He tried and failed to hide how devastated he was when Evan called to tell him that the owners had gone with another tenant.
Too bad he doesn’t know that I asked Evan to make that call and lie.
Because not only is Tony getting the brewery of his dreams, but he’ll also be the sole owner of it, not the leasing tenant.
When I asked Evan to give me a heads-up on any leads for that brewery, he jumped at the opportunity to help surprise his friend. What I didn’t expect him to do was buy the brewery… and the entire block along with it.
As we park in front of the massive structure that now belongs to Tony, I bolt out of the car before he can ask any questions. I make it to the front door before he stops me. “Nikki, what are we doing here? We lost out on the lease for this place.” I can see him looking up and behind me, longing clearly written all over his face.
“You are correct. You are not the tenant of this establishment.” I turn toward the front door and enter the security code provided by the realtor.
I push open the heavy doors and send a silent thank-you to whoever had foresight to turn on the heating in this place.
Probably Amelia, since she helped me set up the decorations yesterday.
Since I’m familiar with the inside, I move to the right and switch on the lights on the underside of the bar.
Tony has only seen this place online. Now, for the first time, he gets to admire the forty-foot ceilings with the exposed-wood beams. The bar that runs along the right side of the building with seating for sixty. And the glass wall at the very back with a clear view to the production line of the brewery, which hosts six industrial-sized fermenting vessels to create the beers of Tony’s dreams.
Tony’s brows are furrowed as he takes it all in.
He’s so engrossed in the details that he fails to notice the obnoxious “Congratulations” balloons that line the bar.
He sucks in a deep breath. “Why are we here, Nikki?” he asks, his eyes still roving over every inch of the space.
I pull on his open coat to get his attention. “Just wanted to give you these.” I dig out the building keys from my coat pocket. “And be the first to say congratulations, boss. You are now the proud owner of this fine establishment.” I smile widely, struggling to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over.
Tony’s eyes snap up to the keys in my hands, then back to my eyes. “What did you just say?” he whispers.
I decide to put him out of his misery and give him the full rundown quickly so we can pop the champagne and start celebrating. “Evan bought the place, so you don’t have to lease it. Actually, he bought the whole block.”
Tony tenses. “He did what?” He closes his eyes briefly. “I told him I’d be okay with him investing, but not bankrolling the whole thing.” He shakes his head roughly.
He starts to back up, but I stop him. “He knew you would say that. So he wanted me to relay this message.” I pull out my phone and look at the last text Evan sent me, then read out loud. “If Nikki is reading this, it’s because you have your panties in a wad.” I giggle as Tony puts his hands on his hips, clearly unamused. “So I’ll cut to the chase. When you invested 5k into my nonexistent business, you gave me your entire net worth at the time, since you were in your early twenties and broke as shit. Today, I have invested 2 percent of my net worth into your business. We can go over the numbers when I give you the deed later this week. And if, for some idiotic reason, you fail to accept my investment, just know that I’ll transfer it to Nikki’s name instead. I’m sure she has better methods for convincing you to accept my offer. Until then, you’re welcome, future brother-in-law.”
Evan’s company went public this month, and his new net worth was widely publicized. If he invested 2 percent of his net worth, that means he spent roughly two hundred million on the brewery and the rest of the block.
I look up to Tony and say, “This is a separate text.” I clear my throat and continue reading Evan’s message. “Also, tell the big guy that he’s my best man, so he better not piss me off by getting grouchy on me about this.”
I put my phone down on the bar behind me, then look back up to Tony. “So, what do you say? Are you a proud brewery owner, or just dating one?” I ask with my arms crossed over my chest.
Tony tips his head up and laughs for a few moments. He then leans down as he locks eyes with me. “You’re such a little brat.” He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. “How long have you known? When did Evan tell you he bought the place?”
“Actually.” My hands trail up his chest until I lay them on his pecs. “I told Evan that this was your favorite location, so he bought it last week,afterI did a walk-through with the owners to make sure it was the perfect spot for you.” I wince, realizing that he may have wanted to do that himself. “I’m sorry. I hope you’re not mad.”
He tilts his head. “You did this? How did you know this one was my favorite?”
I smile softly. “Call it a hunch. Or maybe because you would light up whenever you were looking at pictures of this place. I only ever see you do that when you look at those you love.” I shrug. “Took a bit of a gamble there, but it’s Evan’s millions, not mine.” I laugh.
Tony’s lips crush down on mine, and all traces of humor escape me as he consumes me with fervor.
I snake my arms inside his coat and around his middle, and he hisses into my mouth. I drop my arms and lean back. “What was that? Are you okay?” I look up at him, confused.
He rubs his mouth with his hand, doing a terrible job of hiding his grin. He casually takes off his coat and places it on the bar behind me. I guess it is warm in here, so I do the same.
“Nikki, I’m going to go ahead and crown you the winner of Valentine’s Day.”
I laugh and curtsy. “Thank you for recognizing that this could not be topped. To be fair, I’ll never be able to surprise you with a place of business again, so I hope you know that in terms of gift-giving, I have peaked.”
