Sunshine & Whiskey

by R. L. Griffin

  “Megan, do you dry your vagina?”

  I blink. Is this guy for real? When I glance at his face it’s serious.

  “Do you mean with a towel?”

  “Well, I would suggest that after baths or showers you use your hairdryer to dry your vagina.”

  I’m fucking speechless.

  “You can sit up,” he says.

  As I do I cover myself the best I can.

  “We’ll get back with you on your results.” Then he exits the room where I’m surrounded by my mortification.

  Laura, Cari, and I are at a really fun wine tasting event at a small tasting room in Napa. I forget the name of it, but it’s something normal and generic. They only open small vintages, which is pretty cool. I’ve decided those are the better wines, the smaller ones. The ones that haven’t quite made it to mass market. Once they go mass market they aren’t as earthy, which is what I want in a wine. There are exceptions to this, and they are over sixty dollars a bottle.

  The three of us are huddled around a small table, and Cari and Laura are turning every man’s head in this entire fucking place. I feel like I should have gotten a makeover. My sister is wearing leather pants. You don’t think that’s a big deal? It’s July.

  “Okay, so what did we think about the place today?”

  “No,” my sister answers for us.

  “Excuse me.” A man sets his wine glass down on our small table, his hand brushing mine. As you know, I have personal space issues, I step away from him like he burned me. I take him in. He’s pretty attractive, his chest is wide and his ginger hair cropped short.

  “I’m Taylor.”

  “Hi Taylor,” my sister says. She’s looking at me like I should know something, but I don’t.

  Laura takes a sip of her wine.

  “Listen, my buddies and I over there were wondering where in the world you three gorgeous women are from.”

  We all look at each other at a loss for words.

  “I’m from Atlanta and they are nomads.” Cari giggles and takes a sip of her wine. We’re all drinking because I hired a car. I know, I didn’t last long with my declaration to never drink again.

  “Nomads, huh?” Taylor asks and looks over at his buddies. “I told him you were her.” He stares at me. “There aren’t too many hot girls who win millions.”

  I blink. This is the first time I’m having to deal with this sort of confrontation.

  “You need to leave,” Laura pipes up first.

  “Yeah, step away, please,” I agree.

  “What, you can’t buy me a drink? You only have two hundred million dollars, you wouldn’t even miss it.” His friends are laughing.

  “Can I help you?” I can’t see who is behind me, but I can tell he towers over me. Laura’s eyes widen.

  “We were just talking about how this girl should buy me a drink,” Ginger says.

  “I’m sure if she wanted to buy you a drink she knows how to do that. It’s a wine tasting anyway douche bag, the wine’s free after you pay to get in. Why don’t you leave these fine women alone,” he says and it’s not a question.

  “We were just talking.” Ginger is trying to fight his instinct to run from the man behind me.

  “Well, now I’ll be taking your place talking, and I have my own drink, so you can leave now.”

  Out from behind me steps a man that must be at least six foot four inches, his dark hair is short and his skin is a bronze tone. I look at Laura because I can feel her hyperventilating. Holding out my hand, I shake his. “I’m Megan, thank you.”

  Cari follows suit. “Cari.”

  “Max,” he offers and then his stormy eyes land on Laura. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” she says, staring at him.

  “This is Laura,” I offer.

  They are still just looking at each other.

  I clear my throat. “Cari, let’s go get another glass of wine. Anyone need anything?”

  Neither answers me.

  “Damn,” I mutter, and Cari and I walk over to the bar and sit down. I look back at them and realize that Max has a prosthetic leg. Interesting, I wonder about his story.

  This has been the most fun I’ve had since we arrived in Napa.

  “We have a fundraiser next weekend, why don’t you guys come?” Max is talking about his organization. He’s in charge of traveling all over the country and meeting with wounded soldiers to help them get the training they need in order to be economically independent.

  “We’d love to,” Laura answers for us. The conversation turns into a discussion about how Laura and I were going to run an 8k race. We laughed at the impossibility of it, and then vowed to get back at it so we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves. I’m mid-sentence when my eyes are drawn to the door for some reason.

  You know when a person enters a room and you can feel it? No? You should, it’s really freaky. That’s what happens when I look up because I feel something, I can’t really describe it. As my eyes find the door I see a man and a woman who probably just stepped off of the runway. The man’s icy grey eyes shoot to mine and hold them even while the woman is talking to him. I feel a weird sizzle, you know the kind you read about in those awesome trashy books Laura has been letting me borrow. Then I blink and it’s gone, and I start counting in my mind how many glasses of wine I’ve had because I’m pretty sure I made it all up. Stupid romantic books.

  Then all of a sudden he and the girl are striding to our table. I’m nervous. I’m never nervous.

  “Dude,” Max says and pulls this magic man into his arms in a bro hug. I cock my head to the side and take them in. They are of similar build, but the magic man has darker hair, steel for eyes, and is a smidge taller. The dark hair that is a little longer than I normally like is wavy in a way that makes me want to thread my fingers through it while he nibbles my neck. I blink. Magic is wearing a light blue oxford shirt that is tight enough to show off his muscles, but not in an obnoxious Meat way. “How have you been?”

  “I’m okay,” Magic man replies and looks past Max at me.

  His voice fills my ears and makes my body tingle in ways I have been missing. “Who are your friends?” He’s not smiling.

  I can tell he is a serious guy. He would be deliberate about everything from dinner reservations to orgasms.

  “Oh, yeah.” Max turns and points at Laura. “This is Laura, Cari, and Megan. They are my new best friends.”

  “Really.” Magic man grabs the girl’s hand standing next to him. “Max, we need to catch up. Call me tomorrow.”

  “Okay, good to see you man.”

  “You too,” Magic man says and takes one good long look my way and then saunters off with the girl whose dress is entirely backless. I’m jealous of her dress and her back.

  Well, that was sort of rude, Magic man is a rude mother fucker.

  “So who was that?” Cari asks what I want to know but am not going to ask.

  “Walker Kingston. We go way back. I knew him before he became this big shot down in San Francisco.”

  “Big shot?” Laura repeats.

  “Yeah, he was part of this investment firm and made millions. He’s a good dude, but most people don’t know that about him.”

  “Is that his girlfriend, she looked ten.” I say this before I can filter myself and again, I’m counting the glasses of wine I’ve had. “Fuck, sorry. I need to stop drinking. Wine will sneak up on you and kick your ass.”

  “Yeah, it will.” Max laughs. “I don’t know who that is because it doesn’t matter, he’ll have someone different tomorrow.” He takes a sip of his wine. “I’m going to grab you a water Megan, anyone else want one?”

  Cari nods and Laura shakes her head.

  “Max is hot,” Cari states the obvious once he’s out of earshot.

  I see the change in Laura’s face the instant she sees his leg. Her eyes widen and her face falls a bit. Then she starts blinking an unusual amount.

  “Hey, why the face?” I put my hand on her shoulder. “He’s pretty aweso
me.”

  “Do you know what that sort of injury does to a person Megan?” Laura doesn’t look at me when she says this but keeps her glass up to her lips, her voice low. She takes a very healthy gulp of her Ancien Pinot Noir.

  I shake my head because I don’t. Both of my grandfathers were veterans, but they weren’t injured during their service and they never talked about it with me.

  “My dad fights his every day.” This is all she says, and it leaves me puzzled because I know he has health problems, but didn’t know he was wounded during service. I try to file this away to bring up again when we’re alone.

  “I think I’m done,” Cari says out of the blue, pushing her wine glass to the middle of the table. Then I remember she’s still on eastern time, and she’s up past midnight in her mind.

  “That’s cool, let’s go.” I look at Laura and she’s still staring at Max, who’s currently joking with the guy behind the bar. Her face tells me she is already picturing their babies and her heart is broken because there won’t be any babies with him because she’s not going to go there. I love that I know all that about her, just from her expression and fingers on her neck. “You want to stay Lo? I’ll send the car back for you?”

  “No, I can’t stay.” She smiles sadly.

  Max strides back to the table and hands us our glasses.

  “So Max, I think we’re about to head home,” I say after sipping the water.

  “It’s so early,” he comments, his eyes finding Laura’s.

  “I’m still on eastern time, so I’m done.”

  “Stay,” he says to Laura. “I’ll get us home.”

  “I’m all the way up in Rutherford.” She says this because it’s an hour away, and she thinks he won’t drive her all the way back.

  “No problem. I have a driver tonight.”

  “I should probably go with them.” She looks at me and tells me not to let her stay, she’s scared of staying.

  I’m going to tell you something ladies, sometimes you have to do things that scare you. It is our duty as your best friend to push you into that abyss. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? He seems awesome.

  “Max, it’s cool. I’m going to send the car back to get her so I can get her home, but I want you to promise you’ll take care of her.”

  “It’ll be my pleasure.” He winks at me.

  Laura glares at me and says she hates me with her eyes. Cari giggles, she’s drunk and swaying her hips to non-existent music.

  I lean into Laura. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I whisper.

  “You’re an asshole,” she spits back in a low voice so Max won’t hear. I raise my eyebrows. “And a whore,” she adds.

  “Max, it was truly an honor to meet you. Thank you for your service then and now.” I shake his hand and I mean this sincerely. I don’t think we do enough for our soldiers. Now I can do shit. I have a bajillion dollars.

  “It was nice to meet you Max. Be careful with this one, she’s feisty,” Cari offers.

  “Love you anyway,” I call to Laura as Cari and I make our way out. She flips me off. As I open the door I see Magic man tracking my movements. I duck my head and close the door behind me.

  I don’t believe in magic.

  Chapter Fifty

  No Sexting in My Car

  Cari is leaving tomorrow morning and we have two more houses to look at. Then we are getting mud baths I booked at Lincoln Avenue Spa in Calistoga. We’re in Cari’s rental car because my choice of vehicle only fits two. I know, it’s not practical at all. Maybe Laura will buy a practical car.

  Cari is following the GPS system on my phone. I named her Susan. We drive by the Petrified Forest.

  “The Petrified Forest? Lo, we must come here.”

  “Cool,” she says, tapping into her phone.

  “Who are you texting?”

  “Oh, I got a new dick picture from Adam I’m sexting him.”

  “Gross,” Cari blurts. “No sexting in my car.” Her face turns three shades of crimson. “Or in front of me.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to put my hands down my pants in front of you Cari.” Laura laughs. “Megan maybe…”

  “I’ll pass,” I comment as I search for the Petrified Forest. “We could have stayed at a house in the Petrified Forest?”

  “Um, if a volcano petrified the entire place, do we really want to stay there?” Laura asks as she’s typing away on her phone.

  “There’s not an active volcano there now, dumbass.” I look up as the navigation system directs Cari up a winding road. “This is gorgeous.”

  “Do you have pictures you save on your phone and just send them whenever?” Cari asks.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Like you were feeling sexy one day so you took nude selfies, then you send them when the opportunity arises?”

  “I don’t have a catalog of nude selfies on my phone if that’s what you’re asking me,” Laura answers.

  “Do you send him nude pictures?”

  “If I do, I never include my face, without the face I can always deny it’s me.”

  “Word,” I chime in.

  “Do you send nude pictures?” Cari asks me, incredulous.

  “I have before, I don’t make it a practice.”

  “Maybe I should send Jack a nude picture before I leave.”

  “Ummmm TMI,” I say.

  “Do it,” Laura says.

  We are winding our way up the side of the mountain and Cari turns left onto a gravel road that takes us up to a fence. I tell Cari to use the code that the owner gave me. We pull to the first cottage we see on the left. A man is standing there in jeans, rubber boots and a t-shirt. His skin is russet and he pulls a John Deere hat down to cover his eyes.

  I smile at the surroundings as I get out of the car. “Hi, Mr. Jacobs?”

  “You must be Laura,” he says, walking over to shake my hand.

  “I’m Megan, this is Laura.”

  “Hey Carter, thanks for taking the time today. We really need a place and this looks perfect.”

  He shakes her hand and looks at Cari.

  “I’m Cari, I’m just the driver today,” she adds.

  “Nice to meet you ladies. Both cottages are open. This first one is a two bedroom, one bath, complete with fireplace and Jacuzzi out back. That one up there is one bedroom, with the same amenities. They are both furnished, but I’m not opposed to you bringing your own things. ”

  “Great,” Laura says.

  “I’ll let you look. I have to get back to the main house. Laura, you get in touch with me if you want the place.”

  “If we do want it, when can we move in?”

  “Today,” he answers. “Look, we have a gate so it’s secure, but it’s a farm and I have things delivered regularly. I have a couple of dogs that roam around. We have all sorts of natural wildlife because we’re on the side of the mountain. It’s pretty secluded up here and Laura indicated you would like that.”

  “Yes sir.” It’s true this is almost perfect.

  “All right, I look forward to hearing from you Laura. Have a good day.” He waves and walks up the hill and disappears over it.

  “We would have our own houses,” I exclaim with glee.

  “But right next to each other,” Laura finishes my thoughts perfectly.

  “Well, come on ladies, let’s hope it’s as perfect on the inside as it is on the outside.”

  I open the door to the first cottage, and I feel a sense of relief flood over my entire body. It feels like I could make a home here. It’s significantly smaller than my house in Atlanta and I love it. The door opens into the den that has an old iron wood fireplace. To the left is a small hallway, and I can see the bathroom in the middle of two small bedrooms. I walk through the den and into a small pale yellow kitchen with royal blue accents. It’s basic, but perfect and has updated appliances. Then I walk to the enormous window that overlooks the twenty six acres of mountain.

  “Wow,” my sister says
and she stands next to me. “Someone could really find themselves here.”

  “Yeah, they could,” I agree. The Jacuzzi is to the left of the door leading to the back porch that spans the length of the entire house. We all step outside and take in the breathtaking view.

  “I want it,” I say.

  “This is amazing,” Laura agrees.

  There is a grill to the right of the window, complete with table and chairs.

  “I think we will live on this porch.” I look further right to see the other cottage. “Come on, let’s go look at the other one.”

  We walk through the house and then up the incline to the other cottage. The door is red and there is a rocking chair out in front.

  “We need to buy another rocking chair,” I comment.

  Laura opens the door and stops in her tracks. She claps her hands and jumps up and down. “This one is mine!”

  I move past her and realize it is perfect for her. There are turquoises and reds everywhere. The kitchen is off to the right and it’s the same, basic but upgraded with bright tile and stainless steel appliances. The bedroom is to the left and the entire back of the house is a window that looks out onto the side of the mountain.

  “It’s like a little paradise where no one can find us,” Laura begins, twirling in circles. “Okay, we need to open a little LLC and we’ll pay out of that so it won’t be in your name. We’ll do all of your investments and donations through the LLC so that no one will be able to track you. The LLC will rent these houses and I’ll just pay the LLC rent,” she rambles.

  I’m filled with a serenity I’ve never felt, a peace that has eluded me. When you spend your entire adult life counting your time in six minute intervals there is no peace, no serenity, but constant watching the clock and an unfulfilling need to work. I’m not saying every lawyer is this way, I just realize now that I was. I was striving for things I was “supposed” to be striving for, not what I really wanted. I didn’t stop and ponder what I wanted, not that it mattered. When you have bills to pay, you do what you have to do.