Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Sebastian
I woke up sweating profusely, as I always did when dreams of Melissa’s tragic death came back to haunt me. It was a curse that I couldn’t break free from.
The dream was a loop of the day I got the fateful call. I nearly fired my assistant, Kari, on the spot when she burst into my meeting and announced I had an urgent phone call. At that moment, nothing was more urgent than closing the Kirkstein deal, which was expected to bring in hundreds of millions and a distribution pipeline for our fine wines that would’ve made my ancestors’ heads spin.
I roared at Kari to leave at once. I told her I would be out after I’d wrapped up the meeting and not to bother me again. She dared to argue with me, vehemently objecting to what I’d said, but I didn’t listen to her and shut the door on her instead. I swore I would fire her after the meeting for embarrassing me in such a way, shouting at me, and causing a scene.
That was the single biggest regret of my life because if I’d listened to her as she nearly shrieked at me from behind the door, I would’ve heard her say that Melissa had been in a horrible accident. She was trying to tell me that the phone call was from my wife, who was being flown to a trauma hospital and had been given the chance to say goodbye to me because the paramedic knew she wasn’t going to make it, and she didn’t have long to live. The paramedic was right. Because of her severe internal injuries, Melissa died before the helicopter made it to the hospital.
The cruelest irony was that Melissa had spent most of our marriage trying to pull my attention from work and onto her, and I disappointed her until her last breath.
My gut wrenched in pain and agony after waking from the recurring nightmare, and I ran to the disgusting en-suite bathroom and threw up all the contents in my stomach. After flushing it away, I slumped down around the toilet and broke down in tears. I was heartbroken, sick, and constantly in a state of wanting to run away and never be found again. The problem was that I could never outrun my guilt for not being there when Melissa needed me the most. She’d always deserved better, and I’d been selfish to the end.
Miss California said earlier that she didn’t think I had a soul, and I might’ve agreed with her before, given my actions that horrible day. Unfortunately for me, I had a soul, and it was in a constant state of torment for what I’d done to my wife.
The woman had also claimed to pity people who allowed money to govern them. I knew the kind of people she spoke about because I was one of them. Only now, money no longer governed me. It punished me.
After a quick cold shower, I snapped out of my traumatized daze. I quickly threw on some running pants, a t-shirt, and shoes and did what I always did to get rid of weak emotions threatening to control my mood. I had way too much ahead of me today, and I wouldn’t start it off crippled by a nightmare.
I did a couple of small stretches before I set off, following a trail that led through the green hills surrounding this home where it sat isolated, surrounded only by vineyards in this valley.
Running was one of my favorite stress relievers; in fact, running did a lot for me in every aspect of life. It was when I came up with my best ideas, plans, and strategies, and it was where I could think.
As soon as I reached the top of the winding dirt path, I found myself needing to stop and breathe in the fresh air of Saratoga. Daybreak was just falling on the land, and the stars were becoming muted by the light of the sun, which was preparing to rise in the east. There was a lush fragrance that filled the air, reminding me of many visits overseas to our vineyards in France.
Finally, something nice about this place , I thought, enjoying the view from this spot. I stood there, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. The green rolling hills, acres of vines in their tidy rows, rolling majestically throughout the landscape, and the sun’s rays shooting up in spheres into the pink hue of the morning skies were mesmerizing.
I needed this. I truly did. And I would admit that to no one but myself. I wanted to absorb it all because I knew the moment would pass and the darkness would wash over me again.
“Don’t tell me you’re up here planning to uproot all the vines and replant them,” Miss California interrupted my thoughts.
I glanced behind me and saw her standing there wearing leggings, a loose shirt, running shoes, and a skeptical expression. Not wanting to disrupt the peace of the moment, I chose to correct her instead of arguing.
“Fortunately, I see nothing wrong with how the vines are planted,” I offered a friendly smile, hoping for a momentary truce.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then a smile touched her lips, showing a completely different expression than the ones I’d encountered from her the evening before. Her blue eyes were brilliant in their sky-blue color, and her natural beauty was on full display, unobstructed by make-up. Her smile lent such a beautiful quality to her that it would be my undoing if I weren’t so guarded and protected against it.
“This is new,” she said, confidently walking over to me while catching her breath from her morning run. “Finally, there is something about the winery you don’t think is dog shit.”
I couldn’t help but smile—a little—when she approached where I’d stood, walking with her hands on her hips. She was so sassy and cute that I fully welcomed the intrusion of my private, special moment.
“Well, I haven’t finished testing the soil, so there’s always that.” I sighed, glancing down and wondering what they used to keep everything growing so strong. From what I’d seen so far, the vines were superb. “You know you can’t get too excited. I’m sure something that needs to be changed will catch my attention.”
“Dear God,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Does it make you feel better inside or something?”
“Make me feel better?” I couldn’t help but enjoy that this woman didn’t cower to me being the world’s biggest asshole. Something about her being unaffected by my dominating presence was a turn-on. “I’m not sure I follow you.”
“What I mean is, does it make you feel better to shit on everyone beneath you? To constantly prove that the rest of us should be thankful you’re in our lives to fix everything we’re too stupid to figure out on our own.”
I inhaled, annoyed. “No, it does not make me feel better to insult people if that’s what you’re trying to say.”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to say,” she answered. “You’re probably going to argue with Mother Nature for not getting the perfect sunrise for your morning run.”
“I think you’re being overly dramatic. My job is to find and fix the issues standing in the way of making this a successful winery. I apologize if finding faults in your family’s home and business hurts your feelings, but this place will never be up to par to bear my family name if I don’t insist on changes to make it the best in Napa Valley.”
“Wow,” she chuckled. “You are shameless in your arrogance, aren’t you?”
“I’m just truthful. If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I will never sugarcoat things to cater to someone’s feelings. I’m a businessman, and I’m here on business. If you don’t want to be part of the brutal side of business, where you must learn it’s not personal , then perhaps you should reside somewhere else until I leave.”
Her eyes widened with her smile. I had no idea what she found humorous about what I’d just told her.
“So, not only are you insulting this entire place, but you want to kick me off the land, too?”
I couldn’t help but softly laugh at that. “I guess I am,” I said truthfully. “It seems this is very personal to you, and I suppose I understand that because your parents have decided to make their business personal by choosing to live where they work.”
“There’s nothing wrong with making business personal. That’s part of why my parents have been so successful.”
“Well, just as your family mingles the personal with business, so does mine. We take it very personally when our name is on anything , especially wine.”
“So,” she said, glancing over where the sun had risen just above the hills to her right, “if the Aster name is on this vineyard, what should I expect?”
“Exactly what you’re seeing take place. Nothing less than the best. People who visit Napa Valley and embark on wine-tasting adventures will feel like they’ve set foot in France and tasted my family’s wines from there.”
“That is impossible to replicate,” she challenged with a smile. “The soil and climate are worlds apart.”
“That’s where I come in. So, you will most likely feel insulted and get your feelings hurt again,” I teased.
Holy shit, I teased? I didn’t tease anyone. I didn’t play games and certainly didn’t find myself in conversations where I felt the need to explain myself to anyone.
Her eyes narrowed, and she cocked her head to the side, her loose ponytail falling over one shoulder. “You are a tough nut to crack,” she said. “One minute, you’re a wretched asshole, and the next, you’re trying to play games with me?”
“I assure you I am not playing games,” I said, making sure this did not cross the line into territory where I was being soft, nice, or, god forbid, flirtatious. “I trust you’ll only ever view me as a wretched asshole.”
“Nah,” her eyes seemed to stare through mine as if she were looking for the answers to something, “I have a feeling that you’ll come to our side long before we go along with that stiff-dick way of life you live.”
“Excuse me?” I wasn’t following her.
“I’ll make you a bet, Mr. Aster,” she taunted with a smirk. “One hundred bucks says we will have our way with you, and you won’t have your way with us. You’ll be living a carefree life in muslin shirts, khaki shorts, and flip-flops when you board your private jet back to New York.”
The idea made me laugh for the first time in too long. “I highly doubt that,” I confirmed. “I think you get your wild ideas from your father.”
She stuck her hand out to me to extend a shake. “Let’s bet on it. One hundred bucks,” she challenged.
“Fine,” I said, shaking her hand. “At least I know you’ll be good for it after I’m done with this place and it’s thriving, making more than triple what it’s bringing in now. I’ll take the bet since you are certain to lose.”
She grinned. “I have my own money, thank you very much. I don’t take a dime from this place.”
Interesting .
“You don’t live off of your parents’ wealth from the vineyard?”
“I bet that’s confusing for you to figure out, huh? The daughter of a wealthy vineyard owner not expecting her father to bankroll her lavish lifestyle?”
“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t live in a family business like this and not see the benefits from it,” I started. “However, from what I’ve seen, there’s not too much money to benefit from.”
She arched an eyebrow at me, “Like I said, I pity those who allow money to govern their happiness because soon enough, that money will also rule their lives, freedoms, and everything about them. I don’t need money to be happy.”
“That’s nonsense,” I said. “Everyone needs money to do everything. Hell, you probably can’t even eat at McDonalds without spending twenty dollars.”
“Oh, as if you eat at McDonald’s,” she laughed pretty loudly at that one. “Please tell me the last time you ate at a fast-food restaurant. I’m curious now.”
“I couldn’t possibly think of a time,” I said, arching my eyebrow, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what things cost. It is my business to know what people can or can’t afford. I’m merely trying to say everything costs money, including a fast-food chain.”
“Well, going to the beach and watching the sunset is free. You know, there are many rejuvenating things for the soul that money can’t buy,” she said, looking out on the hills, “but if you’re not happy, and the desire to be wealthy consumes you,” she looked back at me, “then you’ll never find those things. And if you never find them, then what’s the point of it all?”
I stared at her, considering her view on life and happiness. It was intriguing but made absolutely zero sense to me.
“I guess you see it your way, and I see it mine. I find happiness in achieving my goals. It’s not necessarily the money that makes me happy; it’s the accomplishment.”
“But money is the driving factor, isn’t it?”
“Money is the driving factor in everyone’s lives. Would you be happy if Mr. Mitchell and my family didn’t acquire this business? What if it went under, and your parents lost everything, including the home you seem overly attached to—so much so that the mention of a remodel outrages you? Would you be happy to know you didn’t allow money to get involved?”
“Well, that would suck,” she answered, “and I understand it from your viewpoint, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. I’m only saying that I’m happiest doing things that I love.”
“And what are those things?”
“Stuff that doesn’t cost a dime,” she smiled at me. “Like I said, sunsets at the beach, things like that. The best things in life are free; you just need to know where to look to find them.”
I grinned, “Well, I hope you continue to find happiness through free things. I will focus on increasing profits here so you can enjoy the freedom to dream of those free things.”
“You don’t believe me,” she said.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you. Half of what you are saying is true, but the other half is a wild fantasy with inspirational words. It sounds great, but when you’re in a place where money is the only thing standing between you and your next meal, I believe you’ll see it differently.”
“Another hundred bucks says that I can prove what I’m saying is right,” she smiled.
I couldn’t help but chuckle in response. “For someone who isn’t fueled by money, you sure like to gamble with it. Now, we’ve got two hundred bucks on the table for you to prove I don’t know who I am or what I’m about. I’m unsure why you are adamant about proving I’ve got my life all wrong, but I’ll admit, it seems a bit insulting.”
She stepped back and offered me a smile that ignited every nerve in my body, “Now you know how I feel. You’re here trying to transform my home and my father’s business into something it’s not.” She laughed, “Now you can understand how I feel about how you’ve handled everything since you arrived.”
“Touché,” was all I could say in response.
“I’m not asking you not to change anything. I understand that you have a lot of invaluable advice and plans to help this become better than my dad could’ve dreamt possible,” she said, becoming more serious. “All I ask is that you do your best not to treat us like cockroaches underneath your five-hundred-dollar shoes.”
“I’ll take that into consideration.”
Admittedly, my people skills were not the best. I wasn’t raised to show weakness, and being kind has always been mistaken for weakness. I was torn, though, because I genuinely did not want to insult anyone, but it seemed they’d purposefully insulted themselves by how they’d conducted their business and allowed their home to fall apart.
They seemed to take pride in everything, but the things that mattered, and it was apparent that they didn’t put any effort into keeping up this estate. At least the vines were in exceptional shape…from what I could see, anyway. However, the vineyard was the last on my list for personal inspection. Today, I had to dig into the numbers and figure out why the hell this place was upside down.
God only knew, but once I returned to the estate and got into business mode, the nice guy routine I’d shown Miss California would be long gone.