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Alina scrunched her nose and creased her forehead as another man dressed in a tuxedo spat into the silver bucket displayed on each table.
“Oh. I don’t think I can take much more of this,” she complained to her best friend Taylor, who was equally disgusted by the act of public spitting in a formal setting. But what upset Taylor most was the waste of excellent wine.
“They’re all just spitting it out.” Taylor waved her hand around the room, not caring that anyone within arm’s length could hear her. “You owe me big time for this Alina.” She stared at her friend now with narrowed eyes. Alina didn’t even turn in Taylor’s direction. She kept her eyes fixed on the crowd of wealthy guests wandering the large hall, with one hand holding a glass ofPavillon Blanc Du Chateau Margauxand the other tucked underneath her arm.
“I certainly do,” she agreed. “Had I known this wine tasting was just a bunch of elegant snobs standing around, spitting out perfect, amazing wine…” She looked at her glass and swirled the translucent liquid around. The alcoholic fragrance of the citrus and white flower wine drifted into her nostril causing her to wiggle the preeminent organ. “I never would have gotten these invitations if I had known it would be like this,” Alina spoke in a much lower tone than her friend. “I’ve ruined your birthday,” she said plainly.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Taylor corrected. “You’ve provided me with some great laughs,” she said as a man in a black and white tuxedo used the bucket on the table closest to them. Coincidentally, the toupee attached to his balding head fought with gravity. Taylor burst out laughing as the man struggled to restore his hair to its original position.
“I can tell you one thing,” Taylor said when she could finally speak again. “Nothing is going to outdo this. And…” She made a twirl, causing the tail of her red dress to flare out like a fish’s tailfin. “… I got the chance to look like a really classy lady for once.”
For the occasion at the winery located in Upstate New York, Alina had purchased a single-strapped bodycon with ruffles on the shoulder for her friend. It emphasized the darkness of her long hair and brought out the green in her eyes. The stretchy, breathable fabric hugged her curves, accentuating her small waist that rounded out to curvy hips. Taylor’s lip was painted in dark red, the most dramatic aspect of her neutral makeup. She accessorized this outfit with a pair of gold and red teardrop earrings and strappy gold pumps.
Alina had chosen a glittery gold mermaid dress for herself and if not for the high slit, her stilettos would have been completely concealed. Like her friend, her dress was also single-strapped with a split that led to a sequined band around her waist. Though Alina was not as voluptuous as Taylor, her figure was not to be downplayed. Mornings at the gym kept her waist small and her backside firm. Her complexion was a little darker than her friend’s only because she spent her summer lounging by the pool instead of actually doing any work.
She had curled her shoulder-length hair and pulled the blonde tendrils to one side of her head, fashioning the other side with a gold accessory. Alina had kept her jewelry down to a sleek but elaborate gold bangle on one wrist. On the shoulder with no fabric, she wore a gold arm bracelet that encircled her slender arm twice. Alina’s makeup was soft and neutral, highlighting her sapphire eyes and full lips.
“I also got to see how the other half lives,” Taylor continued. “And it would have been a great experience, if not for the… well, you know…”
It was truly a remarkable sight, Alina had to admit. The hall was absolutely immaculate, with its white walls and crystal decorations. The table setting followed the theme of sparkling with items that glimmered, even the spitting bucket. Soft violin music filled the air as couples danced around the area not lined with tables.
“The next time I suggest a wine tasting, just knock some sense into me,” Alina instructed her friend, who was more than happy to comply. “Not a problem.” Taylor saluted her.
“I honestly thought this would have been a great opportunity to dress up and get drunk,” Alina frowned.
“Speak for yourself,” Taylor corrected. “I have a nice buzz going on here. Oh, more wine,” she cooed as the servers came out with more glasses and distributed them to the patrons around the room.
Taylor grabbed two glasses, resting the empty one on the tray before handing one to her friend. “Oh my God,” she screamed after a single sip. “This is by far the best wine I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.” She held her hand to her chest and gasped as if she was out of air.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Alina told her, rolling her eyes. “They’re all good.”
These were Alina’s words before she even sniffed the wine, but her reaction afterward was quite different. With one sip, her eyes widened, and she breathed out heavily with flushed cheeks. “You’re right,” she corrected her earlier statement. “This is so freaking amazing.”
“I taste… plums and hazelnuts.” Taylor swirled the glass. “With spices, of course.”
Alina and Taylor drank down the wine, leaving not even a flicker of the red velvety liquid in the glass, moaning as they did so. And when it was finished, they went looking for more.
“You must mean the Château La Violette Pomerol,” the server told them. “I’m sorry misses, but we are not serving that anymore.”
“What do you mean you’re not serving it anymore?” Taylor wrinkled her forehead and dropped her eyebrows.
“We’re instructed to serve one wine at a time, then we move on to a different one. We can’t make second servings,” the server informed them.
“This is freaking ridiculous,” Taylor declared. “I’m a guest here and if I want more Château whatever then I should be able to get more Château whatever.” She swung her arms wildly at the server who jerked backward.
Alina grabbed her friend’s arm and forced her to contain them. “I’m sorry for my friend,” she told the server, while Taylor was still squirming in her arms. “You’re just doing your job. We completely understand.”
“No, we don’t,” Taylor spat out, breaking free of her friend, but the server was already gone.
“Oh great,” Taylor pouted, with her hand on her hip. “Now I can’t get more.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Alina shook her head with a smile on her lips, then pointed to the back of Taylor, where the servers seem to get their supplies. “If we want it, we can just take it. After all, we paid our way in here.”
Taylor’s face became sinister as she rubbed the palms of her hand together while making a soft witchy crackle. Alina looked at her friend with a stern face. “Stop that.”
“Ok,” Taylor said, dropping the act immediately as she led the way to the heart of the wine-tasting operation. Behind the scenes where the servers converged was bustling, which made it easy for the women to pass through unnoticed. The workers weren’t concerned about guests sneaking in, but catering to them.
