Bella did. The headlines in the local news the next day would have been all about it. Northpointe is a small town. One picture of my place under that kind of news and I’d never be able to turn that particular PR train around.
Cy slammed a fist against the table. “You’re smarter than that, Devin. And you’ve been around me long enough to know I’m never going to take a guy’s word for something. Not when I don’t know him.”
“Well, I know him. Or at least, I’m getting to. You can trust that I’m a decent judge of character.”
He looked at me with wide eyes and his chin pointed down. Paternal and condescending. He also knew it was the exact kind of look that would get my temper up.
“Okay. So did your guy find something out about Jase you think I should know? You’ve got that look on your face. You’re pissed about something.”
Cy immediately softened his face and gave me a smile that wasn’t quite genuine. “Actually everything he put on that application you made him fill out checks out.”
“Good!” I started to rise again. “Then we can be done talking about it.”
“Not quite, honey. The only thing my guy was able to find on him was exactly what he put on that application. That’s my point. Nothing further back than five years ago.”
I felt like I’d swallowed a ball of acid. “So what does that mean?”
Cy shrugged. “Maybe nothing, maybe everything. He doesn’t have a record. No lawsuits. No restraining orders.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Uncle Cy ran the tip of his thumb along his bottom lip as he worked out what to say to me. I felt overly protective of Jase and wasn’t sure I liked it. Was my need to be independent of my uncle clouding my judgment? Was lust?
“I wanna know more about this guy. That’s all.”
“Why? Uncle Cy. He’s a dishwasher. I’m not asking him to do my taxes. Boomer has a record, for God’s sake. Did you forget about that? Petty theft and one of his ex-girlfriends took out a restraining order on him. He’d never get a job anywhere else.”
“I’ve known Boomer since he was five years old!” Cy shouted at me and my blood ran cold. My uncle had a hair-trigger temper and I’d somehow just set it off.
He let out a hard sigh and sat back in his chair, tossing his napkin into the middle of his plate. Then he fixed his laser stare on me. The same one I knew he used to intimidate contractors and other business associates when he was closing a deal. I refused to let it work on me and held my ground. Finally, a twinkle came into his eye and he smiled. He held his hands up in mock surrender. I wasn’t naïve enough to think he meant it.
“What do you want, Uncle Cy? Seriously.”
“I don’t trust the guy. That’s what I’m saying. It’s just not a good time to be bringing in new people. That’s all.”
“What do you mean? Profits are up. I’m finally able to afford a full staff. Help me understand.”
“Why do you have to question every single thing!” The fire came back into his eyes, but I still wouldn’t back down. I sensed we’d reached a critical juncture in our business relationship. It wasn’t about Jase anymore. God, I mean … of course it was. But if I gave Uncle Cy an inch now, it would be that much harder to get out from under him once and for all. So I refused to raise my voice to match his. He got loud, I got quiet.
“ The Dive is my bar. That’s our agreement. I have a plan in place to pay back your capital investment within six months. That’s a year ahead of schedule. I let you look into Jase’s background. You have. Unless you’ve got something solid to share to convince me why he’s a bad hire, I’m inclined to let his work speak for itself. I appreciate your concern. Truly. But I think we’re done talking about this.”
A tiny tremor in his temple raised every alarm bell in my head. But he didn’t blow. Instead, he slowly rose and walked around the table. He leaned over and got right in my
Cy slammed a fist against the table. “You’re smarter than that, Devin. And you’ve been around me long enough to know I’m never going to take a guy’s word for something. Not when I don’t know him.”
“Well, I know him. Or at least, I’m getting to. You can trust that I’m a decent judge of character.”
He looked at me with wide eyes and his chin pointed down. Paternal and condescending. He also knew it was the exact kind of look that would get my temper up.
“Okay. So did your guy find something out about Jase you think I should know? You’ve got that look on your face. You’re pissed about something.”
Cy immediately softened his face and gave me a smile that wasn’t quite genuine. “Actually everything he put on that application you made him fill out checks out.”
“Good!” I started to rise again. “Then we can be done talking about it.”
“Not quite, honey. The only thing my guy was able to find on him was exactly what he put on that application. That’s my point. Nothing further back than five years ago.”
I felt like I’d swallowed a ball of acid. “So what does that mean?”
Cy shrugged. “Maybe nothing, maybe everything. He doesn’t have a record. No lawsuits. No restraining orders.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Uncle Cy ran the tip of his thumb along his bottom lip as he worked out what to say to me. I felt overly protective of Jase and wasn’t sure I liked it. Was my need to be independent of my uncle clouding my judgment? Was lust?
“I wanna know more about this guy. That’s all.”
“Why? Uncle Cy. He’s a dishwasher. I’m not asking him to do my taxes. Boomer has a record, for God’s sake. Did you forget about that? Petty theft and one of his ex-girlfriends took out a restraining order on him. He’d never get a job anywhere else.”
“I’ve known Boomer since he was five years old!” Cy shouted at me and my blood ran cold. My uncle had a hair-trigger temper and I’d somehow just set it off.
He let out a hard sigh and sat back in his chair, tossing his napkin into the middle of his plate. Then he fixed his laser stare on me. The same one I knew he used to intimidate contractors and other business associates when he was closing a deal. I refused to let it work on me and held my ground. Finally, a twinkle came into his eye and he smiled. He held his hands up in mock surrender. I wasn’t naïve enough to think he meant it.
“What do you want, Uncle Cy? Seriously.”
“I don’t trust the guy. That’s what I’m saying. It’s just not a good time to be bringing in new people. That’s all.”
“What do you mean? Profits are up. I’m finally able to afford a full staff. Help me understand.”
“Why do you have to question every single thing!” The fire came back into his eyes, but I still wouldn’t back down. I sensed we’d reached a critical juncture in our business relationship. It wasn’t about Jase anymore. God, I mean … of course it was. But if I gave Uncle Cy an inch now, it would be that much harder to get out from under him once and for all. So I refused to raise my voice to match his. He got loud, I got quiet.
“ The Dive is my bar. That’s our agreement. I have a plan in place to pay back your capital investment within six months. That’s a year ahead of schedule. I let you look into Jase’s background. You have. Unless you’ve got something solid to share to convince me why he’s a bad hire, I’m inclined to let his work speak for itself. I appreciate your concern. Truly. But I think we’re done talking about this.”
A tiny tremor in his temple raised every alarm bell in my head. But he didn’t blow. Instead, he slowly rose and walked around the table. He leaned over and got right in my
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