suddenly Esme appeared in front of him. “Did you meet Ariana?” she asked.
Somehow, he wasn’t surprised that she was there accosting him. “Yes.”
Her gray gaze became oddly intent, her body leaning toward him. “And?”
And he liked Ariana—the kind of like that led to being chased by an angry father and his shotgun.
Esme smiled knowingly. “Oh good. Keep it up.”
He frowned. How could she tell? “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, trying to deny it.
“Yes you do.” She patted his chest. “Now answer your phone.”
“Why—”
His cellphone buzzed with an incoming call from his cousin Viola. He pulled it out, staring after a smug-looking Esme as she continued down the street.
“Weird,” he murmured, picking up the call. “You’ll never guess what just happened.”
“You found the woman of your dreams?” Viola said.
He thought of Ariana and felt a glimmer of hope. “If that happened¸ don’t you think I’d call you right away?”
“I’d hope so. I don’t want you to think you can dismiss me now that I’m great with child.”
He grinned as he headed toward the wine shop. Viola was only a few months along, her baby bump barely noticeable. “The only thing you’re great with is success and love,” he told her.
“I’m fairly lucky, aren’t I?” she said softly. “But I didn’t call to talk about me. How’s San Francisco?”
He looked around, his gaze catching on the optometrist shop across the street with the Barbie dolls hanging by nooses in the window. “It’s colorful.”
“Is that good, or bad?”
“I’ll let you know when I decide.” He checked his watch. “Listen, I have a meeting with a small business owner in a few minutes. Can I call you back later?”
“Of course. Is this the woman whose father called in the favor?”
“No, a different business owner.” He didn’t mention that he was meeting this George person for Ariana—no telling how Viola would take that. “I might be able to help him expand his business.”
“It’s what you love,” his cousin said. “Helping small businesses flourish.”
He rubbed his chin. “That’s true.”
“It bears pondering, doesn’t it? Okay, go be productive.” Viola sighed. “My baby is demanding that we nap.”
“Kiss Chloe for me. And Finn,” he added, grinning as he pictured Viola’s husband’s expression if he tried to kiss him.
She laughed. “I miss you, darling. Be well.”
He hung up, smiling, and walked into In Vino Veritas. It doubled both as a store and a wine bar. At five o’clock, there were a number of people shopping as well as several sitting at tables enjoying glasses of wine.
Sebastian went to the small bar top close to the register and sat down to wait for Ariana’s friend. Ariana had told him George would meet him there at five.
He knew what Ariana was up to by suggesting he help her friend attract more clientele. She wasn’t fooling anyone with her ploy.
What Ariana didn’t know was that he’d called the garage and talked to a woman about bringing his car in. No, he didn’t have one, and that was a good thing because he’d be out of luck if he did. She told him the garage was booked for the next several weeks but that she could put him on the waitlist.
A mechanic’s shop had to be doing well to have a waitlist.
He looked around while he waited for someone to help him. This place was certainly different from Goddess of the Night, the bar he and his cousins frequented in London. Goddess of the Night had been swanky; In Vino Veritas reminded him of a neighborhood enoteca in Italy.
A woman wearing a tight black dress came over. She had dark curly hair and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, as though she were holding her good graces in reserve until he proved himself.
“I’m only serving champagne today,” she said, the challenge implicit.
“Then I’d love a glass.” His cousins had taught him to be wary of challenges from strong-willed
Somehow, he wasn’t surprised that she was there accosting him. “Yes.”
Her gray gaze became oddly intent, her body leaning toward him. “And?”
And he liked Ariana—the kind of like that led to being chased by an angry father and his shotgun.
Esme smiled knowingly. “Oh good. Keep it up.”
He frowned. How could she tell? “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, trying to deny it.
“Yes you do.” She patted his chest. “Now answer your phone.”
“Why—”
His cellphone buzzed with an incoming call from his cousin Viola. He pulled it out, staring after a smug-looking Esme as she continued down the street.
“Weird,” he murmured, picking up the call. “You’ll never guess what just happened.”
“You found the woman of your dreams?” Viola said.
He thought of Ariana and felt a glimmer of hope. “If that happened¸ don’t you think I’d call you right away?”
“I’d hope so. I don’t want you to think you can dismiss me now that I’m great with child.”
He grinned as he headed toward the wine shop. Viola was only a few months along, her baby bump barely noticeable. “The only thing you’re great with is success and love,” he told her.
“I’m fairly lucky, aren’t I?” she said softly. “But I didn’t call to talk about me. How’s San Francisco?”
He looked around, his gaze catching on the optometrist shop across the street with the Barbie dolls hanging by nooses in the window. “It’s colorful.”
“Is that good, or bad?”
“I’ll let you know when I decide.” He checked his watch. “Listen, I have a meeting with a small business owner in a few minutes. Can I call you back later?”
“Of course. Is this the woman whose father called in the favor?”
“No, a different business owner.” He didn’t mention that he was meeting this George person for Ariana—no telling how Viola would take that. “I might be able to help him expand his business.”
“It’s what you love,” his cousin said. “Helping small businesses flourish.”
He rubbed his chin. “That’s true.”
“It bears pondering, doesn’t it? Okay, go be productive.” Viola sighed. “My baby is demanding that we nap.”
“Kiss Chloe for me. And Finn,” he added, grinning as he pictured Viola’s husband’s expression if he tried to kiss him.
She laughed. “I miss you, darling. Be well.”
He hung up, smiling, and walked into In Vino Veritas. It doubled both as a store and a wine bar. At five o’clock, there were a number of people shopping as well as several sitting at tables enjoying glasses of wine.
Sebastian went to the small bar top close to the register and sat down to wait for Ariana’s friend. Ariana had told him George would meet him there at five.
He knew what Ariana was up to by suggesting he help her friend attract more clientele. She wasn’t fooling anyone with her ploy.
What Ariana didn’t know was that he’d called the garage and talked to a woman about bringing his car in. No, he didn’t have one, and that was a good thing because he’d be out of luck if he did. She told him the garage was booked for the next several weeks but that she could put him on the waitlist.
A mechanic’s shop had to be doing well to have a waitlist.
He looked around while he waited for someone to help him. This place was certainly different from Goddess of the Night, the bar he and his cousins frequented in London. Goddess of the Night had been swanky; In Vino Veritas reminded him of a neighborhood enoteca in Italy.
A woman wearing a tight black dress came over. She had dark curly hair and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, as though she were holding her good graces in reserve until he proved himself.
“I’m only serving champagne today,” she said, the challenge implicit.
“Then I’d love a glass.” His cousins had taught him to be wary of challenges from strong-willed
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