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I shouldn’t pry into his life. He wouldn’t like it.
At noon, I pulled on the outfit I chose: a pair of black leggings and a sweater from Express. There was no way I was going out in a dress again in the middle of November. Thanksgiving was in a week, Natalie would have itoff, and she’ddouble the effort to make me to go with her this year. I kept my appearance simple with mascara and lip-gloss.
The black Mercedes rolled up against the curb at two o’clock sharp. The magical carriage has arrived to take Cinderella to the ball. Shrugging on my wool coat, I opened the door and entered the stinging air. The same driver from the night prior stepped out and opened the passenger door for me
“Thanks.” I beamed at him as I ducked inside the heated car. I would never get used to this.
He tipped his black cap. “Not at all,” he said.
The familiar feeling of being caught in a wonderful, absurd dream was overwhelming, and I giggled as he closed the door. A town car a billionaire hired whisked me away from my crappy apartment and its crumbling streets.
Don’t get carried away, I reminded myself. This could all end today, leaving me with nothing but memories.
The driver glanced at me in the rear-view mirror, and I wondered what kind of life he had.
“I never caught your name, sir.”
“It’s Jim.”
“I’m Jessica. Nice to meet you.”
My hands fidgeted in my lap. He was wondering why the hell Luke asked him to pick up a girl from a Section 8 apartment complex.
I made a few comments about the weather just to make the drive a little less awkward. The discussion changed to BART strikes, and we found camaraderie in the topic. Then I ran out of things to talk about.
“Whoa.”
A magnificent building loomed over us as Jim turned into the road leading to Opus One Winery. It sat on a deep green lawn elevated on all sides like a pyramid. Fields of grape vines surrounded the whole area. The cream-colored limestone made it shine like a small sun in the late afternoon.
The driver stopped the car in the winery’s parking space and opened my door. “Mr. Pardini will be waiting for you inside.”
“Thank you, Jim.”
What a beautiful place. Out of all the Californian wines, Opus One was the most hyped. If I could rate a wine based on how beautiful the winery was, Opus One would score a perfect ten. My heels echoed within the high-ceilinged walls after I walked through the massive brown doors and stepped into the winery. Like the interior of Mediterranean villa, itwith golden light and colorful flowers spilled from vases. The rich architectural details on the archways mesmerized me.
“Can I help you?”
I turned to a woman dressed in a white blouse and black slacks.
“Yes, I’m supposed to meet Mr. Pardini here.”
“Oh, you must be Jessica. Please follow me.”
I followed her around the sweeping circular hall. The winery was like a giant disc, and she walked along a stretch of private room hidden behind glass doors. Above us was a huge domewhere the sun filtered through the second floor’s terrace
My heart gave a sudden squeeze as I recognized Luke seated on a white leather sofa. Dressed in pristine khakis and a sky-blue sweater, he stared at a pile of paper alongside a glass of wine on the coffee table.
Definitely more casual and laid back than the night at the restaurant.
He didn’t notice us when we approached and only looked up when the woman rapped on the glass.
The same polite look flicked on his face as he waved me inside. Was it me, or was his smilestrained?
Nervous energy and laughter bubbled from my throat as Luke stood up to receive me. I stopped thinkingwhen his arm wrapped around my shoulders and his fingers lightly stroked my skin as if he’d done it a thousand times before. The shock ran down the back of my mouth like liquid heat.
When he spoke, I felt the vibrations through my body. “That’ll be all, thank you.”
The woman smiled and looked flustered as she left the room.
