Before they could argue further, she shifted the car into gear and drove away.
The entire ride to Phantom Bar felt painfully slow.
Every red light seemed longer than usual, and more than once she found herself glancing at the clock, silently willing traffic to move faster.
By the time she finally arrived, anticipation was bubbling inside her so strongly that she could hardly contain it.
The moment she stepped through the entrance, her gaze immediately swept across the room searching for Timothy.
When she spotted him behind the counter, her entire face lit up.
"Timothy!"
She lifted both hands and waved enthusiastically as she made her way toward the bar.
The blond bartender looked up and immediately laughed.
"Well, someone seems excited."
"You have no idea."
Juliet practically hurried the rest of the way to the counter before sliding onto a stool.
Her eyes were already searching for the bottle.
"Thank you for calling me," she said sincerely, leaning forward against the bar. "Oh my God, I've been waiting forever for this."
"I know," Timothy replied with a grin. "That's why I called the moment it arrived."
Reaching beneath the counter, he pulled out a bottle and placed it in front of her.
Juliet's eyes locked onto it immediately.
Every ounce of her attention followed the bottle as Timothy uncorked it and tilted it over a waiting glass.
The deep red wine flowed smoothly into the crystal glass, and Juliet watched with almost embarrassing concentration, her fingers curling around the edge of the counter while she waited.
Timothy glanced at her and chuckled.
"You look like you've been stranded in the desert."
"I practically have been."
The moment he slid the glass toward her, Juliet reached for it without hesitation.
She wrapped both hands around the stem and lifted it carefully.
Before she even tasted it, the familiar scent drifted toward her.
Her expression softened instantly.
For a brief moment, she simply closed her eyes and breathed it in.
Then she finally took a sip.
The second the wine touched her tongue, her eyes fluttered shut again.
A contented sigh escaped her lips.
