“But it says closed for a private event.” Ellis pointed at the chalkboard propped out front.
“Yup. We’re part of that. It’s a tasting.”
And that’s when Ellis’s clear blue eyes lit up, and a smile blossomed wide across her face, both of which sent a flurry of flutters into the lower parts of Cherry’s body. “I’ve never been to a tasting before.” Her excitement was obvious, and Cherry silently gave herself a point, then remembered that it was actually Shea’s point.
“Never? Well, good. And this’ll be a fun one. Come on.”
They got out of the car and headed into Vineyard, a small and super classy little space that Cherry always promised to visit more often and always forgot about. It was dimly lit and made of a lot of wood—walls, tables, floor. The bar was marble in swirls of black and white, and the tables were set up in a horseshoe with seats on the outside and a small head table at the opening. Each spot held a small plate and five empty wine glasses, as well as glasses of water and silver buckets spaced every three seats. Dump buckets, Cherry thought. There were also lists and tiny golf pencils for making notes. Four people were already seated.
Inside the door stood a cute brunette in a ponytail, her energy contagious before she even said anything. “Hi there,” she said. “I’m Bridget. You have reservations?”
Cherry gave her their names and they were directed to sit wherever they wanted. She looked to Ellis, who didn’t miss a beat and walked directly to where the horseshoe curved.
“This way, we can see the presenter, and we can people-watch the others without looking like we are,” Ellis said in a whisper.
“I’m glad you have your priorities straight,” Cherry whispered back as they sat.
“We have plates, so this must be a pairing kind of thing.” Ellis picked up the paper and her eyes went wide. “No way,” she said. And could she be cuter? She grinned like a kid and very nearly bounced in her seat. “Girl Scout cookies? This is a wine and Girl Scout cookie tasting?”
“It is.” Jackpot. She owed Shea for this idea.
“Oh my God, I’m so excited.” The last word was a tiny squeal. Yeah, she owed Sheabig-time.
She arranged the glasses and used the portrait setting to take a couple cool shots before the wine or cookies came, and she planned to take several more throughout the evening.
Once all the seats were filled, a smiling blond woman stood at the small table. “I’m so happy you’re all here. My name is Lindsay, and I manage this place. Who’s in the mood for cookies and wine?”
For the next hour, they tried different Girl Scout cookies with different wines. All the pairings worked, some more successfully than others.
“Thin Mints are my favorites,” Ellis told her as she munched. “But I don’t think of mint as going very well with wine.”
“No, but chocolate does.” She swirled the semidry red in her glass, took a small bite of the cookie, then sipped. “Oh my God. So good.” Ellis was watching her, eyes slightly hooded, lips parted, and everything south of Cherry’s belly tightened, her brain sending her flashes of the two of them in bed. She felt her face heat up. Then she swallowed, cleared her throat, and had to force her eyes away.
“That was fun,” Ellis said quietly, then sipped her wine with a bite of cookie and chewed, her face all mischievous grin.
All Cherry could do was shake her head and continue to blush like a schoolgirl. What was this woman doing to her?
That’s how the evening went. Nibbling, sipping, making sexy eyes at each other. By the time they reached the fifth and final pairing, Cherry’s underwear was uncomfortably damp, and she was so turned-on, she worried anybody who gave her a glance would know instantly.
The last pairing was Lemonades and a sparkling white.
“Okay,” Lindsay instructed, “just like you’ve been doing, take a small bite of the cookie, then a sip of the sparkling, and let them sit together in your mouth for a second or two. This one’s my favorite.”
To say Cherry enjoyed looking at Ellis, watching her, observing her reactions and facial expressions, was a major understatement. She pulled out her phone and took a couple shots as Ellis followed Lindsay’s instructions. She sipped the wine, and her eyes went wide, hilariously so. Cherry laughed in response and snapped several photos. “That good, huh?”
“Oh my God.” Ellis picked up Cherry’s cookie and handed to her. “Here. Do it. It’s…I can’t even. It’s amazing.”
If Cherry hadn’t planned on partaking anyway, Ellis’s facewould’ve convinced her. Easily. It was a strange realization, that. In that moment it became clear that Ellis could probably convince her to do just about anything. Had anybody in her life held that kind of power over her?
She took a bite of the cookie, tangy and citrusy, then sipped from her flute. The sparkling was fizzy and dry and holy Moses, the combination hit her immediately. Like a slap, but in a good way. Like a sudden party in her mouth. She felt her eyes go wide, and she looked at Ellis, who was grinning.
“See? Told you. Amazing, right?”
She nodded, and when she looked around the wine bar, everybody was having a similar reaction.
“Saved the best for last, didn’t I?” Lindsay said to them, her smile knowing and very satisfied. “My fave.” She clapped her hands together once. “Okay, that concludes the tasting. Thank you so much for coming, and feel free to hang out, order yourself a full glass. All the wines you tasted are available for purchase by the bottle.” She held her arm out to the side toward the bar where a very attractive brunette stood next to Bridget from the door, both waiting. “Either Bridget or my lovely wife, Piper, will be happy to help you out.”
Cherry blinked. Vineyard was run by a same-sex couple?
