Page 16 of Dark & Deceitful

When I open my eyes to take another sip of port, Sunshine’s there, watching me from his stool at the bar, getting his fill of local craft beer we supply just for him.

My best friend, Till, waves from her spot behind the bar. My drunken smile lifts at the corner as I salute her and Sunshine with my glass.

Running a hand through his thick gray hair, Sunshine smiles tightly and salutes me in return as the pair of hands at my belly slide down to my hips and back to my stomach again, stoking a fire I’ll need to quench.

“I missed you,” he rasps in my ear.

“I missed you, too,” I whisper in return.

Patrons mill about the room, some drinking, some eating, and some dancing. Destiny and Beth sit at a small table in the corner with Cell, sharing a bottle of wine, immersed in what seems like a fun conversation that brings a faint smile to Beth’s lips.

The front door opens, and the air shifts.

The hair on my arms stand on end as the electricity in the room charges. Sunshine’s eyes narrow into tiny slits, glaring just past me.

Sensing him as I always do, the invisible tether draws tight—Dark. Just when I was having fun, just when I was relaxing and letting the alcohol flow, he has to show his face—the fun sucker.

The hands at my waist are replaced by a fully tattooed arm wrapped around my middle in protection. The body behind me stiffens. “That motherfucker,” my companion rumbles, and I laugh, maniacal and crazy at the absurdity of it all.

When your husband cheats on you, you take time to cry and wallow, but then you quit being a baby, and you host a party. You enjoy yourself. You appreciate what you have now and how far you’ve come. When the sadness creeps in, because it alwaysdoes… You remember the times he left his dirty crew socks just outside the hamper for you to pick up. You remember the ugly fights. You remember the days he promised to mow the grass but never did, so you had to. You remember the kids’ plays he missed because he was gone. You remember the piles of Kleenex on the floor from hours of sobbing, nose raw, eyes swollen shut, skin dry and blotchy. You remember picking up the pieces of your broken life.

That’s why you party.

To celebrate yourself.

That is what we’re doing.

WhatI’mdoing.

The first few years were tough—sitting at home with Sunshine and Till, eating popcorn, watching a movie, and sometimes getting drunk.

This was Till’s brilliant idea.

No more giving Dark power.

Now, we host a tasting night on the same date each year.

Wine and chocolate.

The perfect combination.

Here is my life’s work—a dual shop. One side is a winery that Till runs that also serves spirits. The other is a chocolate shop, where Sugar and her posse of chocolatiers and bakers whip up the highest-quality sweets.

Both women have been my sidekicks for over a decade—building our businesses and our not-so-little underground network together as partners, sisters, and friends.

Dark Delicaciesis our home away from home.

Yes, I was the fool who named my shop after my now ex.

Do I regret it?

Sometimes.

Until we have days like today when our friends and community come out to celebrate with us.

At the door, Dina collects the cover charge and hands out the sip and snack tickets—three treats to pair with three wines.

The pairings are spread on circular high-top tables throughout the interconnected shops, with white, handwritten cards in the center, explaining the choice of wine, and it’s paired sweet, artfully curated by Till and Sugar for this evening.

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