Drunk on Love(18)

Margot closed her eyes.

“I swear to God, Syd, when he walked into my office this afternoon, I almost had to take a step back, so I didn’t throw myself at him. I didn’t move—toward him or away—and obviously I won’t do anything, but holy shit this is unfair.”

Sydney got up and went back into the kitchen.

“It’s very unfair.” She flipped open a pastry box, cut two slices of pie, and put them on plates. “I think I have a solution, though.” She got a pint of ice cream out of the freezer. “I think the next time you come to the Barrel, you have to say hi to whichever cute man is sitting next to you again. Use this good sex energy on someone else.”

Sydney set a plate in front of Margot, and Margot took the spoon she handed her.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “You see what happened when I said hi to a stranger last night: utter chaos. From now on, I’m only talking to people I’ve known for at least five years.”

Sydney raised her eyebrows.

“You’ve only known me for three years.”

Margot waved the spoon at her.

“You don’t count, obviously. It feels like I’ve known you for, like, fifteen.”

Sydney nodded.

“Okay, what about at work? All the tourists who come in? And almost everyone who works in the winery who isn’t your brother?”

“Look, I didn’t invite you over here to parse all of my words, did I? You know what I meant.” Margot took a big bite of the pie. “Oh God. This pie is incredible.”

Sydney was already halfway through her slice.

“I know. I made it this afternoon—I was going to bring it to a meeting tomorrow, but this was an emergency.”

Margot took another bite.

“Thank you for understanding that.”

Sydney sat back and looked at Margot.

“This is going to be okay. You know that, right?”

Not really, no.

“What if my brother finds out, Syd?” Margot closed her eyes. “I . . . It’ll just confirm all of the worst things he thinks about me, and my commitment to the winery, and my ability to handle this job without fucking it up. I don’t . . .” She took a breath. “I don’t want that to happen.”

Sydney put her arm around her.

“Do you need me to tell you all of the ways in which you’ve been incredible for that winery and your brother should thank his lucky stars every single day that you are his partner, and also list the hundreds, if not thousands, of ways that you’ve shown your commitment to the winery and to this community? Because I will, you know.”

Margot knew she would.

“That’s very tempting, but what I really want is for you to bring me another piece of that pie and then for me to take one bite and say, ‘Oh God, I’m too full to eat any more!’ and then for you to not yell at me for that.”

“I can do that.” Sydney got up and picked up the wine bottle. “This is empty. Do you need more wine?”

Margot shook her head.

“I’m too old for that now. If we open another bottle, I’ll feel it far too much tomorrow morning.” She picked up her glass and swirled the wine left in it. “I may accidentally fuck my employees, but as God is my witness, I will never show up to my winery hungover!”

She and Sydney both cracked up.



* * *





LUKE COULD BARELY BELIEVE what had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours. Okay, so, he’d met a hot woman at a bar near his new apartment—not something that happened every day, but within the realm of possibility. He’d kissed her outside of the bar—again, more rare than he would like, but not, like, ridiculous. She’d come back to his apartment—usually something to celebrate, and he had last night, and again this morning. He’d even wanted to see her again!

And then, not two hours after he’d dropped her off at her house—her house that was exactly six blocks from his apartment—he’d walked into her office to be introduced to his new boss.

Why hadn’t she told him her last name last night?

Well, if she’d done that, he probably wouldn’t have ended the night with her naked in his bed, and that truly would have been a shame. But now he had to work under Margot Noble, while all the time thinking about what it had been like to be literally under Margot Noble, and if he’d thought his old job had been a struggle, that would be nothing compared to how this was going to be.

And now he had to go have dinner with his mom and Pete, and try to explain to his mom why he’d quit his very prestigious and well-paying tech job, and why he’d moved—at least temporarily—back home to Napa and was now working at a winery. She would be so shocked and horrified. But even worse, she’d be so disappointed in him.

God, he was dreading this.

Unfortunately, his mom and Pete’s house was only about ten minutes from Noble, which meant he wouldn’t have the advantage of a long drive to clear his head before this dinner.

Why was he acting like such a child about telling his mom he’d quit his job, anyway? He was an adult! He would be thirty in a little over a year! He was a college graduate and accomplished in his field!

And that was the exact problem. His mom was so proud of him, for all of that. For how hard he’d worked, for all that he’d accomplished.