As she came in the main business office door of The Desert Wind Winery, she spotted the man Chloe described seated behind his desk. He was blond, tan, and not bad looking at all. When he stood to meet her, she extended her hand and pasted on a smile.
“Richard?” she asked.
“You must be Tegan,” He shook her hand. “Chloe told me you’d be coming by to place an order.” He offered her a seat across from him and they chatted for the next ten minutes about trends coming up in the local wineries.
Richard took a drink of water from the container on his desk. “Chloe tells me that you own Que Syrah Syrah. I picked up a bottle of wine there before going to a party last month. Cute store.”
“Thanks.” Tegan tried to remember if she’d seen him before.
“We should talk about Que Syrah Syrah carrying a more extensive list of our selections.”
“I love your late harvest Riesling and would like to order a case to carry at my store.”
“Great. We can start there.” Richard smiled showing off perfect, white teeth. He rifled through a stack of papers on his desk until he found an order sheet. Sliding it in front of him, he jotted down the order on a form.
As she watched him write out the numbers, Tegan swallowed and gathered her confidence. “Richard, the Wine in Washington dinner is coming up next week and I was wondering if you were going?”
“Yes. Of course. I have to represent The Desert Wind Winery.”
“Yes… Chloe told me that. I was wondering if you would like to go with me?” Tegan fiddled with the strap on her purse as she tried to hold his gaze.
He watched her for a long moment before he said, “I’d love to but… I’m already going with someone. I have a girlfriend. She’s driving over from Seattle. We’ve been keeping our relationship a secret because Mary’s going through a rough divorce, but I talked her into going to the dinner.”
“That’s wonderful, she’ll love the dinner. It’s always so nice and the salmon canapés are some of my favorite. I look forward to them all year. They have that little touch of lemon and…” She let her voice trail. She was rambling. Tegan couldn’t be upset at Chloe. Richard just told her his relationship was a secret, Chloe had no way of knowing her ‘man pick’ for the Love list was taken.
Just then the door of the office opened. A warm breeze blew across the office’s cool air conditioned interior. The man who helped get her out of the ditch walked in, his broad shoulders filling the door frame.
“Hey, there you are,” Richard said. “I’ve got some things I need to talk to you about.” He peeled off a few sticky notes stuck to his computer screen.
“Thanks again for helping me,” Tegan said. “I guessed that you were one of the workers when I saw you on the vineyard.”
“He’s the hardest worker here.” Richard chuckled. “Hey, August. I know how you hate social events and you were trying to decide if you were going to the wine dinner next week or just sending me. But didn’t you tell me that you bought a ticket?”
“I bought one this morning,” the man said as he sat in the seat between she and Richard.
“This is Tegan,” Richard introduced.
“We’ve met. But it’s nice to have a name to put to a face.” August removed his hat and sat it on the desk.
“Tegan’s also going to the dinner. Why don’t the two of you go together?” Richard suggested.
Tegan took a quick look from Richard to the scruffy Aussie cowboy who sat in the chair. She was being pawned off by the guy she thought she might be going with to a ranch hand. She was a second… second choice. Ugh…“Oh, no. That’s okay,” she said and tried to backpedal.
“He cleans up pretty nice. I’d pick him over nothing.” Then he turned to the man. “It’s been a long, dry stretch for you with women, August, and you might get lucky.” Richard laughed again. This time his laugh was wicked.
August didn’t laugh. Obviously, he didn’t think it was funny.
In a few minutes of time, Tegan saw the two faces of Richard. His business face and his jerk face. Now she would have to decide which side she wanted to slap. Chloe was wrong, Richard wasn’t a nice guy. He was making fun of both her and August.
Have I broken a hundred mirrors in the past to have this kind of bad luck?
“I really appreciate what the two of you are doing, but I’m going to have to say no to any of your offers.” She reached for her purse and rose from the chair. She needed to leave quickly to protect her last thread of dignity. As Tegan hurried out the door, she called back, “Invoice me for the order.”
August followed close behind and slammed the door of the office as they left. He caught her muttering to herself when he said, “Hey, wait.”
Tegan turned to face him and hoped her cheeks weren’t as flushed as they felt.
He looked as flustered as she felt. “About what Richard said in there, he was way out of line and embarrassed both of us. He’s not that bad of a mate, but sometimes he has no filter on his mouth. I’ve met Aborigines in the Outback with more manners.”
“It’s fine and thanks for the apology. My parents will be at the dinner, so I’ll go with them.” She started to turn when she felt his hand on her arm.
“Wait,” he said again. August fished in his rear pocket, pulled out his wallet and found a worn business card. He drew a pen from his pocket and scribbled on the card’s back. “Here’s my cell number. If you change your mind about going to the dinner with someone other than your parents, it would be my honor if I could take you.” His smile was sincere. “I’d like the company… nothing more.”
“Thanks… I’ll think about it.” Tegan stuffed the card in her purse and hurried to her car. When she slammed the driver’s door, she felt like she was burning up. She cranked the air conditioner to high, peeled out of the driveway, and then banged her fist against her forehead in frustration.
Being single sucks.
This Love List was a terrible idea. She was lucky Richard was taken, she sure didn’t want him. Maybe the other girl’s picks would turn out better than hers.
Chapter Four
Tegan was always glad to see her parents. Many of her friend’s parents had passed away or were out of the picture. She loved her dad, but he was a handful. It was hard for him to give up the reins of owning the wine shop and let her handle everything.
Before she faced him, she decided to take a morning run to try and clear her head. Her father would head over to the shop in a few hours and that meant it would be a high-stress, pack your patience kind of day.
Finished with the run, she came through the front door of her house and kicked off her tennis shoes in the front hall. After she stretched her back from side to side, she moved into the kitchen to grab some orange juice.
Her dad sat at the kitchen table. An empty coffee cup rested on the table by his elbow, and the morning newspaper was spread out. He wore a pair of pajamas that Tegan swore were the same pair he’d owned when she was a kid.
“Morning dad,” she said brightly as she filled a glass with juice.
“Morning, honey. So how’s business? Your mother was tired, and we went straight to bed when we got here. We didn’t talk much about the shop last night.” He motioned to the chair at the table.
Right to the point, like her. “It’s great.” She grabbed a bagel and the juice before joining him. “Business was up twenty-five percent in the off season over last year.”
“Real—lly,” He let the word drag out. “So people like the new name, Que Syrah Syrah?”
“I’ve gotten great feedback from the town. Betty’s Sip and Go was a great name for all the years that you owned the shop, Dad. I know you named it after mom, but everyone likes the name change and the new direction I’ve been taking the shop.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you mean by that when I get there. I have a few things to take care of, and then I’ll come in around eleven.”
“I can take you where you need to go on my way in to work.�
�
“No need. We have a rental.” He took his glasses off and placed them next to the newspaper. “You remember Cal Weidmeier?”
“Sure, Dad, I went to school with him.”
“I emailed him before we left Arizona.” He filled his lungs and then let out a sigh. “Since you haven’t said anything about having a date for the wine dinner next week… again, I thought Cal could take you and—“
Tegan cut him off. “Dad! I’m almost thirty, you can’t keep fixing me up with random guys.” She placed her juice on the table a little more forcefully than she’d planned. “You can tell Cal I already have a date.”
“You do?” His left eyebrow rose. “When I talked to you last week, you said that you were going to use us as your dates again this year.”
“Well…” From the white lie she told, the dirt from the hole she was digging herself started to fill in. “It’s a really nice man I met a few days ago. His name’s August.”
“Like the month? August what?”
“He’s new to town. You don’t know him.” Crap… she didn’t know him… or his last name! “He works at The Desert Wind Winery.”
“Works?”
“Yes.” She straightened in her chair. “He works there. So he has a job, which is always the first question you ask. I’ve been told he’s the hardest worker they have.”
“Can your mother and I meet him?”
“Maybe. I’ll have to see if he’s busy.” The dirt was over her head now. Why didn’t she just say no? That’s was the slogan, right?
“Good. I’ll make dinner reservations for four at Willie’s Barbeque for seven.”
Chapter Five
August drove the tractor to the far side of the vineyard to clear away storm debris which blew through a few weeks earlier. As he rode by, he checked the rows of vines for breakage or damage. He loved working in the sun in the fields. Back home in Australia, his father insisted he stay inside the corporate offices. That didn’t work. He needed to be next to the earth and the grapes he loved.
Spring was his favorite season of the year. Close to the equinox, the daylight was the same here in Washington State as it was in Australia even though the seasons were reversed. The sun was bright, but not scorching and everything was starting to bud out from a long, cold winter. New life. New start. August liked all the seasons, but coming out of winter, all that cold weather was a waste. When you don’t have anyone to cuddle or drink hot chocolate in front of the fire with, he viewed winter as a bunch of bleak months strung together with no farming.
A dirt cloud appeared over the rows of vines signaling a car coming down the driveway. When the car stopped, he grew curious and turned the tractor in its direction. Was there another person stuck in the dirt? He would have to look into having the road better maintained or cage those fowls.
He shut down the tractor and jumped off, he headed for the road. When he came around the vines, he saw the young woman, Tegan, approach. She wore a bright yellow sun dress and large black sunglasses which made her look like she’d stepped out of a 50’s movie. The patterned material and white crisp scooped collar clung to her shapely figure. She was a vision of spring.
August stopped a few feet from her and drew in a breath. The air smelled like gardenias. He knew it wasn’t him, so it must be the perfume she wore.
“Were my chickens in the middle of the road again?” he asked. This still wouldn’t explain why she was there.
“No. There were no chickens.” She pulled off her glasses and squinted up at the sun before leveling her gaze on him. “Were you serious about taking me to the Wine in Washington dinner?”
“Yes. I never say anything I don’t mean.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I would like you to take me.” She didn’t lead with ‘hello’ or ‘how have you been’, just straight and to the point. He liked that trait in anybody, but especially in a woman. The women he’d met in the past always beat around the bush and he had no idea what they were really trying to say.
“As I told you before. It would be my honor.”
“I know you don’t know me from Adam, but, I have another huge favor to ask.”
“I’m listening.” He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. His hair had a tendency to stick out all over his head when it was sweaty. He hoped that wasn’t the case.
“My parents are in town for the wine dinner and they arrived last night. I told my dad… in advance of talking with you again, that you were taking me.”
“No worries. I already said that I would, so you’re off the hook.”
“Well…” Tegan opened the sides of her sunglasses and pushed them on top of her head. “Now, before the dinner next week, they want to meet you tonight.”
“So.” He grinned. “It’s kind of two dates you would like me to take you on?”
“August, I know you’re being railroaded into this, and I full well understand if you’re busy.”
“I’m not busy.” She was even cuter when her cheeks were flushed bright pink and the sun reflected off the gold streaks in her hair. And this was the first time she’d called him by name.
“I can pay you…”
“Wait one minute.” He chuckled and held up a hand in defense. “Is it a date or a gigolo you need for the evening? Because I’m not sure if my mum would be too happy if I made the later as a career choice.”
“That’s not how I meant it.” Tegan rolled her eyes and covered her face with her hands. When she drew her hands down, she said, “My dad’s always trying to fix me up. I want the wine event dinner this year to be my choice of who I take as a date… not his.”
“I’m glad I’m your choice and that you didn’t give me the flick the other day after what Richard said.” He stepped closer. “What time should I pick you up and what’s your address?”
She took a pen out of a pocket at her waist. After searching, she said, “I need some paper to write on.”
August held out his arm. “Here, write it on my wrist, and then I won’t forget it.”
She looked up, and then grinned. After taking the cap off of the pen, Tegan wrote her phone number and address on his wrist. Her gaze traveled up his bare chest. There was something a little dark and heated in her look. He and Tegan had chemistry all right. There was so much chemistry it pulsed like fireworks ready to ignite. He swallowed.
“That’s a very interesting tattoo,” she finally said.
He looked down at his arm and chest. “It’s Aboriginal. The various tribes have lived in isolation for thousands of years. Art takes on a personal and religious meaning. When I did a walk about five years ago, I worked with a tribal elder to sketch this design.”
“What does it mean?”
“Aboriginal art means something different to everyone. I had a dream with a turtle and alligator. The Elder told me, that this vision will bring me closer to nature. I love the earth and I try and work in it every day to give back what it gives me.”
“I have a big garden.” Tegan raised her hand and traced the tail of the alligator down the smooth skin of his tanned bicep. He tried not to jump. “I like to work in the dirt too.” Her finger left a trail of fire in its path. Man… what was it about this woman that made him want to grab her and kiss her?
“Can you pick me up by 6:45?” Her long, dark lashes rose until her eyes met his.
Hell, yes, he wanted to say. I can be there at 2:45 if you want. “6:45. Dress is casual?”
“I would put on a shirt, though… that is a shame.” She smiled and winked. August felt something in his stomach do a little flip.
August put the tools back in the barn and filled the tractor with gas, he allotted extra time to get ready for his date with Tegan. After he took a long shower to make sure that all the dirt from his day was washed away, he wrapped a clean, white towel securely around his hips.
He started to raise his hand to wipe the fog from the mirror and saw Tegan’s address still scrawled on his wrist. Not that he’d need it. He’d memor
ized it hours ago.
August swiped off the steam and stared at the reflection of his bushy beard and mustache. Back in Australia, his dad had a bout with prostate cancer, and August joined in with some friends for Movember in November. This event was to grow a mustache to show your support of men’s health. But then, when he came to the states, the mustache somehow had morphed into a beard. A month turned into six months, and now… well, he looked like a grizzly bear.
He hadn’t had any reason to shave, until Tegan came along.
The vision of Tegan’s pink, moist lips filled his memory. If or when he kissed her, he didn’t want anything like facial hair getting in the way of what he was sure to be an electric experience.
August popped a new razor out of the pack, smeared shaving cream down his mustache and beard, and then he went to work.
Move over Movember. Spring has sprung.
Chapter Six
Tegan loved vintage dresses and had more that she would ever need. This made her decision of what she would wear for her ‘date’ with August even more difficult. “Which one do you think? The pink polka dot or the mint green?”
“What I think is that you are running out of time. You have picked fifty dresses out of your tiny closet. Close your eyes and do eenie meenie miney mo. Come on!” Laura rolled over onto her back. She scanned the Hollywood scandal magazine and crossed her leg over her knee.
“See what happens when it’s too long between dates? I forget how to dress for one.” Tegan held the dress up in front of her and looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I think the pink.”
“Great,” Laura said without looking up from the magazine.
The doorbell rang, her dog barked and Laura leaped off the bed.
“Oh, no!” Tegan cried. “He’s already here.”
“Its 6:44, you goof. I told you that you were out of time. I’ll get the door and keep Chianti from sniffing him too much. You need to make the life altering decision of mint green or pink.”
Tegan hurried around the bed and snatched the pink dress off the hanger. She pulled the layers over her head. Shimmying around in a contortion Houdini would be proud of, she somehow managed to slide the zipper up her side and hook it at the top. Looking in the mirror, she checked her hair one last time and slipped on her white pumps.
Love Uncorked Page 2
