All's Fair In Love And Wine

1 Leo Young wiped up the bar and checked in with the few guests lingering. He offered advice to a couple at the end who were debating between two wines, unsure which one to purchase. They thanked him and moved to the gift shop, grabbing two bottles of wine before heading to check out. Leo grinned to himself and went through what he had open and available. His favorite Sangiovese was always popular when he was there to sell it. Kristen, his cousin and partner in the tasting room, wasn’t as big of a fan as he was, but Leo could drink it by the gallon. He poured himself a glass, enjoying the sharp bite and tangy kick of the wine. He closed his eyes for a second, savoring the flavor. He didn’t normally drink during the day, but it was the kind of day that required a little extra fortification. When Leo opened his eyes, there was a curvy blonde smiling at him. “What will your boss think?” Leo almost admitted he was the boss, but he held back. It sounded like a line, and he didn’t want to put her off. “I think it’ll be okay. Are you here for a tasting?” She glanced around then looked back at him with her head c****d to the side. Her amber eyes sparkled, a hint of green in the middle. “Is that what people do when they come to a vineyard?” He pursed his lips in a smile. He liked a woman who wasn’t afraid to spar with him. “Well, some people just come for the scenery.” He added a wink and gestured to himself. She scoffed. “Well, then I better head out. If that scenery and day drinking is all you have to offer…” She stood and made a move to the door. “Ouch,” Leo said with a laugh. “You sure know how to wound a guy.” She smirked. “Something tells me a guy like you can take it.” “Is that so?” She laughed and move back to her stool, sliding onto the edge. “Yeah. I think you can handle just about anything.” Leo drained his glass and set it in the dirty rack. “Well, I can definitely handle one woman sitting at my bar on a Thursday afternoon. I bet I can even tell what you like to drink.” She raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Is that so?” Leo nodded confidently. “Absolutely. It’s my superpower. To look at someone and know what they like.” She grinned even wider. “Wow. A lot of people claim to know me, but very few actually do. I find it hard to believe a man I’ve never met before today will know me better than friends I’ve had for years.” Leo grabbed the list of wines and one of the small pencils. He circled five wines that he knew she would love and turned over the list. “This is what you’re drinking today.” She narrowed her gaze and shook her head. “No. I don’t drink any of these wines.” Leo smiled. “Maybe not yet, but you will.” “If this is how you treat all your customers, I guess I’m not surprised the bar is empty today.” A surprised laugh burst out of Leo. He shook his head as he grabbed the first bottle, the newest Riesling. It was good, and if you were tasting wine in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York, you had to try the Riesling. “What is that?” she asked, her voice hinting at apprehension. “I’ll tell you what,” Leo said, pouring a bit into a clean glass. “If you don’t like all five wines, your tasting is on the house. If you do, then you admit I really do have superpowers.” She smirked, her brown eyes darkening. She was a gambler, and she couldn’t pass up a challenge. He could see it in that little twinkle and the excitement. She reached across the bar and waited for him to slide his hand into hers. She gave his a firm shake, alerting every one of his senses to the woman captivating him. She smelled like a woman should smell, fresh and clean, but not flowery or fruity. She was simple with her blonde hair tied back into a loose ponytail, her face dotted with minimal makeup. His mouth watered at the idea of tasting the wine his family produced on her tongue, or other parts of her body. He stirred in his shorts at the thought, and nodded at the agreement between him and the woman. She released his hand and lifted the wine glass. She examined the color then swirled it like an expert, and Leo lost a little bit of his confidence. She looked like she knew what she was doing. Was she an employee of another vineyard? There to check out the competition? It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened, but if Perry hired a beautiful woman to spy on them, he was getting smarter. All his fear vanished when the woman locked eyes with him and lifted the glass to her lips. Her eyes widened at the first sip, and Leo could almost taste the dry Riesling coating his own tongue. He swallowed with her, then waited as she examined the glass again and took another sip. “Damn it. I really thought you were going to screw it up on the first one. How is it possible I like this?” Leo grinned and went to grab the next bottle. “I told you, I know people. Also, Riesling is a staple in the area. The grapes grow like crazy, so every vineyard has Riesling, but I’m partial to ours. It’s dry, but the lightness and strong grape flavor make it taste a little sweet.” “That’s exactly it,” she said after emptying the glass. “It’s really good.” Leo nodded and rinsed her glass, then poured her second tasting, a chardonnay. While she swirled, he grabbed some cheese and chocolate from the mini-fridge under the bar and set them on a plate for her. “This is good, too,” she said. “I didn’t plan to spend my whole paycheck here today.” “You work in the area?” Leo asked, knowing the answer before she spoke. Then she nodded. “Yeah, I just moved here. I start work tomorrow.” “Really?” he asked, surprised. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as a local.” She shrugged. “I’m not. I grew up in Montana.” “What brought you out here?” Leo poured her third tasting, pinot noir. She swirled and sipped and groaned. “Are all the vineyards this good?” Leo smiled, ignoring the fact that she didn’t answer his question. “Of course not. We’re the best. Best wines on Cayuga Lake. We sure think so.” She nodded. “I planned to spend my summer tasting a bunch of different wines, but it’s going to be hard for me to avoid coming back here. This is so good.” “I told you I knew what you would like.” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you have superpowers.” Leo laughed. “Oh, come on. Say it like you mean it.” She stood next to her chair and slapped her hand on the bar. She peered at his name tag and cleared her throat. “Attention, everyone. Leo here is the most amazing bartender there ever was. He has superpowers! But don’t tell anyone. You know you can’t tell people about that. Just use it to your advantage and try the best wines on Cayuga Lake. Right here, people!” Leo’s cheeks heated under the watchful eye of the handful of customers and his relatives who came over to see what was going on. His sister, Andie, winked at him then waddled back to her desk, taking his future niece or nephew with her. “Thanks for that,” Leo said when the woman finally took her seat. “Any time,” she said with a smirk. “What’s next?” Merlot went next, then a glass of the Sangiovese. She swirled both and loved them. “Okay, I give. How did you do it?” Leo chuckled. “You looked like someone willing to try something new. It really isn’t hard to read people. I guessed you were a sweet fan, but it’s hard to come to a vineyard and not try new things. What is typically your favorite wine?” “Moscato or Gewurtztraminer.” “We have a Gewurtztraminer if you want to try it. I’m happy to let you try whatever we have.” “How much? I haven’t started work yet, so I’m trying to stick to my budget, and tasting is not nearly as much fun as buying a whole bottle.” Leo shook his head with a smile. “No charge. Just don’t tell everyone about the deal you got.” She slid off her stool again and took a deep breath like she was about to shout her deal to the room. He froze. It wasn’t like he’d get in trouble for an extra tasting, but he’d feel bad that he didn’t give it to all his customers. She smirked at him and eased back onto the stool. “I wouldn’t do that to you.” He laughed. “Thanks. You’ll give me a heart attack, though.” She grinned. “I don’t have any medical training so you might want to save that for some big burly dude who knows CPR. He can give you mouth-to-mouth.” Leo laughed. He couldn’t remember the last time he enjoyed a woman’s company as much. Or anyone’s for that matter. He’d been letting everything get to him lately, and he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that something was wrong. “Okay, I need to get out of here before I really do spend my entire savings. I think I have a list of eight wines.” “If you buy 10, you get two free,” Leo said. She groaned. “Maybe I can ask for a raise. On my first day. Or maybe I can bribe my boss with a bottle of wine.” Leo laughed again. “Thank you, Leo. This was a great way to start my summer in Bereton.” “I hope you enjoy it,” he said. “And hopefully you’ll be back sometime.” She nodded. “I definitely will be. Bye.” He waved and watched as she moved to the gift shop. She chose her wines and added a few other small items, then was heading for the door with a wave and a grin. He should have asked her name. Leo added her glass to the dirty rack and pulled his buzzing phone out of his pocket. He closed his eyes when he saw his brother Dillon’s name on the screen. “Yeah?” “You got a few minutes?” Leo looked around. “I’m working.” “Is anyone there?” Leo sighed. “No.” “Okay, good. Come to the office for a minute. I want to show you something. Let them know in the gift shop so we don’t lose customers.” “Yes, sir,” Leo said before ending the call and slipping his phone into his pocket again. He closed his eyes and followed instructions, like he’d always done.