Rory didn’t miss a step. “I got bigger fish to fry, O-dawg. We all do. Revenue.”
Ugh.
That shut the mood down quick.
She turned back to the screen, tapping through her notes. “I’m in discussions with my father about upping the cost per bottle with vendors but that may take time to see turn over. We don’t want to lose anyone who’s been loyal to us. In the meantime, I think we can make some adjustments to our top line with staffing. If we’re expanding the event schedule, we need to tighten how we’re approving hours. There’s too much inconsistency right now.”
A couple of heads nodded along and I just zoned out, looking out the window at the fields… thinking of her laugh and how much I’d missed the sound of it.
When we’d ride together, she’d have the heaviest laughter that carried over the whole vineyard. We’d spend hours out there, a full work day. Talking about any and everything.
When the sun dipped too low, we’d hide in the vines together, scared Dillon would catch us. And I’d feel nostalgic for a life I wished I had.
Oh, Alice.
“When you get the chance, can you take a look at adjusting the approval hours for staff working, Marlon?”
It felt like I was being tortured with her daughter. Years of suppressing any memory of the woman who almost ruined me just to have her image taking up too much space in my life.
She walked like her. Talked like her. But wasn’t like her completely. Like something that Alice was missing was the root of what made Aurora so…interesting.
“Marlon? Did you hear me?”
I didn’t think before I responded.
“Why don’tyoudo it?”
The room went quiet again.
Every head turned from her to me.
I looked at her then, for a second. Rory stilled at the front of the table, her expression unreadable.
“You want…me…to look at…staff wages?” she asked slowly.
“You the boss too, right?”
More silence.
I could feel the discomfort now as her eyes stayed on me, searching.
“Marlon… are you feeling okay?”
I adjusted my glasses with my palm heel then sighed.
“No,” I answered honestly. I pushed my chair back and stood. “I need a moment. Go on without me.”
I didn’t wait for a response as I looked away.
“Lavender,” I added, already moving toward the door, “take notes and bring them to me after.”
“Yes, sir,” she said quickly.
I stepped out before anyone could say anything else.
The door barely closed behind me before I heard heels moving fast.
“You know you’re gonna have to talk to me eventually, right?”
