Wine, Passion, and Deceit

When I close my eyes, that fateful night replays vividly in my mind. I'll never forget how he caressed the small of my back as he led me to and from the car. The way his step matched perfectly with mine. The way he held the door open like a true old-fashioned gentleman. Mike was such a gentleman, and he was cute too. Blind dates aren’t always cute, but I remember thinking that this night was going to be one of the first of many.

I'll especially never forget the wine. It was a Merlot. A special on sale at the restaurant. Apparently they were trying out new items in order to gauge popularity among their repeat customers. It was wonderful. Hints of plum, raspberry, black cherry, and chocolate. Meet Cute was the name on the bottle and I agreed with it completely: Mike was a cute meet up.

The place he chose was cozy and intimate. The dim lighting muted the colors, and the atmosphere was romantic. There were candles and roses placed in little votive holders spaced evenly throughout the tables. It seemed like he wanted our date to go really well. I did too, but maybe this was a bit much for a blind date? Who am I kidding, this was perfect for a first date and hopefully for many more.

He murmured to me, but I had forgotten the conversation, getting mesmerized in his ocean blue eyes. His mouth moved again and his perfectly chiseled jaw tightened slightly.

“Diane?”

“I’m so sorry… I just wasn’t expecting things to go so well… especially on a blind date,” I admitted sheepishly.

He smiled and chuckled lightly, “I know what you mean. Should we skip the movie and go back to my place instead?”

I hesitated when he mentioned that. I really wanted to, but what if he wasn’t what he seemed and things moved too fast? But then again, everything felt right. Nothing had felt right since I lost Ray. I deserved to be happy and have fun too, right?

“Alright. Can we get another bottle of this wine to go? It’s incredible!”

“Of course,” he smiled genially, “I’m quite fond of it myself.,” he winked and waved over a server.

We finished dinner talking about likes and hobbies, jobs and family. I wanted to feel like Mike was prince charming, and although he was close, he wasn’t as close as Ray. I kept thinking about how Ray liked to surprise me with flowers and chocolates. Then he’d take me to all the fancy restaurants. Of course, this was only when he was feeling well enough, but all the insignificant gestures were more than enough for me.

Before I knew it, we had made it back to his apartment and were sitting on his couch. It was dark save for the light coming from the t.v.

“Would it be alright to have another glass?” I asked as he headed toward the kitchen.

“Sure,” he smiled goofily back towards me.

Before I could help myself, I reached into my purse for the vial that I knew was in the side pocket. It was hidden ever so carefully, so no one would think anything of it.

Mike came back with two glasses half full.

“I’ll be right back. I have some snacks for us. Just in case you get peckish later,” he winked.

I watched him to make sure he went back into the kitchen, then put just a bit of the powder into his drink. It dissolved quickly.

The rest of the night was a blur. I remember colors and apologizing from Mike, but I just felt the warm fuzzy feeling like I used to feel with Ray. I remember thinking that he just needed me to take care of him. I loved that feeling.

I just wish he could have handled bigger doses. If Mike had been more like Ray, he could have stayed with me longer, but no. Mike was nothing like Ray. Mike was weak and not worthy enough. If Mike had been stronger, we could have stayed together longer and been just as happy as me and Ray used to be.

Because of Mike, I’m sitting here in this damn jail cell instead of loving another man and taking care of him the way I took care of them. If only Mike had lasted a little longer… No one would have suspected a thing, and I could have taken care of him right. I love taking care of them.

At least I have the memories: the colors, the smells, and the flavors of that glorious wine. I’ll never forget that wine.