Page 19 of Lochlan

“Are you alright, lass?” he asks, still staring menace at Connell. The concern sounds a little too protective for a boss.

“I'm fine,” I protest. “I just needed a minute to myself. As I said, I was...”

“Thank you, Connell,” Lochlan says, cutting me off and dismissing him. “I need to talk to Kenzie, if you'll excuse us. I'll walk her to her car when I'm done.”

Connell glances at me for silent confirmation that I'm fine being left with Lochlan.

“Thank you for checking on me,” I say, turning to face him, my back to Lochlan. “I'll see you tomorrow during our shift.” He looks at me with a question about the tutoring session tonight. I shake my head, and mouthno, it's off. He wants to continue our groping session at his house. I would, but there's been an unexpected change. It appears our adventure on the wine cases has altered the dynamics. That look Lochlan gives me is a little more than passing concern. There might be some feeling in him afterall, and I'm going to find out. Unless the reason Lochlan is asking for this time alone means he's going to fire me for the debacles in the tasting room, not to mention being caught in the storage room with another employee.

Connell backs away, keeping his gaze on me until he has to turn to leave through the door. I confront Lochlan when the door clicks shut.

“What did you want to speak with me about?” I ask. It's better not to show weakness. Meet whatever it is head on.

“It's mostly about what happened in the tasting room today. Please take a seat. This won't take long.” Lochlan motions to a stack of boxes.

CHAPTER9

WICKET MAIDEN

LOCHLAN

Kenzie doesn't sit. She crosses her arms about her chest, trying to signal she's not afraid of me catching her and Connell trying to have a quick pump in the storage room. Is this the first time? No, I don't imagine, but it looked like it went farther than maybe she wanted. Why should I be concerned what they get up to? I shake my head, more to dislodge the memory of seeing her come out from around the boxes after Connell. I have to care or every employee will sneak to have a quick one in any dark place in these buildings.

Her chin juts out, ready to defend her position. She has no idea how bonnie she looks right now, even in that terrible uniform she wears.

“If you want to talk to me about that guy in the tasting room, I had no idea what a corked wine is.”

“I know; you've only been training for two days. Connell didn't tell you that after you open a bottle, you need to taste it before you pour. The problem is with a faulty cork; it allows air to interact with the wine and it becomes oxidized.”

Her eyes soften a bit at my explanation. “I'll taste the wine in the future. Did you keep the corked bottle? I'd like to know how that tasted, so I'll be prepared next time.”

“Aye, I did, but that's not a good example, because the wine isn't corked. The bawbag wouldn't know the difference. I'll wager he only tastes California wines that are more fruit forward, but we craft some of our wines in the old-world European style. The grapes are picked earlier due to weather in countries like France; it produces a less robust flavor, not bad, just more settled.”

She's looking at me hard, as if I'm speaking a foreign language, and I am to her.

I pull the bat off my shoulder.

“Is that a cricket bat?” she asks. “It doesn't look like a baseball bat.”

“It is.” I slip the piece of wood back on the shelf between two carrier boxes.

“Do you play?”

“I did in the primary grades. My granda insisted I learn gentleman's sports, like cricket and golf. I follow them as a passing interest, but I'm more of a football fan, what you Americans call soccer. I'll walk you out. A dark storage room isn't a setting for serious conversation.” I grab the door to signal I'm ready to leave. Standing in the dim light of this storage with her is too tempting not to steal a kiss or something more. “We'll detour through the main buildings; I need to check the locks to make certain the buildings are secure. Are you ready to leave?”

We roam through deserted halls as she watches me test knobs along a short office corridor. I have a way of ignoring people and I'm doing that as I check. The conversation is mostly Kenzie asking questions and me grunting an answer or staring at her while I think of a response. We take a short walk to another building near the back.

“What is this place?” she asks, stepping inside.

I flip on a light to reveal the first space. “These rooms are for private tastings, parties, or corporate groups. I helped design these rooms to make them private, but to take advantage of the views.”

Kenzie lingers at a photograph, then steps back a few paces to study the large picture of vines from the far side of the ridge. “These are really beautiful. I noticed similar images in the main tasting room too. Did you have these commissioned?”

“No, I took them.” I stand next to her, remembering the day I was out on that section with the workers. “Each room has a different theme. These photos are of the fall just before harvest. Every tasting room depicts a different season in the winery.”

They're all massive works hung on the brick façade, like a window to the surrounding land. She moves to inspect the next picture and I follow her like a tour guide.

“I wanted to invoke a feeling of what it's like walking among the grapes and capture what I enjoy about that time of year.”

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