Chapter 16

Maeve really did put Jake to work, making him collect, flatten and dispose of all the unused cardboard and lift every heavy box she could find, but to my surprise he didn’t so much as shrug his shoulders with each command she threw his way. I was tasked with stocking and organising the bar, a role I volunteered for considering I would be helping serve the drinks to guests. It was almost therapeutic to work at my own pace, polishing glasses and bottles as chaos ensued around me.

With all the ‘volunteers’ Maeve had recruited, the place was ready within hours. I marveled at how quickly it had come together, and how beautifully it had been designed. Maeve’s family had spared no expense, decking out the dining areas with travertine tables and lining the floors with tiles that resembled the white sand of Greece’s beaches. The bar was made of rose quartz which dazzled underneath the dim lighting, surrounded by rows and rows of mirrored shelves consisting of more luxurious bottles of liquor