“Ok, what else?”
“We don’t make it easy to buy the wine,” she turned toward the shelves behind us. “Having them all there is great,” she toward the bar. “But customers are touchy-feely. I read somewhere that if we can get the bottle in customers hands it increases sales by seventy percent.”
“That’s actually very true. Again, I don’t see the problem. That should be another easy fix. Don’t tell me Jerry said no bottles on the tasting bar?”
“Mmmm, not exactly. But when he was here last, which granted, isn’t often, I tried to talk to him about it.”
“Jerry wasn’t open to your suggestions?” I guessed.
“Bingo. I did mention the idea to Brien and he said to go ahead but,” she shrugged, “I don’t want to piss anyone off. When Jerry does come in, it’s usually unannounced. And he’s pretty particular about a clean tasting bar.”
This was ridiculous. “Put as many bottles on the bar as you want. Inventory them, keep an eye on them, but do it.”
Laila beamed. “And when bottle sales increase, maybe a little lagniappe for my paycheck?”
That one was trickier. “Makes sense to me, but honestly I have to go through all the books with a fine-tooth comb.”
“Hey, I’m just happy to have an ear that will listen. I have some other ideas too.”
“Lemme hear them.”
The more Leila talked, the more it confirmed what I already knew. You couldn’t run a winery as successfully as possible without being on site. The fact that Jerry came a handful of times a year, and I wouldn’t even get started on my father, was a problem.
By the time we finished, I had a notebook full of ideas to transfer to my computer. I wanted to go out on one of the cruises tonight, but first I headed up to my room, dropped the notebook and sat on my bed staring at my phone.
I’d been avoiding this.
Probably shouldn’t do it.
I picked up my phone.
Don’t, Rae. You don’t care.
My fingers pressed the button anyway. It was only when Evie picked up, and I heard dishes clanging in the back that I realized... “Oh my God, it’s seven o’clock on a Saturday. I am so sorry. I’ll call back tomorrow.”
“Wait, wait. Hold on a sec.”
My college friend must have left her restaurant’s kitchen. All of a sudden it got quiet. “We have a private party tonight and everything’s under control. Talk to me.”
“Are you sure? Honestly, I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’m one hundred percent sure. I could use a break. Something’s up. I can hear it in your voice.”
Although Evie and I were inseparable in college, we went through a stage of not seeing each other much when she went to culinary school. After that, we got together for a girl’s trip and had been fairly close again until she got married. Since then, I didn’t talk to her as much. But I still considered her one of my best friends.
“So, long story short, you know how I told you my father invested in that vineyard?”
“To give his share to you in exchange for basically abandoning you for his new family? Yep, I remember.”
Evie didn’t pull punches. Come to think of it, none of my friends did. This is probably why they were my friends.
“And you know I hate my job.”
“Which sucks. But yeah. Can’t wait to see where this is going.”
If she only knew. “I’ll be quick since you’re working. I’m here, in the Finger Lakes.”
“Holy shit. You’re taking the business?”