26 - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine

The wine cellar at La Pinsonniere was one of Canada’s most beautiful.  It had garnered the “Best of Award of Excellence” from the prestigious American magazine Wine. Their stock consisted of more than twelve thousand bottles, with seven hundred and fifty labels, and included rare wines and fine vintages from around the world. 

Or so the chef said during their quick tour.  Ariana hadn’t known any of that, and the flurry of information mixed with the atmosphere and overwhelming significance of this evening…  Well, Ari’s head was spinning when arriving at their table.  

“Jon, this...” She flicked her wrist after the chef had bustled away to prepare dinner. “...is all so beautiful, but not necessary.”

“It’s just dinner,” he teased.

“Really? So, this is how you usually eat dinner?” 

At her sharp look of skepticism, he admitted, “Okay, so maybe not every night.”

“Uh-huh.  That’s what I thought.”

He laughed off her huff as the waiter appeared to recite the evening’s menu, prepared especially for them.  They were to begin with a gorgonzola and porcini mushroom risotto, followed by a Caesar salad and butter-poached lobster with a cauliflower purée. 

“And for dessert?” Ariana inquired, already drooling at the thought of the decadent dishes.  What dessert could possibly compare to all of that? 

“Ah, the chef has a special surprise in store.  He would kill me if I spoiled it, but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed Ms. Moretti.”  With a subtle smile and dip of his chin, the man went on his way, leaving Aria to turn questioning eyes on Jon.

“How did he know my name?” 

“I dunno,” he denied with a shrug.  “Mebbe… a little birdy told him.”

Ariana cocked her head to the side and let out a hearty laugh. “Little my ass.”

“Are you implying that I told him?” He brought his elbows to the table and folded his hands together.

She mimicked his gesture and smiled across the table at him. “If the boot fits, then yes.”

Jon’s snarky reply was cut short before she got the chance to see what it might be.  The chef’s entrance interrupted them, and he was followed by not one, but two wait staff.  The first was carrying appetizers, while the other retrieved a bottle of wine from the far corner.

A familiar label was presented with a flourish, and when Jon nodded, the staffer poured a sample for approval.   Jon placed his fingers on the bowl of the glass and gently began to move it in a circular motion, swirling the golden liquid around before raising the glass to his nose.  A clean, intense aroma filled his nostrils before he took a sip, and an orgy of flavors unleashed in his mouth.  

“Perfect.” 

Receiving the official blessing, their waiter filled both glasses before setting the bottle on the table and leaving them to eat.  

Jon held his wine by the stem, tipping it across the table toward her and pledging, “To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings,” Ariana agreed and touched the crystal rim to his until they chimed like only fine crystal could.  “This smells delicious.”

“Mmm, it does,” Jon replied, putting the wine aside in favor of their first course.  

With each following course came a different bottle of wine, and although they were mostly Pinot Grigios and Chardonnays, each one had their own uniqueness. The chef gave them a brief history about the different grapes, outlining what region they were grown and how they were bottled.  

Jon’s career had allowed him many opportunities to sample some of the best wines, but tonight he was enjoying them thru Ariana’s eyes.  To watch the way they dilated or how her tongue glided across her lips with every sip made his heart smile. They talked about everything and nothing in particular, making each other laugh every once in a while. 

After the table was cleared and they waited for dessert to be served, Jon slid his chair closer to steal a few kisses as her chin rested in the palm of her hand. 

“Mm...” Jon murmured against her mouth, thinking that her flavor was what the best wines had been missing. “Did you enjoy dinner?”

“Delicious,” she assured, touching light lips to his.

With a smile, he tucked a loose ringlet behind her ear.  If she thought dinner was good, she was going to love what came next.  “Ready for dessert?” 

“That would depend on what we are having.” Her knuckle grazed along the thin patch of fur exposed by the three open buttons on his shirt.

The touch had him biting his lower lip.  If she kept it up, she might not get dessert, but the chef arrived with a discreet clearing of his throat.  Jon shot him a knowing smile while vowing to Ari, “Trust me, you’ll want to taste this.”

As promised, Ms. Moretti…. For tonight’s dessert we have Zabaglione – hot, of course – with strawberries and ice cream.”  With a flourish, the martini glass containing one of her favorite sugary concoction was placed on the table between them. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

“If it is as delicious as dinner, I’m sure it will be.  And you said the magic words:  hot, strawberries and ice cream.  Just the way it should be served.  Zabaglione is one of my favorites.”

“So, I’ve been told.” He gave her a little wink. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you,” they chorused and watched for him to scuttle out of sight.  When he had, Ariana cupped the nape of Jon’s neck and kissed him long and hard.  

“What was that for?” he asked when she let him up for air.

“Just because.”  With a happy sigh, she dipped her spoon into the heavenly dish.  He noticed that she was meticulous in making sure she got both the strawberry and ice cream before encasing her lips around the frothy Italian dessert. 

"Heaven." She performed the same maneuver two more times without even acknowledging Jon.  He might as well have been one of the waitstaff for all the attention she paid him.   

"Do you plan on sharing?" he asked.

Popping her lips around the spoon she slid out of her mouth, she examined it to make sure she hadn’t missed a drop.  "Oh, you mean I have to share?"

"Yes,” he informed her with a smug grin.  As much as she was enjoying it, he’d let her have it all if that’s what she wanted.  It was his luck that she was feeling generous – kind of.

"Hmpf! Fine." She filled her spoon once more, but instead of keeping the bite for herself, she fed it to Jon this time. 

"Yum. That is good. I haven't tasted Zabaglione this good in a long time."

"Sooo good! It reminds me of Italy. Thank you for asking them to make it."

“You’re welcome.” he wiped away a little smudge from the corner of her mouth and licked his thumb. “You’re talking about that little cafe in Turin.”

“Yes. Do you remember the first night we ate there and the owner, oh what was her name?  Teresa?  No.  Sophia, was it?”

“Carmella,” he interjected, immediately recalling the generous little woman who had made their trip so special.

“That’s it, Carmella.” Ari’s hand came to rest atop his with a squeeze. “She had the cook make us practically everything on the menu.”

“We were so full, but she still insisted we have dessert – and she brought us this.  Man, was it good.”

“The best I ever had ‘til now,” she replied before her lips closed around another spoonful.

“And the wine. Remember she tried to get us to believe she stomped the grapes out back?”

Ariana laughed. “You made her take you back there before you would take another sip. Even though we already drank two bottles.”

"We had so much fun, we ate there every night.”

“I wonder if she is still there?” she questioned.

“Maybe we can take a trip and find out?”

“Hmm. I’d like that.”

They continued taking turns feeding each other until there was nothing left in the martini glass but a couple melted drops of ice cream.  Dabbing up those with a finger, Ariana joked that the glass wouldn’t need to be washed.  

When the chef came back to check on them one last time, they thanked him again for the magnificent meal.  He was pleased by the compliments and bid them goodnight.  

“Ya wanna grab a bottle of wine and go gaze at the stars?” Jon held the tips of her fingers and gently shook her hand.

“Sounds wonderful.”

He knew just which bottle he wanted.  It was from the Royal DeMaria Collector’s Series, and he’d spotted it on their tour earlier.  Even though he’d only had it once before, he remembered truly enjoying it.  

“Go grab some glasses from over there, and I’ll get the wine.” He motioned toward the table in the corner as he walked to the opposite side of the room to snag the coveted bottle. “Baby, grab the corkscrew, too.”

With their contraband in hand, they snuck out a side door and found a little path, which they followed until they came upon some picnic tables and lounge chairs.  Jon turned one of the lounge chairs to face the river and straddled it.  It didn’t take long to pour the wine, and with that done, he scooted back and motioned for her to sit between his splayed legs.  Ariana did so and nestled herself comfortably against his chest, with legs stretched out in front of her.  

He was typically too busy to notice the scenery.  That was a hazard of too much traveling, but with her here to enjoy it with him, Jon found the view of the river to be breathtaking.  It didn’t matter that the stars were masked by dark clouds and there was a faint sound of thunder in the distance.  He couldn’t recall anyplace in the world that was more beautiful.

It was a perfect way to end the evening.