“That’s dope. I can see why you came back home. This sounds like an amazing opportunity for you,” he replied.
“One I couldn’t turn down. How is the whiskey business treating you?” I asked.
“It’s tricky. I’m happy I can keep my great grandfather’s legacy alive. There’s just so much red tape when it comes to distribution. My biggest challenge is getting the Black Label to be a household name,” he shared with a hint of frustration.
“I don’t know much about whiskey, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You have great motivation in wanting to keep the family legacy going. Just hold on to that until you get the result you want,” I encouraged him.
“I’ll do that. Thanks for the encouragement,” he said as he pulled the truck up to the valet.
We were so engrossed in conversation, that I didn’t realize we had arrived. Micah got out of the car, then passed his key to the valet. He walked over to the passenger side to help me out, and once I was out of the car, we walked side by side into The Tavern.
“Welcome to The Tavern. Do you have a reservation?” the hostess greeted us.
“Yes, it’s under the name Micah Black,” he replied.
The young lady went over the list a few times as if she couldn’t find his name. Micah and I looked at each other with confused expressions.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Sorry about that. You can follow me to your table,” the hostess said.
We followed her to a table at the back of the restaurant. She placed the menus down and said, “Enjoy your evening. I’ll be sure to tell Iris you said hello.”
The hostess walked away while Micah pulled out my chair. When he was seated, I asked, “Is she talking about Iris from high school?”
“Yeah, she’s Violet’s mom, and that was one of her cousins. We haven’t been together in years. I’m not sure why she would need to report seeing us together to her,” he explained.
“Iris never liked me, so I could only imagine what she would have to say,” I said.
“Anything she has to say is irrelevant. I take good care of our daughter. That should be her only concern,” he said.
We looked over the menus that were in front of us. The server eventually came over to take our orders.
“I appreciate you coming out with me tonight. I’m sure it was hard to leave Reign,” he said.
“It was, but I’m trying to find balance as a single parent. I don’t want to look up one day and regret that my entire life revolved around being a parent. You know what I mean?” I asked.
“Sure do. When Iris and I broke up, it was hard. I never envisioned not living under the same roof as Violet. The good thing is we live close, so I see her whenever I want. I try to adult as much as I can on the days she isn’t with me,” he explained.
“I know things have changed around here, but what is there to do for fun? The whiskey tour was great, by the way, and Naya took me to Moon Café, but I haven’t seen much else.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. The park has events from time to time, concerts, festivals, and game nights. I go fishing and hunting, which I don’t think is your speed. Do you still ride? You used to love your horse when we were younger. What was her name again?” he asked.
“Lucy was her name. I stopped riding when I started high school. My poor Lucy died right before I went to college. I just grew out of riding I guess,” I said somberly.
The server came over with our meals. Micah ordered steak and a potato, while I opted for salmon with steamed vegetables.
“I almost forgot how everyone here loves their steak and potatoes,” I said.
“There’s no better meal,” he said with a low chuckle.
While we ate, I thought about my horse. My mother was an award-winning equestrian, and as a child, I wanted to be just like her. When she died, I tried to keep riding, but it only made me sad. When Lucy died, I vowed never to ride another horse. I couldn’t risk getting attached to anything else that could die on me.
After dinner, Micah drove me home. Every so often, I would catch him smiling in my direction.
“You must like what you see,” I teased.
“It’s not every day I get the opportunity to be in the presence of such a beautiful woman. I really enjoyed our evening, Harley,” he confirmed.
