by Riley Walker
She places the drinks on the table, grabs a shot, hands me one and yells, “Down the hatch!”
We both slam back three shots before starting on the margaritas. I notice the line at the jukebox had slimmed down, so I make my way up there. Three shots and a giant margarita may have made me a bit wobbly. I stumble into the wide back of the man in front of me. Before I can get out an apology, the man turns around and I come face to face with none other than North Michaelson. Seriously? Is this guy everywhere?
I stand up a little straighter and look him right in the eyes. “North.”
“Alice Du-Kane.”
We just stand there, staring at each other. He eventually moves his gaze from my face to something over my shoulder. When he looks back at me, I start to ask him what he’s doing here, but the filter on my mouth suddenly disappears. “I beat you so bad in mock-court the other day. How did it feel to get taken down by a lower classman? And a girl at that?”
His eyebrows raise up to his hairline. “I'm sorry, what did you just say?”
Get it together Alice. What is wrong with you? “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” I look at the ground, the floor has suddenly become quite interesting.
I feel his finger under my chin as he lifts it up. “I’m pretty sure I just heard you gloating about beating me in class the other day. I didn’t know you were so vain, Miss Du-Kane.”
I smirk at him. “It’s not vanity, it’s the truth and I am pretty damn proud of myself.”
At that moment Zoe runs up and grabs my arm. “Girl, let’s go dance! They’re doing the Watermelon Crawl!”
We dance for at least three songs before I’m dying of thirst. I tell Zoe that I’ll head to the bar and get us some drinks. While I’m standing at the bar, I notice a set of very yummy twins next to me. They have sandy brown hair, piercing hazel eyes, and tan muscular bodies. Both are wearing ripped jeans and tight v-neck shirts. I wave the bartender over and ordered two more margaritas. I’m pulling money out of my pocket when one of the twins lays down a credit card, passing it to the bartender.
Twin number one smiles at me and then addresses the bartender. “Those are on me and anything thing else she orders tonight.”
“Thank you but you don’t have to do that. I can afford my own drinks,” I say while sipping my drink.
He holds out his hand and I shake it. “My name is Ridge and the sexy man next to me is Oren.”
I start cracking up. “Did you just refer to yourself as sexy?”
He gives me a smile. “No, I called my brother sexy.”
I roll my eyes, grabbing Zoe’s drink with my free hand and walk towards the dance floor. Ridge yells out, “Hey beautiful, I didn’t get your name!”
I look over my shoulder and give him a wink. “That’s because I didn’t give it to you.” I walk through the dancing bodies, looking for Zoe. Of course I find her in the middle of a dancing man sandwich. That girl has no shame. She looks up at me with a huge shit eating grin on her face. I point to our drinks and point in the direction of the tables knowing she’ll understand that I’m going to go sit down. The last time I tried to dance with a drink in my hand, I got more on my shirt than in my mouth.
I’m weaving around the gyrating bodies and looking for an open table when a hand comes out of nowhere, grabbing me around the waist. I’m about to throw my drink on whomever has laid their hands on me when I look up and see that the arm belongs to Ridge or Oren. I can’t tell them apart, and they are so damn sexy I don’t care.
“Hey beautiful, we have a table over there in the corner. Would you like to join us?”
I nod my head because I can’t seem to get my mouth to work at the moment. His breath is on my neck and he smells like cinnamon. Cinnamon is officially my new favorite scent. He leads me over to a half circle booth where three other men are sitting. He motions for me to sit and I scooch in next to the other twin. Now that I’m seated I look around the booth and notice North sitting next to another man.
Twin number one smiles at me and says, “These are my brothers. You’ve met Oren. The one next to him is Cash, and the uptight one on the end is North.”
North scowls at me. “We’ve met. Miss Du-Kane and I attend school together.”
Ridge looks astonished. “I didn’t know you were going to law school. My condolences on your father.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Yep. That’s me. Law student extraordinaire.”
Oren squeezes my hand. “We were sorry to hear about your father. We attended the funeral, but I don’t think we actually met. There were so many people paying their respects.”
“If you don’t mind I’d rather not talk about it right now.” I lift my drink and take half of it down in one swallow.
“We understand completely.” I glance up at Ridge’s response and notice they’re all staring at me.
I look at the twins first, noticing Ridge is a little bulkier than his twin. Oren has the intelligent eyes, while Ridge’s hold a bit of danger. Ridge seems laid back, but you can tell he is constantly scanning the crowd for threats. Cash looks a little older than the rest of his brothers. He has shaggy hair that looks like it’s been kissed by the sun. All the brothers are muscular, but Cash is built like a swimmer. I would say he spends a lot of time outside considering how tan he is. His eyes are similar to North’s steel blue ones, but his hold a hint of mischief while North’s are calculating. I’m starting to get uncomfortable with the silence, and decide to change the subject.
“So, North, I guess you haven’t mentioned knowing me to your brothers or the fact that I seriously kicked your ass in the courtroom the other day?” I say this while grinning ear to ear.
He glares at me. “I’d hardly call it an ass-kicking. Anyone would have won with your defendant. The prosecution never had a chance.”
I just smirked and shrugged my shoulders. “Whatever.”
Zoe steps up to the table with her hands on her hips. I couldn’t be happier to see her face.
“Hey, Al. Where’s my drink?”
I look at the table and notice I have drank both of our margaritas. I give her my best puppy dog eyes. “Oops. I guess I was really thirsty.”
Zoe looks around the table and gives me a knowing look. “I’d be thirsty too with all this hotness surrounding me.”
North gives Zoe a genuine smile and pats the seat next to him. That’s the first time I have ever seen that man smile and it transforms his face. If it’s possible, he’s even better looking than the rest of his brothers.
Ridge bumps his shoulder into mine. “Al? I like it.”
I give him my best bitch face. “You won’t be using it. The only person I let call me that is Zoe, and I would make her stop if I could. Al sounds like a chubby man that runs a diner.”
Zoe is giggling and giving me the look. You know, the one that says share the mancandy wealth.
“Oh, right. Zoe this is Ridge, Oren, Cash, and North Michaelson.” I point as I introduce each of them.
Zoe’s eyes get big. “Michaelson? As in CronCorp? Girl, did you know you are sitting with your biggest competitor?”
What the what? These are the guys dad was always bitching about? He said their Grow-Op was always one step ahead of his. How did I not know this and how did Zoe know all about CronCorp? She better give me the deets later.
I look at Zoe trying to give her a signal with my eyes. She finally gets the hint and stands up. “Well guys, it’s been real but we need to get home. I have to leave early in the morning and Al has lots to do.”
I nudge Ridge out of the booth and thank him for the drinks. Zoe grabs my hand and quickly pulls me through the crowd and out of the door. Zoe is texting our Uber and I suddenly realize that I’ve had way too much to drink. She has her back to me and I’m trying to right my world that is now spinning when I feel strong arms wrap around my waist. I think I’m really drunk because a steel-eyed angel has just scooped me into his arms. That’s the last thing I remember before passing out.
Five
The Ayes Have It
The next morning I wake up on the couch with a massive headache, and Zoe’s face in mine. “Ugh, go away.”
She puts her hands on her hips scowling down at me. “Is that anyway to say bye to your bestie?”
“Bye, bestie. Now go away.” I roll over and put a pillow over my head. “How do you not have a hangover?”
“Because I didn’t drink as much as you did and you my dear, are an amateur.” She lifts the pillow and kisses my cheek before walking out the door, promising to call when she gets home.
I pull myself off of the couch and jump in the shower. Now that I’m awake, I might as well go into Du-Kane, Inc. and see what I’m about to get myself into. After showering, drying my hair, and applying a light coat of makeup, I walk into my closet to get dressed. I grab the first outfit I can find. It’s a pair of black dress pants, a white silk shell, and a one button black jacket. I grab my favorite Louboutin black patent pumps with a red sole. It only takes ten minutes to reach Dad’s company. When I enter the lobby I’m relieved to see Mugs Cafe is still here. I need a latte ASAP. I thank the nice barista for my drink and get into the elevator. Dad’s office is on the top floor, which is only the fourth floor. As I walk out of the elevator, I see Uncle Richie entering the conference room so I follow him in. Imagine my surprise when I see there is a board meeting going on.
I walk in and sit down at the head of the table before Uncle has a chance to. He looks shocked and taken aback. “Hello, Uncle Richie. I wasn’t informed of a board meeting.”
He stammers for a moment, and then seems to gather control of his emotions. “Lovely to see you here, Alice, but we assumed you would still be grieving.”
I give him a small smile. He is so transparent. “I am still grieving, but my responsibility is to this company, and I take that very seriously. Please sit down, Uncle. I’m getting a cramp in my neck staring up at you.”
He sits down and begins shuffling through paperwork. Paperwork that everyone at this table has except me. I clear my throat and press the button on the intercom sitting on the table. “Mrs. Stearns, could you please bring me a copy of whatever papers were issued to the other board members?” Mrs. Stearns has been my dad’s secretary for as long as I can remember. She used to let me play at her desk when Dad had to bring me to the office.
“Alice, is that you dear? Of course, I’ll get those for you right away. Give me five minutes to make copies and I’ll bring them to you,” she says.
The other board members all sit around, looking a bit uneasy while we wait on my paperwork. A few minutes is all it takes for Mrs. Stearns to enter the room with a stack of papers and a pen. I love this woman.
“Here you are, Alice. It is so wonderful to see you at the head of the table. This is where you were always meant to be.” She gives me a knowing smile and wink before she turns and heads out of the conference room. I really love that woman.
A cough brings me back to the present and I see Uncle Richie glaring at me. “Let’s get down to business. Alice, since you don’t know anything about Du-Kane, Inc., why don’t you just sit back and take some notes. Use this time as a learning experience, if you will.”
I stare at him, slowly blinking my eyes before I respond. “That is so gracious of you, Uncle, but I know all about the ins and outs of my company. My dad made sure I was well versed in the business. All aspects of it.” I’m so lying. Dad wanted me to stay far away from the company until I finished school. I know of the small operations we have, such as the rental properties, the sanitation services, and the two restaurants we have. As far as the crop business, I am at a total loss, but I will never give Uncle Richie the satisfaction of knowing this.
“Very well then, Alice.” He takes a moment to scan the faces of each board member before he begins again. “As you all may have heard, Daniel left Alice with the majority shares of Du-Kane, Inc. Due to her age, and inexperience, I would like to take a vote to make her a silent partner.” He looks directly at me as he continues. “This would mean that all business would run through me. All decisions, buys, sells, all of it, would have to be either approved or declined by me. Alice will continue to hold her shares, and she would receive a shareholders pay each quarter, but she would not be involved in the day to day runnings of Du-Kane, Inc.”
Oh, you sneaky bastard. “Alice,” Mr. Utley speaks up, “how do you feel about this? Your father left his shares to you for a reason. Do you feel like you would be better suited as a silent partner?”
Thank you Mr. Utley, I silently say to myself. I stand up and address all five board members, and my Uncle. “Du-Kane, Inc. has been in my family for generations. The head of the business has always been passed down to the oldest heir. It was passed to my dad, and he trusted me and my abilities to run this company enough, that he passed it down to me. I can, and I will, run Du-Kane, Inc. I understand I have a lot to learn, but I can do this.”
“What about school? Aren’t you in the middle of law school?” Mrs. Bell gives me an intense look, waiting for me to answer her question.
“I only have a few weeks left of this semester. Afterwards, I’ll be taking a sabbatical from school until I’m settled into my position here. I can take classes at night and on Saturdays so it will not interfere.”
“Who do you expect to teach you? We’re all involved in someway or another, but none of us are deep in every aspect.”
I look over to Mr. Andrews, my dad’s golfing buddy for the last twenty years. “I hope that each of you will help me. You are all in charge of one area of Du-Kane, Inc. Mr. Andrews, you are over Breeze and Main Street Cafe. You could teach me everything I need to know on the restaurant side. Mrs. Bell and Mr. Pipkin, the rentals, Mr. Williams, you can help me with the dispensaries, and Mr. Utley, the sanitation service. As far as the agriculture side goes, I would hope that my Uncle would be willing to step up and teach me what I need to know. I can also reach out to other Grow-Op owners for help.”
“You can’t possibly be thinking about talking to other companies! They wouldn’t tell you anything, and I will not allow another Grow-Op owner to become involved in this company.” Uncle Richie is beginning to turn an interesting shade of red while he continues to berate me. “This type of thinking and inexperience is exactly why she should have no say in the running of Du-Kane, Inc.”
Mr. Andrews speaks up, “I think we should put this to a vote. Arguing will get us nowhere.”
“I agree.” Uncle Richie stands, addressing the room once more. “By a show of hands, all those in favor of Alice becoming a silent partner in Du-Kane, Inc., please raise your hand.”
I hold my breath when the hands of Mr. Utley and Mr. Williams, both raise their hands.
“Those of you in favor of Alice staying on as a contributing partner, in the same capacity as her father, please raise your hand.”
When Mr. Andrews, Mrs. Bell, and Mr. Pipkin raise their hands, I let my breath out.
“I vote yes,” Mrs. Bell says, “but, I do so with a stipulation. I think we should give Alice a year to learn the business and maintain the current fiscal standing that we have now. If the business begins to lose money, or if there are any issues that happen because of her poor decisions, we meet back and vote again. I, for one, have faith that Alice will succeed, and make her dad proud of his decision.”
“I can accept those terms, Mrs. Bell. Thank you for having faith in me.”
“Nonsense, Alice. Your dad was a very smart man, and I know he didn't take the decision to pass down his shares to you easy. I’m sure I speak for the rest of the board,” she turns her stare to Uncle Richie, “when I say, we will all do whatever we can to help you succeed as the new President of Du-Kane, Inc.”
Mrs. Bell and the rest of the board members all stand and come around to shake my hand and offer me words of encouragement. Even Mr. Utley and Williams, who both voted against me. Once all the members have left, I sit back down and kick my feet up on the conference table. Leaning back, I say a little
prayer to whoever may be listening, to give me the strength and knowledge to do my dad proud.
I pull into the parking garage at my apartment, utterly exhausted. Between my hangover, lack of sleep, and Uncle’s shenanigans today, I have no energy left. All I want is pizza, wine, and a bubble bath. In that order. I walk into my penthouse and immediately remove my shoes and jacket. The next thing I do is place my order for a Hawaiian pizza from Bruno’s, and open a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio. The pizza arrives thirty minutes and two glasses of wine later, and it tastes like pineapple heaven. There is only one thing left to do before going to sleep. I start the water in my jacuzzi tub, pull my hair up into a messy bun, and pour my favorite coconut oil bubble bath into it. I remove the rest of my clothes and slide into the glorious bath with another full glass of wine. After soaking for a while, I get out and dry off. I’m too tired to get dressed so I climb into my California King bed and fall asleep almost instantly.
I’m deep asleep when a shrill noise wakes me. I start throwing my hand out, trying to quiet the awful noise when I finally come to enough to realize that noise is my phone ringing. I answer it before it goes to voicemail and what I hear on the other end has me hopping out of bed and throwing on the first thing I can find. I take the elevator down to the garage and run to my car, heading straight to my dad’s house. On the way over, I replay the conversation with the Memphis police officer:
Miss Du-Kane, this is Officer Bigsby of the Memphis PD. I am calling to inform you that the alarm at your home on Elm Street has been activated. The police have already been dispatched over there.
Someone broke into my dad’s house. Why? Please don’t let them have destroyed his things. The street in front of the house is full of police cars with blinding blue and red lights. It takes me a moment to adjust my vision before I make it to the front yard. “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.” I look up at the officer and demand to see Officer Bigsby. He uses his radio and a few seconds later a tall, older gentleman heads toward me.
