. 揥hy complicate anything??
Kate grins at me. She抯 about ten years my senior, but she抯 been with this company and my family for so long, she knows me better than I know myself at times.
揗iss Opinion really left an impression on you, huh??
I抦 not taking her bait.
I toss her an ice-cold stare.
She clears her throat. 揝o, if I manage to track down your new frenemy, what抯 the chance she抯 worth the trouble??
What the hell does she mean?
揑抦 not passing up this coffee. If that little fire-breather wants to sell me something I can patent or hash out a new product in our lab, she抯 worth a few smartass remarks.?I hold the jar up and shake the remaining liquid inside.
揧eah? And what if she brings that attitude into the office??
I frown. 揑t can抰 be worse than anything I抳e dealt with before. Feisty is practically the only kind of young woman I deal with.?
She gives me a knowing smile. 揃ut this isn抰 a teenage girl. She抯 a grown woman. You won抰 just be able to yank her iPhone away if she mouths off.?
揧eah? Watch me.?I enjoy the startled look she flings back. Let her wonder whether or not I抦 joking. 揝peaking of teenagers, I hope you can keep Destiny out of trouble this afternoon??
揟rouble? She抯 only a rebel punk for you.?Katelyn laughs. 揑sn抰 she still a four point oh brainiac? You抳e done a fine job with her, all things considered. I was always shocked you didn抰 crack and bring in more nannies to help.?
揗ostly because no nanny could ever handle her,?I lie, hating the real reason. 揇on抰 think I wasn抰 tempted.?
My assistant holds up a hand and giggles softly.
揝he抯 one smart nut off the tree,?I admit. 揝ometimes, she抯 almost too smart梐nd constantly glued to a device that invites trouble.?I shake my head, raking an annoyed hand through my hair. 揑 won抰 gripe about kids and their phones. It抯 pointless. Still, I wonder. What hell would I have raised if I抎 had one at her age??
揟hank God we抣l never find out.?She gives me a reassuring look. 揇on抰 worry. I抣l keep her in line like always.?
It抯 her mom tone that sets me at ease. The same tone I抳e heard her use with her own kids for years.
I chuckle to myself. Destiny抯 in for it now.
Katelyn Storm lives up to her name. When she flips into mom mode, nobody gets by with anything.
Somehow, I think the joke抯 on me, though.
Destiny was raised by a sailor, and I know I抦 the reason she抯 got a mouth like one. With my career, my stress, and my flaws, the harshness bleeds out.
I can hardly blame my daughter sometimes for hurling my own caustic words back at me梚f only she didn抰 do it in a voice that sounds more like my dead wife抯 with every passing month.
But if wishes came true, I wouldn抰 feel that hard knot in my gut whenever Aster抯 face flashes in my mind.
I know I should just count my blessings and shut the hell up.
She抯 a great kid梥olid grades, harmless friends, no police visits yet. I抳e only got a few more years with her before she抯 off to college.
Dess doesn抰 know where she抯 going to school yet, but I doubt it抣l be anywhere near here. And honestly, I抣l endorse that decision with minimal grumbling.
My baby girl needs distance to work out her life梐s long as I抦 still a phone call away to bail her out for the times any missteps trip her up.
Hell, maybe distance is what I need, too.
That girl is the glue that抯 held my world together for fifteen goddamned years.
She抯 the reason I still wake up and stomp into this office.
Once she抯 gone, I抣l be staring down a chasm.
If I抦 being honest, I need this new spin on old drinks for more than the next quarter抯 profits.
Hell, I抦 desperate for a new line of beverages. Fresh tricks to refine. Wired Cup has survived generations of market changes for a reason. We抳e always adapted.
We抳e laid down roots in the northwest for good reason. Not just branding and quality, but because my great-grandfather swore he wouldn抰 compromise the integrity of our product.
We抮e not sitting ducks, waiting to be knocked out by the competition. Though without something new, something bold and electrifying, we抮e facing the worst kind of death by boredom.
I won抰 let that happen.
Once I抳e had time to catch up on emails for an hour, I head for Kate抯 office. I find Destiny sprawled out on the floor, playing with her phone.
She sees me standing in the doorway and smiles up at me. 揑 threw together three aesthetic music videos this afternoon. You still like Johnny Cash, Dad??
揥ithout question, and I suppose that抯 a good skill to have.?Then I remember she抯 here to shadow and square my shoulders. 揂ren抰 you supposed to be working? Or at least taking notes about the work everyone else is doing??
揈h, yeah, it抯 just...?She lays a hand over her face, groaning softly. 揅offee抯 so boring.?
揧ou let her play on her phone ever since we got back??I look at Kate, who抯 hunched over her laptop.
She doesn抰 raise her head. 揔eep her out of trouble, you said. She抯 not knocking over any liquor stores, right??
I hold in a sigh.
揌ave you started tracking down wolverine chick yet??I ask.
揌oney badger. Get it right,?Destiny mutters.
揥hat was her name again??Katelyn asks.
揑 don抰 remember. Call the store and find out.?
揌uh? I thought you chased us out so you could creep her info.?Destiny抯 eyes never leave her screen.
揜egardless, I抎 like to run a proper background check before she gets here. We can抰 hire a bank robber or Peeping Thomasina, no matter how good her coffee concoctions might be.?
揧eah, right!?Destiny lowers her phone and gives me a disbelieving look. 揢m, stalker-ish much??
揧es. Also, I want a proposal ready before she arrives. We can seal the deal and won抰 have to worry about her working for any competitors,?I say, brushing off my daughter抯 complaints about my methods. 揝he抯 also less likely to stall negotiations if we hit her with a number on the spot. Make it a fair, generous offer. Dess, I抣l show you how we do hiring proposals once Katelyn has her researched.?
My daughter looks like I just pushed a rancid lemon wedge into her mouth.
揑s this what you do all day? Guzzle coffee and spy on people??