Uncorked (4 page)

 “They said you’re a great
person, but in all the time they’ve known you, you’re usually solo with maybe
two or three exceptions they can remember.”

“That’s true. And exactly when
did you have this conversation about me?”

 “Truth is, they mentioned you
about a week ago. They said they’d introduce us sometime. I didn’t know it
would be under the circumstances we met last night.”

“Okay.”

“So tell me—why is a beautiful
woman like you usually solo?”

“I’m a little apprehensive about
people, especially the opposite sex,” she replied, a little surprised that she
was actually able to admit that to him.

“Really? You’re here with me.”

“I figured a friend of Paul and
Jason couldn’t be so bad.”

“Is that so?” he replied with a
curious smile.

Okay, change of topic.

“Who taught you to cook like
that? Dinner was amazing.”

“Well, my mom always said that
good food was a way to a woman’s heart.”

“Really? Do you cook for lots of
women?” Chella said, flashing the type of smile that could allow her to get
away with murder.

“A few,” he answered.

A few? Yeah, right.
“I’m putting you on the spot,
aren’t I? I like honesty, no matter how much it might hurt.”

“No, you’re not putting me on the
spot. It’s the first in a long time and the first here in San Diego. Let’s just
say that I’ve done my fair share of dinners.”

“And women, too.”
Wow! We’re
getting mighty brave…

“Does that bother you?”         

“Not particularly. I guess you
wouldn’t be a man if you hadn’t gone through that stage in your life.”

“Do you always have such a high
opinion of the male species?” Mitch said, somewhat sarcastic.

“Not particularly. We just have
to take responsibility for the decisions we make as adults, and be honest about
it, to ourselves and to the parties involved.”

“Well, can I be honest with you
about something?”

“Always.”

“I like you, Chella. I like you a
lot, and right now I’d really like to kiss you.”

She was shocked by his statement.
Unable to respond, she looked away, flushed.

Mitch did not give her a chance
to respond. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her deeply on the lips,
and pulled her into his arms.

However taken aback Chella might
have been, it did not show, for she responded with just as much intensity and
passion. She drew him closer. Her hand roamed over his chest, his neck. She
felt his awesome body beneath the light sweater he wore. His kisses were sweet
and her body ached for more, but her mind would not allow her to continue with
what her heart desired.

Fears rushed in. She remembered
her past, her ex, Aaron. She couldn’t allow herself to get involved with
another man on this level, not even after all these years. She couldn’t subject
herself to that sort of pain, not now, not ever. Aaron was responsible for her
not being able to have kids, and she still had the emotional scars to prove it.
Letting another man in would open painful wounds, and she just wasn’t ready for
that.

Chella pulled away. “Mitch, this
can’t happen. I can’t get involved with you, or anyone. I’m sorry.” She didn’t
wait for him to respond, but began collecting her things to leave.

“Look, Chella, I’m sorry if I
came on too strong. I apologize, but let’s talk about this. Please, let’s not
end the night like this.”

“I’m sorry, too, Mitch. I promise
you did absolutely nothing wrong, but I must go. We’ll talk another time.”

Flustered, she scrambled out the
door, took the elevator down, and caught a cab as she exited the main entrance.
Through the taxi’s back window, she saw Mitch run out of the lobby in an effort
to stop her but stopped short as he watched her drive away.

He was too late.

How the hell
did I manage to scare her
away like that?
Mitch knew that she was reserved, and he could feel her
holding back, but he thought they had made progress that afternoon. He wasn’t
sure what he had done to cause her to run, but by the way she responded to his
kiss, he knew she reciprocated his feelings.

Maybe this was beyond him. The
day before he had noticed a Taser and knife in her purse. She was afraid of
something or someone—he didn’t know—but he wished she had confided in him.

He wondered if she would speak to
him again. He had already tried to reach her three times, and she wouldn’t answer
his calls of any of his messages. Perhaps he just needed to give her some space
and let her contact him when she was ready.

Chella couldn’t sleep
that night. She couldn’t get the
evening out of her head. Mitch wasn’t the problem. She was. Over the past ten
or eleven years, she had experienced much pain, and she did not want to go
through that again. Would she ever be able to trust another man? If she did,
would he do to her what Aaron did? Sure, Mitch had all the boyish charm in the
world, but could she risk taking the chance of hurting herself again? She
decided not now, not yet, possibly not ever.

Then, there was the other problem
of seeing Aaron that afternoon. Was it coincidence, or was he stalking her
again?

Mitch tried calling her several
times that night and the following day, but she had already decided what would
be best for her. No matter how much he tried to convince her, her mind was made
up. She decided they could be friends, but their relationship would be strictly
platonic. However, with the way she’d been thinking about him from the time
their eyes first met, she wasn’t one-hundred percent sure if platonic was
possible.

She sent him a text message the
following day to explain.

Chella
Noon

Sunday
December 5, 2010

11:04AM

Hey,
Mitch. I just wanted to thank you for a great day yesterday. I’m sorry for the
way I left, but I’m just not ready for any relationship of this sort in my
life. Please know that you did nothing wrong. This is all on me. I promise. I
wish you all the best. Hope you have a great day and happy holidays.

She nervously waited to see if
he’d respond. A few seconds later, her cell phone vibrated on the glass coffee
table.

Mitch
Mariani

Sunday
December 5, 2010

11:06AM

Thank you
for a great day, too. I’m sorry it ended that way. I’d like to get to know you
better, but I respect your wishes. Please feel free to call me anytime. I’d
really like us to be friends.

Later that day, Chella received a
bouquet of flowers from Mitch, along with an apology card. The sentiment was
sweet. He had nothing to apologize for. She thoroughly enjoyed that kiss, but
she wasn’t quite sure how to keep him at a fair distance while explaining to
him that he’d done nothing wrong.

She sent him an email thanking
him, but when he started probing her with questions, she chose not to respond.

Over the next
few weeks, Mitch continued to
pursue her. He’d send her cute emails and text messages. Sometimes, she would
respond, but she never had the guts to answer any of his calls.

When she returned home from work
on Christmas Eve, she was surprised at the beautiful white poinsettia
arrangement the housekeeping staff had delivered to her room. Pulling the card
out of the envelope, she smiled as she read Mitch’s words.

I
wish you a very Merry Christmas…

Hope
you enjoy the holidays…

I’ll
be thinking of you.

xoxox

Mitch

Her heart skipped a beat as she
read his words. Even with the distance between them, she couldn’t shake the
feelings she had when this man communicated with her. She was still afraid to
let him in, despite his efforts. He had struck a chord within her. She couldn’t
explain it, but she felt it, and it terrified her. In response to his flowers,
she sent him a gift basket, which included a bottle of his favorite wine, Opus
One, along with a thank you card. She decided it would be her last
communication with him.

On Christmas day,
Chella was getting ready to go
over to Craig and Maggie’s for dinner when her cell phone vibrated on the
bathroom vanity. The message read:

Mitch
Mariani

Sunday
December 25, 2010

5:14PM

Just
wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you. Hope you’re having a Merry
Christmas.

Enjoy
what’s left of today.

Her mind told her to cut all
communications with him, but he wasn’t making it easy for her. She found it
hard to ignore his message, so she responded.

Chella
Noon

Sunday
December 25, 2010

5:25PM

That’s
really sweet of you. Thank you for thinking of me. Merry Christmas to you, too.
I’m just heading out to dinner at my boss’ house right now.

Enjoy the
rest of your evening.

Thanks
again.

The driver arrived to pick her up
for dinner. As she rode in the backseat of the car, her text message tone
sounded again.

Mitch
Mariani

Sunday
December 25, 2010

5:35PM

I’d like
it if we could talk. Can I call you later?

As she read his words, she knew
he was getting too close. She never responded.

Since the holidays, Chella
decided that it would be best to keep a low profile and keep her eyes open. She
hadn’t seen Aaron again, so it looked like the encounter was by chance and he
wasn’t following her. She hadn’t gone out in a couple of months for fear of
running into both Aaron and Mitch. Neither was she up to facing Vicky and
Kacy’s long line of questions she knew they’d ask regarding her and Mitch. Not
that she was ever able to get him out of her system or forget that kiss—that passionate
kiss that burned and left a scar on her lips.

She scanned her refrigerator for
something to eat, but nothing stirred her appetite. She was tired of Chinese
takeout and fast food was out of the question. She decided she’d pick up some
dinner at the restaurant across the street.

It was a beautiful evening for a
walk. The sun had already begun its decent, and there was an array of vivid
color in the sky. The usual Friday night scene greeted her, with large parties
and lots of groups and stragglers still hanging around on the outside deck from
happy hour. The restaurant was much quieter on the inside.

At the take-out counter, the host
apologized because there was a delay in her order, but offered her a
complimentary drink. She sat at the bar, enjoying a glass of white wine. Her
gaze drifted through the dimly lit dining room, and she spotted a familiar
face. Mitch was having dinner with a foxy brunette. He held her hand and kissed
her the way he once did Chella.

 She could not bear it. She took
a swig of wine, returned to the take-out counter for her food and went straight
home.

She couldn’t get the picture of
Mitch and that girl out of her head.

“How could I ever be so jealous?”
Chella asked herself aloud.

She was more than jealous.
Possibly even a little upset, a little hurt, and a little betrayed.
But you
have no right to feel this way. You had your chance and you blew it. You can’t
expect the man to put his life on hold for you. You had plenty of
opportunities, and you continue to have them…if only you’d respond to his
emails or text messages or phone calls.

When she arrived home, her
appetite was gone. She shoved the food in the refrigerator. She sat on the
couch, aimlessly perusing through channels, but she was really thinking about
Mitch. The images of him with that other woman were plastered in her mind. What
she truly hated was the way she felt: jealous and regretful.

Her thoughts were interrupted by
a knock on the door.

Who the hell could that be?

Looking through the peephole, she
saw it was Mitch. She gasped at the sight of him. Butterflies took flight and
had a wild party in her stomach. She pulled away from the door, not saying a
word. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, or how she should handle Mitch
being on her doorstep.

“I know you’re home, Chella. I
see your reflection under the door.”