Chapter 2 Where Is Your Taller Half?

• “Alistair, where the hell are you, and where are the mystery ladies you have been raving about?” Liam Devlin asked, clearly impatient.
• “They should be here by now.” Alistar, Liam’s business advisor replied. “I am outside looking for them.”
• “Well, you are the only reason; I am still at this event; I should be on my way home, planning for the meeting on Monday,” Liam stated for the twelfth time, by his count.
• Liam needed to face the board again, another scandal just broke, and the Devlin Reserve Co., the family Whiskey business, is losing face.
• Stock prices are down, and the board isn’t smiling either. He knows this is sabotage, but he needs to keep things under wraps.
• Alistair came up with a plan. A plan Liam thinks is utterly ridiculous, but at this point, he is willing to try anything.
• Alistair strongly suggests that getting Liam hitched is the solution. Liam scuffs whenever he thinks about it, but Alistair hasn’t steered him wrong yet, so he is giving it a shot.
• According to Liam, getting a wife rather than a brand ambassador will turn the spotlight on the Whiskey Empire’s family roots.
• “So, why is it taking so long to find them?” Liam shouted, sounding even more impatient.
• “Likely because I didn’t give them my number,” Alistar replied, unfazed by Liam’s temper. Liam wasn’t just his client, but his best friend, and he knew how to defuse his anger. “You know how I am about releasing my number.”
• The suggested wife-to-be was one of a pair of wine sommeliers with a struggling family vineyard and business. Alistair said something about uniting two families with a passion for high vintage spirits, or something of the sort.
• Marriage is the last thing on Liam’s mind. At thirty-nine, he has had his fair share of heartbreaks, and to be honest, he is way too committed to the family legacy and the business to even be bothered.
• If getting married would keep the family business afloat, he is willing to dive in. But he needs to get married like yesterday because the latest scandal is about him being a bachelor close to his forties.
• Apparently, it is now a crime, at least in the gossip columns, to be single at thirty-nine. According to the gossip journalists and their blogs, he is spending the family fortune on actresses, models, and socialites. But that’s far from the truth; he is only seen with them at business events.
• Hanging around these celebrities and influencers is supposed to get the buy-in of the younger generations. But even the best strategies have their downsides. In this case, it is assumed that he has turned his back on the company’s value, the strength of the family.
• “I wanted you to check her out before I release any of our details.” Alistar continued after a short silence “She is supposed to be with her sister, both red-heads, but with a major height difference.”
• “Rather than sulking, you could help a brother out and look for two gorgeous ladies that fit her description.” Alistair continued.
• Exasperated, Liam started looking around and noticed a five-foot, one-inch lady looking like she was about to tear someone a new one.
• He smirked, wondering what got her in so much of a twist that she was acting in such a manner at such a respectable event. Maybe her boyfriend stood her up, Liam wondered. She is feisty, he could tell.
• “Liam, snap out of it; you are here for business,” Liam muttered. He tore his eyes away from the redhead, searching for a pair of redheads with highly differing heights.
• “Did you say something?” Alistair replied, thinking he was talking to him.
• "Nope, I can’t seem to see any pair of redheads here," Liam answered, still scanning the room and looking through several windows. “Though I did see one furious one, just a couple of seconds ago.”
• “Oh wow, did she happen to be wearing a green backless dress with crystal hoops as earrings?” Alistar asked.
• “How do you..? You know what I am not even going to ask”, a bewildered Liam responded, wondering how Alistair prioritized outfit details over having the ladies' contacts. But that’s Alastair for you—a bit strange, but his attention to detail was second to none, a rare gem, and a loyal friend.
• “What?” Alistair responded before he said, “I think I spot your redhead, and she looks angry... yikes!”
• “She like five feet, black strapless dress, with pearls?" Liam was shocked; he recollected so much after just a 5-second glance, plus he only bothered with top-line information, not a lady’s outfit.
• “Yup, that’s the one.” Alistair replied, chuckling, “Maybe I should ask her if she is missing a taller half.”
• “You can ask, but it’s your funeral,” Liam responded, still scanning the room, hoping to find the ladies that fit Alistair’s description. They were his ticket to a much friendlier board meeting come Monday.
• He silently hoped the angry lady out there wasn’t any part of the set of sisters he was supposed to meet. Not because she looked like a hothead, but because he took some kind of interest in her, which was a little concerning.
• Liam might be looking for a wife, but it was strictly business. He wasn’t planning on investing any form of emotion into the marriage.
• The plan was to marry a lady who would look good on his arms, sound intelligent, and know a thing or two about good brews. Most importantly, she should be able to keep the paparazzi busy while he focused on his first love, the company.
• They would be together for a year or so and go their separate ways, neat and clean with zero drama. His current family, actually extended family, was enough drama to last a lifetime; he wasn’t planning on adding more spice to the mix.
• “Liam, she is coming my way!” Alistair's voice cut through Liam’s mindless search, bringing it to a stop. What was that he felt? Was that a little excitement?
• “I am going for it. I am going to ask her if she is missing a taller half,” Alistair continued, sounding amused.
• “You are going to get slapped, Alistair, and I am running to a window to watch,” Liam responded, running to said window way too excited for his own comfort.
• “Hello, are you by any form of a miracle, Alistair?” Liam heard over the phone, stopping him dead on his track.
• Both Liam and Alistair fell silent. Holy shit! She really was one of the wine sisters.
• “So are you?” Rosie continued.