Page 32 of Merlot Marriage

I sink into the blue velvet chair next to the couch, sliding down until I can prop my feet up beside the two women’s. “Like I said, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

Maggie snorts, the water in her glass sloshing dangerously. “We? What’s we? I thought you would be back in your apartment already?”

Sydney sits up straight, eyes on me. “Your apartment? What happened?”

I explain about the fire and how I’ve been staying here while it was being repaired. Sydney sips her wine while she listens, eyebrows pulled together in concentration.

“Did you talk to Nate?” Maggie asks when I pause. The sound of a car door slamming shut and voices outside have me on my feet and opening the front door.

“He texted me earlier,” I tell Maggie over my shoulder as Kel steps through the door with two large plastic bags of food.

Maggie doesn’t move but lifts her face to Kel. He pauses to drop a kiss on her cheek when he walks past her. “Are you going to do it?” she asks as Ophie steps inside, gripping a paper bag in one hand and two bottles of Sunshine Cellars wine in the other.

“Going to do what?” Ophie’s eyes bounce from me to her sister to me, wide and anxious.

I take the wine bottles from her, and she immediately starts to worry at her nails. “Nate asked me to help out at Sunshine while Jackie and Greg are gone.” I hesitate but figure it’s better to get it over with. “He also offered to let me stay in their cottage so I don’t have to commute.”

“Oh. Are you going to do it?” She follows me to the kitchen, echoing Maggie's question.

I stick one bottle in the fridge, sifting through the drawer for the bottle opener to uncork the other. “I said I would give it a try.”

Maggie claps her hands from the couch, Kel looking on from the dining table, his face soft. “This is perfect. Oh my goodness, Philip, this is going to be such a help.”

Sydney snorts into her empty wine glass. “Let me guess, the great Nate is driving people away with his shitty customer service skills? Did Theo kick him out of the tasting room, or did he actually admit he needs help without Kel or his parents there?”

So, no love lost between Sydney and Nate. She never said a word about him in Vegas, but I wasn’t exactly paying attention to her.

“I assume Kel knows more than anyone else. Nate didn’t say much, just that he needed help, and everyone said I was ‘perfect’ the other day.”

I finish uncorking the bottle and fill the three glasses Ophie pulled from the cupboard. Sydney slides off the couch to bring her and Maggie’s glasses over, setting them beside the others for me to refill.

“Did he growl when he said it?” Sydney rolls her eyes as she waits for me to fill her glass.

“Give it a rest, Syd.” Kel slips behind me to pull the water jug from the fridge. “We all know you two can’t stand each other. Please don’t discourage Philip from taking one for the team.”

For half a second, I bristle that he’s making himself so at home here, before reminding myself that Maggie lived here until only a couple of months ago, and he must have come over often. I shake it off, then decide it’s time for me to lighten the mood and change the subject.

“Hey man, how’s the culinary program treating you? Make anything good so far?” I ask, handing him one of the wine glasses. The women bustle around us, Ophie pulling out plates and silverware while Sydney takes Maggie more water.

“The commute from Sunshine is a bitch, but so far it’s great.”

“The focaccia he brought home the other day was amazing. Although I hate that you have to leave so early,” Maggie calls out from the couch.

He grabs two plates, piling food on them both as he talks. “Bread is pretty new for me. I haven’t gotten it down exactly how I want, but Olive is loving helping me ‘study.’”

“Between him and the baby, I’m going to be big as a house soon.” Maggie hums as she takes the plate from Kel, inhaling the steam rising off her curry and rice.

Ophie squeezes beside me, an empty plate in her hand. “Did you get everything packed? I’m sorry I couldn’t come help you.”

I squeeze her waist as I take the plate she offers. “It was fine, yeah. I didn’t mind doing it myself. Besides, one of us has to be the breadwinner.” I whisper the last part in her ear, grateful for a chance to feel her warm skin near my lips. Which, of course, makes me think of last night. And there goes my cock, testing the strength of my zipper.

Ophie glares while she scoops rice onto her plate before handing me the serving spoon. “Hush. Not with everyone here.”

Still leaning close, I whisper against her neck. “Why is everyone here anyway? I was hoping to get a repeat performance.”

“They were here when I got home from work—”

“What are you two whispering about over here? Is there tea? I want the tea.” Sydney worms her way between us, her butt jostling dangerously close to my half-hard junk. She’s so close, I can smell the alcohol on her breath.

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