Never Doubt the Power of Merlot, Chance, Lamb Chops & Love

The day started like any other as Michelle sat in bed and strolled the pages of her favorite social media sites, looking at all the love in the air, from Friends & Strangers alike. Seeing the smiling faces, the held hands, the lasting hugs and the kissing lips made her missed her the days of her past. She had just ended a long-term relationship and was just hitting the lonely stage. She had spent the past year after the break up getting herself together mentally, physically, financially & emotionally, so love was not on her radar, until now.

She had created an online dating profile on the one based on “Likes” a few months ago, but hadn’t really used it and decided to go online to see what was out there. She took the time to go through all 53 Hearts that had been waiting in her inbox for weeks. There were soooo many men… Tall Ones, Short Ones, Slim Ones, Plump Ones, Black Ones, White Ones, Bearded Ones, Tatted Ones, Model Types and Not So Much Ones….It Was Overwhelming! As she got down to the last selection of men from all over the Peach State, she laid her eyes on the most beautiful man that she had seen in a long time, in person at least…..because he looked like a Whole Model in these Streets. She clicked on his profile and answered the question of interest he had for her and before she knew it they were talking on the phone for hours and had a date set up for the upcoming weekend. Wow! Everything was going so fast! But she was excited to say the least, since she had been in the house for essentially a whole year due to the pandemic and was more than ready to “Go Outside!!” as she seen so many other people do on the social media sites. He had invited her to a Couples Date Night at his Best Friend & Wife’s house and while she was excited, she was nervous about meeting the people in his life so early on….What if they don’t like her? What if she doesn’t like them? What if something pops off?

As Date Night approaches, she finds going through the process of getting dressed up so much fun, since her daily uniform had come to consist of t-shirts, leggings, jogging suits, & slides; putting on some dressy clothes & heels had actually lifted her spirits. As she was putting on the finishing touches to her ensemble, SEAN called and asked her to pick up a bottle of wine and she said sure….but wasn’t really comfortable since the only wine she drank was Pinot Grigio, and that’s only because she liked the way it rolled of her tongue when she said it at the bar or on a date. But she wanted to bring something to the date, since this would be her 1st time meeting them….All of Them, SEAN included. So she finished getting dressed, hopped in her two seater, and headed to the nearest wine shop to find a nice bottle of wine. Even though she was an amateur wine drinker, she loved Wine Bottles and the different variations of them and the thought provoking names that some of them had that sometimes blew her mind. Trying to be adventurous, she went to the bottles of Merlot, because while she had never drunk it, she had heard the name many times in movies, songs, and even in her workplace, but she didn’t know anything about it except that it meant “Little Black Bird” in French, which is she felt like in her sexy LBD (Little Black Dress, for those of you that don’t know). So Merlot it Was…Now which Brand?

Just when she was about to get overwhelmed with all the many options being offered, it caught her eye….it read “Menage a Trois”……”OMG!”, she thought but couldn’t help but put two bottles of the wine in her arm basket as she picked up some flowers and made her way to the check out line, holding her head high. As the cashier was ringing her up, the little old lady looked at her from atop her glasses at

her as she scanned the two bottles of wine entitled so risqué-ly. She just smiled, shook her head and placed the bottles in the bag. Michelle smiled to because she knew exactly what the cashier was thinking or at least she thought she did anyway.

Once at the Best Friend’s house, she realized she had made a good choice in wine, when she saw that they had cooked lamb chops, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts. She had read that Merlot paired well with red meat on her phone as she waited in the check out line. As she walked through the door, she and SEAN locked eyes and she was in awe. He was even more beautiful in person as he was on screen and real attentive to her needs throughout the night. She honestly thought she was in experiencing Love At First Sight. But she shook it off, because she just knew she was tripping.

Dinner went well; the food was good, the vibe was good and the wine was good and boy was it flowing! They all laughed at the bottle title and made a few jokes, throughout out the night that made her blush. When she 1st tasted it, she had to get used to its soft sensual taste that was totally different from the Pinot Grigio that she was used to. But a few sips in and she was hooked and so was everyone else. As the dinner went on and the dessert was served and the dishes were put away, it became time for game night. And an original night of “Taboo” turned into something so much more taboo, when someone suggested “Spin the Bottle” as the next game to play. She knew all about spinning the bottle and the premise of the game, but had never played and she knew they were all tipsy/borderline drunk (they did just finish two bottles of Merlot between the 4 of them) and feeling good, but what she didn’t know was that they were Swingers! And the “Menage a Trois” Bottle of wine she brought, made her them think she was a swinger too. She playfully tried to explain the mix up, but before she knew it she was on the floor Indian style (You Only Live Once, Right?!), hoping that the bottle didn’t land on her as the Best Friend took his spin (how awkward would that be to kiss the best friend of your date on the 1st date) and for the 1st round, her hopes won as the bottle landed on the Best Friend’s Wife. Before he went to kiss his wife, he came with his eyes closed and lips perched in Michelle’s direction and she was so surprised, she couldn’t move, but she didn’t have to because he bee-lined to his wife. He was just messing with Michelle.

They all were! About the Swinging and Everything. He made sure the bottle landed on his wife. Everyone laughed at her awkwardness and at how big her eyed got as he approached her. She laughed with them, but she didn’t think it was THAT funny. And she almost got up from the game, because she was embarrassed, but she was just as intrigued, so she continued to play. Now hoping with her fingers cross that SEAN’s spin would land on her on the 1st time. It did! Two for Two! She felt Lucky!! But when he kissed her, she felt even Luckier!!!!

His Lips were soft as pillows and they still tasted like the smooth taste of Merlot he had drunk earlier, which she had now grown to love, probably more than her go to and trusted Pinot Grigio. And the kiss went on for minutes that seemed like hours, resembling that of a Bride and Groom that just tied the knot. The chemistry between them was unmatched; and even though paired well, not even the lamb chops and Merlot could compare. The kiss looked and felt like magic….because it was.

Actually making their 1st date, their last date, because they kissed like that every day before their Wedding Day and Beyond.