by Annora Green
“I recognize him because I used to serve him coffee. I worked at the coffee bar in Oscuro’s headquarters - it was a kiosk in the atrium - when I was in high school.”
“Small world,” Sophia said.
“Yeah, and his company - your family’s, I guess - laid off my parents.”
“Ari,” Sophia said gently.
“I mean...” Ari said, holding up her hands. “I know it has nothing to do with you. Really. It’s fine. It’s business. It just surprised me, that’s all. To see him here, and to realize who your family is.”
“I’m sorry my dad never came up in conversation,” Sophia said. “Truly. I had no idea it would be so relevant to you. Do you want me to introduce you two tonight?”
“No, it’s okay,” Ari said.
“Really? Maybe he’ll recognize you,” Sophia said.
Ari shook her head. “No, really. It was a pretty long time ago, and besides, I think the few times I did serve him coffee, he got impatient with me for being too slow or getting the order wrong or something. No need to remind him of all of that.”
“He’s a different man at home. Work is work.”
“Yeah... work is work,” Ari said, unconvinced.
“Come on,” Sophia urged, smiling kindly. “There’s still music, and I enjoyed dancing with you earlier.”
“Maybe in a bit,” Ari said. “I’m going to find a bathroom first - I’ll meet you near your table.”
“I hope you will. I’m not a great dancer. I’m better when you’re with me,” Sophia said, and it was not lost on Ari how she fluttered her eyelashes a bit at that.
Ari gave her a half-smile. “I’ll be back,” she said.
¨°¨
Sophia returned to her table, which was empty, though the candles were still flickering merrily in their frosted glass holders. Sophia had just gotten a fresh glass of wine, and was taking her first sip when she heard her sister call out her name.
“I saw you dancing with Ari earlier!” Sabrina said, her eyes sparkling as she moved toward Sophia. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Why?” Sophia asked.
“Because you looked happy, and I feel like I never see you looking that happy. I know you make fun of me for all of my weddings, but being in love makes me happy. Maybe you’re not so different after all.”
“Hold on, I’m not in love,” Sophia corrected her.
“Well, you’re in lust then, I can see it in you. You’re positively radiant tonight, my dear sister.”
Sophia put her hands on her hips. “It’s nothing. You know me. I can’t get into anything serious. I’m too busy, and Percy-”
“Percy seems to have gotten his own life, in case you haven’t noticed yet,” Sabrina cut her off, then motioned towards the dance floor where Percy was, once again, dancing with Isabella. This time, the song was fast-paced, and both were laughing and seemed to be having fun.
Sophia frowned, watching him, wondering what to think.
“You can’t use him as an excuse for not having a life for much longer,” Sabrina added.
Sophia wanted to snap back at her, but stopped herself.
“I know,” she admitted a moment later.
Sabrina’s eyes widened in glee. “See! There we go. You admitted it. Ari is quite a catch, sis. A beautiful girl, a booming business of her own. If you don’t snap her up, someone else will. Just a word from the wise.”
And with that, Sabrina dashed away, back to the dance floor, where William was waiting for her.
Ari did not go back to the table and find Sophia right away after they talked in the study. Eventually, Sophia was pulled away from her table by more relatives wishing to talk, to say hello, or to say goodbye. Once or twice Sophia thought of finding Ari herself, but her family swallowed her up, as always, to talk about work, or business opportunities, foreign travel, to ask her if she was seeing anyone, whether she would eventually get married. The usual.
At one point, the groom rescued Sophia from a particularly awkward conversation with an aunt about the horrors of children who grow up without fathers. He asked her for a friendly dance, and as they danced, Sophia decided that he was significantly better than the rest of the men Sabrina had married. She secretly hoped that it would work out between the two of them.
After William, she danced with a man named Roger, who was the husband of one of her good friends from college, Bree. Bree and Roger had both ended up working for her father’s company after college and had become family friends, and were now bursting with the good news that they were expecting a child. A heavily pregnant Bree sat at her table, too tired to dance, but she sweetly waved at the two of them on the dance floor as they talked.
“Times really have changed,” Sophia said to him.
“Indeed they have,” Roger beamed. “For the better, I hope.”
“I hope so, too,” Sophia said, wishing she could dance with Ari next.
After that, she was released from her social obligations - for a short while at least - and she could finally make her way around the room to find Ari. She finally found her chatting with Cassandra and Rachel, who were standing with a large group of Sabrina’s friends, clustered not too far from the open bar. All of them were holding an array of colorful drinks.
Sophia lightly tapped Ari on the shoulder. “Come outside for a bit of fresh air with me?”
Ari excused herself and followed Sophia outside.
They stepped onto a massive deck off of the study that overlooked a dark valley, lit only by the nearly-full moon. Sophia had a quick flashback to the outdoor rooftop garden terrace at their penthouse suite in the hotel in Vegas.
“It’s nice here,” Ari said. “It must have been pretty neat to grow up here.”
Sophia nodded. “It was lovely. Are you enjoying your stay?”
“Yeah. I’ve actually never been here, believe it or not, even though the city’s really not that far away.”
“I’m glad you could see it, then. When are you going home, Ari?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Ari replied. “I found a little hotel not far from here for the night. Or what’s left of it, at least.”
“I’m staying at a resort nearby. Join me for breakfast. I want to show you something afterwards.”
“What’s the name of the resort?”
“The Black Valley Spa and Resort,” said Sophia.
“Black, as in...?”
Sophia nodded. “One of my family’s many business ventures.”
“Wow. Do you guys, like, own the entire state?”
Sophia laughed. “I don’t think that would be the best investment. I assure you, we just own the land and house here and the spa and resort I’m saying at. And my parents have a property in Palo Rosa. And I own my house in Palo Rosa.”
“So, not very much at all,” Ari joked, thinking of her studio apartment. “Okay. I’ll meet you for breakfast before I head back home.”
Ari started to move away, but Sophia reached out and took Ari’s hand, gently stopping her.
“You agreed to one more dance, remember?” she asked, smiling coyly.
Ari gave her a friendly smile. She hesitated for a moment, squeezed Sophia’s hand briefly then pulled away.
“I have to go. It’s late. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
¨°¨
She wanted to dance with Sophia.
Truly.
She just did not know where a dance might have led that night. When it came to Sophia, close contact late at night was not safe. Nothing was simple with Sophia. A dance was not a dance, a kiss was not a kiss. There was always that underlying force that she felt when she was near the beautiful, maddening brunette... a force that told her to either run far, far away, or plunge in and never look back.
She was playing it cautious until she knew where Sophia stood. Whether she was still doing her “let’s just be friends” thing, the back and forth thing, or whatever.
Breakfast, however, deep in wine country, early in the morning, with the brig
ht sun shining outside, before she headed back home... that seemed relatively safe.
Ari wound her car through the twisting lanes. For some reason her phone’s GPS kept cutting out so she was following some confusing instructions that she saved from an online map. This resort and spa was set back in a very secluded area. She turned down a small, narrow road and was just second guessing whether she was going the right way when she saw a small sign for the resort, thankfully pointing in the direction she was driving. She continued, winding through the woods, crossing over hills and peaks overlooking the fertile green valleys. It really was beautiful out here.
She was also looking forward to breakfast. Not just because she would see Sophia, but because she really needed something to soak up all of the colorful, liquor-filled concoctions Rachel and Cassandra had pushed on her the previous night. Her stomach was feeling a little unsettled.
She drove at least three more miles down the quiet, winding road, and just when she was about to second guess the directions again, she saw what looked like a large house ahead. No, château would be a better word, because it was like a manor, complete with turrets, made of ivy-covered stone, a slightly forgotten look to it. A sign indicated she had indeed arrived at the Black Valley Resort and Spa.
As soon as Ari parked and walked into the lobby, she knew she was in a different kind of place than the rustic, almost rugged, exterior suggested. The lobby was filled with massive tiled fireplaces and wood paneling and chandeliers. It looked like a French country castle.
“May I help you, madam?” a man asked.
Ari nodded. “I’m supposed to meet someone for brunch?”
She glanced down at her jeans and the simple sweater she had tossed on, wondering if there was a dress code.
“Of course, right through here you’ll find our dining room,” he said, walking her over.
Ari expected a typical restaurant, but after crossing through two parlors and an arched doorway, instead she found herself in what looked like a formal dining room out of a historical movie set.
There was a big wraparound porch outside with more tables, and outside at one of the tables is where she found Sophia.
“Hi,” Ari said, and as she approached the table, Sophia looked up at her then stood up to greet her.
How the woman looked like a million bucks first thing in the morning after a late night filled with wine and champagne, Ari would never understand.
“Thanks for coming, Ari. Please, sit.”
Ari sat down. From the outdoor patio, they were overlooking a small valley, the hillsides around covered in vineyards. At the bottom of the valley there appeared to be a small, still lake. Complete with the turreted manor they were at, the location seemed a little surreal.
“A drink?” Sophia offered.
“Hair of the dog?” Ari asked, eyeing the champagne glasses warily.
Sophia smiled. “You could say that. Don’t worry, they’re not strong. These are a specialty here, actually, made with an elderflower liqueur, local champagne, and fresh citrus juice.”
“I’m more of a coffee girl with breakfast, as you probably know, but I’ll try it,” Ari said, taking the delicate champagne flute that she was offered, which was filled with a bubbly light liquid and a curl of lemon peel as garnish.
They both looked at their menus, printed in gold lettering on a small piece of thick, textured paper. There were only three choices. Ari decided to go with whatever a yeasted waffle was, and Sophia ordered an egg white omelette.
“I trust you had a good time at the wedding last night?”
Ari nodded. “No regrets. At least until the end, when Rachel and Cassandra insisted on doing a third round of shots.”
Sophia smiled, but she seemed nervous.
“I wanted to ask you here this morning for two reasons,” she said in a measured tone. “One, I wanted to show you something. But two, I also want to say that what you said a while back really made me think. I realize that I do tend to over think things.”
Ari looked up from her menu, watching the woman, who was carefully concentrating on the words she was speaking.
“I over-thought that I over-think,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Let me start again. You said we don’t need to make a relationship fit some label, and I confess that that is exactly what I was trying to do. And that is partially what was terrifying me. I have a hard time knowing what to do with someone who has come into my life like you. Actually, I have never had someone quite like you come into my life.”
She paused, took a delicate sip of her drink, then continued.
“I decided that I would like to try out whatever it is that we began trying out. If you would like to, too,” Sophia stated. “If it’s not... too late.”
Ari hesitated.
“Unless, of course, you’ve already grown tired of it all,” Sophia said quickly, nervous. “I know my intentions have not exactly been clear. My hesitation has not been fair to you.”
Ari smiled tentatively.
“I just need to take everything slowly,” Sophia said.
“That goes without saying,” Ari said, nodding.
They ate breakfast after that, the tension in the air having diminished somewhat. They spoke like they were friends... but made eyes at each other like they were more than just friends.
Neither was 100% sure where this was going, but they felt more at ease than they had the night before.
They were taking baby steps, Ari thought.
After breakfast, Sophia told the waiter to put the meals on her tab - even after Ari insisted she could pay her portion - and Sophia took her on a small “behind the scenes” tour of the Resort.
“It’s like a small castle. My mom would love this place,” Ari commented as they wandered through the kitchens and then out onto another deck overlooking the scenery. “She loves all things that are old fashioned and romantic like this.”
“Wait until you see where I’m taking you,” Sophia said, motioning for her to follow her past a closed door, then down two flights of stone stairs.
“You’re not going to murder me in the basement or something, are you?” Ari said, joking as they descended deeper underground.
“Not likely,” Sophia replied.
They emerged in a wine cellar, a beautiful, cool space. It had a dark cement floor and dark walls, with strips of low lights artfully placed along the walls to allow for some light, but not too much, to be cast on the racks upon racks of wine bottles.
“Many of these are from the winery owned by my parents,” Sophia explained. “They have a winery here in California, as well as one in my father’s home country, in Argentina.”
Ari admired all of the bottles.
“Is this what you were going to show me?” she asked, impressed.
Sophia shook her head. “Not exactly, although it is interesting in here, isn’t it? No, I’m taking you to see one of my father’s private art collections.”
“Seriously?” Ari asked.
Sophia nodded. “I think you’ll like it.”
They approached a door, and Sophia tapped out some numbers on a key pad.
Sophia opened the door, and a few low lights switched on as they entered the small room.
“Your dad just keeps art down here?”
“The temperature is just right, as is the humidity, there’s no natural light, so it ends up being a good environment for him to store some of the pieces he has invested in,” explained Sophia, stepping back and allowing Ari to move into the room. “He rotates the pieces, putting some in my parents’ home or in his study, while keeping others down here for safekeeping and preservation.”
“These are amazing,” Ari said, gazing around the room.
She did not really know much about the history of art. She had never studied art formally, but she appreciated seeing the works, which were similar in style to hers: semi-abstract, playing with color, light. Ari paused in front of a painting that looked almost like a cityscape, and then another with several f
igures dancing in a circle.
“Most of these were collected by my father and his associates during their travels over the past few decades,” Sophia explained.
“Here, look at this one,” she said, directing Ari over to a small painting in the corner, secured in what appeared to be a clear glass or acrylic box.
“Is that...?” Ari asked for a moment. “That’s not a Pollock, is it?”
Sophia nodded. “It is.”
“Whoa,” Ari said.
“He’s never been my favorite,” Sophia said. “Here, I like this one-”
She pointed out a colorful semi-abstract painting, full of movement.
“This is my favorite. It was purchased from an artist on the street corner in South America. He was completely broke at the time we bought this piece, but he was quite well known back in his heyday. I keep asking my father if I can have this painting, but he keeps forgetting to have it wrapped up and sent to me. Whether it’s genuine forgetfulness or if he’s still too attached to it, I’m not sure.”
When Ari had looked at all of the paintings, they left the little room, the heavy door clicking shut behind them.
“Your life is filled with magical little secrets, Sophia. Rooms full of paintings, resorts and spas owned by your family in Napa. It’s all so, I don’t know, magical I guess. If it were me, I’d be tempted to kick back and relax and enjoy the view. And yet you still work to build a whole empire of your own.”
Sophia laughed as they walked slowly back through the underground wine cellar. “I’m not exactly as successful as my father. No empire yet.”
“Yeah, but you must have inherited something from him. You’re driven.”
“It’s my mother, really, who motivates him daily. I think he would have kicked back and relaxed and enjoyed a glass of wine decades ago if it weren’t for her giving him new ideas, planting new ambitions in his mind, telling him to do more, to continue to work and stay busy, even in his retirement.”
“Well, then you’re like your mother.”
Sophia looked slightly nervous at that comment.
“I’m afraid I’m too much like her. I don’t want to be. She was obsessed with appearances and also put my father’s ambition and success ahead of paying attention to me, or to Sabrina, when we were children. She was always scheming and plotting every move, from business decisions to arranging our social engagements with key acquaintances and friends. She even dictated to Sabrina and me the careers we should have, the things we should study. My dad was like my sister and me: at the mercy of her dreams and schemes.”
