She nodded. “But I’m not telling, so don’t ask,” she said, shoving our father out the door. “Love you. Text when you’re taking off.”
If I thought the fireworks were over for the morning, I was sorely mistaken. No sooner did Dad leave, than Min, hands on hips, addressed me.
“So...care to explain yourdateSaturday night?”
“I’m really not in the mood to talk about Marco’s love life,” Neo began. But Min stopped him.
“With Rachel Watson?”
Cos whistled. Neo nearly spit out his coffee.
“Before you get your panties in a bunch,” I said. “It wasn’t a date.”
Did Rae tell her it was a date?
“No? Just the two of you on a wine cruise, sitting on a boat until the wee hours of the morning?”
“Sounds like a date to me,” Neo quipped.
“Marco,” Cos said, in his big brother voice.
“It wasn’t a date,” I repeated. “We were just...hanging out.”
Neo actually laughed out loud. “Ok. Cause that’s definitely your MO. Hanging out with a beautiful woman on a boat drinking wine.”
She really was beautiful. But more importantly, did she tell Min we were on a date?
“Seriously, Marco. Stay away. I’m not kidding,” Min said. “Otherwise, you’re just going to piss her off and ruin any chances we actually have to develop a good relationship with Sunset.”
“Why do you assume I’m going to piss her off?”
Min frowned. “Name one woman you haven’t pissed off when you broke things off? Or worse, used for sex.”
“I don’t use women for sex, Min.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Depends on your definition of ‘use,’” Neo said.
“And sex,” Cos added.
“Is this meeting over? I’ve got shit to do,” I said.
“We didn’t even have a meeting,” Min sat next to me.
“Yes, we did. Talk to Neo. He’ll fill you in. I gotta run.”
Despite the protests, and Min calling my name to come back, I walked out of the Wine Cellar and down the steps into Grado’s courtyard. They could have the Monday meeting without me. I apparently had a lot of work to do to get our own brewing operation ready to roll. Not that I was pushing harder because of what my dad said. It just needed to be done.
And no time like the present. At least keeping busy would take my mind offher.
SIXTEEN
rae
It was onlyforty-eight hours since I’d seen him, but it felt like five years. Which was alternatively appalling and awful. I would not. Not. Not with a capital ‘N,’ fall for a guy like Marco. Would it be fun while it lasted? Hell yeah. Would I get my heart broken? Also yes.
Brien and I were sitting at the tasting bar, both on laptops, opening still two hours away. And on a Tuesday, the day would start off slow.