Victoria’s Secret

Chapter 7

As per Victoria’s father told her, she is back to work. She became busy with all the paperwork. As the General Manager, she has to deal with a lot of things, most specially on the sales and production. She holds hundreds of workers and a lot of stress, in addition to her father’s expectations. She is the only one who helps with the family’s business. Valerie has no interest in it. She wants to pursue her passion in the restaurant industry. It is also a good thing because with the new restaurant that she wants to have, they can sell and use their own wine. Valerie graduated from Culinary school. She has a passion for cooking and fine dining.

Victoria’s schedule is a bit tight but Cedrick is even worse. She goes home at around 8pm but Cedrick goes home before midnight. Sometimes she is already fast asleep. She cannot complain because she already knew even before that he is a workaholic guy. The good thing is that he lets her do what she wants. And he tries to make time for her.

It’s the wine tasting day for the new wine of Victoria’s business. They hired some tasters and even sommeliers. They arranged a small party-like venue for it. They serve some food too for the guests and tasters. Her mother is present and also Valerie. She also brought her friend along to check the wine. Everyone has a good comment on the wine. They seem very positive about it and suggested that it is ready for distribution. This will be the start of the company’s soaring high after a setback. While Victoria was standing beside a table, her sister came beside her.

“Hey sis!” She greeted Victoria casually.

“Val! Oh my god! You are here. I am happy that you came. How are you?” She exclaimed and hugged her sister. It is so hard for her to see her.

“Dad is going to disown me if i won’t come this time and also, i will need the wine for the restaurant remember?”

“Oh yeah! As always, eh Valerie? You show up only when you want.” She tried to nag.

“Here we go again Sis! By the way, I am with my friend.” She turned back to introduce her friend. “This is Helena. Helena, my beautiful sister Victoria but I guess you can call her Vicz too.`` She calmly introduced her friend. A lady emerged behind her. She has long black hair, black colored eyes and brown skin. Her eyelashes are stunningly long and her lips are painted with a light shade color of red. She’s tall and brown skinned. With her skinny jeans, loose white thin clothing t-shirt topped with a black color blazer.

“Hello, Helena. Nice to meet you. I'm happy that you came here.” Victoria casually stretched her hand.

Helena smiled sweetly before shaking Victoria’s hand. “I heard a lot of things about you from Val. Finally! nice to meet you too.” She answered but she didn’t remove her eye contact with her and her sweet smile. For her, Victoria is like a goddess. She’s very pretty and elegant. Her eyes are so charming and her smile can melt you right away. Her hand feels so soft that she hoped she wouldn't let go. It seems like her world stopped. She came back to reality when Victoria pulled her hand from her. She felt awkward after.

“What did you tell her about me, eh?” Victoria raised her eyebrow to her sister.

“Of course the good things. That you are the best sister that i ever had, of course because you are only my sister?” They laughed about the sarcasm of Valerie. “Oh, and by the way, Helena here is a sommelier. If you want, you can test her talent.” She jokingly added.

“Really? That’s very nice! At least someone here is interested in the wine we have.” Victoria also fired a sarcasm at her sister.

“Excuse me now?” Valerie reacted.

“Did you hear what I said?” She jokingly added again. The three of them laughed because they know that Valerie is not so interested in the winery business.

“Come on! Let’s go and taste some wine so you can see what I am talking about Helena.” She changed the topic. She doesn’t like it when the talk is about her being uninterested in their family matters. She does whatever she wants and she doesn’t want a leash on her neck just like her sister. They walk to the table for the wine tasting. Helena followed them behind. While they walked, she couldn’t remove her eyes to Victoria. Even the way she walks is glamorous. The way her long hair swayed. She began to have interest in the lady.

Valerie gave Helena a bottle of wine.

“Your turn to impress my sister,” she told her. Then she grabbed two red wine glasses on the table beside them. Victoria holds hers while Valerie holds two, one for Helena. She carefully poured just the right amount of wine on each. One third of the glass capacity. She carefully lay down the bottle on the table and grabbed her glass from Valerie.

She looked at the glass of wine. “To taste the wine, you have to swirl it to expose more oxygen from it. This will bring the wine aroma better. And then smell it.” She explained while she swirled her glass of wine and smelled after. She didn”t took her eyes off on Victoria. She looked elegant and sexy while she swirled her glass and closed her eyes while she smelled the wine. Beautiful. She said to herself. She gets more and more interested in her. “Now, taste your wine.” She added. While she sipped hers, again, she looked at how Victoria slowly sipped hers. She can see how her lips touched the brim of the glass and tilted her head up with her glass. She saw how she swallowed the wine. Even herself can’t stop looking and can’t stop admiring. When Victoria finished first sip, she removed her eyes from her.

“How was it?” She asked the sisters.

“Wow! Not bad! It’s really good. The sour taste of it was killed by the sweet taste. It’s balanced. And it’s smooth.” Victoria exclaimed.

“That’s right. And the smell is amazing. It smells like a bouquet of flowers that you cannot resist.” Helena added.

“What can you say, Val?” Victoria turned to Valerie. She already finished her wine.

“That’s what I can say!” She exclaimed while she gulped the last drop of it. “So good!”

Victoria and Helena looked at each other and laughed at her expression.

“It seems that you love our wine. So next time, it will be good if you come when we start advertising our product to our clients and also give some support.” Victoria convinced her.

“Aah, that is a No, No. That is your thing sister so don’t drag me there, please!” She’s full of dislike for what Victoria told her. She even put her hands up to stop her from those thoughts. “And also, I am going to be busy on my business so spare me, okay? I help you by selling it to our customers in the restaurant. I think that’s the best thing I can do.” She added.

Victoria shook her head. No matter how hard she tries, she cannot really convince her sister. Their talk was interrupted by the phone call of Valerie.

“I have to take this,” she told the two while she saw who was calling her. She walked away from them.

“So… How long have you been friends with Val?” Victoria asked Helena.

“Been three years. We met at a party with our common friends. Your sister is a badass too that is why we click.” Helena explained.

“I can tell.” She shortly replied, and poured wine in her glass. Helena silently watches her every move. She watched how she poured her wine and how she lifted her glass and gulped half of it.

“Do you have a plan to get drunk now?” She smiled while she asked her.

“Oh, sorry.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I love how it tasted, that is why. You want some more?” She offered her.

“If you insist?” She joked at her again.

“You are funny, eh. I like that. We can be friends if you keep doing that.” She jokingly told her too. But it’s a half joke, half meant statement. She loves people who make her laugh and also people who she can talk to comfortably.

Helena took that statement seriously. “We can be friends now then. I will be very vocal and comfortable around you like your sister if you wish?” She told her in a joking way.

Victoria laughed. You can be so bored with me, girl. I am not like my sister. I am waaay different.” She warned her.

“It’s not about having fun and having a crazy friend here, eh. It’s about being comfortable with each other. I guess that’s how friendship can be. Because if you are not comfortable around me then how can you have fun? Right or right?” Helena smiled on what she said.

“Definitely RIGHT!” agreed Victoria.

“For the new friendship?” Helena raised her glass for a toss. Victoria raised her too.

“Bottoms up?Cheers!” She exclaimed and they clink their glasses and drank their wine all the way to the last drop. And they laughed after.

“What happened here?” Valerie asked the two when she came back.

“Nothing. I gained a new friend today. Thanks to you.” Victoria said.

“It’s good that you get along together. Helena, don’t forget that’s my sister.” She smilingly warned Helena. She smiled at what Valerie said but she turned red after. Victoria didn’t get what her sister told Helena but she didn’t make a fuss on it. Maybe she wanted to tell Helena that she has to be more patient with me.

“Sorry to say guys but I need to go. I have an important meeting. You come with me or you stay for a while?” She turned to Helena.

“I can come with you if you want.” She answered.

“Oh no! You can stay here if you want. I have no company and also I am done dealing with those people.” Victoria looked at the people around. People from her father’s league of friends. But she cannot leave just yet.

“Okay, then stay here with my sister. Maybe she can drop you home later or I will ask our driver to bring you home later.” Valerie told Helena. She picked her up in her house earlier that is why she didn’t have her car with her too.

“I can drop her later, Val, don’t worry.” Victoria volunteered. “What can you say?” She turned to Helena.

“That’s a good idea. Or I will sort things out later.” She answered.

“Very well, then I really have to go. Bye sis. Helena, be good to my sister.” She told Helena that made the latter smile.