Page 87 of More Than My Hometown

“So, back to my original question, what does it look like if I sign The Booby Trap over to Hayes? How much control do I get to keep?”

“What do you mean?” Gus looks confused.

“I need the store to stay mine. I need to retain control. I don’t want someone else coming in and changing everything.”

Gus looks to Milo then back to me. “It’s never not going to be yours, Ewan. All this would do would be to bring the store under the Hayes umbrella. You’d no longer be sole proprietor, but The Booby Trap would still remain fully under you and your control. Just like Southern Brothers belongs to Milo and Brandt, but is under the umbrella.”

“You think we don’t run this place?” Milo sasses. “We don’t listen to this guy just because he thinks he’s the boss.”

“I am the boss,” Gus reminds him. Milo shrugs, not completely convinced. “The Booby Trap would have Hayes Industries backing from a funding, payroll, and insurance perspective, which would change the overall financials, and we’d want to look at the property ownership and potentially create an LLC if that makes more sense, but that’s what we have Ernie the tax guy for.”

I blink, trying to take it all in. Because this is actually sounding like a decent option. Especially the insurance and payroll part if I have to work on finding someone to run the place in my absence. Another part of this I don’t want to think about. But then again, if it’s under the umbrella, it doesn’t all fall to me to figure that out. I think.

It still means giving up the Auburn partnership though. Gus is right there. No matter what we do, there’s no making that work unless I stay put. And the only way I’m staying put is if⁠—

Bang!

The sound of the slamming door reverberates through the room, making me jump, almost knocking over my beer. I catch it in time, avoiding a mess, then turn to see what is going on. Jace’s voice gets to us first.

“Gus! Unhire her now.”

Jace barrels toward us, madder than a cat dunked in a bathtub. His eyes are trained on Gus as he weaves through the tables seamlessly, clearly on a mission.

“I was unaware you were holding office hours in my bar today, August,” Milo jokes.

“Me either,” Gus replies.

“I mean it; unhire her right now. You’re executive vice president, so you get final say on every hire. So do it—unhire her. Right now.”

He stops just short of the bar, letting out a huff so loud I half expect fire to fly out of his nostrils as his hands land on his hips. Jace is clearly channeling his inner Willa.

“I'd have to know who you were talking about first,” Gus responds, leaning back to avoid being collateral damage.

“Presley Callahan. You can't hire her.”

“Who even is that?” Gus asks, looking to me and Milo.

“You're kidding, right?” I ask, unsuccessfully trying to hold in my laughter.

Jace glares at me. “Do I look like I'm fucking kidding you?”

“Who are you talking about?” Gus asks again, this time his voice raised and annoyed at not getting his answer.

“The new social media manager. I just heard Bronwyn talking about it.”

“Oh, I didn't realize that she decided.”

“Apparently on Presley Callahan,” Milo snarks, his shit-eating grin taking over.

“Yeah,” Jace mutters. “And you can't do that.”

“Who is she? And why can’t we?”

Jace’s eyes bulge and his nostrils flare, and I lose it. There’s no holding back my laughter anymore. This is too good.

“Ohh, this is gonna be good…”

“Shut up.”