She smiled, then whirled on her heel and left the table. I turned around to find all eyes on her. Both Dylan and Damon whistled their approval and I shot them disapproving looks. “Who. Was. That?” Dylan asked.
He looked up at me and I shook my head. “That’s Jasmine, the consultant that I hired to work for me.”
“Wait a minute!” Marcus said, turning to look up at me. “That is who you hired from J & E Consulting Firm?” he asked.
I had wanted it to be a secret, but it was clear the secret was out. “Yes. Why?”
Marcus snickered. “Some guys have all the luck. My consultant was a guy with a beer belly and a tattoo wrapped around his neck. How’d you come up with her?”
I snickered. “Luck of the draw, I guess.” I turned to find her just at the bar and my eyes slipped down to her firm ass. I looked back at the men and they were now staring at me. “What?” I asked, feeling annoyed.
“Nothing!” they each said, then chuckled and went back to talking.
I knew what they were thinking, but they weren’t going to get me to admit anything. Sure I liked my hot consultant, but the question was…did she like me? That was really what kept dragging my attention away. I wasn’t going to risk everything by taking a chance, unless I was one hundred percent certain. I had my bar to consider and with any hope it was on the road of doing better.
Another week went by, before she finally stated that the paperwork was finally in order and she wanted to go over ways that she thought the bar would improve. However, the night was busy, probably one of the busiest I had had in over two years. So, every time she tried to get me to go over things with her, I had to apologize and tell her that I would find her as soon as I was finished.
I didn’t plan on that not being until two in the morning, when the bar was just closing. I thought she had probably already left for the night, but I found her in my office as I went to grab my things and head home.
“Oh…Jasmine. I didn’t realize you were still here,” I said.
She looked up from her notebook. Her hair was a frazzled mess, but she’d never looked more beautiful. She stood up from behind my desk, looking embarrassed that I found her sitting there. “Well, I got busy working and nearly forgot the time. We can go over this on Monday, if you would prefer.” She looked at her notebook, but I shrugged.
“As long as you’re still here, I don’t mind staying,” I said.
She nodded and then opened her notebook back open.
“I had an idea. What if you have a night where you can open up the club to the public, offering them free drinks for their first round?”
I frowned. “Free drinks? Opening up to the public?” I shook my head. “I don’t know. It seems to me that that’s one way to quickly go out of business.”
She shrugged. “I can see why you’d say that, but really you do have to spend money to make money. Trust me that people aren’t going to be able to stop at only one drink. Then, if you are offering the general public a chance to come in, that will get them enticed to join the club. Plus, chances are they will use the casino machines and the pool tables and that is all more money in your pocket. I really think this could work, but are you willing to take a chance?” She held up the notebook and showed me the figures she had worked out and the potential money I could take in during the night. She then scrunched up her nose.
“I know that it could be much less, but I think this is your best chance at bringing this bar back up to your standards…and the standards of your dad and your grandfather.”
I did like the sound of that and I was putting my trust in her, because I did have faith in her abilities. “I suppose it could work.”
She smiled. “It will work. Imagine this club on Saturday night booked to capacity with a line of customers waiting to get in. I know it can work.”
“Okay, then I say we can give it a shot.”
“Yes!” She looked like a little girl on Christmas morning and I had to smile at her excitement. “Are you free tomorrow?” she asked.
I frowned. “It’s Sunday. Don’t you want a day off?”
She shook her head. “Not if we’re going to have this shindig ready by next week. We need to make fliers and bulletins and we need to start a revolution, where all your regular guests tell their friends and get them in here. People aren’t going to want to miss this. Trust me.”
I laughed. “Okay, if you want to get together tomorrow, we’ll get together tomorrow. Say six o’clock? I can make us supper here.”
She laughed.
“You cook?” she asked.
I didn’t know why she was so surprised, but I nodded. “I do indeed cook and you won’t want to miss out on my masterpiece recipe.”
She arched an eyebrow, then smiled. “Okay, then I’ll see you at six o’clock.”
We made plans for her to meet me in the back alley, so I could let her in. Then we would immediately get started. I didn’t know what it would all entail, but I did know that I was excited to get the ball rolling and hope that things did all work out as she thought they would.