Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Should we celebrate this meaningful conversation with a kiss? Maybe some light petting?” He held up his hands, palms out. “Or heavy petting. I’m down either way—”
She was already walking past him with an eye roll. “Just when I thought you might be capable of basic discourse.”
Coming up behind her, he blew a raspberry into her neck. “Told you I’d never let you down.”
She swatted him away. “Your interpretation of letting someone down is ass backward.”
“Ass backward sounds even better than heavy petting,” he said, waggling his brows. “Where do I sign up?”
“Right here,” she sang, flipping him the bird.
“Uh-huh.” He winked. “I remember how much you love a nice middle finger.”
Natalie’s groan mingled with August’s booming laugh on their way back into the bar.
Chapter Twelve
“I’m sorry. Did you say you’ve got us a potential investor?”
Natalie skidded to a halt on her way across the grounds of Vos Vineyard. Her former colleague and future partner, Claudia, had dropped that good-news bombshell on her, then proceeded to shriek at someone for stealing her cab while Natalie held her breath three thousand miles away.
“Claudia?”
“Yes, I’m here. Hold on, though, let me order an Uber.” Precisely twenty-six seconds later, she was back. “William Banes Savage. Made his money in tech in the nineties. Something about Pentium processors, like anyone knows what the fuck that is. But he’s old and bored, with money to burn, and wants to get his feet wet with the young scamps. If you can get here by next Friday, I can arrange a dinner meeting.”
“Next Friday? As in a week from today?” With the sounds of New York City in her ear, the vineyard around her felt almost like an alien planet. “I’m getting married tomorrow.”
“Married?” Claudia made a gagging sound on the other end. “What the hell for?”
“Rent money for our new office space. Equipment. Funds to take Pentium processor man out to dinner—”
“I’ve got the gist. Damn. So he’s loaded?”
Why did she even reveal the marriage to Claudia? Now they were discussing August the same way they’d been discussing William Banes Savage—as though he were a means to an end—and she didn’t like that at all. He was a lot more than that. Last night, after she’d returned from axe throwing, she’d lain awake in bed, replaying what he’d told her about Sam. About his own family. How he held these people so close to his heart. Treasured them. What would it be like to mean so much to August? “Never mind,” she croaked. “Set up the meeting for next Friday and I’ll do my best to be there. Worst case scenario, we cancel and tell Savage I’m meeting with someone more important. He’ll be blowing up my phone.”
“Go off, Anna Delvey. There’s the bitch I used to know.”
Natalie’s smile felt stiff. “I never left.”
Claudia snort-laughed. “My Uber is here. I’ll let you know when I’ve got details. Bye.”
“Bye.”
For several seconds after she ended the call, Natalie stared down at the device in her hand trying to calm the weirdly unsettled sensation in her middle. A couple of weeks ago, she would have sold her soul for a chance to get back on a plane to New York and meet with a potential investor. Her trust fund would establish the new firm, but they would quickly need clout. They would need someone to come on board and send a signal to other investors that Natalie and Claudia were not only a safe play, but a shiny new endeavor.
But leaving only six days after the wedding?
Of course, she wouldn’t be leaving for good. Just long enough to meet with William Banes Savage. Could she sneak out of St. Helena for a couple of days without the masses taking note? Would it hurt their chances of appearing legitimate if she left on a solo trip less than a week after tying the knot?
How would August feel about it?
Natalie swallowed hard and kept walking toward her destination—the Vos wine cave.
It’s not like they were going on a honeymoon or anything, right? Business was business.
Eventually, she’d be leaving permanently and August was well aware of that. This was what they’d both signed up for. Temporary.
She took a hasty turn into the production facility, smiling at the employees who glanced over. After they got over the surprise of seeing her there, they nodded back, returning to their tasks. Harvest had taken place toward the end of the summer, followed by the pressing of the grapes. Now, firmly into fall, they were in the fermentation phase, which was a very careful science that could take months. Row after row of barrels were racked on their sides, employees carefully stirring the natural yeast to keep it from settling at the bottom of the wooden vessels, giving the wine oxygen, cultivating the flavor.
Natalie journeyed past them to the rear of the facility, opened the metal door, and started the long trek down four flights of stone stairs. When she reached the bottom, the scent of wet mushrooms tickled her nose and the sight of thousands of aging wine bottles greeted her, along with even more barrels. Tables were arranged throughout the cave for guests who toured the winery and wanted to explore the grounds beyond getting tipsy at the welcome center.