Sweet, Sweet Wine

by Jaime Clevenger

  Riley watched Ana’s hand slip beneath her underwear. Ana’s eyes were closed and her hand moved back and forth over her groin. Riley gazed at Ana, nearly naked and stretched across the red plaid quilt in a diagonal line. She was so damn beautiful. But it had been a long three weeks. Riley decided maybe she wasn’t good at long distance, especially if her experience with Blair was any indication. Her body wanted Ana, but the time apart, and the mere mention that Ana was planning to come to Catori with someone else, brought up all of her old insecurities. She didn’t feel close enough to make love to her yet. It was only going to be sex.

  “Don’t get cold feet on me now,” Ana said, propping herself up on an elbow. “I’ll tell you everything over dinner. I promise. But I want you now.”

  Riley let Ana pull her back onto the bed. She had brought toys; a dildo and a harness along with her favorite flavored lube were packed in the overnight bag she’d brought. But she wasn’t in the mood for that anymore.

  Ana pushed Riley onto her back and leaning over her, asked, “What are you thinking about?”

  Riley stared at Ana for a moment, then turned to look out the window. Ana’s hand brushed against her cheek.

  “Don’t,” Ana whispered.

  “Don’t what?”

  “You’re pulling away. I’ve told you before—you have no poker face.” Ana kissed Riley’s cheek, then turned Riley’s head so they were face-to-face again. Their lips were only inches apart. “Tell me.” Ana waited for Riley to answer. When she didn’t, Ana leaned close and kissed her.

  The feel of Ana’s lips, the faint scent of her body lotion, and then her hands caressing Riley’s chest blurred everything else in a dizzying rush. She was already wet. Ana moved on top of her as soon as Riley returned her kiss. Ana’s need was impossible to miss. Riley tried to sit up when Ana moved between her legs, but she pressed her back down again. She shifted lower still until her chin rested on Riley’s groin. She glanced up at Riley, as if second-guessing herself.

  Riley reached for her, massaging Ana’s shoulders and back. She closed her eyes when she felt Ana’s tongue slip over her clit but kept her hands on Ana’s back, trying to follow her moves and then losing track as Ana’s tongue brought her closer and closer to a climax. She came hard and quick, hardly recognizing her voice when she cried out.

  She shifted away from Ana’s lips the moment she came, taking no time to catch her breath. Ana had shifted off her and moved up to the pillows next to her. Riley climbed on top of her. Her orgasm had only increased her need for Ana. She thought again about the toys she’d packed but decided she wanted to feel Ana, skin to skin. Ana was dripping wet and Riley’s fingers slid right in.

  Riley lay on her back, listening to Ana’s breathing, hearing it slow down, then felt Ana’s palm spread over her belly. Ana lay against her side, her breath warm on Riley’s neck, and neither of them moved for a long while. Riley got up first. She went to the bathroom and when she came back to the room, Ana was sitting up on the bed. She’d put on Riley’s shirt but hadn’t buttoned it, and her breasts were peeking out.

  “I don’t think I can wait until dinner,” Riley said. She found her overnight bag and pulled out a flannel shirt and a clean pair of underwear. She dressed while Ana watched. “I’ve had too many bad experiences with women and secrets.”

  Ana pulled the corner of the quilt up and over her legs. She sat cross-legged on the bed, her gaze now fixed on the flames flickering behind the glass in the woodstove.

  “Joe wants out. It’s a franchise, so the whole thing is complicated. The thing is, he has a good deal here, but he mismanaged the place right from the start and now he has IRS issues that are just a nightmare.”

  She paused and looked up at Riley. “I know I could have had that place making money for him. A lot of money. But he wouldn’t do anything I suggested. And the corporate folks are pissed because they wanted him to sell out years ago and now there’s this IRS headache to deal with on top of everything else. I want to buy him out and run the thing myself, but I don’t have enough saved. So I asked Tom to be a partner in the business. He’s got the money and he’s willing to let me take this on and stay out of my way.”

  “Wait. You’re thinking of managing all of this from California?”

  Ana shook her head. “I’m thinking of moving here. Sharon and I have talked. If this all pans out, I’ll rent the cottage until the busy season starts in June. I’ll be in and out, of course, since I’ll still have to do the consulting stuff on the side. I don’t think I’ll have the winery up and profitable until the end of May, at the earliest, but I want to be doing this full time for a while. A few years, probably. Before I can hand things off to someone I trust. Then I’ll go back to consulting. It’s a big leap, but I know it could work. And I’ll be in Colorado.”

  Riley sat on the edge of the bed. “You aren’t thinking of doing this just to be in Colorado, though, right?”

  “No. If that were the case, it would be a hell of a lot easier if I simply bought a townhouse next door to yours.”

  “And Tom has to be the one with the money?”

  Ana reached out and touched Riley’s hand. “You’re going to have to relax about Tom. Nothing’s going on with us. I know it is hard, especially when we are in different states, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

  “But when you said you might not be coming here alone, you meant that Tom might be with you, right?” Riley stood up. “Why did you ask Tom? You could have asked his aunt. He doesn’t have to be the one with the money.”

  “His aunt doesn’t like investing in anything she can’t manage herself. And if you know of someone besides Tom who happens to have a hundred thousand dollars lying around that I can use as capitol, let me know.”

  “I might.”

  “How’s their credit? ’Cause I’m not getting a loan with my score alone.”

  Riley hesitated. “If I’d known you were thinking of doing this…”

  “Why would that have changed anything?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe if I had known before, I would have come up with someone else to be your investor.”

  “Well, until you find that someone, you are going to have to get over being jealous. Tom isn’t my boyfriend anymore.”

  “I’m not jealous,” Riley said, fighting the urge to raise her voice. “I just don’t want him to still be a part of your world if I’m going to be a part of it. That’s it. I need you to pick. I don’t care either way.”

  “You don’t care either way? Bullshit, Riley. You do care. And I have picked.” Ana sighed. “Can you hand me my clothes? I think we both need dinner.”

  Several times during the meal, Riley started to explain why she had issues with Tom, but she stopped herself each time. She didn’t want to talk about everything that had happened with Lisa, and yet she doubted Ana would understand why Tom’s involvement in any significant aspect of Ana’s life was such a deal breaker without the whole story. She almost said that her relationship with Lisa had probably left her damaged goods, but she stopped before the words came out. She didn’t want to talk about Lisa at all and she didn’t feel damaged. She’d just lost her naiveté.

  They left the restaurant without having discussed Tom or the winery at all. Ana clasped her hand, and they walked down the main street of town, skirting the river, now more the size of small creek with frozen patches and snowy banks. They passed the footbridge leading to the section of town that had flooded months ago. The once flooded restaurant showed no sign of damage now. Ana pointed to the sign for the winery. A red Closed sign hung over the main sign.

  “Joe’s buried himself so deep. They should be open on a Friday night. They’ve been in the red so long that they have given up entirely. I think that he and his wife are only making wine so they have something to drink at this point.”

  “Why this winery? The town’s nice, but this river could easily flood again next year. Why take a chance on a place that is set up to fail?”

  Ana ope
ned her mouth to say something, then clamped it shut and shook her head. “I don’t think I need to sell you on my business plan.”

  “Maybe you should try.”

  “Maybe, but I’m still trying to get over being mad at you for our argument earlier.” Ana shook her head when Riley met her gaze. “And for being so under my skin that I have already put my condo up for sale. The crazy thing is, sometimes I feel like we barely know each other.”

  Riley stared at the footbridge, weighing Ana’s words. Ana had walked twenty paces ahead but stopped now and looked back at her. The building that housed the restaurant and winery was a lovely piece of real estate. She had never considered investing in a business, but it wasn’t unrealistic. Not for Ana. The problem was Tom.

  She caught up with Ana and slipped her hand in hers. They passed Cheddar’s, but the café was already closed for the evening. A few of the other storefronts in town were shuttered for the winter months, but most had just posted reduced hours through the slow season. By late spring, the streets would again be bustling with the tourist crowd.

  They reached Sharon’s place and headed up the stairs to the front porch. The back path to the cottage was unlit and covered in icy snow, so they took the route through the main house. The house still smelled of mulled wine. Sharon and Deb were on the sofa in the living room.

  Sharon waved when they came in. “There’s still some wine if you’re interested. And if you’re looking for company this evening, which I doubt, pull up a chair.”

  “Mind sharing?” Ana asked Riley, as she filled a mug from the pot that was keeping it warm. She turned to Sharon and continued, “I think we’re calling it an early night. But thank you.”

  They passed the hot tub on their way to the cottage, and Riley cracked the cover enough to reach her hand inside. The water was hot, as promised. “Skip the suit?” she asked, already unbuckling her belt.

  “Not a chance. Come on, Riley,” Ana said, unlocking the cottage door. “You never know who might decide to come outside.”

  “There’s only one other couple staying here. What are the chances that they decide to use the hot tub when it’s freezing out?”

  “Get your suit.”

  Riley awoke the next morning shivering. The wood had burned out overnight. Ana had pulled the quilt up around her and then rolled to one side, leaving Riley half covered. Riley got out of bed and dressed quickly. She set about restarting the fire in the stove with the logs Sharon had left, wishing she’d thought to add logs before they’d gone to sleep. It took some work, but before her fingers had frozen stiff, she had a weak flame working on the tendrils of kindling. Ana slept on, with every bit of bedding wrapped around her body. Riley added more wood, bit by bit, until she could feel the warmth of the fire radiating past the small stoop where she sat.

  By the time the fire was burning brightly, the first rays of sunlight had seeped past the edge of the curtains. Ana woke not long after. She glanced about the room until she spotted Riley, still seated between the stove and the wood.

  “We need to talk,” Ana said, her voice still groggy with sleep.

  “Okay, what sort of conversation do you have in mind?”

  “I want to figure out how this is going to work. I’m only going to be in this cottage temporarily. Once I have the winery renovated and find the right employees, I won’t need to be in this town. But after last night, I’m not sure you want me in Denver like I was planning.”

  Riley broke the branch she had in her hands in half. The snap was satisfying. “Gonna move on the winery before or after we figure out where we are going with this relationship?”

  Ana sat up in bed. She shivered and pulled her blankets up over her shoulders. “You’ve been doing some thinking too, haven’t you? How long have you been sitting over there?”

  “The fire burned out and you stole the blankets.” Riley shifted closer to the stove.

  “Sorry.”

  “I want to know why you want to do this. Are you going after this winery because you really want your own turn at running the business? Or are you just looking for a reason that makes moving to Colorado make sense?”

  “You don’t think I should move here for someone I barely know, do you?”

  “I don’t want to be on the other end of that mistake.” Riley studied Ana’s face. She couldn’t read her expression. Riley stood up and stretched, her legs and arms stiff from sitting on the low stepstool and from the cold creeping under the door. “Well?”

  “My answer is both. Yeah, I want my own shot. I want to prove I can turn that place around…And maybe part of it is that I want to show Tom and Madam Bea and all of the rest of his stick-up-their-ass family that I have what it takes. Maybe I am tired of people thinking my looks are what seals the deals.”

  She sighed. “But I damn well wouldn’t have picked this mountain town in the middle of nowhere to do so. In fact, I had been looking at another winery in Santa Barbara. But then I met you. I know it’s possible that I’m making a mistake with you.” She reached out her hand when Riley came to stand next to the bed. “Am I?”

  “Too soon to tell.” Riley clasped Ana’s hand. She brought Ana’s hand up to her lips and kissed it lightly. Ana patted the bed. Riley sat down, letting Ana wrap the quilt over her shoulders and pull Riley close to her. “If you move to Denver, you’ll be an hour and a half away from the winery. And I can’t move to this little mountain town in the middle of nowhere and expect to keep my job. Or even establish a viable practice.”

  “I’m not suggesting you should move at all. The way I drive, I can make it to Denver in an hour.”

  “How much have you discussed with Tom?”

  “He’s ready to sign the papers. Joe initially approached him about selling. Tom and I shot a few ideas around with Joe, but he was done and we both figured that out pretty quick. The flood tipped the scales against him. It didn’t help that he refused to follow through on any of the suggestions we made from the beginning. Tom was actually the one who said I should take over. I know he didn’t think that I would seriously consider it. But we talked and he was interested in a partnership.”

  “Of course he was.”

  “Riley, he’s my ex. We’re done.”

  “But he’ll still be a part of your life if you go through with this, in more ways than now even. And you admitted that you feel you still have something to prove to him.”

  “I can promise to you that nothing will happen. But that won’t be enough, will it? You’re going to have to figure out a way to handle the fact that he’ll have a part in this deal.”

  “I don’t want to.” Riley paused. She didn’t want to talk about Lisa, but she couldn’t avoid it now. “You know, what happened between Lisa and me would have happened probably anyway, eventually, but it was her ex that turned things. They worked together and said they were just friends, of course, but whenever we’d have a disagreement, Lisa would be on the phone with Jen. When I worked late, she spent the evening with Jen. They texted all the time, saw each other at work…It wasn’t long before they were sleeping together again. I guessed it would happen from the beginning, but Lisa denied everything. It went on for months. I was jealous of Jen, I knew that they were becoming too close, but I didn’t want to admit what was happening.”

  Ana didn’t say anything. She placed her hand on Riley’s thigh and leaned against her. After a moment, she started rubbing Riley’s shoulders, then shifted behind Riley and started working on her neck and back muscles. Riley slowly relaxed as Ana’s hands worked on the tight spots. Ana pulled off Riley’s shirt and continued the massage, pressing Riley onto her stomach across the length of the bed. A low whooshing sound came from the stove followed by an occasional snap, but the cottage was otherwise quiet. Ana finished the massage and pulled the blankets up to cover Riley. Riley rolled onto her side and Ana lay down next to her. Their lips met and Riley didn’t want to stop kissing her. Ana pulled away, finally, placing a fingertip on Riley’s lips as they parted.

&
nbsp; “Tom doesn’t have to be a part of anything in my life. I can still sell my place in Napa, keep the consulting job and rent an apartment in Denver.”

  “No. I can see how much you want the winery. I think you could turn it around if anyone could.”

  “It pisses me off that you won’t trust me. Can I call up Lisa and tell her off?” Ana grinned. “But, you know, I wouldn’t want your ex to be your business partner either.”

  “And without Tom…you wouldn’t get your shot at running the winery. And I’d be the reason you never took the chance when you had it.”

  “I’ll have other chances. Maybe in a place without the flood risk.”

  “I don’t believe that you would actually drop this.”

  “It’s been my obsession since the flood,” Ana agreed. “And you were only partly to blame. Like I said, I had my eye on the Santa Barbara place before this one. But in some ways, I think this place could be even better.”

  “What about Madam Bea? You said she runs the investments for the family anyway.”

  “I’m not getting into any deal with her that I don’t absolutely have to. I trust Tom. He’s my ex, but he is a good guy. I can work with him, and I know he won’t turn around and double-cross me.”

  “You did dump him, you know. He might be different now.”

  “It was mutual.”

  * * *

  Riley took Ana to the airport and then headed into work. She found a sticky note from Jeanette on her desk. Jeanette had left early but was returning that evening and wanted Riley to wait for her. Riley folded the note in half and glanced at her schedule. She had clients until eight o’clock; Jeanette had added her name to the end of the schedule.