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Lucille described in great detail how she did that with her husband. I wanted to bleach my entire body after hearing it, but it gave me some insight. Lucille and Trent met at a bar and were in bed together the same night. That’s how fast they cemented their bond. Both of them told me how they knew they were each other’s mate and that the thought of not being with each other was unfathomable from the moment they bonded.

It is going to be more of an uphill battle for me.

To win that battle, I need a strategy. Erin spends most of her time working, so it stands to reason Insomnia is where I need to be. Instead of moving back to my home, which is an hour away, I intend to move into the penthouse suite above the club for the foreseeable future.

Claire was more than happy for me to take over the running of Insomnia for a little while, especially because it meant she will have the opportunity to travel to my other establishments.

Instead of dressing for a night out, I slip into form-fitting black slacks, a white pinstripe shirt, and a black waistcoat. The impression I left on Erin was less than ideal, and I need to turn it around. None of my family notice me leaving. They are so wrapped up in plotting and researching.

To release some anxiety, I take my father’s Aston Martin. A car isn’t as fun as a motorbike, but the roar of the DBS is enough to elicit the same thrill. Cruising to the club takes less time than I’d hoped. Pulling around the back, I hand the keys to my private valet. The glint of excitement in his eyes as he regards the DBS is almost comical.

Slipping in through the back allows me a few extra seconds to compose myself. Tonight, I must be in business mode. I want Erin to see the real me, but that won’t happen until she has shed our past encounters.

There are still a couple of hours to go until the club opens. The bar is silent, so I take my time reacquainting myself with the area. With a glass of ice water in hand, I stroll between the tables, my eyes roaming every inch of space. Claire has done a fantastic job of running Insomnia. So well, in fact, I may ask her to continue traveling around my other venues, advising and managing on a full-time basis.

Losing myself in work is easy, even though it has been a while since I committed myself to running one of my clubs. I fall into it easily again. The hours tick by unnoticed until a sharp rap on the office door snaps me out of my fully immersive profit-and-loss world.

“Come,” I call, my eyes still scanning the documents in front of me. The door opens almost silently. It’s only the small gasp that makes me look up into the startled blue eyes of Erin.

“Ms. Hanson, what can I do for you?”

“What are you doing here?” she blurts, and I try my hardest to smother a grin. “Shit, I’m sorry, that was rude. Good evening, Ms. Loch.”

“It’s fine. I don’t blame you. Actually, I’m glad you’re here. Take a seat.” She does as instructed. Her face is pinched, but she’s not radiating white hot anger, so that’s a step in the right direction. “And please, call me Amelia. None of my employees call me Ms. Loch.”

“Sure, Amelia. Call me Erin then.”

“Wonderful. Okay, so I want to clear the air. I owe you an apology for the first time we met. It was my birthday and even though I was far from drunk, I’d had a couple of glasses of champagne and was feeling a little playful. I certainly didn’t mean to make you feel deceived or foolish. Please accept my sincere apology.” There, that was from the heart. Surely, she can’t still be mad after that.

“Thank you and I accept. Looking back, I know I came at you a little aggressively. It’s just that I take work seriously and I know Insomnia has a stellar reputation. It’s the reason I agreed to work here. When I saw you behind the bar, I panicked. All I could think of were the many, many health and safety violations being broken.”

“And I thank you for that. I want all my employees to take their job and this club as seriously as you do. So, can we start again?”

“Of course, Amelia, with pleasure.”

My belly flip flops when Erin speaks my name. The scent of cherries intensifies, and I have to take a beat to rein in my feelings. Feelings I’m not sure how to interpret. “Claire tells me you are an excellent bartender. I haven’t had the time to peruse your file. Would you mind filling in some of your history for me?”

“Sure. I’ve bartended since college. I only started to help pay my way through school, but I soon realized I loved it. After college, I continued to tend bar. My interest was piqued when my boss introduced fancy cocktails to the menu. I trained as a mixologist and here we are.”

“What did you study in college?”

“Political Science and it bored me to tears,” she laughs, causing those flip flop feelings to ramp up a few notches.

“And you have no regrets? “

“You mean pursuing bar work instead of politics?”

I nod. I want to know what makes her tick. “Yes. Do you wish you had taken a different route?”

“Not at all. Honestly, I only studied Political Science because my parents hounded me to get a degree in something ‘solid,’ as they put it. But, when I had the space to explore what made me happy, it wasn’t politics, it was bartending.”

“What is it you love so much?”

“Talking to people, learning about their lives. Don’t get me wrong, dealing with drunk assholes is never fun, but nothing in life is perfect. I love the art of mixing a new cocktail, and the creativity it takes to come up with a new recipe.”

“Well, you certainly have me sold,” I laugh. Erin’s passion is intoxicating. Her entire face lights up when she speaks.

“What about you? I mean, I should know more about you considering you’re my boss and a Loch.” Erin looks a little sheepish. I’m not arrogant enough to think the entire world knows who I am because of my name.