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I allowed myself to be vulnerable in that moment. I leaned down and nestled my body into the crook of his arm while he stroked my shoulders and arms, gently grazing his fingertips up and down my skin. It was an incredible sensation that made me tingle all over. I felt so alive and awakened when I was with Felix. I melded my body into the grooves of his. We were united without words.
He brushed his fingers through my hair. I was so pacified that I began to nod off. When I was in a full doze, Felix took my wine glass and placed it on the bedside table. He let me fall asleep in his arms, where I felt safer than anywhere else in the world. If he was willing to take care of me, I was willing to let him. It was all a little give and take, but right now, I was desperate to take all the nurturing I could get.
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The next morning, I tried to dress quickly and leave to go talk to the liquor license investigator, but Felix was determined to prevent me from inviting more stress into my life.
“Just wait until he comes to you,” Felix said.
“No.” I adamantly shook my head. “I can’t do that. I need my liquor license restored, Felix. You of all people know that.”
Felix let out a long sigh of frustration. “I don’t think you have your temper in check yet. You need a little while longer to cool down.”
“I don’t have the luxury of any more time, Felix,” I said forcefully. “I have to meet with the investigator, today.” There were no exceptions. I wasn’t going to debate the issue further.
“At least let me come with you then,” Felix said. “I can be the buffer, the mediator of sorts.”
I contemplated Felix’s compromise. “All right,” I nodded. “You can come with me. Get ready in a hurry.”
Felix’s eyes were full of melancholy and his demeanor was subdued. “I’m coming for emotional support too,” he said once we’d climbed into his car, heading toward the investigator’s office.
“I know that.” I gave him a simple smile and reached over the seat to squeeze his arm affectionately. “I’m thankful for that.”
I felt like my emotions were all over the place. One minute, I was stewing in unhealthy anger and the next, I wanted to be a tender softy. Unfortunately, there was no happy medium in between. It was just one extreme or the other, and I had a feeling it was going to stay that way until I resolved all the concerns surrounding my club.
On the outskirts of the city, we found the investigator’s office and walked in, unannounced, demanding to speak with him.
Much to my surprise, the investigator didn’t attempt to weasel his way out of a meeting with us.
He invited us into his office and gave us a sleazy grin as he sat down at his desk across from us.
“What can I do for you?” he asked in a mocking tone, as if he didn’t already know exactly what we’d come for.
“I need my liquor license back,” I said. “The clock is ticking, and I literally can’t afford to lose any more members. Do you know that people talk? Word of mouth gets around. My reputation is on the line here.”
I felt myself starting to get hot under my collar. My blood was going to turn to lava soon, and I’d start spewing it on this fool unless he stopped making asinine claims against my club.
“I can’t help you, I’m sorry.” His voice was snide, and his expression was patronizing.
I could tell that he very much was not apologetic in any authentic capacity.
I locked my jaw and clenched my fists in my lap. This man had clearly been paid off by either Nelson or Mayor Beech, maybe even both.
“Surely there is something you can do.” My voice had raised a few notches, enough for Felix to notice and gently reach for my hand to bridge the gap between us.
I needed to feel a physical connection to him during my internal torment, and he always seemed to know exactly when that was necessary.
The investigator’s upper lip twitched subtly, and his eyes flickered with a morsel of resolve.
“There is something I can do to restore the license,” he said.
“Then do it,” I commanded.
He swallowed hard and squared his shoulders. “I cannot reinstate the license as long as you are operating at your current location.”
He paused for effect, leaving me to interpret his implication.
I narrowed my eyes and gave him a degrading look. “Are you saying that if I move my club elsewhere, that you will reinstate my liquor license?”
