by Davee Jones
“We want to open up something in the expanded tasting room”
“You’re expanding the tasting room too?”
“See, we have much to talk about.” Nixie finally offered something to the conversation. “I’d like it if you’d come over tomorrow evening.” Blushing slightly, she lowered her gaze again.
“Just name the time and I’m there.”
The girls gave their good-byes before Brent headed back to his family. He reached forward to gently shake Nixie’s hand when she spoke. “Nixie, it was great seeing you again.”
“Umm, you too. Thank you again for the ice treat.” Looking to Mindie, Nixie appeared fidgety, unsure what else to say. When Mindie spoke, she took off toward the exits.
“Well, Brent, we’re headed back to Braden, make sure to show up tomorrow.” Mindie spoke rapidly, walking toward Nixie, her voice trailing. “See you soon!”
Catching up with Nixie, Mindie linked arms. “Okay, what gives? You didn’t even tell me much about Brent the fertilizer guy. He had you all twitterpated today. I had no idea that display was coming.”
“He showed up the other day, I wasn’t in the best mood. I don’t know why.”
“You don’t know why he showed up or why you weren’t in the best mood?” Teasing Nixie, Mindie had to break the ice all over again.
“Oh, you brat, you know why I wasn’t in the best mood. I was thinking about our business expansion, I was focused. I told you I insulted him too. I can’t believe he forgot that part so easily.”
“After you insulted him, tell me, what did you guys talk about? You failed to tell me how much you two actually said, or how cute he really is. You obviously like this guy. Give me the backstory.”
“Can you at least wait until after we get real food? All this sugar and other crap has me really scraping the bottom of my energy reserves.”
Mindie squeezed Nixie’s arm. “I can’t wait until tomorrow night, this is gonna be fun.”
“Fun? You just better not plan on making me squirm. Remember, I have Charles the asshole’s phone number. I could always invite him if you get out of hand.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t!”
Chapter Four
“Maybe Brent could help us with the renovations, you know the construction part?” Mindie busied herself with making homemade cinnamon rolls. They’d frost them with a special blend of dark chocolate, powdered sugar, and a little of their sweet house blend. They planned it to be one of the mainstays of the new menu.
“You’re really intent on pushing he and I together, aren’t you?” Buffing up wineglasses, Nixie shook her head at her best friend’s matchmaking.
In order to get the new remodel project off the ground, the girls not only needed revenue, they needed reasonably priced contractors. In a small town contractors were well known, making them also quite busy. Rather than hiring someone from out of town, the girls preferred to keep their business local, helping not only the economy but their fellow mom and pop shop owners in Braden. They envisioned a small deli part bakery. Their plan was to keep only breakfast and lunch hours during the week, with extended hours on weekends. Wanting to increase the tasting room activity, they wanted to give people a reason to stick around once the flight of wines was over. Someday Nixie even wanted to add a bed-and-breakfast to the mix, but that was way down the line.
“No, I’m not trying to push you guys together. I’m simply trying to think of someone who’d be free to work on our project. You know everyone else is so busy, especially during the summer months.” Out of nowhere, she thought back to Charles. Sneering, a most dreadful expression crossed Mindie’s delicate features.
“Your face looks like you either smelled something horrible or ate something rotten.” Nixie stopped what she was doing to get a good look at Mindie. Then she began nodding eagerly. “Oh I know… it was Charles again. That Stansfield creature came into your thoughts. It’s okay, he’s gone now- he can’t hurt you anymore.” She laughed, knowing that the mixed manner of crazy emotions frustrated Mindie.
“Yeah that jerk probably has all sorts of people waiting at his beck and call to do whatever work he needs. If he’d been a decent human being, maybe he could help us out with more than money. Maybe he had the inside connection to someone here in town.”
“We can find our own contractors. We know everyone in town and we’ve never offended anyone. We’ve lived here…well at least you lived here your entire life. You’ve got folks willing to help you.”
“Folks willing to help us you mean.”
“I’m very nervous, I hope Brent likes our food. Maybe it shouldn’t be such a big deal, but he is our first official customer, or rather, guinea pig.”
“Yeah it’s tough sometimes because guys generally eat what’s put in front of them without much thought behind it. He may finish everything and when we ask about it, he’ll say all it was good.”
“It was good doesn’t get us very far in knowing what we need to do next to improve our recipes.”
“I don’t want to ask many people over to sample before we have really got a game plan in place.”
“I agree. We need to keep this part low-key.”
The girls placed new tablecloths on a few tables in the current small tasting room. Rich color accentuated the wood plank walls. Their business already looked like something from a wine cellar. Expanding upon the current theme should be simple enough. The girls had plenty to talk about with Brent regarding his suggestions and what could be done in their planned renovations. With the closed sign displayed for a few hours, the girls focused on the questions they had for Brent, prepped a few of their favorite food items, and set a few bottles of wine out for him to choose from. Nixie suddenly stopped, giving Mindie a befuddled look. “Do grapes actually bloom?”
A knock sounded on their front door, interrupting her reply. “Look, you really are nervous, you can’t even remember about our prime ingredient. That’s your queue. Why don’t you go let our guest in?”
“Seriously, I thought maybe you could open the door and give me time to look all casual sitting at the table.”
“No, you need to be the one to let him in. It shows him how happy you are to see him, how excited you are.”
“I didn’t think I should seem so eager. Isn’t that a common downfall of dating?”
Giving Nixie a gentle push, Mindie retreated to one of the tables. “Playing hard to get is overrated. Stop taking all the dating advice, and do what you want to do. I don’t think Brent is too hung up on the latest matchmaking trends.”
Nixie ran her hand through her blonde hair. Smoothing the front of her dress, she took a deep breath then let it out slowly. Walking toward the door, she corrected her slouching posture, appearing confident, though her insides were jumping around frantically. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she licked her lips, and instantly thought of Brent’s mouth, and wondered how he might kiss. “Dear Lord, I’ve got to get out more.”
Opening the door, her mind went back to the couple of times she’d seen him. The first time wearing his work clothes, he’d looked rugged and strong. The next time at the zoo, he was casual, yet well-dressed. He definitely knew how to outfit himself. Unsure what to expect, Nixie’s eyes widened when she saw him there in pressed slacks and a polo shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal a peek at his tanned chest. Reaching out a hand to shake, Brent quickly changed his mind and pulled her in to a full hug. “You look beautiful. I don’t know what smells better your hair, or whatever you two have cooking up back there.”
“Oh, it’s probably the cinnamon rolls.” Unsure what to say, within the first minute of his appearance, Nixie completely melted into appreciation. If this guy wasn’t one hundred percent genuine, he was sure one hell of an actor.
Still holding onto her, he leaned in again, taking a gentle sniff of her hair. “After careful consideration I must say the cinnamon rolls have nothing on the delicious way you smell.” Pulling away, Brent look toward the back, visibly embarrassed. “So where�
�s the other half of this operation?” Peering around, he brought his gaze back to her. “I bet I sound ridiculous, don’t I?”
“Not at all, you don’t sound ridiculous. I’m quite flattered.”
“My cousin told me I should try some bold tactic when I saw you again. I’m not much in the dating scene, so I thought I’d give his advice to try. But instead I kinda sounded like a weird perv.”
“Oh my gosh! That’s so funny because Mindie was giving me dating tips just before you knocked on the door. Maybe they think we can’t do much on our own?” Laughing, Nixie regained a sense of composure with their easy banter. What she chose not to say was how he good he smelled to her as well. Thinking back to the cougar at the zoo, the human one that is, she entertained a brief primal thought before she squashed it away. This was only the third time she’d met the guy, good grief, this wasn’t mating season. “Mindie is in the back, waiting on us. We really have a lot to talk with you about. You’ll probably have to tell us to dial it down a notch, please feel free to do so if you need to.”
“I think it’s incredible you guys have such a successful business. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, yet you’re ready for more. I’m honored you chose to talk with me about your plans to expand.”
Where else do you expand? Suddenly, Nixie slapped her hand across her mouth, her eyes widened, and she stared at Brent. Frozen in place, she didn’t even blink. Did she really say that out loud? Holy shit, what was she thinking? She wouldn’t get out of this moment easily. Harsh reality didn’t prevent her from wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. At best, this guy would think she’s an easy lay. At worst, he’d blab all over town and she’d inherit the label town harlot. Just when she’d successfully eschewed the image that European girls were easy. Starting over never went easily for her. With muscles still unwilling to thaw, her eyes began rapidly studying his expression.
Raising one eyebrow, Brent rubbed his cheek. “Did you burp or something? If you did, I missed it.”
Releasing one long, slow breath, Nixie realized she’d been holding it in. Whew, she actually didn’t say that out loud. “I thought I forgot something in the back. I think I had something in the oven.” Giving thanks for every grape they’d squashed, Nixie linked her arm in his, walking him toward the table.
“Look who’s here, it’s the guest of honor.” Presenting Brent to Mindie, happiness filled Nixie’s smile.
“Thank you so much for joining us this evening. We really hope to get this project started as soon as possible.”
“How quickly before you get everything underway?”
“The only thing we’re waiting on is the final funding approval from the bank. As you know money drives most everything.”
“I don’t mind giving cash the importance its due, but I despise the way money becomes so critical. Now I know why my parents seem to save every penny they’ve got.” Clearly, Brent understood the value of a dollar.
“My family did too, save their money, that is. They have a farm in Germany. My father works outside the home as well. They both know what it’s like to have struggles.”
Finding this modest side of Brent gave Nixie another reason to be impressed. He brought a personal subject into their discussion so casually and naturally. Obviously, pride didn’t hinder the disclosure. In the past when a man bragged about his pocket, he was careless with the contents. Nixie admired his practical statements. When Mindie began speaking, she took the opportunity, checking around the room for atmosphere. Quickly catching her glance were lit candles around the room. Not yet quite dark outside, natural light filtered in completing the golden tones flickering across the space. At a table set for three, a nice tablecloth with complimentary placemats served as a backdrop for their best dishes and cutlery. Mindie had even snuck in a wine carafe, holding a beautiful hued blend. Three sparkling wine glasses waited to be filled. Aside from the third-place setting, this appeared to be a date layout.
“Earth to you, are you listening?” Mindie smug expression wasn’t lost on Nixie. Staring at her intently, Mindie must’ve known she’d interrupted a careful evaluation.
“I’m so sorry, my mind drifted away. Could you repeat the question?” Filled equally with appreciation and irritation with Mindie’s attention to details, Nixie wasn’t sure what her best friend had in mind for the night. “I promise to give you my full attention from this moment on.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that promise.” Giving her a slow wink, Brent’s expression contained no lascivious intent.
Careful not to drift off again into the weight of her own imagination, Nixie quickly evaluated his most recent sentence. If this guy wasn’t sending her definite signals, she clearly needed to get out of the dating game. Hopefully, his maturity backed up his words much better than the recent guy she wasted time with. “I never break my word.”
“I’ll go get the appetizers. Brent, would you pour us all some wine? Nixie, I forgot to turn some music on, would you mind hitting up the stereo?” More of an expectation than actual inquiries, Mindie disappeared into the back cooking area.
Now why did she do this to me? Music selection could be the trickiest of tasks. Serious dinner conversation shouldn’t be overwhelmed by music selection. However, choosing something too droll could put a person to sleep. Anything too romantic, such as love songs, sent out a desperate signal. She had to keep the current flow of their rapport, making a selection critical. Flipping through their albums in her mind, Nixie walked to the wooden cabinet holding their old-school record player. She lifted the lid, revealing a turntable inside the antique wood finish. A stack of albums already perched atop the slender spool. Flipping the power on, Nixie stayed with the current vinyl under the needle. Warbling to life, the music relieved her on cue.
“Sweet! You guys have actual records. It’s been forever since I’ve seen one of these.” Walking over to meet her, Brent brought her a glass of wine.
“We found this at a flea market one weekend. We both love the scratchy sound of an actual needle on a record. I don’t know, maybe it makes the music richer somehow.” Intent on soulful jazz sounds, Nixie closed her eyes absorbing the smoothness, calming her heartbeat. With him standing so close, the pace of her heart increased, almost leaving her breathless. Did he realize how intensely he affected her? She had to be sending off obscenely loud hints as to what his presence did to her wildly out of control psyche.
One instrumental song ended? Scratching and crackling led to the next in line. Slow saxophone began the melody. Maintaining a soft beginning., Displayed more like quiet storm and its jazzy predecessor. “May I have this dance?” Brent held open his arms just slightly wider than his body. Obviously planning to tuck her in closely within the confines of the small offering. “I don’t think I’ll step on your toes.”
Standing in front of her so sweet and inviting, Nixie forgot about Mindie, appetizers, or business plans. Her only reality became larger-than-life extensions of herself- a romantic chance and the man in front of her touching her hand. A short lifetime of opportunities flashed on her personal highlight reel. Never had she been so entranced by the opposite sex as Brent Taylor engaged her emotions. The normally practical straightforward side of her personality bowed out that the evening. Remaining behind was the soft pink loving little girl who drew hearts atop every small case letter I. The same little girl who preferred Disney princesses over Grimm’s fairy tales stood before this beautifully handsome, friendly man who now enticed every love inspired notion she’d ever possessed. “Of…of course, I’ll dance with you. I hope I won’t step on your toes.” Sliding her right hand into his left, she rested the other upon his shoulder, a slight reach for her petite limbs.
Adjusting his position to make her more comfortable, he subtly took advantage of the moment to place his hand around her waist, drawing her in just a little bit more. “What a perfect fit.” Leading their footsteps in time with the rhythm, he let her in a small radius.
If she’d ever
danced with such a partner before, Nixie wouldn’t have remembered. Losing herself within his snug, yet gentle, grip, she almost didn’t hear the music. Her heartbeat pounded her eardrums so heavily she was sure he’d hear it too. Unable to keep up with her eagerness, her lungs maintained a shallow breathing so quiet it was inaudible. Closer now, her olfactory absorbed more of his natural essence. Spicy soap penetrated his shirt, or was that fabric softener? Did he even use fabric softener? The notion seemed immature. Emitting earthy fragrances such as hay, mint, black pepper, soil, and even sweat, her stomach churned angrily for something other than food. Closing her eyes, she lowered her ear to the space just below his chest. A faint, yet distinct, thump thump thump of his heart revealed a rapid pace virtually matching her own- if not in synchrony, at least in time. The sound of his heartbeat comforted her as she eagerly explored his masculinity in other ways. The tactile sense taking over, she concentrated on what she felt beneath her many nerve endings. His hand almost completely covered the small framework of her own. Skin against skin revealed softness tempered by dedicated effort. Enough calluses complemented the remaining smooth surface in a show of how hard he worked every day. The tips of her fingers folded gracefully across the soft web between his thumb and pointer finger. She gently eased her fingers back and forth, caressing the smoothness, reveling in sensitivities.
Cradling the base of his thumb with the pad of her own, she pressed in snuggly, the tiny grip linking them together. With her other, she retained an awareness of how muscular his shoulders actually were. The texture of the cloth in his shirt did nothing to disguise what was underneath. Although she’d had her suspicions, Nixie finally realized what rock hard muscles meant. Their rippling strength accepted her fingertip caresses. Her short-term memories replayed the moment she’d opened the door to let him in. Recalling details to make any detective proud, she’d even remembered the color of the buttons on his shirt. Eyes as green as a summer oak leaf gazed upon her, while she tried unsuccessfully to look elsewhere. Her sight betrayed her. She’d never deny her interest, though she couldn’t imagine wanting to. Surrendering to her senses was a simple as letting one last shred of fear go. She’d always been full of fear when her heart became involved.
