19. Lydia
It’s only when we get off the freeway and venture in and out of roads, with signs indicating where these roads lead, that I realize where we’re going.
It has been years since I’ve made the trip to California’s iconic wine country. I went during college with a few friends for our own weekend getaway before graduating. It was so much fun. At least, from what I can remember. My mind went slightly fuzzy after winery number four. I think we went to a bar as well, but I was so far gone by that point that I don’t think I needed to drink anymore. And that’s the weekend where I learned what a wine headache was.
This trip is already different on so many levels. First, it’s a romantic getaway. Griffin has kept me completely in the dark about our plans for this weekend, and all I know about is that we’ll probably be going to a few wineries. Everything else is a mystery. I’m excited about the wine tasting, but how many wineries is Griffin going to take me to? And at what point am I going to drink too many glasses of wine that drunk Lydia is going to interact with Griffin for the first time and possibly leave him to be my caretaker for the weekend if I take a tumble off the deep end?
I close my eyes and rest my head against the window of the car. I’m going to try to clear my head for the weekend, so I’m not thinking about the conversation we had earlier about the future and how uncertain it is. Griffin might be going to a different team sooner than I want him to, and then we’ll have to have some difficult conversations about us, our life, and its future. He was already feeling bad for bringing it up, so I shove those thoughts out of my head and hype myself up for what’s about to happen. We’re going somewhere that’s supposed to be relaxing. And have like, our first date out as a couple. That feels so surreal to me. We’ve known each other for months at this point, but this is the first time we’ll be in a public place as a couple. There might be press that will find us, and I’ll just need to accept that this kind of publicity is going to be a part of my life if I want to be with Griffin.
“Tired?” he asks. “We’re almost there.”
“I’m fine, just trying to get all the bad thoughts out of my head in preparation for when we get there.”
Griffin chuckles to himself. “Okay, babe.”
“You like calling me that, don’t you?” I grin at him. It’s a classic nickname to call your significant other, but Griffin called me “babe” when we were in Vegas, playing Hero Seek at the Esports Arena, and we weren’t anything official yet. It was one of the first inclinations I had that his feelings weren’t quite platonic anymore.
“Yeah,” he blushes. “I kind of do. It’s cliché, but it’s a word that rolls right off the tongue. I smile every time I say it.”
“I do, too.” I’m blushing, and the sensation is making this already warm car even hotter. It feels like a sauna in here when outside, it’s crisp and cool in the thick of the winter.
We veer off the road that we’ve been traveling on for a while to one surrounded by greenery and a few gated homes on either side of the road. After a few turns, we pull into a parking lot with a simple sign along a concrete wall that reads, “Auberge du Soleil.”
I gasp loudly. “Griffin...”
“We’re here.” He turns to me after pulling up to the hotel. A valet promptly takes his car.
Auberge is certifiably the most luxurious resort in Napa Valley. Napa has a handful of five-star resorts. Resorts that cost more per night than my monthly car payment. I’ve never stayed here because I cannot afford to drop a thousand dollars, plus taxes and resort fees, and have spent my life never dreaming of it because it was out of reach.
“You got us reservations...here?” I ask, still awestruck, and we’ve barely even seen the hotel.
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?” I can’t help but question. Not because I don’t appreciate the gesture, but because I can’t help but list all the things I could buy instead with the amount Griffin probably spent.
“Because I love you,” he responds with no hesitation. “And you deserve to have a getaway. I have generally been budget-conscious when it comes to spending. Aka, I don’t. I’ve kept the same furniture since I moved to San Jose. I own two cars, which sometimes feels excessive, but I’ve wanted a sports car my whole life, and sometimes that’s not a feasible car to drive around. So I bought a bigger one. My teammates constantly make fun of me for how frugal I am, but I’ve just never found pleasure in material things. If I am going to spend a lot of money on something, it’s going to be on experiences. I try to go to Japan every other year and visit New Jersey to see my family. I’m going to drop a lot of money to explore the world. And now I’m happy that I get to visit somewhere new with someone special.”
My heart is beating so fast it wants to leap out of my chest, and my hands feel clammy as they’re shaking from the rush of emotions I’m feeling from Griffin’s affectionate words. I feel like I don’t deserve his kindness. I think about how everything fell right into place from the moment we were paired together in one of the biggest co-op games to exist.
“I’m excited about that, too. I hope that one day I’ll get to go to Japan with you. I’ve never been before.”
“It’s beautiful,” he grins. “There are so many amazing places to explore, and the best places are the ones that veer off the typical tourist cities. And the food is delicious. I already love Japanese food, but there’s something that just tastes so fresh when you eat tuna that was actually fished near the city. I’d love it if I could take you. I can only go after the season ends. Maybe we can plan to go when the school year’s up? Although I’ll warn you, it gets very humid in the summer, and while I love everything about Japan, the weather at that time is nearly unbearable.”
“I’m sure I’ll still love it, humidity and all.”
Griffin grabs my bags and checks into our room. The front desk attendant confirms with him that he has indeed booked a Deluxe Private Garden Suite for two nights. He goes through the motions of authorizing his card, answering the kind attendant’s questions about what’s brought us to Napa, with Griffin telling her that it’s his first time but letting me answer that I’d been here before. Not the resort, just a few wineries that everyone makes a point to visit, like the one that looks like a castle. I don’t know what Griffin’s agenda is for visiting wineries while we’re here, but I make a note to research wineries to bring up to him over the complimentary breakfast we receive with his suite reservation.
She gives Griffin the keycards to the room and a map of where it is, along with all the amenities available at our fingertips. Spa, pool, and the 24-hour fitness center that I’m sure Griffin’s going to use as the sun rises. I’m going to spend my time laying out on a pool chair and reading a book, a wine bottle included.
Griffin thanks her, and she makes it a point to tell us if we need anything during our stay here do not hesitate to ask. She then hands us each a glass of wine.
“Please enjoy this complimentary glass of wine for you to enjoy on your walk to your room,” she says with a polite smile
I carefully take the wine glass by the stem, take a sip of the crisp, slightly sweet wine, and let out a satisfied hum at how tasty it is.
“How is it?” she asks.
“Delicious,” I say. I can’t help the grin plastered across my face. I have to remind myself that I need to maintain a certain level of sophistication, which means I cannot just take this wine and down it like it’s water in a place where I feel like my presence doesn’t belong.
“Good,” she nods. “I hope you have a wonderful stay.”
“Thank you,” Griffin replies, taking my hand and leading me out to walk down the path to our accommodation.
“What are your thoughts so far?” Griffin asks me as we begin the walk to where our suite is.
“I...” I’m speechless. So much of this resort has blown me away. The service, the design. I mean, this walk amongst the trees and the view of the mountainside is straight out of a postcard. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sell art pieces of this very view and people swoop it up for thousands of dollars. “I love it.”
I also love how being away from home is making me feel. Whenever I’m on campus, or even when I’m home after work, I tend to feel anxious. Nothing major has to be going on, but I automatically think about whether there was something I could have done differently that day or what the outcome of the future might be. Here, amidst the trees and vines, I feel peaceful. I don’t have that tendency to check my phone and the emails that flood my inbox.
Griffin touches the keycard to our room, and when he opens the wooden door, my eyes widen. This suite is stunning. A full living room, complete with rustic, earth-toned furniture that is styled way better than my beat-up loveseat that has had lots of asses imprint themselves in it, a full-size bathroom with a freestanding tub and walk-in shower, but the piéce de résistance is that there’s not just the tub in the bathroom. No, there is an outdoor tub with shrubs lined behind it.
“There’s a tub in the yard!” I squeal, running to open the French-style doors to get a better view. “I never thought I could want something more than I want a yard with a tub in it.”
“It’s pretty nice, huh?” Griffin chuckles.
I turn around sharply to face him. “Pretty nice? Griffin, this is more than just pretty nice. This is…fuck.”
“Woah!” he exclaims. “That good?”
I give him a light shove. “Shut up. This place makes me speechless, okay? I’m in awe. This is nicer than my apartment.”
“I’ll make a note to look into adding a tub to the backyard,” Griffin smirks. “So it’ll be up to your standards.”
“Oh.” I blink back at him. “You don’t have to. I’m not going to be over that much.”
That’s a lie. I’m going to spend almost every moment that I’m not at work at Griffin’s house. I love my apartment, but it’s small. There’s one bedroom, barely any closet space left for my unsuppressed shopping addiction, and a narrow kitchen. It works fine for one person, but it is also a reminder that I would rather be with Griffin than be alone. And having two people there makes the place feel very cramped. Griffin has a hillside mansion with five bedrooms, even though he’s the only one that lives there. I always fantasize about playing hide and seek in his house, maybe rewarding him with something special if he can successfully find me amongst the many nooks and crannies.
“You don’t want to think about moving in together?”
“I...” Do? I think? I would be ecstatic if Griffin and I woke up next to each other every day or most days since he’s on the road a good amount during the season. But we’ve only been dating—officially dating—for the past two weeks, and moving in would be the next milestone in our relationship. I trace my fingers along the rim of the outdoor tub. I love Griffin, but was it too soon to take such a big step?
“I haven’t given it much thought, I guess.” I lean back so my hands can grip the tub behind me. “I’d love to wake up next to you and make meals with you and build a home together. But that is a big step and a big conversation.We need to give it some time before we talk about it.” I didn’t want the whirlwind of being in love to deter me from the very real commitment moving in was going to be, and I needed to be honest with myself for a moment. Because once my clothes are hanging from that closet, I’ll be more than just “Griffin Markey’s girlfriend.” I’ll be “the woman Griffin Markey’s sharing his life with, under one roof and all.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” I continue. “I’m gonna love getting to that point where we’ll be waking up next to one another, but I want to make sure both of us are ready to take that next step.”
“I get it,” he reassures me, reaching to wrap his hands around my waist. “One day at a time. And I’m ready to absolutely ravish you during this one.”
He bends down to plant his lips on mine and, in a swift motion, starts to turn the faucet on so water can begin filling the tub.
“What are you doing?” I ask, but it doesn’t all sound like words because my lips are still firmly pressed to Griffin’s.
“You’re fangirling over this tub so much, so why not just use it? I am paying for it after all.”
I titled my head. “You’re right about that.”
He burrows his face in my neck, splashing little kisses along its side. “Plus, I think I’ve earned seeing your naked body after that long drive.”
I roll my eyes. “It wasn’t even that long.”
“Anything over five minutes might as well feel like an eternity,” he grumbles. “If you won’t take them off, I’d be happy to rip them off myself.” He takes the bottom of my grey pullover crewneck and pulls it over my head. He then goes to show off a skill that he’s somehow perfected by taking off my bra while keeping his arms around me and kissing me deeper, causing me to lean back into him. When my bra falls onto the floor, he lets out a deep moan as he cups my breast and pushes it up so my nipple is in prime sucking territory.
After a small pinch, he sucks at my breast, and I let out a loud groan.
“Yeah, babe? You like it when I take you in like that?” He looks down at my breasts again. “God, your body is a damn wonderland.”
The water’s filled most of the tub at this point, so Griffin turns the faucet off, and I wiggle out of my leggings and toss them aside. Griffin licks his lips at me, and my stomach begins to churn. The way he looks at me, ravenous for my body, makes me feel like I’m wanted. That I’m finally seen in someone’s eyes with a desire to be chased after. It ignites something in me. I almost jump in his arms to kiss him, taking a fist full of the back of his hair and curling my legs around his thighs.
“God, Lydia. I want you so bad.”
“You have me. All of me.”
He carries me from the bottom of my ass and sets me gently into the warm water. Not long after my body submerses itself, Griffin hastily takes off his clothes and steps into the tub after me.
He breathes out, content when he feels the warmth against his body, and I glide towards him once he presses himself up against the tub.
“This settles it,” he says, “When I’m getting home, I’m going to look into having a tub installed in the backyard.”
“Really? It’s nice, right?” It doesn’t even have all the bells and whistles, like spa jets and color-changing LEDs. It’s just a large soaking tub that has room for two people to snuggle up with one another, naked bodies pressed together, even if Griffin is almost six feet tall.
“I’ll have to make sure that no one can peek in, but I think with enough shrubs and trees planted, I’ll be able to make it work. Maybe I’ll add in a pond as well, so we can hear the running water in our background to make it feel even more relaxing.”
“That sounds amazing,” I note. The idea of us living together sounded even more enticing now.
Griffin pulls me into him so that my submerged body touches his. I wrap my legs on either side of him and feel his hard dick up against my pussy. It’s such a tease, and we’d never talked about having sex in places outside of a bed. I rub against him, and he lets out a sharp breath.
“Stop teasing me, babe,” he grits. “I can’t take any more of it.”
He submerges his hand into the water and pushes one finger in and another once he stretches me a little more. He rubs a finger against my clit, and I shudder.
“My little Liddy,” he says, an evil grin on his face. “I can feel how wet you are beyond being in this tub.”
“It...feels...good...okay?” I breathe. His thick fingers fill me up, and when he rubs my clit, it sends sensations up my body, causing everything to feel ticklish.
“Here,” he pants. “I’m gonna try something. You know how to float on your back in the water?”
“Uh, yeah.” I nod.
“Okay. Tilt back.” I do what he says, and lean back so I’m looking up at the sky and my back floats up to the surface. The tub is a little bit longer than my height. As I keep my body afloat, Griffin comes up next to my waist and splays his hand across my lower back.”
“I’m going to have you spread your legs for me, babe, okay?”
“Yes,” I blink back up at his head, shining through the sunlight. I start to spread my legs a little bit, so my feet almost touch the edges of the tub.
“Good girl,” he whispers. He lifts one of my legs, startling me a bit so that I almost lose my balance.
Griffin tightens the hold on my back. “I got you. Always.” He moves in between my legs and hoists one of them over his shoulder.
“What-what are you doing?” I ask, losing my breath.
“I’m tasting you,” he responds bluntly.
“You...what? Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. Why are you asking?”
“Because...” I look away from him for a moment. “What if I don’t taste good?”
“No such thing,” he tells me. “Let me pleasure you, babe.”
“Okay,” I whisper. I grip onto the edges of the tub as he hoists my legs to wrap around his neck. Then, Griffin bends down and starts to suck and lick at my clit.
“Oh my god.” I close my head and tilt my neck up, letting my hair sink deeper into the water. I let out a moan when he presses his tongue further into me.
“You taste amazing,” he tells me, letting my legs fall back. He steps closer so our bodies press up against one another, and he goes back to working his fingers inside me. “You’re out of this world. I feel like the luckiest man in the world right now, being able to make you come like this.”
“I love you,” I pant. “So much.”
He brushes his lips against mine. “I love you, too. Now, what other parts of you can I explore while I got you all wet?”