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Déjà Brew
by
Mardi Ballou
Chapter One
"I'm really excited about marketing Déjà Brew. Just think. One simple drink can transport consumers to an important time in their pasts. Our demographic samples show huge interest. I can't wait to get it out there.” Lisa Lavery and her partner, Jack Ryan, were walking up a stone-paved path that could only be described as 'quaint'.
Jack stopped mid-stride. Lisa wanted to reach up and brush a bad boy lock of black hair from his brow. Polished as he looked in his designer suit, that wayward lock was the only less than perfect detail. Tall, buff, and classically handsome, Jack managed to look simultaneously professional and hot.
"I'm not one hundred percent convinced Ryan Enterprises should take this on.” His voice chilled her, as did his now piercing gray eyes. "You need to convince me as well as Dora Martine, who doesn't seem at all eager to sign with us.”
Lisa refrained from rolling her eyes. "If you didn't insist on treating her like some exalted family matriarch, she'd be much easier to handle."
"Maybe I don't think 'handling' her is the way I want to do business. Lisa, we need to address her concerns before we take on Déjà Brew."
"Right.” She hummed some 'woo-woo,' New Agey sounds. "She's gotten to you. Jack Ryan, don't you see? Her so-called concerns are a ploy to extort more money before she signs over the rights. We've been more than generous already."
He pursed his lips. "It's not just about the money."
Her laughter sounded harsh and grating to her. "Don't ever let your father hear you say that. 'Money is the first principle of business'," she quoted.
Jack scrubbed a hand across his face. "You're quoting him out of context. Ah, hell, we don't have time to resolve this now. Lisa, I'm pulling rank. Follow my lead with Dora.” He resumed walking down the path, and Lisa, at a disadvantage walking this path in her heels, had to scramble to keep up with him.
"You're pulling rank? But this is my deal. I'm the one who discovered Déjà Brew, who put the deal together.” His words, flung like a bucket of ice water on a winter day, echoed in her head. Granted, Ryan Enterprises, Ltd. was Jack's family business. But the two of them were total partners, in their personal life and in their shared position in the company's hierarchy. Or they had been. His announcement of pulling rank sounded a warning bell. Just as she’d suspected in too many sleepless moments, the problems between them had escalated from annoying to ominous.
"Agreed. But Dora hasn't yet signed the final papers. When she called for this appointment, she expressed serious second thoughts. She said, and these are her exact words, that you 'pooh-pooh' her concerns, make her feel like a 'ridiculous old woman'.”
"So now she's decided the role of diva suits her better?" Why did Jack's willingness to 'handle' Dora Martine grate on Lisa? Could it be because the distance between them had widened recently? Or were her insecurities making her paranoid?
"Concern for how her product is marketed does not make her a diva.” Jack rang the doorbell of the impossibly cutesy cottage, which reminded Lisa of pictures from a storybook Hansel and Gretel she'd coveted as a child.
"Are you saying we won't do a bang-up job getting Déjà Brew out there?"
"No, of course not. But I'm saying this is potent stuff that might not fit our usual model. Let's listen to Dora's concerns, see what we can do to make a responsible decision all around."
Before Lisa could respond, the sage green door opened and Dora Martine stood before them, all five feet of her. Dressed in a shapeless black dress and low-heeled black wedgies, her face a mass of wrinkles crowned by thick gray hair pulled back in a sloppy bun, all Dora needed was a large pointed black hat and a hairy facial wart to resemble Lisa's image of a classic witch, an identity Dora proudly claimed. Age marked her everywhere but her sparkling brown eyes, which shone with intelligence, or maybe wiliness. The moment she saw Jack, the old woman's smile lit up her face.
"Welcome to my cottage.” Her voice sounded strong, surprisingly low-pitched. She opened her arms to Jack, who practically swept her off her feet in a hug. Lisa felt like the proverbial fifth wheel.
While Jack and Dora indulged in mutual admiration, Lisa looked around the cottage. She'd never before seen that much chintz in one place. Needlepoint, quilts, photos and idiosyncratic artwork filled the walls. The chairs and sofa looked overstuffed, overloaded with pillows. A black cat slunk around, staring at them, giving Lisa goosebumps. What was the strange smell? They'd evidently interrupted Dora's dinner preparations. Or maybe their hostess was planning to feed them some malodorous concoction. Lisa's stomach lurched at the prospect. She'd skipped lunch and felt hungry, but not that hungry.
A glance at her watch showed it was getting quite late. Since neither Jack nor Dora seemed inclined to move things along, Lisa had to take charge. But the moment she began to walk toward them, Dora turned away from Jack and grinned. "I'm sure you want to get started on our talk.” With a wave she indicated they should sit at a table in the dining nook of her main room.
Finally. Lisa removed a thick file from her leather portfolio.
"But first, I'm sure you both must be hungry and thirsty after your drive out here from San Francisco. It won't take a moment for me to bring out a snack.” Dora, accompanied by her cat, moved slowly toward the source of the odor, evidently her kitchen.
"I don't want to eat anything here," Lisa hissed to Jack as soon as Dora disappeared. But Lisa's traitorous stomach growled loudly enough for him to hear across the table.
"Accepting hospitality and refreshments is a traditional way of doing business," he pointed out. "This might take a while, and you're evidently hungry."
"I can wait. I thought we'd go out for a celebration dinner tonight. Got reservations at Le Bistro."
"Le Bistro? What's the point?" He started reviewing his papers and scrawled something on a page.
Lisa's face burned. Le Bistro embodied romance for them. Le Bistro was where they celebrated each anniversary, each triumph and each personal milestone. Inevitably, dinner at Le Bistro led to a night of scorching sex. Sometimes they didn't even wait for dessert. If Jack couldn't see the point of their going there tonight ....
Just then Dora bustled back carrying a laden tray. When she put it down on the mahogany table, Lisa spied a bowl filled with plump red strawberries, a platter bearing slices of pound cake, another bowl with whipped cream, a teapot, a coffee pot, a creamer and a sugar bowl. The aromas of the food and drink partially masked the odor she'd noticed previously. Lisa's appetite perked up. Maybe enjoying a snack with Dora and Jack wasn't such a bad idea after all. She found everything scrumptious.
"I know Ryan Enterprise's offer for Déjà Brew is quite generous as far as the money goes.” Dora's opening gambit caught Lisa off guard.
Mouth currently occupied, Lisa nodded vigorously. When she'd swallowed, she pointed out, "The offer exceeds standards."
Dora smiled. "Yes, I understand all that. But I have reservations about the kind of distribution you've outlined, the kind your business requires to make Déjà Brew profitable."
Lisa tried in vain to catch Jack's eye. "Let me assure you, our distributors are the best in the business. We'll make sure Déjà Brew has the widest possible distribution, accomplished with complete efficiency."
Jack snorted. "That doesn't answer your concerns, does it?"
Lisa swallowed back dismay. His comment showed Dora the two of them were not on the same page. In the past, they'd always agreed to act unified with others, even when they might disagree in private. But lately, though she and Jack had been together for seven years, she was beginning to feel like she didn't know him at all. However, a business meeting was not the right time to deal with personal matters. Later, though, they'd talk. "We can easily supply more details about our distribution process and all aspects of our marketing plans. But, Dora, I didn't think that sort of detail interested you."
Dora inclined her head. "It wouldn't if I agreed with you all on the big picture. But actually, my concern is widespread distribution. You see, Déjà Brew is so powerful, I'm concerned about it being misused. Some people just shouldn't be taking my potion."
This was familiar ground. Lisa knew creative types often had difficulty letting go of their babies. She and Jack had to find the right way to reassure Dora. "As a responsible business, we at Ryan Enterprises, Ltd. agree. Let me assure you on this count, Dora. Our packaging, promotion, and marketing will focus on the appropriate and proper use of the product."
"What exactly do you see as a possible misuse?" Jack asked. Lisa glared at him. They'd already heard Dora's objections, numerous times. How many times would they have to reassure her?
"People who drink Déjà Brew can visit a time in their past," Dora started.
Duh. Of course.
"That's what makes your product unique," Jack said.
"It took me ten years to come up with the right combination of ingredients.” Dora continued to rehash ancient history. For Pete's sake, they'd heard all this before. Lisa suspected Dora wanted to hear more praise for her creation, but Lisa wasn't in the mood. She hadn't anticipated that she and Jack would be stuck here for hours.
"I'm glad you didn't give up before you found the perfect recipe. There must have been some really difficult times.” Jack's voice rang with sincerity.
Dora chuckled, a dry sound like autumn leaves crunching underfoot. "You have no idea, Jack. At times, I feared I would turn from Jekyll into Hyde. One potion had me howling at the full moon for two solid nights. When I came up with the right combination for my memory drink, Beauregard and I celebrated 'til dawn.” The cat yowled in agreement.
Lisa finished her coffee and cake. "All of Ryan Enterprises, Ltd. will celebrate adding your wonderful product to our line-up. We'll even buy Beauregard imported catnip.” The darn cat arched its back and hissed at her.
Dora's thin lips twisted in a scowl.
"Tell us how you visualize the distribution, Dora," Jack focused completely on the older woman.
She nodded. "Visiting the past can be earth-shaking. Funny how our memories distort the past, even about events we swear we'll never forget. Jack, Lisa, I'm afraid people might drink Déjà Brew without proper preparation or support. Or worse, what if someone sneaks Déjà Brew into another person's drink or food?"
Lisa shrugged. "We intend to tell our customers all the proper precautions, very explicitly. People should not drink Déjà Brew alone. They need to have time to experience their sojourns in the past, and they need to be with responsible companions. There are no guarantees which memories will come up. No one should be given Déjà Brew without their full knowledge. Case closed. Let's go over our paperwork now."
"Not so fast. You see, Lisa, you're oversimplifying.” Dora thought for a moment and the cat sidled over to rub against her leg. "Has either of you sampled the Déjà Brew yet?"
Lisa looked at Jack, who shook his head. "We haven't," she said. "Actually, it's not necessary. We've read all the documentation, the analyses. The data more than bears out your description of the product."
Jack bit his lip. "I think Dora is saying we need to experience Déjà Brew before we’ll know how to handle it. It's a great idea, something we should have done long ago. I'll go first."
"Now?" Dora and Lisa asked at the same time.
He nodded.
Lisa was ready to scream. "Not now. Jack, maybe you forgot, but we do have other commitments today. We need to wrap up our paperwork here."
Jack leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs before him. "Nothing else on our schedule is as important as doing right by Déjà Brew. Surely we can clear the time to handle this product correctly?"
Surely, Lisa repeated to herself with just a trace of sarcasm. Why even think about her other appointments or that dinner reservation? "I'm not going to drink it.” Not that Lisa was lacking in curiosity. But the notion of losing control, especially at a business meeting, didn't fit at all with the image she chose to project.
Dora bustled to the kitchen, evidently where she stored the Déjà Brew.
While Jack prepared himself to experience the product they'd been pursuing for weeks, he glanced over at his partner, who was perusing notes and frowning. God, she was still so beautiful, more beautiful than when they'd first fallen in love. With her shiny dark hair that swung like a silken curtain whenever she moved her head, her big green eyes, sculpted features and her full, kissable mouth, she personified his fantasy of a goddess. Despite her reliance on power suits to tame her curves, Lisa radiated feminine voluptuousness. As always, his cock registered her presence, and, even after they'd been together seven years, the moment he saw her, he wanted her.
If only that could be enough.
If only he could convince her she had nothing more to prove to him or his family about her business prowess. When she’d signed with them, she'd fervently sworn to increase their profits and grow the business in new directions. Over the past seven years, she'd more than fulfilled her promise. He'd told her, with increasing urgency, that she could ease back. With a solid track record of successful business, he hoped they could shift their focus more to their personal life. But she'd become more and more obsessed, taking work home and often spending half the night in front of her laptop while Jack prowled their bedroom floor.
He didn't want to give up on them, but if he couldn't figure out a way to convince Lisa to ease up on the workaholism soon, he'd be moving out.
Dora returned with a tray bearing a creamy white mug. "Here's your Déjà Brew.” She handed him the cup. The dark brown liquid inside resembled strong tea and smelled like fermented trash. His inner businessman registered that they'd need to do something about the unappealing aroma. But he was committed.
"Is there anything we should know before Jack drinks the Déjà Brew?" Lisa asked.
It felt good to know she was worried, though he suspected her frown came more from business concerns than their personal situation.
"Jack will be returning to a time in his past, one that has a strong connection with the present," Dora said. "This may distress him, it may make him happy, or it could have any of an infinite number of effects on him. He might have a strong physical or even sexual reaction. It says all that in the data.”
Lisa blushed, which set Jack's cock to twitching. Dedicated to keeping her emotions under tight control, she rarely blushed these days, not like when they'd first gotten together. He loved how the spots of red brightened her face, making her eyes gleam. "I’ve read that. What I meant was, should Jack continue to sit? Should he lie down after he drinks the Déjà Brew?"
Dora shrugged. "He'll assume a position that's comfortable. Don't worry. He won't be in any distress from the drink. The only potential problems will come about when he reacts to the memories he relives."
The older woman looked at both of them as if to ask if they had any other questions. They didn't. Jack wanted to get moving.
Dora squeezed his hand and inclined her head encouragingly. "With this drink I give to thee," she recited, "revisit your life and blessed be."
Despite himself, Jack shivered and he could feel his fine hairs stand on end. Dora's words resonated around him as if they'd taken on a life of their own.
Lisa looked like she wanted to tell him to stop. He took the mug in both hands and, despite a vision of spouting claws and hairy palms, brought it to his lips.
"Jackson …,” Lisa started. She never called him by his full name. Determined to blot out whatever she was about to say, he tipped the cup and allowed the liquid to fill his mouth. Surprisingly, despite the smell, he tasted a delicious nectar of blackberries and elderflower with some ingredient he couldn't identify. He greedily sucked down the contents of the mug and wanted to ask for more, but his mouth felt too relaxed to form the words. The cup slipped from his hands as he began to soar high in the blue cloudless sky.
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