Uncorked (3 page)

“Did they give medication?”

“Just some anti-inflammatories,
and the doctor also suggested some micro-current therapy.”

“Good. Hopefully you’ll be back
to normal in no time. Why don’t I take you home? I know you’re exhausted.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Minutes later, they were at her
hotel, walking to her suite. She couldn’t help but notice how drastically the
temperature had fallen. It was a far cry from the abnormal eighty-degree
weather they experienced that day.

“Tonight was a colossal disaster.
I don’t know how to thank you,” Chella said, looking over to Mitch.

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

“You barely know me, and you
waited with me for four hours in the ER. I’d say that’s a pretty big deal.
There must be some way I can repay you.”

“Well, I was looking forward to
tomorrow, but I’m pretty certain there’s no way you can play tennis with that
wrist. You can make it up to me by having lunch with me. You have to eat
sometime, right?”

“I’ll go only if you allow me to
pay. It’s the least I can do.”

“If you insist. Here’s my card,
my cell number is on the back,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thanks. Let me give you mine,”
she replied, as she rummaged through her purse for a pen. “You can write my
cell number on the back. It’s a private number, so please don’t give it to
anybody.” As she looked through the clutch, Chella lost her grip. The clutch
crashed to the ground. The purse’s contents scattered.

Stooping down to the ground, they
both started picking up items: the pen she was looking for, keys, card key,
cell phone, comb, switchblade, Taser, tampon, lipstick, toothbrush, mints. Her
compact mirror was broken into two halves, both pieces displaying spider
cracks.

Shit! This is embarrassing. As if
this night couldn’t get any worse, now he’s helping me pick my tampons off the
floor, and I can’t even move my damn hands fast enough to pick up the Taser
before he notices.

They looked up at each other. Her
heart raced, and as she found herself distracted by his cleft chin, his lips,
the strands of his dark hair that fell across his lashes, she suddenly wondered
what it would be like to kiss Mitch Mariani.

“Looks like you can fit a whole
army and armory in there,” he said as he broke the moment, laughing.

“You know us ladies. Always
prepared,” she replied, blushing as they both rose to their feet.

He jotted down her number on the
card she handed him.

“Thank you for escorting me home.
And for helping me with all my stuff. And for taking me to the hospital. And
for waiting four hours…”

Mitch chuckled. “It was my
pleasure. Are you going to be all right?”

“You’ve done more than enough.”

“See you at noon tomorrow?”

“Sure. Be safe. Thanks again for
everything.” Chella slipped the card key into the slot, and the door opened.

“It was great spending the
evening with you.” With those words, he kissed her on the cheek and quickly
disappeared from view.

Chella closed the door, pulled
her gold clutch to her chest and smiled. She did not know what it was about
Mitch, but she found him more and more appealing as the night went on. That did
not mean that she intended to do anything about it. Having a man in her life
would complicate things. She was not about to invite that into her life again.

She had managed to get some peace
in her life for the last year and a half. She wasn’t sure she wanted to put
that in jeopardy. In the past, every time she had let down her guard and
relaxed, even a little, things would go horribly wrong. She wasn’t willing to
take that chance.

 Still, she found him intriguing.
She was curious about him and eager to know more. After the way he stuck it out
with her that night, she knew he was special. Tomorrow they would have fun, as
friends, and that would be the end of that.

Or that was the story she
continued to tell herself.

When Chella got up
the following day, she realized
it took her twice as long to do everything. By the time she succeeded in
getting dressed, fixing her hair and putting on a touch of makeup, two hours
had gone by. Before she left, she soaked her hand on ice to keep the swelling
down.

At precisely noon there was a
knock on the door. Wrapping her hand in a nearby towel, she peered through the
peephole. She saw Mitch, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Hi,” she said as she opened the
door.

“Hey, how are you today? Do you
feel better?”

“A little. It takes me a long
time to do everything. I had it on ice to help the swelling.”

“Great. You have a really
beautiful view.”

Indeed. You look even better in
broad daylight.
“It
is. It’s one of the reasons I like it here so much. I could watch boats sail by
for hours. I grew up on an island. There’s something about the palm trees, the
foliage, the water. It reminds me of home.”

“I know I don’t know you very
well yet, but it suits you.”

Chella smiled. “Are you ready to
hit the road?”

“Sure.”

The drive to the restaurant in
Mitch’s brand new Green Metallic Jaguar XKR-S Coupe took a while due to
traffic, but a steady stream of conversation flowed between the two. They
shared stories about their childhood and Mitch’s move from Santa Monica to San
Diego.

After a sumptuous lunch, they
left the restaurant headed for San Diego Bay. Someone from Chella’s past—her
ex, Aaron—caught her eye. Memories flooded her. She remembered vividly
everything he had done to her, including the threats on her life. Mitch was
probably the first man she had been seriously attracted to since she and Aaron broke
up ten years ago, and that scared her.

She slid into Mitch’s car,
anxious to leave. Biting her nails, she constantly checked the rear view mirror
and kept looking over her shoulder. Her hands trembled. When she became aware
of it, she fiddled through her purse, hoping Mitch would not notice.

This was exactly what she was
afraid of. She hoped and prayed Aaron didn’t follow them and tried to remain
calm.

“Hey, are you okay? Is something
bothering you?” Mitch asked. “You seem a bit jittery.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“You sure? You look a little
preoccupied.”

“Yes, I’m sure. I thought I
forgot the confirmation numbers for our tour home, but I have it,” she replied
then smiled, hoping she had reassured him.

She had purchased tickets for a
two-hour boat tour of the bay. As Mitch parked the car she looked around,
checking for any sign of Aaron. When she didn’t see him, she slowly got out of
the car but was eager to get on the boat. Once there, she sat where she had a
clear view of the gangway, scrutinizing the passengers who boarded the yacht.

The vessel pulled away from the
docks and started its journey. Chella calmed a little, trying to focus on the
beautiful San Diego Bay views.

“The last time I took this tour
was fifteen years ago. My parents and I had just moved from the islands to San
Diego. I had forgotten how beautiful it was.”

“Thanks for sharing this with
me,” said Mitch then added curiously, “So where is your family?”

“I am the product of two only
children, and I am also an only child.” Chella hesitated. “Both my parents were
killed in a car accident some years ago.”

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what
to say.”

“It’s okay. It’s been ten years.
I was in the car but only suffered minor injuries. They were both killed on
impact.”

“That’s rough.”

“It was. Since then I’ve been on
my own. Life must go on. Thank God for my boss, Craig. He was my dad’s best
friend. He’s always been a great support,” she replied, somehow hoping the
topic would change.

“You must be extremely bright and
ambitious, then. You should be commended.”

“Thanks. So what about you? Tell
me about your family.”

“Well, I never talk about my
father. My mom is very protective. She doesn’t like any of my girlfriends. She
always says, ‘Mitch, my son, you’re too good for them. One day the right one will
come along, and you will know because I will like her.’”

“My dad used to be like that,”
Chella replied, smiling. “Mom, on the other hand, thought I should go out and
experience life, although she did have her limits. Sometimes I really miss
them. My instincts tell me they’d like you.”
Shit…why did I reveal that
information?

“Since you think I’d have their
approval, I hope that means I have yours, as well.” He smiled provocatively as
he gazed into her eyes.

She blushed at his words. Despite
being strongly attracted to him, she was uncertain how she should respond.

“Not so fast. The jury is still
out on you,” Chella retorted, knowing her reasons for being reluctant to trust
too quickly. “I’m not totally convinced yet.”

“Let me persuade you tonight by
having dinner with me.”

“That would be nice. There is
nothing I hate more than cooking.”

“I’ll cook for you.”

“I guess we should enjoy this
tour, then, and be on our way.”

She had a great love and
appreciation for nature. Natural beauty always captivated her. She most enjoyed
the wildlife. They spotted sea lions, harbor seals and pelicans along the way.
Mitch appeared to be enjoying the views of the San Diego skyline from the
water. He took pictures with his phone as the boat sailed through the bay. She
also watched as he inhaled the crisp, clean air.

Chella’s mind drifted off to
earlier that afternoon. This was exactly what she had feared. Perhaps seeing
her ex was just a coincidence. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard
Mitch calling her name.

“So where was your mind, anyway?”
he asked. “A while ago you didn’t even hear my call. You looked like you were
in another dimension.”

“Nowhere. Just memories.” Chella
replied solemnly. It wasn’t completely a lie. She had thought of her parents,
but she also thought about the situation with her ex. She was just getting to
know Mitch, and it was too early to share sad details of her convoluted
past—not that she ever would.

“I was remembering my dad
commenting on the Coronado Bay Bridge. He used to be an architect.”

“So they were happy memories?”

“Yes. I guess somewhat
bittersweet.”

“I can understand that.” He
reached for her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.

The drive back
didn’t take long. They drove
through the streets of Little Italy in downtown San Diego until they reached
their final destination: Mitch’s penthouse.

It was stunning. Three hundred
and sixty degree views of the San Diego Bay and even some distant mountains
greeted them. The thought crossed her mind that the space had been
professionally designed. It was decorated in various shades of grey, black and
white, with a pop of lime to add color. The living room was beautiful. It
wasn’t too masculine, or feminine. It struck the perfect balance. Beyond the
glass walls was a stunning balcony enclosed with glass railings that allowed
unobstructed views.

Mitch gave her a quick tour of
the master and two guest bedrooms, along with the den and study—all exquisitely
decorated—as were the open living and kitchen area.

Soon the music of Yanni filled
the air, followed by the scents of garlic and seafood.

“What’s on the menu tonight?”
Chella asked, eager to help with the extras that needed to be done in the
kitchen.

“Red Snapper in a cheese and
garlic sauce, mashed potatoes or white rice, and for dessert, I have a fresh
apple pie in the oven.”

“It sounds so good, I can’t wait
to dig in. Is there anything you need me to do? I don’t cook much, but I set a
great table.”

“Sure. Set up anywhere you’d like
to eat. There’s a bottle of Fumé Blanc in the wine chiller. We can have that
with dinner.”

“Great. I would have loved to set
up on the patio, but I think it’s too cold outside. I’ll set up in the dining
room. Just tell me where the dishes and cutlery are.”

“I’ve selected everything.
They’re right there behind you on the counter. Go ahead. I’m right behind you
with the goodies.”

Dinner was fantastic, Chella had
not enjoyed a meal like that in a long time. Dessert was even better. After
clearing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, the two sat on a plush shag rug in
front of the big screen TV, partially watching the Bond movie that was on, but
mostly talking.

“This is really beautiful. Thanks
for having me here.”

“It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for
accepting my invitation. Paul and Jason were wrong about you.”

Intrigued by his response, she
smiled and asked, “Why? What did they say? I didn’t know they had discussed me
with you, or anyone else for that matter.”