Heatblast #96

Atlanta…

It was crucial to the Johnson family that Celeste adapt well and quickly to the job at hand in Atlanta. This is the reason they had went the extra mile in hiring Sylvia’s firm to groom Celeste.
There was no room for mistakes in this deal. In less than seven days the simultaneous grand openings of both Club Solari…Atlanta and New Orleans, would take place.
Gino asked Annese to go down to Atlanta to make sure Celeste had gotten settled in. Plus, after losing her husband, he felt she needed a familiar face right now.
Besides, Annese and Celeste were very good friends and Annese missed her girl since she left Chicago.
Celeste really did not want to rub the family the wrong way, especially since everyone had gone thru so much to give her this second chance (See HeatBlast#66). So…she was trying hard to push this thing with Cortez out of her head until she was sure that he was definitely the man behind her son being paralyzed for life.
“So, what was Africa like?” Celeste asked Annese, as they sat in her office late in the evening.
Annese was relaxing on the sofa. “Girl…South Africa is nothing like you’d expect. I love Cape Town.” Annese jumped up from the couch like she had forgotten something.
“Annese, what’s wrong with you?” Celeste asked from the chair across the table.
“What you got in your bar? You got to try this.” Annese was at the bar, looking.
“What do you need to make it?”
“There was this bar, Tjing Tjing…I think the name was Swahili.” Annese got a bottle of Armandale Vodka, some lime, and honey. “It’s a terrace bar with day beds built into the wall.” She looked at Celeste to emphasize the scene.
“Daybeds in a bar?”
“You got to see it…it sets where you can get a glimpse of Table Mountain. Ice?”
“Ice?” Celeste asked.
“Yeah…I need ice, for the drink.”
“In the freezer below.” Celeste pointed to the small built-in refrigerator. “What is Table Mountain?”
“Girl…this beautiful mountain just south of Cape Town.” Annese got the ice and began to crush it. She mixed the drinks and gave Celeste her’s.
While Celeste tried it, Annese stood over her to see how she liked it.
Annese was nodding. “Good…huh?”
“What’s in it?”
“It’s called…Dawa. Swahili, too…it means medicine.” Annese sat down. “Vodka, lime, and honey over crushed ice.”
“God knows…I need some medicine about right now.” Celeste said, with a somber tone.
“Why? You sick?” Annese asked.
Celeste shook her head, as she watched the evening traffic move the downtown.
Annese thought Celeste was still mourning the death of her husband, Kerry (See HeatBlast#61). “Listen…girl you got to take advantage of the opportunity you have.” Annese sipped the Dawa. “Not many people get chances like this.’
“I know, but it’s always something.” Celeste took a sip of the potent Swahili mix.
Annese watched her. “Cee…I love you, but I can’t help you throw yourself a pity party. There is too much at stake here.”
Celeste took a deep breath.
“Whatever hurdles the world throws at you…you better just step right over them and keep moving forward.” Annese put her glass up to her lips. “Cause…the world is not going to wait for you to figure it out.” She took the sip. “You got the best support system anyone can ask for. You can’t lose.”
Celeste finished her Dawa. “I need another one.
Annese finished hers, as she got up to go to the bar.
While Annese was at the bar, Celeste considered telling Annese about Cortez.
Annese was definitely…Johnson inner circle. If Cortez was in fact the person responsible for her son’s situation he would have to pay…even if she had to launch the assault with her own resources.
Annese brought the drinks.
Celeste got hers. “I met with Victor’s distributor…Cortez, to negotiate distribution for Solari South.”
Annese sat down. “So…how did it go?” She took a sip.
“I think Cortez is connected to the Cartel that Kerry’s mistress…” Celeste rolled hers eyes…just hearing herself saying that about her dead husband. “Valerie…was mixed up with. If I’m right…” She tightened her lip. “He was responsible for Kevon being kidnapped and thrown from the car.”
Annese was not quick to speak. She knew if in fact…Cortez was responsible for spilling Johnson blood…Gino would make him pay. And if Victor was not onboard…it would be no other options, but chaos within The Network.