Page 24 of Always There For You

A little bit of worry.

But Amelia felt good.

This was it. Already there were eager people outside Classy Corks, satisfied for now with the limited wine tasting Larsen and Hadley were doing at the bistro tables that marched in a curving line around the sidewalk. Those folks had paid upfront for those seats, and while Amelia had worried it would make other customers think the store was too “uppity” for an eclectic town like Breakwater, Hadley and Larsen had been very certain of the opposite. So she let them run with it, while she and Sara and the rest of the staff made sure everything was perfect inside.

Main floor: as picture perfect as humanly possible. Everyone wore their Classy Corks aprons, dark purple with green and white lettering. Each staff member got to pick their apron pattern, so there were paisleys and feather prints running around, as well as a few more interesting choices like polka dots or leopard spots. Amelia kept her apron plain; easier to spot amidst the joyous clashing patterns. Everyone knew the schedule down to a T. The overhead pendant lamps glinted, the tables and shelves were polished, the wine bottles perfectly racked. The art on the walls, courtesy of Hadley’s intensely detailed vision, varied from antlers hanging in open picture frames to dried flowers and herbs and strange little baubles that drew the eye. Crystals, oil prints, framed tarot cards with gold and silver foil. Amelia drew the line at macrame, lest the place become too much a draw by those seeking social media clout while posing with goofy faces. It would happen anyways, but she didn’t want to lean too hard into a certain aesthetic.

She went upstairs to quadruple-check the Winebrary. It was fully stocked as well and the bar gleamed under the glass and wicker lights. With any luck, a few collectors or high rollers would want to pursue the second floor store room as well, where the highest priced bottles were kept. Amelia didn’t want to cater only to that crowd, but in her experience, there were always a handful of people who considered themselves wine connoisseurs, and forgetting to serve them could make or break a business like hers.

Meanwhile, the plant wall she’d had installed (custom, pricey, worth every damn cent) nearly groaned under all the trailing vines, spikes of dark purple or bright pink, and the furls and thorns of various cacti and succulents. The skylight in the ceiling provided ample indirect light and the multi-hued glass cubes in which the plants were nestled glistened like gems. If you looked hard enough, you could make out the subtle lines from where the glassblowers melded together several bits of different reclaimed glass vessels. She hoped customers would ask about the installation and had business cards for the glassblower ready to hand out.

“Hey, Ames?”

Amelia peered over the railing and saw Hadley’s grin, bright eyes, hair piled high in a curly mass. Her heart thumped in her chest. Burgeoning, bursting with joy. “Yeah?”

Hadley held up an empty bottle. “We’re gonna need more pinot.”

“A lot more!” Larsen yelled from the front, and cheer went up from the crowd.

Elation was a thing she hadn’t felt in so very long. And now, it threatened to split every seam, every wall she’d ever built. “On it!” Amelia replied as she hurried down the stairs.

“C’mere.”

Hadley snagged Amelia by the arm and pulled her into the office. She’d been waiting for Ames to pass by; mostly to hand off another registration sheet full of names and email addresses of those interested in having private parties in the wWnebrary. It was a service they offered, but Hadley had never seen so much interest be flung about so quickly. It was wonderful, and mildly terrifying. And the last thing she wanted to do was overwhelm Amelia on a night where they were all feeling a little that way.

Amelia turned into her embrace with ease, but Hadley could feel her shoulder muscles bunching up. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She rubbed her palms down the middle of Amelia’s back. “It’s been wild, yeah?”

“Incredibly so.” Amelia rested her forehead against Hadley’s and sighed. “One more hour.”

“We can do this. And hey…” She kissed Amelia’s cheek, then the corner of her mouth. “We’ll go home, collapse, and have the morning to relax before this place opens. And I’ll give you a backrub and then…” Hadley let her hands drift down Amelia’s back, coming to rest just above an ass she wanted to squeeze. “Whatever you want, babe.”

Amelia gave a choked laugh, as if she were half scandalized and half willing to do whatever Hadley wanted. “I’m torn between wanting to sleep for a week, and riding high on the adrenaline of the night.”

Hadley gave her a grin, a winning one she hoped. “You mean the success of the night. Because that’s what it is, big time.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, you utter goober.” She placed a kiss on one cheek, then the other, and felt the pull of Amelia’s smile under her lips. “Let’s go finish it out right.”

It was tough to keep her energy up as the last hour flew by. It seemed like every time they handed off a check to a table or cashed someone out at the registers, five more people were in line or ready to hand over a credit card for their bill. And at midnight, the shop was still thrumming with people and energy. Breakwater really knew how to turn out a party.

Bit by bit, she sent staff home and for the most part, customers seemed to get the message. There were a few stubborn holdouts, but Amelia was sweet as pie with them, asking if they needed their bill amended and recommending that the bottles they purchased be enjoyed “at home, in your own comforts.” Hadley saw one middle aged couple exchange a look before guilt crossed their expressions. She had to duck behind the main counter to keep from laughing.

Her body screamed for sleep, but she wasn’t leaving unless Amelia was with her and the shop was doused in darkness, doors locked and the alarms set. Classy Corks was Amelia’s, but Amelia was hers. Finally. And Hadley wouldn’t go anywhere without her. Ever again.

When silence finally cloaked the building, she pulled an exhausted Amelia in close. “How are you feeling, besides drained?”

Amelia chewed on her cheek, her grip on Hadley’s waist tight. “Good,” she said after a moment. “I don’t think I’ve processed it yet.”

“That is more than understandable.”

“And yet…” Amelia sighed and looked around. “It’s here. It’s done. And now we can move forward.”

Her heart couldn’t take much more tonight. Hadley felt as though she might burst from the sheer joy of it. “We?”

“We. Us.” Amelia’s kiss was warm and soft. Hadley wanted to melt into the floor. “We did this.”

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