Page 41

“To success,” he says, lifting his glass.
“Absolutely.” I down the tequila, and it’s as smooth as water. “That’s dangerous.”
“Yes, it is,” the bartender says, winking. “It’s my family’s brand.”
She holds the bottle for me, and I commit the silver logo to memory. “With the right marketing, this stuff could take over. It’s fantastic.”
She laughs. “I know. It’s great. My great-great-grandpa created the recipe.”
I tilt my head at her. “So, you’ve got a story, and it’s relatable. You have a family-values angle. What’s your name?”
“Caitlyn.”
I quickly text my brother.
Asher
Caitlyn, the bartender at Agave. Her family owns a tequila brand. Great-great-grandpa created the recipe.
He immediately sends me a thumbs-up emoji. Nick is used to my random texts like this. We have meetings about them at the end of each month.
Josh clears his throat.
I give her a smile. “It was nice chatting, Caitlyn. I’m Asher Banks.”
“Asher Banks,” she repeats with a smile.
Josh turns to her. “Just keep them coming, sweetheart.”
I roll my eyes, giving him the attention he desperately needs right now. Instead of tequila, I should be drinking coffee. The booze makes me … blunt. It doesn’t help that I don’t have patience for him—and haven’t since he dated Billie so publicly. But I can’t hold that against him any longer.
“Have you thought about my proposal?” Josh asks.
“I’m still deciding,” I admit. “I read your article inBusinessweek. Why did you feel the need to mention Bellamore like that?” My patience is at a zero already.
“It was the truth. I do want to buy Bellamore. And I know it’s not for sale right now. Eventually, it will be, and I want to make the first offer after I bankrupt her.” He pauses for a brief moment, looking me over. “I don’t know how to ask you this, so I will be direct. Are you fucking Billie?”
“No,” I admit. “Considering she’s your ex, you know how we feel about one another. Nothing has changed. Actually, I think I might hate her more than I did before.”
“Ah, so she still despises you with a passion?” His shoulders relax.
“Still happily at the top of her shit list.” I smile. “But let me beclear. If I were fucking her, it’d be none of your goddamn business. You wouldn’t control what I did outside of our contract. Period. And you wouldn’t begin to test that boundary. I might not be able to work with your competitors, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t fuck them on my personal time.Understood?”
Fucking prick.
“Yeah.” His eyes narrow, and the tension grows between us.
This is pathetic.
I clear my throat. “Now,ifI proceed with a contract, I’d be committed to your corporation. However, I’ve read your proposal, and I don’t give a fuck about the numbers. What is it that you want for Lustre? Not the canned response that everyone expects to hear. And if you don’t tell me the truth for the rest of this conversation, I won’t work with you. Excuse me being direct, but I don’t have time for pleasantries. The sooner we can cut through the bullshit, the faster we can start working together. I’m not your friend, and I won’t pretend to be, even if the tequila is good.”
The bartender shoots me a wink and places two more shots down.
“I want to be the industry leader. I also know as long as Bellamore is around, that won’t happen. I need to erase her company’s existence or purchase and merge it. Those are the two options.”
I stare at him and realize this isn’t about Bellamore. It’spersonalwith Billie. And, fuck, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get it. It’s the only reason I’m here. Billie is infuriating. She needs to be knocked down a few pegs, even if I know she’ll rise after it. I will humble her, but I will also make her so much stronger. Now is not the time for her to relax and be complacent.
“And you cannot coexist with her?” I ask. It’s a genuine question.