Because it’s impossible to open a business without a ceremony—or so Ashton insisted. That was the reasoning he gave Elaine, though it was far from the full story.

Beyond that, he rambled on about how setting off fireworks was a symbol of good luck during an opening and how Elaine, being someone who believed in Buddhism, should understand the mystical forces at play in the world.

It was the first time Elaine realized just how persuasive Ashton could be. He ...