Well Red

Monday

My friend introduced me to a guy who seemed very nice while talking on the phone yesterday. We exchanged email addresses so we could chat during work and saw that he apparently had some follow up questions for me. I opened my email to find an interesting survey.

1. What is your favorite type of chocolate candy? I have a weakness for Snickers bars

2. Do you like tea? Yes, I love a nice glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day

3. Besides wine, what do you like to drink? Margaritas on a warm beach

4. What is your favorite juice? Cranberry juice goes great with vodka

5. Where is your favorite place to enjoy a glass of wine? In a tasting room somewhere in Napa

I waited for a reply from him but heard nothing. Did I answer something wrong? Was he offended that I liked cranberry juice instead of grape juice? Did I sound like a lush? On my lunch break, I sent him a quick text.

Hey. Just answered your questions :-)

I still heard nothing back by the end of the work day. Guess he ghosted me.

Tuesday

I woke up to a text from him at 3 in the morning.

Just landed. Sorry I was MIA. Yes, I did see your answers.

I felt a bit of relief that I didn’t scare him away but who just randomly flies somewhere without telling someone they are trying to get acquainted with?

My work day was slow. I kept refreshing my email to see if he would respond but got nothing. Oh well. Looks like another Taco Tuesday with the girls. Maybe I’ll order that second peach margarita tonight to help soothe my nerves.

Wednesday

The phone rings from an unidentified number that had a lot of numerals in it. +62 361 4792 777 seemed strange but I picked it up anyways. Maybe talking to a complete stranger will help train me in my apparent lack of social skills.

Hello?

Oh hey! You’re awake.

Um yes, it is 6:30 in the evening. Who is this?

You’re secret admirer calling from Mandapa in Bali.

Oh hey! How is your trip?

Not bad. Just another boring meeting but at least it is in a beautiful destination. Just hope the volcano doesn’t explode again while I am here.

As he was chatting about his trip, I quickly Googled his hotel and scrolled through the amazing pictures of the Ritz Carlton Reserve imagery. Beautiful suites, private plunge pools, deep soak bathtubs, an infinity pool overlooking the landscape… Everything a girl could ask for.

It was getting late for him but he stayed on the phone with me while he heard about my day. We eventually set a time on Saturday to actually meet in person. He was coming home late Friday night so needed a bit of time to recover from the jet lag.

Thursday

I didn’t expect to hear from him again until he returned home but he sent me little texts throughout my day. I would randomly look down at my phone and see an emoji of a glass of red wine or of a palm tree. I would send an emoji back of a girl raising her hand. It was cute but for a guy in his mid-40’s, kind of strange.

Friday

There was a knock on my door. I signed for the large box that was just delivered and hauled it inside. The packaging said Bright Cellars and I was confused because I have never ordered anything from them. I opened the box and examined each of the wines that were contained in the packaging. My phone buzzed with another text from him.

Pick out your favorite bottle and bring it with you on Saturday.

I held a Pinot Noir in one hand and a Merlot in the other. Which out of these two should I bring? Well, I didn’t know this guy very well yet and I really wanted to drink the entire bottle of the Pinot Noir myself, so opted to bring the Merlot.

Saturday

He said he was picking me up at 6:00 that evening but would not tell me anything about the date. I was very anxious because I had no idea what to wear. With the timing, I figured it would be dinner but what type of place would it be? I was bringing the wine but was that just to drink before the meal? Who even brings their own wine to a dinner? What shoes do I wear? Is this going to be a fancy place or is he still going to be exhausted from his trip home and want something low key? Stupid brain! Just pick something already.

I picked out a cute blue and white striped maxi dress and a light button-up sweater. I pared it with some flats that went nicely with the attire. I wasn’t sure how tall he would be so didn’t want to potentially tower over him in heels. I placed my diamond solitary necklace around my throat to dress up the look but forewent the earrings in case those would be too much.

At precisely 6:00, a black Mercedes pulled up my driveway. I grabbed my clutch along with my bottle of wine and went out to meet him. The man introduced himself as the driver and politely opened the back door for me to slide in. The leather seat melted around me as I sat in the back of the car alone.

As the Mercedes made its way out of my town into the countryside, the greens of the fields became more vibrant. The winding curves stretched for miles as we drove further and further past the suburbs. The houses were getting bigger and bigger each mile until you could only see driveways disappearing into the woods beyond. We finally turned down a little lane and into a forest of towering trees. As we made our way down the drive, we crossed a little bridge over a stream and past a coach house. We finally turned into an open field that revealed a stunning manor home. The fountain in the center of the circular drive flowed down the tiered platforms as we rounded to the front entrance of the home. The driver parked and opened my door. I got out, looking around to admire the intricate stone detail of the exterior of the house.

As I stood there gawking, the front door opened and a maid escorted me inside. The expansive foyer revealed a staircase curving up and also another section headed down. Another maid was there offering me a glass of Champaign on a silver tray. After taking a sip, she escorted me down the back staircase to the basement. The stone walls continued as we descended and finally opened up into a vast wine cellar with a beautiful tasting room. There was a circular table in the center with a silver candelabra holding five tapered candles. The firelight fractured off the 10 crystal glasses which were set up around the edge.

As I gazed around the room, a door at the far end opened and he walked in to greet me. I stood there stunned. He looked relaxed in his light grey suit. Although no tie, his casual demeanor in this exquisite setting fit him perfectly.

Did you bring a bottle of wine with you?

I extended my choice towards him and he gently took it to uncork the bottle. He poured us each a glass of Merlot and we took our first sips. Loving the velvety texture gliding down my throat, I also felt the heat of the red wine flushing my cheeks. We talked while finishing our glass and before mine was even empty, a sommelier came over and filled the next two glasses with another red. Leaving the bottle on the table he disappeared through another door.

I think he noticed me sway a bit with that next glass because he escorted me over to a booth by the wall. It was set in a rather large wine barrel. I scooted to the middle of the bench and he sat across from me. As we got to know each other a bit better, the housekeeper brought down a plate of salmon crostini for us to snack on. Minutes later, we had two new glasses of wine placed in front of us and the next course of the meal was laid down. This continued into the evening, each course paired perfectly with a new wine.

After dessert, he escorted me to the back terrace where we sipped a glass of Port wine and looked up at the stars blanketing the summer sky. The crickets were singing along to the tune of the tree leaves brushing together in the light breeze. I tucked my feet up onto the lounge chair and laid back to take in the perfect weather on this perfect evening. He sat next to me to do the same. Our words flowed further and further apart as we relaxed into the quiet of the night.