Page 24 of Blush
Midway through the meal, Vivian excused herself to go downstairs to the ladies’ lounge. The restroom was a large suite with its own coatroom, sitting area, and white-gloved attendants. Her father handed her a few bills for tips. When she crossed the room, she again made eyecontact with the stranger. Closer now, she could see his eyes were as dark as his velvety hair.
Her heart pounded as she walked down the stairs. She said a silent thank-you to whatever god in heaven had given her the thrill of this man, a hint that maybe she would someday meet someone who changed things after all.
The ladies’ lounge had a counter filled with supplies: combs, hair spray, face powder, cotton balls, and breath mints. She spent some time fixing her already pristine ponytail, humming to herself. When she climbed the stairs to return to the table, feeling fortified to withstand the rest of the dull meal with her parents, she had to step aside to let someone else descend into the lounge.
It was him.
They faced each other in the dim light of the corridor, the music from upstairs providing a backdrop to the moment.
“I don’t make a habit of visiting the ladies’ lounge,” he said, smiling.
“I should hope not.” She could feel herself blushing.
“I’m Leonard Hollander,” he said, his expression changing to a more serious set of his jaw, his eyes bright with something that made her feel like she was glowing. He held out his hand, and without a moment’s hesitation, she placed hers in it. His touch was cool, and his fingers closed around hers firmly. She wanted to press herself against him, to breathe in the wool of his jacket, to reach her hand behind his neck and feel the feathery touch of his hair. It was overwhelming.
“I’m Vivian,” she said, pulling her hand away. “I should get back to my table.”
“Wait—before you go: I don’t live in the city, but I’m here for work a lot.”
“What do you do, Leonard Hollander?”
“I’m in the wine business,” he said. This sounded very glamorous to her. “The vineyard is on the West Coast, but all the important restaurants are here. Next time I’m in town I’d like to take you out to dinner.”
Vivian simply nodded, too thrilled to put energy into more banter. He wrote her phone number on a matchbook.
It would be a few months before they saw each other again, but after finally meeting for a first date, they were never apart. They married a year later.
Dropping out of school, losing the support of her parents, leaving Manhattan for life on a farm—she’d never second-guessed any of it. She still didn’t.
“You should have seen the look on Leah’s face when I told her what’s going on,” Vivian said.
“I asked you not to do that.”
“I didn’t admit how dire things are financially. But she had a right to know about the decision to sell.”
Leonard sighed, reaching for her hand. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard, but we need to stick together. Fighting with each other is not going to help. It’s you and me against the world. Remember?”
Yes, she remembered.
She remembered it all. That only made it harder.
Fourteen
Steven returned to the house just in time for dinner after taking Sadie scallop fishing late that afternoon in nearby Corey Creek. He kissed Leah on the forehead, and she inhaled the familiar scent of him, woodsy and male and, today, with a hint of saltwater. It was summertime Steven.
She patiently let him download all about the great time he had with Sadie—and she was happy to hear it. But really, all she could think about was the sale of the winery.
She didn’t know what she’d expected when she told him. Maybe some acknowledgment of the loss? Instead, he was maddeningly philosophical.
“Look, people sell businesses,” he said. “Or businesses close. We have our own business to worry about. Your parents will be fine.”
“I opened the cheese shop almost twenty years ago. The Hollanders have been vintners since my father’sgrandfatherbegan it in Argentina. Don’t you see the difference?”
“Of course. And one of the main differences is that the cheese shop isoursand Hollander Estates is not. Your father turned you away from the company. It was hard for you at the time, but now you’re in a position where the fate of the winery really has nothing to do with you. So be thankful for that.”
“I grew up here,” she reminded him.
“I understand that. Look, I loved the house in Maine where I grew up. But when my parents retired and sold it, I had to let them do what was best for themselves and move on.”
