Riley shook her head. “If you could go back and do it over from the beginning, what would you have done differently?”
“Probably I should have hired someone better looking than me or my wife to serve.” He smiled. “And we had a master sommelier come in once and go over the menu. He recommended some changes and a wine and food pairings list that I never implemented. I didn’t follow through on any of his suggestions, in fact. Then, of course, the tax audit could have gone better. I should have hired an accountant at the start.”
“It would be easier to blame everything on the insurance company. Or the flood.”
He laughed and took another sip from his bottle. “Cheers.”
Riley chatted with Joe about the weather and then, as they both watched the snowfall grow heavier, Riley decided to head back to Sharon’s. She walked back to the B & B with her head down. The biting wind had worsened in the brief time she’d been inside the winery and the accumulating snow was past the top of her boots. She reached Sharon’s front steps and trudged up, gripping the rail the entire way. Sharon had left the front door unlocked, but a sticky note instructed Riley to lock up once she’d come inside. Riley stripped off her gear, the wool cap, mittens and down coat. The coat, a Christmas gift from her parents, had already earned her seal of approval. She went to the kitchen and filled a glass of water, then found the towel Sharon had left for her. She hurried outside to pull back the hot tub cover, disturbing a foot of snow as she did, then stripped off her clothes and climbed into the steaming water.
* * *
It hadn’t snowed for well over a week and what was left from the last storm had long since melted. For several days, the forecast had sounded more like a spring weather report than a midwinter one.
Riley stood on the footbridge across from the wine shop. A group of boys wandered past wearing T-shirts and tossing a ball between them as they walked. Riley had already taken off her coat and was warm in only a long sleeve shirt with the sun on her back. Ana appeared, finally, at the entrance to the wine shop. She shook hands with Joe and then made her way over to Riley.
“Joe’s paperwork is all in order. Unbelievably. Ready for our meeting?”
Riley nodded. “You brought a briefcase?”
Ana patted the case. “This is my thing, remember? Your job is to play the part of the bank, listen to my business plan and decide if you want to give the financial backing to it. I’ve got Tom’s credit, and I need his hundred thousand to qualify, but I want my own loan. I’ve got to be able to convince the bank that this is a good idea. But I actually think you are going to be harder to convince.”
“Me?”
“Unless you’ve let go of the part about Tom being my partner on this since I last saw you.”
Ana’s bank meeting was set for the following morning in Denver. Originally, Tom had been going to join her for the meeting with Joe and for the bank meeting as well. When his plans changed and Ana invited Riley to join her, she didn’t ask for details. In Tom’s absence, Ana had asked Riley to listen to her give a practice run-through of their business plan before the bank meeting. Riley agreed, partly because she hadn’t let go of the idea of telling Ana that she could invest in the winery herself. They crossed the street and headed into Cheddar’s.
Scott greeted them with a smile. “It’s been a while. Good to see you two here. You must have heard Colorado was having an early spring.”
“Couldn’t ask for a nicer day. Doesn’t even feel like February,” Ana replied.
Riley hadn’t spoken with Scott since the night she’d seen Tom kiss Ana. So much had happened since then. He tapped his pencil on a small notepad. “What can I get for you?”
“I’ll take a chai tea,” Ana said.
“Of course,” Scott said. “And Riley, what would you like?”
“That brownie. I’ll have a coffee as well.”
“Pick a table. I’ll bring it over in a minute,” Scott said.
Ana chose the table by the window. She popped open her briefcase and took out a file. “You sure you want to hear all of this? It wasn’t just your excuse to get together, was it?”
“I want to hear it. And it was my excuse. But you still have to convince me this is a good idea. How is it going to be different from Joe’s attempt?”
Ana pointed at the first page. “Well, some things aren’t going to change. I’m keeping the same name, same design on the sign and everything. That is part of the deal with the franchise. But I’m definitely going to redesign several things. The web page, for instance, needs more than a picture of a wine bottle and the contact information. The interior of the place needs a facelift.”
She flipped the page. “The metal chairs are going to go. I’ve got plans to renovate so there is a more relaxed feel to the place. Relaxed, but in good taste. And I have a budget here for that.”
She flipped the page again. “Okay, now we get into some numbers for the bank to look at. For the bank loan, I’ll have to show Tom’s money as collateral; we’ve set up a partnership and terms for this. I have no intentions of using his money unless I run into some trouble. I’ll still have my income from consulting, and I’ll have the loan to cover everything else so that there aren’t any weird money issues that come up with Tom’s role in this. I’ve looked into the options.” She paused when Scott brought over the brownie and their drinks.
Scott winked at Riley. “Enjoy,” he said, setting the plate with the brownie in the middle of the table. Oliver was in the kitchen washing dishes, and as Scott returned he leaned over his shoulder to whisper something.
Ana caught Riley’s attention. “You’re distracted already.”
Riley looked down at the page and at Ana’s hand, her finger still pointing to the top line. “I’m not distracted. Go ahead.”
“Okay.” Ana scanned the page and pointed out the important terms of the loan, flipped a page and then started into the plan she had for expanding the food and wine offerings, pairing some wines with small plate appetizers or desserts for a set price, and then the marketing campaign. Joe had resisted doing any advertising beyond the small paper with a circulation limited to the residents of the town. When she finished, she leaned back in her chair. “You aren’t going to say anything, are you?”
Riley picked up the file. “In my role as the bank? I think the plan looks solid.”
“And in your role as my girlfriend?” Riley twitched at the term, but got her expression under control, she hoped, before Ana noticed. Ana broke off a piece of Riley’s brownie. “You aren’t going to answer me right away, are you? I’m learning that you take your time with everything. I need to get used to that.”
“Not everything, just the important things.”
Ana shrugged. “I like that you don’t say things that you don’t actually mean.”
Like “I love you,” Riley thought. She set the file down and looked over at Ana. She hadn’t said anything when Ana pecked her cheek with a kiss and said, “Love you,” right before she dashed into the airport the last time they’d seen each other. Ana had almost missed the flight. She had texted Riley as she was boarding with two words, “Next time?” She’d only had a three-hour layover and it wasn’t nearly enough time together, but they had this long weekend planned for only a few weeks later.
“How’s the brownie?”
“Good. I like the crispy edges,” Ana said, breaking off another corner piece.
“Perfect. I like the moist middle.”
“I could have guessed that.”
Riley sipped her coffee and watched Ana take chunks from all around the edge of the brownie until there was a stamp-sized circle left. Riley reached for this, popping it in her mouth in one bite. “I like it. Not as much as I like you, but it’s pretty close.”
“I feel that way about chocolate in general.”
Riley finished the last sip of her coffee.
Ana stood up. She stretched her arms and looked out the window. “Want to walk with me?”
They wa
lked along the road above the river, following the snaking course of it and stopping frequently to notice how low the water level was compared to the flood marks from months ago. They reached the place where the river tunneled under the road and stopped. Ana leaned on the wrought-iron fence that bordered the river bank. The water coursed ten feet below, the sound of it subdued from the roar it once was to a shushing background noise.
“I’d sign on to the bank loan. If I were one of the loan guys, that is. And I’m going to be okay with you and Tom working together.”
Ana gazed at the water. “I thought you were going to grill me about flood insurance. I had this whole argument ready.” She turned toward Riley. “But then you don’t do what I expect half of the time.”
Riley slipped her arms around Ana’s waist. “I love you.”
Ana brushed her hand across Riley’s cheek. “I love you too.” She stared at her for a moment, then leaned close and kissed her. Ana smiled. “You made me wait for that one.”
They drove back to Denver that evening. Ana fell asleep as soon as they got on the freeway, woke briefly to apologize for falling asleep and then fell asleep again. Riley parked in front of her house and gently nudged Ana awake. She jolted at Riley’s touch, then rubbed her eyes. “We’re here.”
“I slept the whole way?”
“You did,” Riley said, unfastening her seat belt. She started to get out of the car and then sank back into her seat. “Damn.” Lisa’s car was parked across the street.
“What is it?”
“Lisa’s here.” Riley turned to look at Ana. “I swear she hasn’t been by in a month. I don’t know why she’s here now.”
Ana looked up at the house and Riley followed her gaze. The light was on in her bedroom window. “Do you want to go in alone and talk to her?”
Riley shook her head. She pulled out her phone and called Lisa’s number. Her call went right to voice mail. “There’s no reason you should wait out here. Let’s just go in.”
Ana reached for Riley’s hand. “What if she’s up in your bed waiting for you?”
Riley sighed. With Lisa, that was a real possibility. “Then I will definitely want you as my backup. I swear she hasn’t been over here. At least, not while I’ve been home.”
“Did you ask her to give your key back?”
Riley shook her head. “Guess I should, huh?”
“Tom hasn’t given me his key back yet either.” Ana opened her door and glanced back at Riley. “See, there is something appealing about moving to a completely new place, isn’t there?”
Lisa had left the television on downstairs. The sound of canned laughter filled the room. Riley found the remote and turned off the show. The house smelled of microwave popcorn, and a half-eaten bag was on the sofa. Riley grabbed this as she headed toward the kitchen. She tossed it in the trash and scanned the mess on the counter. Lisa had also made a frozen pizza and eaten a quarter of it. The remainder was on the kitchen table. Ana walked over to the table. She touched the pizza crust. “It’s cold. She’s been here for a while.”
“Thank you, Sherlock,” Riley said drily. She looked up the stairs, debating the idea of suggesting they get a hotel for the night.
“Why don’t you go up alone and if I don’t hear you after five minutes, I’ll come save you,” Ana said, clasping Riley’s hand. She pulled her close and kissed her, then smiled. “Tell her your bed was already reserved.”
Riley sighed. She let go of Ana and headed upstairs. Lisa was asleep in her bed, snoring softly. She had left the bathroom lights on, but the main light over the bed was off. Riley sat down next to her. She placed her hand on Lisa’s naked shoulder and gave her a light shake.
Lisa’s eyes fluttered open and then shut. “Oh, hi.”
Riley dropped her head to her hands. Lisa’s sweet face was easier to appreciate when she was asleep than when she was awake. Riley stood up after a moment and went to turn off the bathroom lights. She picked up her phone and searched for a hotel, called the number to reserve a room, and then headed downstairs. Ana was putting the pizza in the refrigerator.
“How would you feel about spending the night with me at a hotel downtown? My parents stayed there when they came into town a few months ago just to try it out. My mom likes trendy boutique places that rarely advertise and read about this one in some online thing. I called and they have a room available.”
“Wait. You want to get a hotel room instead of kicking her out of your bed?”
Riley sighed. “I thought you probably wouldn’t like the idea.”
“No way, Riley. She can’t spend the night at your place anymore.”
“She hasn’t been here. This is the first time, I swear. I’m guessing that her mom told her I was going to the mountains and she figured I’d spend the night there.” Riley noticed Ana’s set expression and continued, “Look, I can’t do it. She’s sound asleep.”
Ana grabbed her things without saying a word. She headed for the door. Riley followed, thinking of Lisa upstairs in her bed and the fact that for a moment she’d longed to crawl into bed with her. The impulse had caught her off guard. She locked the front door and went to the car. Ana was already standing next to the passenger door. She didn’t meet Riley’s gaze.
Riley unlocked the car door. She noticed Ana’s hesitation. “It’s a nice place. You’ll like it.”
Ana sat down in the passenger seat but grabbed Riley’s keys as she started to turn the car on. “You still have a thing for her, don’t you?”
Riley leaned back in the seat. “She hasn’t been here in months, I promise you. We haven’t slept together since I don’t know when. I have no idea what she’s doing in my bed tonight, but I have nothing to do with it.”
“Tell me yes or no, Riley.”
“Nothing is going on with Lisa and me.” Riley slapped the steering wheel and a honk squeaked out in response. Riley thought again of Lisa’s sleeping face, the curve of her neck and the bump in the blankets where her naked shoulder had pushed them up. Was she telling Ana the truth? “I couldn’t go back to her after everything. Too much happened that ruined anything good that we had.”
Ana waited a long minute before responding. She had Riley’s keys still in her hand. She clicked the tiny penlight on and off a few times, sending a beam of light through the windshield. The glow was too weak to penetrate further. “You realize that you didn’t actually answer my question, right?”
“My answer is no. I’m not holding a torch.” Riley knew she couldn’t be in a relationship with Lisa again. If she thought about it long enough, she didn’t want to cuddle with her either. Riley couldn’t deny that in some ways, she was still attracted to Lisa, sometimes. But she knew the impulse she’d felt in the room wasn’t one she would actually follow through with, regardless of Ana.
“Then go send her home. She doesn’t belong in your bed anymore. And I’m not going to a hotel with you while she’s sleeping up there. When I fly out tomorrow, I don’t want to be thinking of how you are going back home to her.”
“I’m going straight to work after I drop you off.”
Ana dropped Riley’s keys into her purse. “No hotel.”
Riley knew by her tone that Ana would not change her mind. She climbed out of the car, again, and then asked for the keys. Ana fished them out. “You’re staying here?” Riley asked.
“I don’t even want to say hello to her. I don’t need to be a part of this.”
“You’re right,” Riley said. She closed the door and went back to the house. When she got up to her bedroom, she switched on the overhead lights. Lisa made no response. Riley found Lisa’s clothes, strewn about the floor and pulled the blankets back. Lisa shivered and brought her knees up to her chest. She rubbed her eyes when Riley started putting on her socks.
“What are you doing? It’s late.”
“You can’t stay here, Lisa.”
“My mom has guests tonight. It’s just for one night, Riley.”
“Your mom has a guest ro
om. They aren’t staying in your room, are they?”
“They’re using my bathroom.”
“So don’t shower.” Riley finished with the socks and found Lisa’s underwear next. She inched them up to Lisa’s knees and then started with the pants. “Why is it so much harder to get someone else dressed? It’s so easy to get someone undressed.”
Lisa rolled over and kicked off her pants. “Just come to bed, Riley. Don’t give me a hard time about one night. I’ve missed you and I wanted to cuddle. You weren’t here. I made pizza thinking you’d be home soon, but it got late and I was tired.” She reached for the blankets, pulling them up to cover her chest.
“I don’t want to cuddle with you, Lisa. Ana’s down in the car waiting. You have to go.”
Lisa opened her eyes at this. “Your Trixie is here? So you’re kicking me out because the new girl is waiting for the spot. Nice, Riley. Tell Trixie this bed is taken. I’m sure she could get paid to sleep with someone else.”
Riley gritted her teeth. Lisa called everyone she didn’t like to work with a Trixie. Even male nurses were sometimes given this title. The beauty that she’d seen in Lisa’s sleeping form was gone. Riley stood up. “You’ve got five minutes, Lisa. Get dressed and leave.”
Riley went back outside to the car. She climbed in without saying a word to Ana. Several minutes later, the light in the bedroom turned off. Riley sighed. Ana reached out and took her hand. “I know you feel like an asshole making her leave, but she broke the rules you gave her.”
Lisa emerged finally. She glanced up and down the block, then spotted Riley’s car and stared at them for a moment. She crossed the street and climbed into her car. A moment later, the lights flashed on and her engine roared. Riley looked over at Ana. Her jaw was set, and it was clear she was still upset.
Sweet, Sweet Wine Page 23