Free Something in the Wine by Jae Page A

taste?” Drew asked.
    “Uh ... wine?”
    Drew laughed. “Close your eyes.”
    Annie hesitated.
    “Come on.” Drew flashed the charming smile that probably got her whatever she wanted most of the time. “Try it. Close your eyes and take another sip.”
    Slowly, Annie lifted the glass to her lips again and closed her eyes. She focused on the layers of flavor as the wine wet her tongue.
    “What do you taste?” Drew asked again.
    When Annie opened her eyes, she met Drew’s gaze. “It tastes a bit like lime.”
    “Very good.” Drew beamed at her as if she had predicted the winning lottery numbers. “Are you ready for the next wine?”
    * * *
    Half an hour later, they had progressed through three more white wines and four different red wines.
    Drew smiled as she watched Annie. With every sample Drew poured, Annie’s cheeks reddened more and her eyes became more glazed. She had repeatedly told Annie that it was perfectly fine if she wanted to spit out the wine after tasting it, but Annie apparently thought it impolite to spit out wine with the vintner watching.
    “So,” Drew asked when Annie set down her empty glass, “which one did you like best?”
    “The last one,” Annie said without hesitation.
    “You’ve got great taste. That was a thirty-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon.”
    “Your father’s favorite.”
    Drew smiled, pleased that Annie remembered. Dad would have liked her. The thought was bittersweet.
    “May I ask where he ...?” Annie looked around as if searching for Drew’s father.
    The smile faded. “He died this spring. Probably missed my mother too much. She died last winter.”
    Annie squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, the color of her eyes had darkened to a mossy green. “I’m so sorry.”
    “It’s all right.” Drew picked up the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and two glasses. “Come on. Let’s go get the cheese from the fridge and sit on the patio. You ordered the vegetarian lasagna in the restaurant, so I assume you eat dairy products, just not meat, right?”
    Annie stared at her for a moment as if she was surprised that Drew remembered what she had ordered, then she nodded and followed Drew to the kitchen.
    * * *
    Twilight had settled over the lake. The rows of vines threw long shadows down the hills. A cool breeze ruffled Annie’s hair and Cab’s fur. The dog had settled down across Drew’s feet after licking up crumbs of bread and cheese that fell off the table. The waterfall gurgled on the other side of the lake. Below the stone patio, water splashed whenever fish broke through the surface to see if there were more of the bread crumbs Drew had tossed into the water.
    Annie settled back in her chair, a glass of Cabernet in her hand, and enjoyed the peaceful feeling. Her mind was pleasantly buzzed, and her thoughts drifted lazily like the leaves drifting on the lake.
    As darkness fell, the temperatures dropped and Annie shivered in her thin blouse.
    “Are you cold?” Drew asked. She seemed comfortable, even with her sleeves rolled halfway up her forearms. “Want to go inside?”
    “No, it’s nice out here. I’m fine.” Annie realized she had to focus to pronounce her words clearly. I’d better lay off the wine .
    After studying Annie for a few moments, Drew shook her head. “I’ll get you a jacket.” She stood and disappeared into the house. A minute later, she returned. As Annie leaned forward to set her glass on a small table, Drew settled a jacket across Annie’s shoulders.
    “Thank you.” Annie slid her arms into the jacket sleeves. The jacket was a bit short, and she drew the fabric more tightly around herself. The movements made the world around her spin. She grabbed the armrests of the chair until the spinning stopped. The scent of Drew’s perfume drifted up from the jacket’s collar, mingling with the aroma of the wine.
    Drew settled back into her chair and poured the rest of the red wine into her glass. “Want me to open another