Page 35 of Sully
“Perfect,” I cut him off with a bright smile.“I’ll take that.And you know what?You look like you know your wines.What do you think of Tony’s choice here?”
The waiter blinked, clearly caught off guard by being addressed so casually.“The Château Margaux is exceptional, ma’am.One of our finest.”
“I’m sure it is.I’m also sure it’s expensive as shit.But the question is, have you tasted it?”I pressed, watching his professionalism war with honesty.
“I… well, no.”He clearly looked uncomfortable.“It’s a little more than I can afford.”
“That’s a crime,” I declared, turning to Tonio.“Don’t you think the man serving your wine should know what he’s selling?How about you bring an extra glass when you come back?Jason can have a taste with us.”
Jason’s eyes darted nervously to Tonio, who watched our exchange with inscrutable eyes.“Ma’am, I couldn’t possibly --”
“Sure you could,” I insisted.“Just a tiny sip.For educational purposes.Besides, isn’t wine tasting like a thing in fancy people circles?”
Sully coughed into his fist.
Tonio gave Sully the side-eye and muttered, “Fancy people circles?”
Sully just shrugged.
“It would be my pleasure, Jason,” Tonio said smoothly, surprising me.“When you return with the wine.”
The waiter retreated, looking equal parts terrified and intrigued.Sully’s knee nudged mine under the table, a silent question.I ignored it, instead watching Tonio with newfound interest.
“What?”he asked, catching my stare.
“Nothing.Just didn’t expect you to play along.”
His lips curved in what might have been a genuine smile.“My daughter wants to create chaos by corrupting the wait staff.Who am I to stand in her way?”
When Jason returned with our drinks and an extra glass, his hands trembled slightly as he uncorked the wine with practiced motions.I leaned forward, elbows on the table in a way I was certain violated at least three etiquette rules.
“So, Jason, you married?Got a girlfriend?”I asked, watching him nearly fumble the bottle.
“I, uh… boyfriend, actually,” he admitted, carefully pouring a small amount into Tonio’s glass for approval.
“Nice.”I nodded approvingly as Tonio swirled, sniffed, and nodded.“How long you been together?”
“Three years next month,” Jason replied, some of his stiffness melting as he poured wine for Tonio and Sully, then hesitantly for himself.
“Well, damn, that calls for a celebration.”I raised my beer.“To Jason and his boyfriend.May your anniversary be epic.”
Jason flushed but smiled genuinely for the first time since we’d arrived.Tonio raised his glass with perfect form, while Sully shook his head slightly but joined in.We all drank, and I watched with satisfaction as Jason’s eyes widened at the taste of the ridiculously expensive wine.
“Holy shit.I-I mean, excuse me.That’s incredible,” he breathed, looking at the glass like it contained liquid gold.
“Worth the hype?”I grinned at him.“Now, what’s good here that isn’t on the menu?The stuff you guys keep for yourselves in the back?”
By the time Jason left to place our orders, with promises to return with a special appetizer the chef made only for staff to test his creations, the stifling formality of the room had cracked just enough for me to breathe easier.Tonio watched me with those dark, perceptive eyes that missed nothing.There was a little half smile on his face like he was enjoying himself.
“Is this how you always dine out?By adopting the waitstaff?”he asked, but there was no censure in his tone, only curiosity.
I shrugged, taking another swig of my beer.“People are more interesting than silverware.Besides, Jason’s going to give us the good stuff now.”
Sully’s arm slid along the back of my chair, his fingers brushing my shoulder in what felt like approval.“Darby has a gift for getting under people’s skin,” he said, his voice warm with something that sounded dangerously like pride.
“I’ve noticed,” Tonio replied dryly, lifting his wine glass in what might have been a salute.“I suspect we’re in for an interesting evening.”
By the time our entrees arrived, I’d managed to transform our stuffy private dining room into something resembling an actual party.Jason had become our unofficial ringleader among the staff, bringing two more waiters and even one of the line cooks into our orbit.The sommelier, a thin woman with impeccable posture (for a while) and a hidden tattoo peeking from beneath her collar that I’d somehow managed to get her to show us, was now sitting in a chair pulled up to our table, explaining the finer points of wine regions to an increasingly amused Sully.I’d be jealous except she was moving past tipsy and headed to intoxicated.
