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She poured sparkling wine into two glasses and handed one to me, smelling the wine deeply and then holding the glass up to the light, tilting it back and forth. Then she smiled, taking a small sip from her glass. I did the same. It was much sweeter than I was used to and I tried not to wince. “Too sweet?”
“For me, yes.”
“How about this one?” She handed me a fresh glass and, pouring the wine in, a still white this time, repeated the process of holding it up to the light, then swirled it with a deft flick of her wrist before tasting it. “Hmm, too dry, yes?”
I almost coughed. “Yeah.”
“Perhaps this one is more to your taste.” Another fresh glass. Another bottle of wine. This one was light pink and a little fizzy. Still too sweet for my taste. “You like this one?”
“It’s… okay…” I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a test, and I had no way of knowing if I was passing with flying colors or failing miserably.
“But still not quite right. This one, I think, this is the one for you.” It was a full-bodied red, very strong, but it finished with a hint of sweetness and it was velvety soft on my tongue.
“Ah, yes, you like this one. I thought you might. It surprises you, doesn’t it? The sweetness? Because it’s hiding in there. It’s complex, the perfect blend of strong and sweet. There are only a few who truly appreciate its beauty, because most only see its strength, so they miss the softness.”
“I see.” I think I did, anyway. Maybe.
Patting my cheek, she smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” Despite the smile, I could see she was watching me closely. “I’m going to go and sit with my husband now.”
“Okay.”
Before she went out, she reached over and turned the wine bottle around, so the label was facing me.Tesorrucia.That was the name of the red wine I’d liked so much. A smile curved my lips. Subtle, Giulia. Very subtle.
CHAPTER36
Gabe
“Say good night to Allegra, Jesse.” I smiled as Jesse got out of the truck with a big yawn.
“Aww, I thought she was sleeping over.”
“I can’t tonight, kiddo, sorry. I have to open the restaurant early in the morning. Did you like the party, though?”
“Yeah. I’ve got Ben and Ollie on Roblox now, so we can play.”
“Awesome!”
“Go inside and brush your teeth, bud. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay. Good night.”
“Night, kiddo.”
We watched Jesse head inside, then I walked Ally to her car, my heart almost bursting to say the words I knew she didn’t want to hear.
“I hope today didn’t freak you out too much.”
“Not tootoomuch, no,” I chuckled.
“But a bit.”
“Well, yeah, I meanZiaVittoria is a formidable woman.”
Laughing lightly, she put her hand on my chest, tilting her face up for a kiss.
I obliged, cupping the back of her head, brushing my lips lightly across hers.I love you.
“I’ve got a busy few days coming up, but I’ll let you know when I’m… free.” She waggled her eyebrows.
