Page 16 of Christmas Rings

“Sure. Booze is kind of your expertise.”Booze is your expertise?What was wrong with her? This was why she didn’t date. She was too much of a dork.

But he smiled graciously. “Actually, I was thinking you’ve probably had enough of serving people drinks by this time in the weekend.”

“Oh, well, that’s true. Thank you.” She hadn’t thought of it like that.

His lips twitched as he inspected the wine bottle. “White Zin. I haven’t had this since high school.”

“Is it the wrong kind?” She flushed with embarrassment. “I don’t really know anything about wine. I liked the color.” She’d also liked the price. At six dollars, she figured it must be better than the boxed wine that sold for about fifteen. She could not have possibly served Jed Marsh wine from a box.

“Pink. Your favorite.” He smiled he poured them each a small glass. “I like your place. You have good taste.”

“Thank you. I furnished it with my bar money. Before Sophie got hurt, that is.” She’d decorated it with a subtle palette of light greens and grays, with her sister Hailey’s artwork hanging on some of the walls. A couch and chair in dark gray cotton looked fat and comfortable. The coffee table was made of refurbished wood.

“Would you like to sit?” she asked.

“Sure.” He sat in the chair. She took the closest end of the couch.

“I forgot to say how nice you look.” He set his glass of wine on one of her Paris coasters with retro art from France. Someday, she hoped to visit. For now, they reminded her of one of her life goals, to travel Europe. “You look pretty, that is.” He cleared his throat, then picked up his glass again.

“Thank you. You too.”

She hadn’t been sure what to wear and had tried on multiple outfits, which were now in a pile on her bed. In the end, she’d chosen a pair of loose jeans and a fitted brown sweater that matched her eyes and hair. She’d done her makeup more carefully than usual, rimming her eyes in a smudged smoky look and applying a soft pink lip gloss.

In addition, she’d used product to make her fine hair do something besides lie flat against her scalp. Now, she fluffed her hair on one side, self-conscious. What would they talk about all night?

He took a sip from his wine and then made a face, as if it were a sour lemon.

“Is it too dry?” Dry was a wine description, wasn’t it?

“Um, no. It’s a little sweeter than I’m used to,” he said.

She tried some from her own glass. Sweet and cold. “It’s good. Kind of like Kool-Aid.”

He laughed. “Yes, that’s a good description.” He took another sip. This time without the grimace. “Alcoholic Kool-Aid. What could be better?”

“I can tell you don’t like it,” she said, laughing. “But you’re very sweet to drink it anyway.”

“I love it.” He took another large sip. “Great vintage.”

She folded her legs under her, feeling more comfortable. There was no reason to be nervous. Not with Jed.

“I have reservations at a restaurant in Redmond. A steakhouse.” He raked his hands through his perfectly trimmed hair, making it stick up in tufts similar to the other night. “And now I’m sitting here wondering if you’re a vegetarian.”

“I’m not. I like steak. I don’t eat it often because it’s so expensive. It’ll be a treat.”

“Are you sure? Because we could go anywhere you want. I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m bragging, but I can get us a reservation pretty much anywhere that serves Marsh Vodka. One of the perks of the job.”

“As long as it’s not the club where I work, then I’m game.”

“As much as I like Rif, I’d never take you there for a date.”

“That’s reserved for clients?” she asked, teasing.

“Exactly.”

Jed drove a luxury SUV with gray leather seats that seemed to hug her. At dinner, she had a tenderloin that melted in her mouth, asparagus soaked in butter and fluffy mashed potatoes that made her groan with satisfaction. They shared abottle of red wine that cost as much as a night’s worth of tips. She tried not to think of it, but every time she lifted the glass to her mouth, she calculated how many dollars it cost per sip.

Regardless, they had a great time, talking and laughing all through dinner. He liked action films and she liked romantic comedies. No surprise there. He adored graphic novels and podcasts about politics. She admitted to a love of historical series from BBC. He’d never seen one, which she found nearly impossible to believe. “But you look like a character from one of them,” she said.

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