Destiny and a Bottle of Merlot

by Bria Marche

  The chimes on Sasha’s grandfather clock rang out twelve times as the party dispersed. The house was spotless, as if a party never happened. The only evidence that remained was the volume of leftovers in the refrigerator. Everyone pitched in with the cleanup and they enjoyed a glass of wine together before saying good night.

  “Wow, you people really know how to throw a party.” Josh complimented Sasha on the successful evening. “Are they always that nice?”

  “The parties or the people?” Sasha asked, as she put the leash on sleepy little Kismet. One more trip outside and Kismet would be good for the night.

  “I’ll go with you. I guess I meant both. You have great friends, Sasha. They’re very loyal to you.”

  They stepped outside, leading Kismet to a grassy area. “I’m really blessed, Josh. The parties are always nice and my friends? I can’t even imagine my life without them.”

  They walked together in the chill of the night, their breath visible in the crisp November air. Sasha shook from the cold and Josh wrapped his arm around her to offer warmth. The full moon created moon shadows of themselves on the sidewalk. Kismet finished, and they hurried inside. Josh added another log to the fire as Sasha put Kismet to bed.

  “Would you like another glass of wine before you leave?”

  “That sounds nice, thanks.” Side by side, they sat at the dining room table, mesmerized by the flickering fire and the sound of an occasional pop, followed by a sizzle. They shared an empty chair with their legs, putting their feet up and relaxing. The warmth near their feet felt good. “I admire you, Sasha. You’ve been through a lot lately. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

  “Josh, you’ve done so much for me already. There’s just one thing you haven’t done, but I wish you would.”

  “Really? Whatever it is, I’ll do it if I can.”

  “Kiss me.”

  A surprised smile crossed his face. “Can we stand? I want to do this properly.”

  He offered his hand to Sasha, and she reached out and took it. They stood in front of the fireplace, with the crackling flames warming their bodies, and kissed. Real kisses, slow at first, but the passion increased with every flick of their tongues. The fire between them became as intense as the one next to them. The lust they shared and growing love, couldn’t be denied. Josh ran his fingers through Sasha’s short, blonde hair and pulled her even closer. Their mouths searched frantically, hungry for the next kiss. Josh sat on the chair with Sasha on his lap. She leaned in and kissed him, drinking in his taste and scent. She was in deep, and wanted Josh Redmond. He wanted her just as much. Josh did everything he could think of to show Sasha he’d changed, and was now worthy of her attention. He was a different man, just like she was a different woman.

  He lifted Sasha and carried her to the couch, setting her down gently. Josh took off his shirt, exposing his hard body and muscular abs. He kissed her neck and full lips, but wanted more.

  “Sasha?”

  “I want you, Josh, I really do.” She stood and unzipped her dress, letting it slide down her body to the floor.

  He lowered her panties and unhooked her bra. She was naked and vulnerable. Josh stared at her beauty, longing for her. His belt hit the floor along with his jeans, releasing his waiting manhood. He caressed Sasha’s thighs and breasts as he lay her on the couch and made love to her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vic’s house was full of chatter. The beer bottles clinked together as Mario carried three of them to the living room and handed them out.

  “Thanks, bro,” Vic said. “So what do you guys make of the Sasha-Josh thing? Are they destined to become a couple or what?” She chuckled at the thought of Sasha really being interested in Josh in a romantic way.

  “Who knows? I’m new to this crowd. You guys paint him as a womanizing jerk, but he’s pretty nice to Sasha. It seems like he cares about her, and he’s been giving her a hand with the remodeling. Let’s see how it plays out,” Max said.

  “You’re right, honey. I just don’t want to see her get hurt, that’s all. She’s so happy now.” Vic finished her beer and took the empty bottle into the kitchen.

  Max followed her and nuzzled the back of her neck as she stood at the sink. “You tired?”

  “I’m never too tired for you, babe,” she replied.

  Max led her down the hallway by the hand as Vic called out to Mario. “Night, bro, see you in the morning.”

  “Yep, wake me up when breakfast is ready.”

  Vic yelled back, “Yeah, yeah, dork.”

  They lay in bed together, the ceiling light dimmer turned down low. Max was almost completely healed, his scars just thin white lines and barely noticeable. The slight limp remained, but his leg strength was back to normal. He leaned over Vic, resting on his elbows as he kissed her eyelids and nose. She smiled.

  “I love you, Vic,” he whispered. He nibbled her earlobe, then moved down her neck to her breasts. He flicked her nipples with his tongue, sending small shockwaves throughout her body. Vic moaned with pleasure. He continued lower, stopping briefly to kiss her navel. Vic arched her back with ecstasy when Max found that perfect spot between her legs. He lingered, licking and kissing her inner thighs, knowing how much she loved it. “Let me pleasure you to perfection, Vic.” Max’s tongue sent Vic over the top as she climaxed over and over again.

  Vic straddled Max and lowered herself on his throbbing shaft. He pulled her down and squeezed her butt, as she rode him to his own orgasm. Muffling their excitement was difficult, but necessary with Mario just down the hall. Vic giggled as she dropped her head on Max’s chest. “This does work better when we’re alone.”

  “Ya think?” he said, with a grin.

  Vic played with the sexy hairs just below Max’s navel as she lay next to him. “I love you, Max Cole.” She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his chest. They fell asleep together, their bodies intertwined.

  ***

  Mia walked from room to room trying to decide what she wanted to keep and what she didn’t. Aaron’s house was already fully furnished with beautiful antiques. Other than a few precious items that were in her family and passed down to her, there wasn’t a lot she cared about. Luckily, Jack didn’t bring much to their marriage that she needed to dispose of. Most of his belongings were long gone or thrown out already. There was the basement to deal with too. She hoped there wasn’t much down there other than the Christmas decorations. The basement was the one area that gave Mia the creeps. Aaron can check it out, she thought. Emptying out one room and using that area for things she wanted to keep seemed reasonable. The rest would be fair game at the estate sale she planned to have. Mia wondered if Karen spoke to a Realtor yet. It was time to give her a call.

  “Hey, woman, what’s up? How about lunch? My treat. We can talk more about the house situation too.”

  “That sounds great. Morey’s at noon?”

  “You got it, sister, see you then.”

  Mia started the process of clearing the smallest bedroom, and then systematically using that space for the things she would take to Aaron’s house. Just going through closets and drawers proved to be more time consuming than she thought. She had to check everything. Old photos and letters needed to be looked at and reread. Mia laughed out loud at some of the crazy things she came across. This is going to take forever. Some of this stuff just needs to be thrown in totes for now.

  Mia called Sasha. She had time to spare, it was only ten-thirty. “Hey, girl, are you free? I need a favor.” Mia gulped down the half cup of cold coffee she rediscovered on the bedroom windowsill.

  “Sure, what’s going on?”

  “I need you and your truck. I have to buy some totes. It’s time to start clearing out things, but it’s the small stuff that takes forever. I think throwing junk in totes and going through it at another time will help the process move along faster.”

  “I hear you. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Out.” Sasha threw on a pair of carpenter jeans and a p
ink sweatshirt. She checked her reflection in the mirror and laughed out loud from pure joy. Who am I, and what happened to the narcissistic model I used to be? She jumped in the truck and took off toward Mia’s house, making sure to put on her sunglasses.

  Sasha pulled into Mia’s driveway and honked the horn. Two short beeps followed by a long one.

  Mia grabbed the truck door and stepped up on the running board. “Hey, sister. It still kills me every time I see you behind the wheel of this monster truck.” Mia laughed as she climbed in and closed the door. “Do you want to have lunch with Karen and me? We’re meeting at Morey’s at noon.”

  “Sure, why not?” Sasha back down the driveway and headed north toward Home Depot.

  It was just after noon when they scored a booth at the far back corner of Morey’s. They got lucky. The lunch crowd usually had every table and booth taken. Most days between noon and one, you might find a single barstool empty, and nothing more.

  “Sasha, I didn’t know you were joining us,” Karen said, as they sat down.

  The menus were already on the table, but the chalkboard showed the daily lunch specials. Lena came by and took their drink orders as they paged through the menus.

  “Yep, last minute idea. Mia and I went to Home Depot to get a bunch of totes for the things she doesn’t have time to go through right now.”

  “Smart idea. So spill.” Karen looked at Sasha with a smile on her face.

  Mia joined in with a devious grin.

  Three beers were delivered to the table, already cracked open with glasses at their sides. Mia poured hers into the glass.

  “Spill what?”

  “Don’t be coy, we aren’t falling for it,” Karen said, her eyes twinkling.

  “Fine… what do you want to know, Nosey Rosie?”

  “Did Josh stay overnight after the party? And if he did, where did he sleep?” Mia had a slight glint of drool showing from the side of her mouth.

  Sasha handed her a napkin. “Wipe your mouth before that drool hits the table.”

  Their eyes were locked on Sasha. They weren’t going to let her wiggle out of this one.

  “Okay… he stayed over, and we kissed.”

  “And?”

  “And we did it too. There… are you both happy? You’re like friggin dogs with a bone, I swear.”

  Mia did a fist pump. Karen pouted and reached in her purse, pulling out a five dollar bill. She reluctantly handed it to Mia’s greedy fingers. Mia snatched it out of her hand with a huge laugh and an “I told you so” smirk on her face.

  “What the hell was that?” Sasha asked, already knowing the answer, and appalled at the thought of her friends betting on her.

  “You know damn well what that was,” Mia said, as she bit into a ketchup coated French fry. “At least tell us if he’s any good.”

  “I’m not telling you shit. You two are nothing but sex trolls.”

  The three burst out laughing and clinked their beer bottles together. “You know it, babe,” Mia said.

  Back at Mia’s house, they carried the four totes inside and set them in the empty room. Karen closely checked the house and the way it was laid out. She really liked Mia’s backyard, being perfect for entertaining. Buying the house of a close friend had its benefits. Mia and Aaron could both help Karen out with anything that might come up. The size was just right at 2,300 square feet, plus a two car garage. The nicest benefit was the fact that Karen would be near her best friends, and the taxes and insurance were much lower in Tarrytown than Greenwich.

  “You know, Mia, the more I’m here, the more I like this place. It’s cozy and inviting. There isn’t much I’d have to change.”

  “Have you talked to a Realtor yet about your house?” Sasha asked.

  “Yeah and they’ve already done a walk through and given me comps to look over. He’s thinking about $670,000 as a starting point. That sounds reasonable to me.”

  “Even with the commission you’d pay, there would still be money left over, that is, if you wanted to buy my house. Is the market pretty good in Greenwich?” They sat outside as they talked. In the wind sheltered backyard, in the sun, it was warm and comfortable.

  “Yeah, surprisingly. Big shots take the train into the city every day to work, but they don’t want to live in Manhattan. Who can blame them? My house would probably be considered a great price for those high rollers. I’m going to go ahead, Mia. I’ll tell the Realtor to list my house. I want to live in Tarrytown where my best friends are.”

  “How exciting. When are you moving into Aaron’s house, Mia?” Sasha asked.

  “Depends on how available your Tundra and all my friends are,” Mia said, laughing. “How’s next weekend?”

  ***

  Moving weekend was upon them. The plan was to hold an estate sale on Saturday and do the moving on Sunday. Anything that didn’t sell at the estate sale would be donated to charity after Mia gave first dibs to her friends. The quantity of things Mia needed to move was relatively small considering she was moving into a fully furnished home already. Other than her clothes, totes filled with memorabilia and the antiques given to her by her grandparents, there wasn’t much else to take to Aaron’s house except Reggie.

  Luckily the weather cooperated, and the sun was shining brightly. Mia laid drop cloths on the carpeting throughout the house anyway just so there wouldn’t be dirt spread about with the quantity of buyers coming through. The sale began at eight o’clock Saturday morning. The ladies did the schmoozing with the customers, while the men carried purchases out to the cars. A large urn of fresh coffee and cups sat in the foyer, drawing people in with the delicious aroma.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind parting with all this stuff, honey?” Aaron asked, as he took a short break.

  “Not a bit. There isn’t anything I’m selling that holds memories or special feelings for me. I’m glad to get rid of it. Less is more, or something like that,” she said. She kissed him and whispered in his ear. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I love you so much.”

  He held her tightly and kissed her forehead. “Oh, gotta go help Mrs. Lenard load her car.” Aaron looked back at Mia and gave her a wink.

  The sale ended at five-thirty. The house looked surprisingly empty, indicating that the sale was a huge success. Even the garage was cleared out except for Mia’s bike and car.

  “That went well,” Mia said, as she found the phone number for Joe’s Pizza on her cell. Everyone collapsed on the floor since the kitchen table and chairs were sold. “This isn’t going to work, we don’t have anywhere to sit and eat. C’mon let’s go to Joe’s, my treat.”

  The bed of Sasha’s truck was loaded to the top Sunday morning when they made the first trip to Aaron’s house. An old tarp found in the garage worked perfectly to cover the contents. It was secured by ropes so nothing could escape and tumble down the road. The process was repeated two more times, and by three o’clock Mia’s old house stood empty.

  After a thorough cleaning and carpet washing, Karen would move in. By early December, the girls would all live within a few miles of each other.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sasha had to pee. It was barely light outside, she guessed around seven a.m. She turned her head ever so slowly to look at Josh. Good, he’s sound asleep. Still using the twin bed, she had to pry her arm out from underneath him to escape and get to the bathroom. He muttered something and rolled over. Her arm was free. She tiptoed to the master bath. Sasha brushed her teeth while she was in there. No reason to have dragon breath if Josh wants to kiss me when he wakes up. She opened the door, intending to sneak back to bed. The loud, long squeak of the door hinges made him stir.

  “Hey, babe, good morning. What’s going on?”

  “I had to pee, that’s all,” she said, with her head peeking around the side of the door. Sasha zeroed in on her bathrobe lying on the floor next to the bed. The sun was breaking the horizon, and blazing through the French doors of the balcony. She forgot to close the drapes la
st night. She knew from modeling, how shadows and harsh light can make one’s face and body look like crap. Damn it. “Josh, would you mind putting the blankets over your head for a minute?”

  “What the hell for?” he asked, grinning. “Are we playing some kind of kinky game?”

  “No, I’m just shy. It’s twenty feet from the bathroom to the bed, and I know you’d be gawking at me the entire way.”

  “You’re damn right I would be,” he said, with a full laugh.

  “Please?”

  “Since when are you shy? Weren’t you Sasha Renaud, the famous supermodel that used to strut the catwalks of Milan, Paris and New York in front of hundreds of people? Weren’t they all staring at you?”

  “Uh huh… but I had clothes on then. I’m Martha now, remember? I can be shy if I want to. That’s part of my new persona… to be shy.”

  “That’s what I love about you, Sasha. You can be smart as a whip, then turn on a dime, and be as quirky and crazy as they come. Okay, shy girl, my head is going under the blankets.”

  Josh heard the pitter-patter of feet running toward the bed. She giggled the entire way and almost bounced him right out on the floor when she dove in and snuggled under the blankets.

  He laughed out loud as he grabbed the headboard. “You’re crazy, but I love you.”

  Josh and Sasha lounged in bed being lazy. It was a cold, blustery Saturday, and they had no good reason to go outside other than a quick walk with Kismet, and Josh took care of that. The small TV on the dresser was playing Casablanca and the table next to the bed held snacks galore. With pillows propped up behind her back, and her tablet on her lap, Sasha scoured the internet for information about starting a small vineyard.

  “It says here we should take some soil samples and have them tested to make sure grapes can even grow here.”

  “Really? Who does the testing?”

  “Um… let’s see. I guess I need to contact the local Agriculture Extension Office, wherever that is. We need to dig a few holes at different depths and put the dirt in plastic zipper bags. That doesn’t sound hard. It needs to be done now before the ground is frozen. Then, we need to till up the extra lot. Damn it! I should have done all this already. My dad will know more, he has a vineyard.”