Chapter 36
“Ithink we want to have an overt Irish vibe,” I said as we walked through the distillery. “I almost want to give it a pub-type feel, with different elements that really elevate it to the next level.”
“I don’t know how much we can really change to accommodate?—”
“No,” I interrupted the man giving me the tour of the distillery. “The point is I don’t want to change anything. We’re going to add the party venue on top of what is already here. It’s something that we’re going to be able to put up very quickly, probably on the day of, and then disassemble it the next day and allow everyone to get back to work with minimal, if any, interruption.”
“I do like the sound of that. We do keep very strict timelines.”
“I understand that completely, and the last thing I want to do is to make this harder than it has to be or to disrupt the flow of your workers. Here’s what I’m thinking, and please feel free to add anything or let me know what wouldn’t be feasible.”
“Okay.” He looked at me like he was a little distrusting of what I was saying, and I understood.
But I really did want to make this work well for everyone.
“So, I’m thinking over there, where you have all of the barrels stacked, I want to make sure none of our guests can get to those. The last thing we want is an accident. So I want to encase that area in glass, making it decor. The barrels will not be moved. We’ll just put up the walls. Then it will be taken down immediately. In front of that is where I want to put the bar.”
“Did you want me to build a bar?”
“No. I actually have a contractor who is already aware of the specs of the room, so as soon as I tell him where the bar is going to go, he’s going to build it from wood reclaimed from old barrels. It’ll be fairly simple, it’ll look rustic, and the best part is that it will be built off-site, brought in, and then taken away.”
“That sounds great.” He really did look relieved.
“I’m thinking the dance floor is going to be where those large copper vats are. Is there anything that we need to make sure the guests can’t do, like locking down any controls or valves?”
“Yes, and I will have that taken care of before you and your guests start arriving.”
“Perfect.” I was so excited.
All of this was coming together so beautifully.
I wanted this party to be a success, to prove to not only Lucian that I was up to the task, but to myself too. I hadn’t even hired a party planner, just a caterer, and everything else was up to me.
“We do need to figure out where the DJ will be set up, and I also want to have a pedestal, somewhere Charlotte can play.”
“What does she play?”
“Charlotte Manwarring. She is a cellist. She is going to play a few bar songs but edge them up a bit. It will be her and one other cellist. I also want to set up a place for Amelia Manwarring’s students to auction off some of their work. We are going to make this party a full Manwarring event. Even Olivia is sending her best photographers to cover everything.”
“That can be arranged. I will work with your contractor directly.” The manager shook my hand. “We will make sure this is perfect. Now, why don’t you follow me, and we will head to the tasting room. Your mixologist got a full tour earlier and is now working on a few signature cocktails for the event.”
We walked to the back of the building, where there was a gorgeous, private tasting room.
This was going to be perfect for the VIP party, where the music would be softer, and those who wanted to talk would order bottle service with the more expensive bottles.
It was all just perfect.
I was going to make Lucian so proud of me.
We were walking down the long hallways when I heard some shouting, and the site manager excused himself to deal with whatever was happening.
I made a mental note to be sure we had plenty of security, not only because the liquor was flowing, but also because I really wanted to make sure we left the distillery in perfect shape.
The last thing I needed was a few football players to get into it with a couple of drunk rock stars.
“Miss Deiderich.” Aiden, the mixologist I’d hired, gave me a warm smile. “Thank you so much for arranging the tour and tasting. I thought I knew a lot about whiskey, but I clearly needed more of an education. I learned so much.”
“Please, call me Stella. And that’s great. Did you get any ideas for the signature cocktails?”
“Yes, in fact, I have a few for you to try. I figured we would want three cocktails: something sweet, something more classic, and something really light and refreshing.”
“That sounds perfect.” I smiled and sat on the polished wooden bar stool in front of Aiden.
“First up, we have our refreshing, charred cherry whiskey lemonade.”
He handed me the glass, and it looked amazing, perfectly presented with an artful garnish. It was delicious. The lemonade was tart, and the cherries were sweet and smoky but not overly heavy. This would absolutely quench my thirst after a long night on the dance floor.
“Next is the sweet. Give me one moment to make a fresh one.” Aiden smiled as I sipped the lemonade.
Alison, my assistant, walked in as quickly as possible with several clipboards in her one hand and her phone held between her shoulder and ear.
I took the clipboards while she finished the call and sat down.
“Sorry it took me a moment to get back here. Some guy at the front didn’t want to let me in. I had to threaten to call the police just so he would move.” She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Who was that on the phone?”
“That was the contractor. He was confirming he received the blueprints. He is also working with the lighting guy and wanted me to run something by you.”
“Okay.”
“What do you think of having a spotlight on the cellists, but have it be an icy blue color, only while they’re playing, giving a kind of cool vibe.”
“Oh, I like that, actually. Reach out to Charlotte and let her know. Her friend also plays in a metal band. She might have lighting ideas that she knows work best, and find out what kind of outlets they need.”
“Outlets?” Her brows furrowed.
“They are playing electric cellos, and her drummer is going to come too.”
“That’s great,” she said just as there was more yelling outside. “Are we going to have to add him to the payroll?”
“No,” I said, distracted by the shouting. “He just wants a shout-out on the party’s social media. He knows several music producers are coming, and he is a drummer for hire.”
“Okay.” She made a note on one of the clipboards. “In the meantime, I just checked the raffle. The amount of traffic after the celebrities shared posts is unreal. Especially the Love is Blind cast. We have four RSVPs with plus one, but the entire cast shared the link. They just got the website back up, and we are now at two million dollars raised for the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. I also have a few luxury brands reaching out, wanting to donate trips and items for the raffle.”
“Good, do it. Just make sure there are no direct competitors for Manwarring Liquors.”
“Got it. It’s mostly complementary stuff, like Killian perfumes, a bottle of Angel’s Share, a few gourmet foods, a spa retreat, and other similar items.”
“Perfect. Make sure anything we accept is added to the website and social media, and they do as well. How are we on media coverage?”
“Everyone is picking up the story, and every single magazine with a lifestyle section wants to send photographers.”
“Paps can be outside, but inside access is?—”
“Exclusive to Olivia,” she finished for me.
“What would I do without you?” I asked.
“Host this at Chucky Cheese,” she said, and we both giggled as Aiden came back with a drink for each of us.
“Ladies, here is our sweet option. A Blackberry Smash—this cocktail not only has fresh berries that taste like summer, but ginger beer to lighten it, a little elderflower liquor to cut through the sweetness, and of course, the finest whiskey. Enjoy.”
The way he winked at Allison made me blush as she smiled and took a sip. This one was another homerun—perfect.
“What about the—” Alison was cut off when several loud bangs came from the distillery, and the ground underneath us shook—then another one, and this time closer.
Allison and I screamed and moved behind the heavy wooden door with Aiden.
The bangs got closer, and the ground shook until one went off right outside the door, followed by a blinding light and intense heat.
I was thrown across the room in a blast of heat…
Then everything went dark.