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Chapter Three
Luciana
Panic spikes through my chest as Marisol’s words register in my brain. They filled the position? Shit.
“Oh.” I frown, putting all of my very real emotion into it, allowing my eyes to glitter with tears. “Is there another opening? I just moved into town and was really hoping to find something this week.”
Marisol shakes her head. “No, I’m afraid not. But I’ll keep your resume, and certainly if anything comes up, you’ll be the first on my list to call.”
She offers a sympathetic smile before walking away.
Damn it to hell. Now what am I supposed to do?
Well, just because I didn’t get the job doesn’t mean I can’t scope out the winery. In all my years on the stage, I’ve learned that sometimes you have to improvise.
I straighten my shoulders and approach the front desk again. The same staff who greeted me before smiles. Her nametag says Briana. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, Briana, thanks.” I return the smile. “Apparently the job I applied for has already been filled, but I drove all the way out here, so I think I’ll do a tasting. Or maybe the winery tour if you have openings today?”
Briana nods. “You can definitely head out to the patio bar, that’s open to the public and we sell wine flights. The tour is sold out for the day, however.”
“No worries,” I say, not letting her second comment dim my smile. “A flight sounds fabulous.”
She gestures toward the side door I’d seen before, and I make my way out to the patio. It sits between two wings of the enormous building. From having studied this place extensively, I already know one wing holds the spa and restaurant, and the other houses the hotel. The actual winery, complete with extensive wine cellars, sits on the back side of the massive patio area.
Like the circular drive out front, the patio is bordered by lush gardens dotted with statuaries. A covered veranda runs between the two wings of the building with a long marble bar situated underneath. Small tables are sprinkled across the sunny space beyond. A trio of string musicians plays on the far side of the patio, and beyond all that, a grassy lawn leads down behind the winery to a lake.
I’d told Briana I wanted a flight, but the inklings of an idea are forming in my head. So, instead of heading to the bar, I veer off onto the open patio. I pick an empty table situated in the center next to a small fountain and sit down, cross one leg over the other, and lean back as if I haven’t a care in the world.
From here, dead center of the patio, I have an excellent vantage point of the outdoor area, as well as the people coming and going in both wings of the building. I can also see the actual winery a few hundred yards away. I know they have several private rooms and offices in that building as well, which is where I’m betting the Night Guild summit is going to be hosted.
Within a few minutes, a waitress comes by and I order a glass of the Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs, one of their more expensive sparkling wines. I people-watch while I wait for it, mostly keeping my eyes on the winery. I watch as a tour group of a dozen or so people enters the far right side of the building, which tells me the private rooms are on the opposite side. Movement catches my eye through one of the windows on the second floor.
The waitress drops off my wine and I take a sip. It’s delicious. I can taste honeysuckle and a citrus tang, crisp and refreshing out in the sun, which is warm even for winter. Outright balmy compared to Scotland, that’s for sure. I close my eyes to enjoy it for a moment. To forget that I’m on an extremely deadly and dangerous mission in the midst of a bunch of demons.
When I open my eyes again a moment later, I have my first stroke of luck.
Because in the distance, at the winery where I’d been focusing my attention, I see a figure step outside. Even from a ways away, I can tell in an instant who it is, because I’ve been internet stalking him for weeks. Grey suit. Designer sunglasses. The flash of something really expensive on his wrist.
Sebastian Black.
The idea that had been percolating in my brain spins into solidity. I know what I need to do. It’s something I’ve done a hundred times, something that comes naturally to me after all my years on the stage.
Sometimes all a girl needs to do is step into the spotlight.
