Chapter Thirty-six - Natalia
Chapter Thirty-six
Natalia
S he poured a taste of wine into each of their glasses and then slid them in front of them.
“Okay, ladies. Let’s pick up your glasses. You want to observe the wine, its hue and intensity. Is it pale in color or more of a deep ruby red?” Natalia asked, not really expecting an answer. “Then we want to swirl it.”
Each woman looked at the wine in her glass, observed the color, followed Natalia’s lead, and swirled their glasses in a circular motion.
“Just looks yummy to me,” the bride-to-be giggled.
The wedding party had popped into the winery for an impromptu wine tasting. Their intimate wedding was set to take place on the beach, much like Lu’s and Zach’s wedding would in September, at least she hoped there would still be a wedding. She hoped that their love and marriage would last forever, not like hers and Nic’s. She wished for them a different outcome.
“Now, we want to smell the wine. I would say close your eyes, position the glass just below your nose, and take a quick whiff. Which fruits do you smell?”
“Berries—strawberries, raspberries,” one of the ladies said.
“Does it have notes of herbs or flowers? What about aromas like vanilla, coconut, or chocolate . . .”
Natalia had conducted hundreds of tastings at her winery. She could do it with her eyes closed, knew everything about every bottle of wine in her cellar. It was something that she enjoyed—introducing patrons to new wines, new experiences. But today she was distracted. Her stomach was topsy-turvy, nerves on edge, hands fidgety. The wait was driving her crazy.
Today was the day.
The sheriff would serve Nic with the divorce papers today. She knew that he would call soon thereafter, frantic. He’d probably be angry because of the embarrassment of being served at his place of business. He might not agree with her terms and even decide he wanted to fight her for the house and all its furnishings. Or maybe he’d insist that they enlist a Realtor, sell, and split the proceeds. And this was a stretch—a huge one—he might not want the divorce at all. What if he just flat-out refused to give her a divorce altogether? Either scenario had her on edge.
The suspense was killing her.
She motioned for her assistant to take over the wine tasting while she stepped away, retreating to her office. She fell into the leather chair, rested her back and head against the leather. Her heart rate increased as she was about to dial Danielle Curry’s number when she called.
“Natalia.” Danielle was calm and reserved.
“Has he been served?” Natalia asked before her attorney could finish the sentence.
“I’m afraid not.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t work there anymore. He resigned yesterday and left for Sicily this morning.”
“He just up and left without warning?”
“That’s what we were told,” said Danielle. “Now, there are ways to get this done without him. Him being out of the country can actually work in our favor. You just say the word.”
“I’m sorry, I . . . I just need to think this through.” Natalia’s eyes threatened to fill. She felt a lump forming in her throat. “Thank you. I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay, Natalia. We’ll talk soon.” Danielle ended the call.
Natalia sat there, her face covered with both hands, crying. How dare he disappear when she needed closure!