Strawberry Wine (16 page)

Alli’s mind was racing, trying to come up with acceptable answers to valid questions that she didn’t fully understand. Flustered, she changed the subject.

“I don’t know, I’ll figure the details out later. Right now the important thing is to be here for my mom. She really needs the support. You of all people know how important it is to be there for family when you’re needed. You left your
job
to come help your parents.”

Jason shifted his focus and wrapped his arms around Alli, leaning her back to rest against his chest. “Of course. You’re right. I guess a year of community college wont cripple you. And,” He said, lowering his head so his mouth was at her temple, “I can’t say that I’m not thrilled at the prospect of you staying local. I wish it were under happier circumstances, but I’m not inclined to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.”

Alli turned in his arms to face him.

“I’m glad too. About that part.” Alli kissed him lightly on the lips. “I have to go. I have a video chat date with Margot.”

“Oh, Margot. How’s she taking the news? Is she moving up here too? She’s what, a senior? She’ll go to Roosevelt.”

“Oh, uh, no. Margot... Margot didn’t want to leave all of her friends her senior year, so she’s staying in the city with my dad.” Alli cringed inwardly. This was snowballing. She hated lying to Jason, and now things were getting complicated and muddled.

Alli looked down at Frick industriously nibbling on her shoelace. She shook her foot to dislodge him.

“Are you around tomorrow?”

“All day.”

“Then I’ll see ya tomorrow.” Alli loved that she would see him tomorrow. She kissed him again, reveling in his closeness. She was determined to keep their conversation in neutral territory. The less she had to explain to him, the better.

“Margot, can you believe it about Mom and Dad? Did you know this was coming? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Margot blinked back at Alli through the screen. “I didn’t want to worry you. They really seemed like they were going to work it out. And they still might! It’s just a trial separation, Alli.”

Alli wasn’t upset with Margot for keeping her parent’s strife from her. She knew she had done it out of love. Besides, she had too much she wanted to tell Margot.

Margot took Alli’s wild eyes to mean she was upset about their parents. “Let’s not freak out about this just yet Alli-”

“I’m not freaking out about it! It sucks, sure, but you’re right, it’s just a trial.”

“Then what’s with the crazy eyes?”

Alli was feeling mildly hysterical. She started grinning widely, and could feel a blush creeping up her neck.

Alli watched as realization dawned across Margot’s face. “Allison Rene Wilson, does that blush mean what I think it means?”

Alli tried to contain the unhinged laughter fizzing in her stomach. “If you think it means that I can no longer associate with unicorns, then yes! Jason made love to me last night!”

Margot’s face lit up with excitement for her sister. “How was it?”

Alli’s eyes became dreamy. “It was amazing, Mag. Even better than I had imagined it would be.”

“Alli! I’m so glad.” Margot was tearing up a little. “Oh, gosh, my baby sister is growing up. Look at me. Since when did I become the crazy lady that cries at virginity stories? I feel like we should celebrate. Does Hallmark make a card for this?”

Alli couldn’t hold in her giddy laughter anymore. She laughed at her sister’s emotional reaction, and couldn’t stop laughing. Margot started up too, and the two of them just kept feeding off each other. Their gales of laughter brought their mother upstairs. Linda knocked at Alli’s door, opening it without waiting for her response. “Alli? What’s going on in here?”

The girls calmed down immediately. Alli looked at her mom, face red with exertion, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Sorry Mom. I was just video chatting with Margot.”

Linda glanced at Margot on the computer screen. “Hi Mags.”

Margot greeted her mother, and the three of them made idle chit-chat. None of them wanting to bring up the trial separation.

Jason was surprised to hear a tapping on his door. The gallery was closed and you had to come through the gallery to get to his apartment. He was even more surprised to find Laurel on the other side holding a bottle of wine.

“Laurel. What a nice surprise.”

Laurel smiled shyly at Jason. “I hope this is ok. Emiline let me in on her way out.”

Ah. Mystery solved. Jason tried to sound lighthearted. “What wouldn’t be ok about a beautiful woman showing up with wine? I can think of worse surprises.”

“I’m always telling myself I should be more spontaneous, so I figured why not be spontaneous tonight? Worst case scenario you wouldn’t be home. Best case, we share a bottle of wine and maybe catch a classic movie on cable.”

Jason reached for two wine glasses out of the cabinet. Laurel presented him with the bottle. “It’s probably not as good as yours, but it was the only one I could find. The man at the store said fruit wines are tricky.”

Jason read the label and gave a bitter mental chuckle. How did this woman always manage to say or do something to remind him of heartache? She had brought strawberry wine. Perfect.

“Yeah, they can be tricky, and they tend to be an acquired taste. There’s not much of a demand for them. I’m impressed that you found this one.” He uncorked the bottle and let it breathe for a minute.

Laurel leaned against the breakfast bar, picking up a set of keys and putting them back down. She fished a marble out from among random knick-knacks nestled in a ceramic pinch pot and held it up to the light before putting it back. She was nervous. She didn’t want to come across as desperate, but Jason was clearly the kind of man that needed a nudge to get him going in the right direction.

Jason busied himself pouring the wine to avoid feeling uncomfortable in the deafening silence. He handed her a glass and clinked it against his own. “To your health.” He murmured before taking a sip.

It was
awful
.

He choked down a swallow and watched Laurel wince as she did the same. He couldn’t contain his laughter. She finished swallowing and joined him in the laugh.
“That’s terrible!”
She groaned. “Please tell me yours doesn’t taste like this!”

“Well I certainly hope not.” He answered with mock asperity. He dumped his wine into the sink, and held his hand out for Laurel’s glass. She gladly handed it over. “I have a bottle of red around here somewhere.” He said as he washed the wine glasses. He nodded toward the small upper cabinet where he kept his alcohol. “How about we show ourselves a little mercy and drink that instead.” Laurel happily agreed. Reaching into the cabinet she pulled out what felt like a wine bottle. She read the label, “Wilson’s Wine?”

Jason turned sharply. “No. That’s no good. There should be another bottle up there.”

Laurel was intrigued by the label. It was clearly handmade. It featured a small painting of a woman’s face with strawberry leaves in place of her hair. “Is this one of yours?” she asked.

Jason shrugged half-heartedly. “It was a label I mocked up for a friend. I just keep it for sentiment. The wine has long since turned.”

“Oh.” Laurel looked disappointed at not being able to taste Jason’s specialty. She put the bottle back in the cabinet and felt around for another. This time she pulled down a merlot. “This one?” She asked. Jason nodded as he dried the wine glasses and reached for the bottle opener.

Soon they were settled on the couch with fresh glasses of red wine. “Much better. Not that the bar was set very high. That stuff would probably kill houseplants.” Jason said, motioning with his head toward the offending bottle on the counter. Laurel giggled genuinely at his joke. It wasn’t until a little over an hour later when the fresh bottle was empty that Laurel had the courage to make a move.

The night had gone perfectly - even the disgusting wine had served to bond them a bit. They had put on a movie, then ignored it in favor of talking about this and that. Having Doug as a mutual friend helped add a bit of humor to stories, both able to imagine his antics. It was as their chuckles were dying down after one such Doug story that Laurel leaned in and kissed Jason.

He hadn’t been expecting it, but it was surprisingly nice. She smelled good, and was soft and warm and giving in all the right places. He kissed her back. He had spent the last hour trying to stay in the moment, but Alli’s specter kept haunting his thoughts. Seeing her three days ago had thrown his world into chaos, and if he was being honest with himself, he was afraid. Afraid of having to relive the misery of the first two years he spent without her - the first waiting patiently for her birthday, the second wondering where she had gone and why she had forsaken him.

Having her back in his life was proving to be a torturous distraction. What had he done so badly in a past life to anger the Gods to the extent they felt he was deserving of this? She wanted him to
listen
to her? Why? So they could catch up like old friends? So she could tell him about her amazing life? Her wonderful husband and their two kids? No.
Go to hell Alli.
Jason was kissing Laurel with enthusiasm, fueled by his anger. He wasn’t really paying attention to Laurel as a woman, it was more that he was venting through the physical motions of kissing.

His inner monologue had managed to work him up into a frenzied fury. His brain was foggy with a combination of ire, fear and wine. Laurel found his fervor both encouraging and arousing. She kissed and sucked her way down the column of his neck, loving the taste of him. It didn’t register with him right away when she unfastened his jeans, freeing his angry erection. He hissed as she took him into her hot mouth. His voice was hoarse but clear when he called out, “Alli!”. Laurel stilled.

The reality of the moment flooded in on Jason. His member withered in Laurel’s grasp, even as she pretended not to have understood his shout. She continued to suck at him, trying to stimulate some sort of response, but he remained flaccid. When it was clear that she wasn’t going to give up, Jason gently pulled away, wracking his brains for the right words to help ease the look of dejected humiliation on Laurel’s face.

He ran his hands roughly through his hair in thought. “I’m so sorry Laurel. This is incredibly awkward...”

Laurel did her best to maintain a modicum of dignity. Rather than call him out on the fact that he had just shouted another woman’s name, she took the high road and arranged her face into a mask of understanding pity. “It’s alright. It happens to every man at some point. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Jason knew there was nothing wrong with his equipment, but he didn’t try to argue or explain as much to Laurel. He took the embarrassing, but lesser-of-two-evils way out she was offering him. “This has never happened to me before...”

Laurel nodded, not meeting his eyes. “I should go.” Was all she said, and she collected her few belongings and let herself out, both of them knowing, but neither acknowledging that this was the last Jason would see of her.

“Are you sure your parent’s are gone?” Alli eyed the open rolling door to the shop as her fingers plucked nervously at the buttons on her blouse.

Jason had been wanting her to sit for him ever since he first showed her the shop a month ago. Seeing her appreciate his work had stirred something in him, and he found himself wanting to paint again. With the urge so strong in him to create, he couldn’t understand how he had let life, and school, and his bitterness over Rebecca’s betrayal get in the way of his painting for the past few years. He added “muse” to his mental list of Alli’s many special qualities.

“Quite sure. They left this morning around seven, and shouldn’t be back til late tomorrow.” Jason ran his warm hands up Alli’s arms, stopping at her shoulders to gently massage her tense muscles. “You don’t have to pose nude if it makes you uncomfortable, sweetheart. We can make it a portrait.”

Alli shook her head. “No, I want to. It’s not every day a girl gets the chance to be made into a work of art.”