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Me: Now I’m intrigued...
C.Grizwold: It was blueballs.
I’m immediately laughing because he would have totally ended up in the pile of rejects. I’m sure if I had let Lauren or Jack set up my profile, I would’ve ended up with something horrible too.
Me: You are absolutely right that I would’ve never given you a chance, which would’ve been a serious letdown.
C.Grizwold: It would’ve been pretty disappointing if I had known you were who I’d meet.
He’s sweet but not over the top in the way that most asshole guys are in the beginning. They butter you up and make you think they’re amazing when in reality they’re huge jerks who give no fucks about you.
C.Grizwold: Well, when I say meet I mean virtually since we haven’t actually met.
Me: I’ve had better conversations with you than I have with most guys I’ve met in person. It’s a nice change. What are you up to tonight?
C.Grizwold: Not much. I was about to eat dinner and then read a little.
Me: Oh, you read? Not the norm I’d say. What are you reading?
C.Grizwold: Something for work so don’t get too excited that I’m some intellectual who can have philosophical conversations with you.
I’m just about to ask him what he does for a living, but I catch myself. It’s hard not to ask those basic questions that allow you to get to know someone, but in the end, they aren’t really important. It’s small talk that’s meant to make meeting someone easier, but with this guy, it’s different. I don’t want to do the basics. I want to learn more.
Me: What’s something you always wanted to learn but never did?
It doesn’t take me long to come up with a list of questions. Part of my job while working in the tasting room is to engage customers, make them feel comfortable as if they’re chatting with a friend. In the end the main goal of my job is to sell wine. It’s plain and simple. It’s not even to bring people into the tasting room or to get them to try a few sips of wine. It’s literally to sell them bottles and bottles of wine because we don’t make money on tastings. We make money on bottles.
But no one wants to buy something from that sleazy salesperson. We all know the one and just thinking about it makes me annoyed. It’s rare for me to go into explicit detail about how the wine is produced or what flavor notes a person may taste when sampling. I give them a quick rundown and then I just talk. I talk as if we’re old friends, making them comfortable, making sure they’re having a good time.
And before they even realize it, they’re walking out the door with several bottles of wine and a smile on their face.
C.Grizwold: I’ve always wanted to learn how to play guitar. I guess when I was growing up I was always shy and quiet. It didn’t really fit with who I was so I never bothered to pursue it. How about you?
Me: I guess I would say snowboarding. I grew up in Massachusetts and while I learned how to snow ski, I never learned to snowboard. Like the badass kind in the mountains. I think my parents thought I would die so they kept me on the bunny hills. And maybe beekeeping too.
C.Grizwold: A reckless one, huh?
Me: I wouldn’t say that. I think I just always felt stifled. It’s how I ended up in Napa. I feel like I can breathe here.
C.Grizwold: I grew up in the area so I don’t have that kind of love for it, but I know what you mean. I love all the land.
Me: Me too.
C.Grizwold: So, do you have another question for us?
Me: I have lots of questions, but I guess my biggest ones will have to wait. I’m totally trying to picture what you look like and asking probably defeats the purpose of the app, right?
C.Grizwold: I’m doing the same, but I guess we joined this app for a reason.
We finish out the night with a few more fun questions, getting to know each other a little better and it’s fun. The time passes quickly and before I know it’s almost midnight. I’m not usually one to stay up late, more the early riser. I guess I’ll see how that plays out tomorrow. Hopefully I’m not too tired.
When my alarm goes off at a quarter to six, I remind myself that I had a great time last night, but it still doesn’t help how dead ass tired I feel. I’m not old and most twenty-three-year-olds are probably dragging themselves home from the club about now, but not me. I’m up early to go for a run and then head into work.
Lauren and I are meeting early to continue the plans for Apple Jacks. It’s easier to meet when the winery and vineyard are closed to the public. It’s not like I work in the tasting room every single day, and today I’m actually off. I’m sure people would think I was crazy if they knew I enjoyed spending my days off at the vineyard. But I want to be involved in the planning and helping Lauren. I don’t look at this as work.
When I walk up to the office, Olivia and Oscar are running around outside, giggling and pushing each other. Ellen’s kids are pretty much the funniest kids I’ve ever met and even though I’m only twenty-three, they’ve changed my mind about wanting kids.
I used to think it was far too much work. I’d watch parents here at the vineyard and their kids would be screaming and running away from them. That’s the last thing I needed to deal with in my already chaotic life, but then I started to realize parenting is what you put into it.
