“How do you decide which to use?”
One big step. That was all it would take.
I really needed to cool myself down. “That’s a question for Neo. Are you ready to finish the tour?”
She blinked, turned from me, and walked away. Precisely what I wanted. But now, once again, I felt like a total dickhead. “I’m not sure if anyone told you, but we have a no-fraternization policy at Grado,” I said, with thoughts of Brooke and my brother floating about in my head. “Things tend to get messy otherwise.”
Brooke spun on me so fast it was a wonder she didn’t fall down. The hellcat was back. Her eyes narrowed. “Any relationship that interferes with the company culture of teamwork, the harmonious work environment, or the productivity of employees is discouraged. Yeah, I read that part clearly in the employee handbook.”
Read it and memorized it, apparently. “There was a pretty specific reason it was put in place. But it remains a good policy.”
“A fantastic policy,” she said, definitely pissed now. “Maybe we should end the tour here,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be tempted to develop a relationship with the boss that might interfere with the company culture of teamwork.”
With that, Brooke turned on her heel and walked away.
She thought I was talking about me. With good reason. Probably the way I’d been looking at her.
In all my years at Grado, I couldn’t think of even one employee who’d ever spoken to me, or to any member of my family, that way. But I also couldn’t remember having said what I just had aloud before. A bit harsh? Maybe. It seemed like a good way to push her away. And had nothing to do with the vision of her and Neo touring these very barrels that had popped into my head.
I hadn’t been proprietor of Grado Valley without my father lurking in the shadows for all of a week—I really couldn’t screw this up already. No matter how tempting Brooke Ellis and her vanilla perfume was.
CHAPTERELEVEN
brooke
“You’re not leaving, are you?”Neo stopped me just as I was about to leave for the day.
“I am.”
We moved to the side as the main entrance doors opened again. An older man with a guitar strapped to his back waved to Neo as he walked by.
“The entertainment?” I asked, even though it was obvious he was.
Turned out the reason for Wednesday’s late start was that the Cellar stayed open until eight p.m., unlike the other weekdays when it closed at five. It was a tradition, apparently, dating back more than twenty years. Whereas the weekends were for tourists, Wednesday night was geared toward locals. A midweek respite, Perry called it, though I couldn’t imagine what he possibly needed a respite from. He’d admitted that working at Grado, smoking weed, and “chilling” were pretty much his entire life. And he loved it.
Kudos to him. I could see the appeal.
“Yep. Which is my cue to get out of the fields.”
I didn’t understand, but Neo explained.
“It gets so crazy around here, especially since the Barn was opened, that my parents found themselves never having time together to enjoy what they’d built. So every Wednesday, they would shut down 1931 but keep the Cellar open, inviting a small group of friends. As each of us rejoined the family business after college or whatnot, we made a pact: Wednesday was for family. No work, besides in here.” He nodded toward the moderately busy tasting room. “If you had a date, you’d come here. Literally the birth of a child or a vacation are the only excuses for missing Wednesday night.”
That was so frickin’ cool. “I love it,” I said sincerely. “You guys are really tight.”
“Most of the time. We have our moments. But our family motto is work hard, play harder. So this is us playing harder. Why don’t you stay even if your shift is over?”
I’m not sure if anyone told you, but we have a no-fraternization policy at Grado.
I wondered if Neo had gotten the memo. He wasn’t overtly flirting, but he wasn’t not flirting either. God forbid. From his comments, I assumed Cosimo was the fraternization police. As if I’d ever, ever get involved with my boss again. Even one as temporary as Cosimo.
“I have to head out to look at an apartment. The owner of the house I’m renting needs me out by Friday morning. It was only supposed to be a four-night rental.”
Neo shook his head. “That’s nuts that you decided to stay after a long weekend.”
“Nuts is an understatement,” I said as a steady stream of customers began to come in.
“Where’s the apartment?”