“No doubt about it.”
“Are you going to use the sweet bun recipe for the show?”
“Hold your tongue, devil. Didn’t you hear me? It’s our family legacy. That one’s staying in my mind vault.” And no smooth-talking, executive producer was going to extract the sweet bun recipe from her. “I already have some other ideas for my new desserts. That’s why I wanted us to go wine tasting today. Mostly, ports and dessert wines. I have to make sure I can find the wines I imagined for the recipes.”
She had a lot of work to do if she didn’t want to embarrass herself on national television. Aubrey pinched her bottom lip and squished it between her fingers. A nervous habit.
“While the early bird may get the worms, there are no such advantages for humans when it comes to wine.” Landon gently drew her hand away from her mouth and gave it a squeeze. Some of her panic subsided at his quiet reassurance. “Most tasting rooms don’t open until 10:00A.M.Let’s go get some breakfast. You’re going to need some food in your stomach to absorb all the alcohol you’ll be consuming today.”
Aubrey had been swishing a sip of red wine in her mouth for the last two minutes, waiting for Landon to turn his head. Her teeth were probably stained purple. While the spittoon was widely used in the tasting rooms, she was too embarrassed to spit in front of him. But she couldn’t swallow either.
As luck would have it, this particular wine made Aubrey queasy. It wasn’t bad wine. Objectively speaking, she had to admit that it was very good wine, but the bouquet held too much tobacco for her taste. It was like breathing in fumes from an exhaust pipe.
When he stepped away after an eternity, she spat the lukewarm wine into the spittoon.Blah.She poured herself a cup of water from the communal jug and rinsed her mouth before chugging the rest of it down. Her nausea soon passed, and she moved on to the next wine on the tasting list.
Landon hadn’t been exaggerating. They were only on their third winery, and Aubrey felt a bit warm, even though she’d been spitting out the wine. The stress and exhaustion of the last couple of months must’ve taken a physical toll on her. She was wiped out. It was awesome how generous the pours were, but her alcohol tolerance was nonexistent at the moment.
“Ready?” Landon was by her side again.
Aubrey gave him a closed-lipped smile and a nod, and he guided her outside with a hand on her back. She was light-headed and way too warm. Could she get tipsy from the wine residue left from her tastings? That didn’t make sense.
By the fifth winery, she utilized the spittoon without restraint. She’d rather have Landon see her spit than give hermouth extra time to absorb the wine. When they were done with the tasting, the light pressure of his hand on her back said it was time to head to the next winery. She almost asked him to take her home, but she had too much work left to do.
Something felt off when they stepped out of the tasting room.Why is it so bright?Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut. Forgetting her eyes were closed, she kept walking and then stumbled on some steps.
“Whoa.” Landon caught her by the arm so she didn’t face-plant onto the sidewalk. She was mystified. Those steps came out of nowhere. “Are you okay?”
“Just peachy. Thank you.”
She lifted her foot to step down the last stair, but her foot hit the ground too soon. Aubrey repeated the motion a few more times with the same result. Her face scrunched up as she stared down at her feet in consternation.
Oh.She was already at the bottom of the stairs. Aubrey giggled into her hands. She’d been toeing the ground like a horse scraping its hoof.
Landon cupped her elbow and tugged her toward his car.He issohandsome.She sighed and smiled dreamily at him, waiting for his dimple to appear. She pouted when he didn’t deliver, and his brows knit together.His frowny face is scorching hot.
“Should we call it quits, or do you want another go after lunch?”
“There are more than two hundred wineries here, and you said you have meetings set up for the next couple days.” Aubrey gave Landon her sternest look. Well, she tried to give him a stern look, but he kept circling his head around and around.How is he even doing that?She couldn’t believe he was messing around at a time like this. This wasn’t a vacation. She was going to be on TV, for heaven’s sake.
“I know you’re going to be on TV. I’m the one who asked you.” He was suspiciously placating.
Wait. How does he know what I’m thinking?
“Because you’re thinking out loud.”
“I have to taste as many wines as possibletoday,” she said out loud since he could read her mind.
“Your professionalism and dedication are admirable,” he murmured as he gingerly lowered her onto the passenger seat. She had no idea how they’d teleported to his car.
Something about his droll comment made her think he was making fun of her, but the whole situation was so hilarious she burst out laughing again. He swiped his hand down his face.
“Food and lots of water. That’s what you need.”
Aubrey avoided Landon’s eyes as she diligently worked on her flat iron steak. She hoped the protein would soak up the alcohol in her system. There couldn’t be much, but her spent systems thought it was enough to get her light-headed and goofy.
She didn’t even know where they were. Landon had brought her to the restaurant while she’d dozed in the car, and by the time the fog of sleep cleared from her head, they were having lunch in a domed wine cellar. It was a lovely place. Cream-colored ceramic tiles covered the walls, and warm sconces of muted light surrounded their table.
Landon had ordered the plat du jour—flat iron steak with chimichurri sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes—for the two of them. She bristled at his high-handedness but didn’t object because she’d been planning to order the same thing.
