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Cal proudly pulled the wine bottle from a fancy bag at his side. “I got this baby from The Desert Bloom Winery & Bistro,” he said. “The place just opened up off Nightingale Street.”
“I think I’ve heard of it,” Alanna murmured. Her phone dinged with an incoming message. More secret little tingles. Texts from Sully were better than sitting on hot tub jets.
“Not surprising. Everyone’s been trying to get a table there,” Cal confided as he flipped a corkscrew from his pocketknife and began to open the bottle. “My father helped get the deal approved through the council. These foreign investors are hungry for deals and they aren’t afraid to spend some moola if you know what I mean.”
Their mother returned from the kitchen with wine glasses, and Cal poured into her glass first, followed by Layla’s glass. He held out the bottle to Alanna, but she shook her head.
“You sure?” he raised an eyebrow. “This place is a masterpiece. They spared no expenses. I’ve heard it’s breathtaking.” He trailed a finger down Layla’s shoulder. “I’m going to take you there soon, babe. Dad says we can drop his name and get a table anytime.”
“Oh, you know I don’t like doing that,” Layla said as she carefully forked a tiny bit of wobbling goop into her mouth.
“Nah, it’s fine. If you’ve got an advantage, use it, right?” Cal draped a possessive arm around Layla. “That’s how the world works. Anyway, we’ll get all dressed up. Maybe you can wear that little black dress I bought you for our anniversary?” Cal’s voice lowered.
Layla looked down at her ruffled pink tank top and long, checkered black-and-white skirt, her cheeks flushing. Alanna, having had the distinct displeasure of watching Layla open Cal’s “presents” during Christmas, knew his preference centered on low-cut necklines and skirts that barely covered butt cheeks.
“How’s the food?” their mother asked.
Cal stuck a forkful of food in his mouth. “Delish, Dede. Seriously. You have a gift.”
He was good. Alanna had to give him that. She forced a small amount of food into her mouth. It was somehow slimy and gritty at the same time. Chewing the minimum number of times to ensure she didn’t choke, Alanna forced the mass down her throat. She glanced down at her phone.
Trick question. The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy [ring emoji, sword emoji]
Alanna snickered to herself and typed.
Nerd. [happy face wearing glasses emoji, book emoji]
Princess. [crown emoji, ballgown emoji]
“The wine’s great, right?” Cal was saying. “These guys at Desert Bloom, they brought grapes from Napa and hired a whole team of wine scientists, or whatever they’re called, to create new blends.”
“Wow.” Alanna tried to look impressed. “A place built by consultants and committees, what could go wrong?”
Cal’s smile tightened. “Right,” he said. “I forgot that you’ve got a soft spot for The Rose and Thorn. Well, I’ve got bad news for you. That place is circling the drain. It’s been falling apart for decades, ever since James Perry…” Cal made a gun with his thumb and index finger and stuck it in his mouth.
“Cal!” Layla exclaimed. “That’s horrible!”
Cal shrugged. “They make decent wine, no argument there, but Theo doesn’t know a thing about running a business. He was just lucky he had the only winery in town. Not anymore. Desert Bloom is going to destroy him.”
Alanna slammed her fork down on the table.
“Theo and his father have been good to our family,” her mother said gently. “We owe them a lot. Plus, The Rose and Thorn is an institution in Yucca Hills. I can’t imagine our town without it.”
“You’re gonna have to,” Cal muttered under his breath.
Alanna’s grip tightened on her fork. The man didn’t need two working eyes to sell cars and terrify his underlings, surely.
Layla put her hand over Cal’s and gave him a silent look. Then she smiled and turned to the family. “Let’s switch to a different topic.” Her face lit in delight, and Alanna bit back a groan. She knew that look, it could only mean…
“I’ve just put together an inspiration board for table centerpieces. Oh my goodness, Pinterest has so many great ideas.”
…wedding planning talk. The sheer amount of time Layla could spend talking about her wedding was astounding. Put her on the floor of the senate with her wedding planning binder, and she could filibuster the shit out of any bill.
Alanna looked down at the congealing mass on her plate as Layla happily chattered about vase heights. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if her mother’s cooking killed her after all.
*
That night, Alanna rubbed her eyes as she re-read the email from her lawyer, Thomas, for the hundredth time.
