I liked her smile, it made me feel even lighter than breathing in the fresh island air.
“I happen toloveteaching,” she went on, sharing more than I’d anticipated, all without me having to pull it out of her, which I took as a positive sign. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. When I was a kid, I used to watch my teachers and think, that’s what I want to do when I grow up.”
“You must really like kids.” I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by so many prepubescent boys and girls, all at once.
“Who doesn’t?”
I laughed, before pointing out, “Again,lotsof people.”
“Okay, smarty-pants,” she teased, visibly more relaxed with me and our conversation. “What about you? What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an EMT.”
She gave me a playful look. “And are you one of those people that are stuck in a job you hate or…”
“No, I like it,” I said honestly. “It’s not easy. Some days, it’s damn hard, but there’s a sense of accomplishment and pride that comes along with it, you know? I like knowing that what I do makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Tatum looked at me for a long moment, and I saw a warmth in her eyes that made me want to reach out and hold her hand, anything to connect us, but I didn’t know if it would be well received. She was keeping distance between us for some reason that I didn’t understand, but there was definitely chemistry here.
Going back inside, we were led to a sampling room in the winery, and I helped myself to a free soda, a perk of being a designated driver, while the others sampled the wine, talking amongst themselves about what might be best to serve at the rehearsal dinner and wedding. Of course, they didn’t make a decision because there were two other wineries to see. I felt like I was driving all over the island, escorting a group of women that just got rowdier as the afternoon turned to evening.
I didn’t get a chance to talk to Tatum much at the second winery, but they did have a nice spread of complimentary food. They had created a charcuterie board, and I eagerly helped myself.
“So, are you single or what?”
I looked up after popping a slice of pepperoni into my mouth to see that the woman talking to me was Marlee, who’d been introduced to me as an old childhood friend of Faith’s.
“Uh, yeah,” I said, seeing that Sage and the other single bridesmaid were standing behind her, snickering. They were all looking flushed, and I realized that they were drinkinga lotof wine. It was a good thing I was here to keep an eye on them. “I’m single. Why do you ask?”
“We were talking about men, and we were curious about you.”
“I think Ben’s eye is already on someone else, ladies,” Faith’s voice cut in from beside me, and I glanced over to see her wink at me. “But don’t worry, love is in the air this week.”
I wondered if Michael told her about my conversation with him this morning about Tatum.Probably.They were about to be husband and wife, they probably talked about everything.
I didn’t really mind, but I didn’t want her to say anything to Tatum about my interest before I had the chance. I looked over at her, standing out of hearing range and slowly sipping from a glass of white wine, shuddering before placing it down with a look of disgust on her face that made me want to laugh.
It turned out that Faith didn’t say anything to Tatum, but shediduse her power as the bride to insist that the seating arrangement in the SUV changed. Tatum was sitting next to me as we headed to our third and final stop. I was able to chat with her about her interests and her life back in the city as I drove. Conversation flowed naturally between us, and I felt like I was getting to know her well already. She was a fascinating woman that loved the rooftop garden at her apartment building and started each day with a morning run. She was a big fan of action movies and mystery novels, which was something that we had in common.
When we arrived at the third winery, I expected that we would only be inside because the sun had just gone down, and it seemed like a bad idea to have everyone outside in the dark. But it turned out that Faith’s forethought and organizational skills were on point, and she had arranged more than just a casual tasting here. This winery offered a dinner with a selection of wines with each course. Wewereoutside, but instead of a tour of the ground, we were set up at a long table that had been cut out of the trunk of a tree, sanded down and finished. As one long piece, it was stunning, and I could appreciate the effort that had been put into creating it.
We all sat around it, and I made sure that I was next to Tatum. It wasn’t difficult, and I was starting to get the feeling that the other women were in on it, at least a little. I’d take all the help I could get.
Our chairs were so close together at the table that our thighs kept brushing against each other, and I couldn’t stop thinking about running my fingers up her thigh, already completely exposed in her shorts.
The food was a chicken breast with a sauce that we were told was made from one of their signature white wines with rice and asparagus. I wasn’t expecting to be fed a delicious meal, and by the time we were done eating, I was more than glad I had agreed to do this. The women started to discuss the wines, arguing in a mostly light-hearted way about which options they had today that would be best for the wedding.
I noticed that Tatum hadn’t finished any of her glasses, while some others had drunk all of it in the name of taste-testing. Now that I thought about it, she hadn’t been drinking as much as anyone else today. I wondered why she held herself back. I knew from her drinking on the plane and at the party last night that she enjoyed alcohol.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her in a low voice so that I wouldn’t be interrupting the discussion going on around us. “You haven’t been drinking much wine.”
“I’ve tasted everything.”
“Did you like any of it?”
“Yeah, but...I guess I just want to keep my wits about myself.”
I tipped my head curiously. “What do you mean?”