Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Love, Wine and The In-Between

Photo from Cork Popper


It’s the Month of Love and I think it’s only fitting to tell a love story, maybe one of many for this month.  I am lucky enough to have a plethora of stories stored in the memory bank...especially in regard to love.  While brainstorming which story I would share here, I had to think very long and hard on the matter.  I wanted the love story to be happy and reminiscent of good times.  Also, since people seem to enjoy reading about BigRed, I thought I would write about him...Seems only fitting for a number of other reasons I won’t disclose here and now.  So, I sat down to my Mac and began to type...There were so many loving moments between him and I...
When I started to piece them together, I noticed a wonderful factor...Many of our loving moments were shared over a glass of wine.  Wine is a great love BigRed and I shared.  I remember on our first night date, he took me to a small outdoor wine bar before our dinner reservation.  He ordered a beautiful Napa Valley Pinot Noir.  I remember taking the first sip.  Light bits of fruit danced on my tongue and the wine had a velvety, smooth finish.  I was greatly impressed by his selection.  I knew he was smart but his first impressions were that of a rugged mountain man, not of a man that could decipher a wine list.  (Not that a mountain man couldn’t pick up a wine list and be able to read it.  It’s just first impressions.)

BigRed and I had great passion for one another.  Sometimes that passion would make us late for prior obligations.  I always found it quite difficult to stop touching his lips with mine once I glanced upon his face.  I would often make sure I had plenty of wine and nibbles in the house just in case we found ourselves losing track of time.  Which more often than not, we did.  Very often we would forgo dinner reservations, for that of his famous grill cheese and a bottle of red wine.  He loved to show off in the kitchen.  BigRed moves with precision and focus while cooking.  He would pour me a glass of my choice, usually something robust.  Then sit me down on his plush, beige sofa to watch his magic.  I would sip on my fermented fruit and take him in.  My job was to oooh, awe and share a story or two.

When we did venture out, it was always a wonderful affair.  I remember one restaurant in particular.  It was located on the waterfront of La Jolla.  “KitKat told me this restaurant is the best. Shall we try it?”  We entered the restaurant and we were immediately greeted by the Maître d'.  I remember walking to our table and I could feel BigRed's eyes on the back of my neck.  Between his stare and my stilettos heels, my body started to wiggle a bit more than usual. The table was perfect for us, seated side by side on a banquette over-looking the entire restaurant and the ocean.  The server came to the table to take our drink order.  BigRed took charge of the wine list, we had Champagne to start....He knows how much I love bubbles and we did have something to celebrate, my new job.  With glasses in hand, he raises his wrist, looks me in the eyes and says, “Congrats Lamb.”  He started calling me Lamb Chop after our few first encounters, it was one of his many nicknames for me.  I take a sip from my glass.  I am all smiles at this point and I move closer to him so that I am nuzzled into his side.  Our eyes meet and he leans into my body and kisses me for what must of been quite some time for the server came over to our table to take our dinner order.  “I always get the steak.”  BigRed is ready to order at a moments notice.  Once the server completed our menu for the evening, BigRed excused himself and I was left with my glass of bubbles.  The couple next to our table, leaned over to say how wonderful it is to see two young people so in love.

“Oh, thank you for saying so.”  I blushed and suddenly found myself missing the man of my affections.

The wife of the couple proceeded to ask, “How long have the two of you been married?” 

“No, no.  We’re not married.”  I was nervous at this point for fear that BigRed may overhear the conversation.  We were still fairly new in our relationship.  I was hoping they would stop their interrogation before BigRed got back to the table.  I was happy and didn’t want others interceding with their talk of our future, especially strangers.  As luck would have it, their food arrived and their mouths were no longer trying to engage in my current relationship status.  BigRed came back to the table just as our appetizers arrived.  We spent the rest of the night wrapped up in each other, drinking a bottle of Cabernet, sharing our plates, feeding each other, then finishing with a glass of Scotch and a slice of chocolate fudge cake.  After we gorged ourselves on dinner, it was only right to take a stroll around downtown La Jolla.  BigRed held onto my waist as we walked on the city side walks.  We passed a small cigar shop, which was the perfect ending to a perfect meal for BigRed.  With my waist in one hand and a cigar in the other, we sauntered along the street and took in the beautiful, starry night.  I thought back to the couple dinning next to us and what they had said, “How wonderful to see two young people so in love.”  Yes...I held onto BigRed even tighter...How wonderful it is.

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