3. Where There’s Wine.
3
Where There’s Wine...
Angel Savoie - April 18th, 2025
We pulled onto a familiar road after about thirty minutes of driving, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. When Savoie’s Vineyard & Winery comes into view, I turn to look at her. Was she aware that my family owned this vineyard, or did she think the name was a coincidence?
“How did you know?” I ask as we park near the restaurant on the premises.
“Did I know what?” she asks, turning to give me her full attention.
“That this is my family’s place.”
“Oh, shit, really?” she asks genuinely shocked. “I mean, I knew your family was the Savoies, but I didn’t know y’all were these Savoies.”
“Well, I mean, this is technically my aunt and uncle’s business, so it’s not really a full family business,” I admit. “However, my brothers work here, and I spent a lot of time here in the summers growing up.”
“First date and I get to possibly meet your family?” she smirks. “I feel special. How many other women have you brought here?”
“None, including you,” I laugh. “ You brought me here, remember?”
“Those details don’t matter,” she waves me off, and I can’t help but laugh harder. She smiled at me, probably feeling accomplished. “You’re really gorgeous when you laugh. I mean, you’re always gorgeous, but I like seeing you give in to joy. It looks good on you.”
My hands shoot up to my cheeks, and I press my palms against them in an attempt to soothe the warmth that I am feeling. She had a way with words that made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. This may be the first time we had been hanging out since meeting, but she had me ready to give her whatever she wanted the second she asked me for it.
“You’re smooth, Phoenix,” I chuckle as I pat her cheek. She leans into it and smiles at me. I brush my thumb against her cheek. She was so damn good looking. My eyes travel to her lips, and I suddenly want to kiss her. I sigh and start to pull my hand away, but she stops me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just like how you touch me,” she replies, and my heart almost stops. She takes my hand in hers and kisses it lightly. “Come on, Sweets. I’m ready to get to know more about you over dinner.”
I n od as she lets my hands go. I’m frozen in place until she comes around and opens the door for me. I let her help me down from her truck and guide me into the restaurant. I stay silent as she talks to the hostess, and then we’re led to a booth in a secluded part of the restaurant. My mind was all over the place, and I almost forgot how to breathe as her words replayed over and over in my head.
“I just like how you touch me.”
My breathing quickened as I thought about what it would be like to actually touch her in the way I wanted to. My hands slowly running up and down her muscular arms and wrapping around her neck as she fucked me into tomorrow. I could feel my fingers clinging to her back as she made me stumble over my words, kissing me along the neck and gifting me with release after release. Shit.
“You good, Sweets?”
My head snaps up, and I see her looking at me with an amused expression.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I quickly reply, picking up the menu and hiding my face. My heart was beating like crazy, and the longer I was around her, the wilder my thoughts were gonna get. I just knew it.
It’s been over five months since I’d gotten laid, and usually it wasn’t a problem, but that had changed drastically since running into her earlier this week. The number of times I’d reacquainted myself with my silicone friend who lived in my bedside table this past week was embarrassing. Especially because thoughts of this very attractive woman were what took me over the edge every time.
She had been crowding my thoughts this whole week, and I went into the bakery every day anticipating the day when she walked throug h the doors and smiled that beautiful smile at me. However, that day never came, and today, my anxiousness got the better of me. So, I decided to make her a cake and take it to her as an excuse to see her. When I asked Maddox if he knew where she worked, all he did was smirk and tell me that she was a firefighter. It all made sense.
So, I nervously made my way over around the time that I figured she’d get off. I knew that it might seem a bit stalker-ish, but I had to see her. There was something about her that I was drawn to, and no matter how much my mind told me to just let her come to me, my heart was impatient. And I’m glad it was because now I was on a date with her. A date that wasn’t originally the intention, but I’m happy it happened.
Heart - 1
“So, since you’ve probably been here hundreds of times, what do you suggest?” she asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look up at her. “I’ve never been here, but I heard nothing but good things about, well, everything. I heard their wine is fire, too.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s really good…the white one?”
“You don’t seem to be too sure,” she chuckles. I sigh, shaking my head.
“Honestly, I don’t know anything about the specifics of wine,” I admit. “All I know is that there are white ones, and red ones, and…yeah, I don’t know anything other than that. But they do taste great.”
“That’s fair,” she nods. “I’m no wine connoisseur either. Don’t laugh, but I’m more of a beer person. In the can specifically.”
“ Oh, so you’re country for real?” I tease, and she nods. “That lil accent of yours isn’t for show, I see. You grew up on a farm or something?”
“Nah, but I did grow up here for the most part, and we lived down a dirt road. Fishing and 4-wheeling are in my blood, though.”
“Nice,” I nod. “I’m not an outdoorsy person. My cousin and brothers like to joke that I’m allergic to being outside. I have sensitive skin, so it’s easily irritated, especially if it comes in contact with grass or flowers or damn near any wild plant. Also, I have terrible allergies, so springtime is my enemy.”
“Damn, your parents must’ve had to keep you in a bubble or something,” she jokes but I don’t say anything as my throat tightens. She quickly notices the change in my demeanor and apologizes. “I’m sorry. I must’ve said something I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean-”
“No, you’re good,” I assure her, not wanting her to feel too bad. “It’s just that…I, uh, I didn’t really have parents growing up besides my grandma and…”
I stop talking, but she encourages me to keep going. I wasn’t sure why I felt so comfortable opening up to her like this, but I did. So, I told her all about what happened with my parents and how they were taken from me not long after my fourth birthday. I realized the more I told her, the more anxious she seemed. It made me anxious in turn because I thought maybe I was making her uncomfortable. I told her this, and she shook her head, telling me that that wasn’t the case.
“It’s just that your story is oddly similar to mine,” she states.
“What do you mean?”
She takes a deep breath before explaining how her parents and grandma were taken from her. The more details she revealed, the more I started putting it all together. I could tell the exact moment when she realized what I’d realized…we’d both lost our parents thanks to the same drunk driver. This was further confirmed when I asked what day they’d passed and the town's name.
I knew that the wreck my parents were involved in had six other casualties, but we’d moved away not long after that. Never in a million years did I think that I’d meet another person who lost family the same way I lost mine. I blinked back tears as I stared up at the ceiling. I let out a shaky chuckle as I shook my head. The universe had a funny way of doing shit.
“You okay, Sweets?” Phoenix asks, and I nod before looking back at her. “I know it’s a lot to take in…”
“I guess nothing so far has been a coincidence,” I state. “I don’t know if you believe in fate or not, but doesn’t this seem like one of those moments in the books and movies when the characters realize that no matter what happened, they were gonna end up wherever the universe wanted them?”
“So, you’re saying that the universe wanted you to end up near me?” she flirts.
“Maybe,” I shrug playfully. “I mean…I’m willing to see if that’s true or if it’s just a coincidence if you are.”
“Sweets, I’m down for whatever,” she assures me. “Now, how about we order some food?”
“Yes, please, because now I’m starving.”
Din ner was a success, and I loved getting to know Phoenix. She was so sweet and also funny as hell. We spent damn near three hours in that same spot talking about everything from our hobbies to our goals to what we wanted to do in the future. I learned that her grandpa was a firefighter, and she grew up wanting to be just like him, which I thought was really freaking cute.
I also learned that she loved to work out when she had time. I could tell from the muscles she sported that it was serious for her. She said working out helped her clear her mind and conditioned her to be a better firefighter. I almost passed out when she told me she could easily lift 350 pounds. I was a bit over 300 pounds, so the thought of her being able to pick me up with ease and toss me around was something I desperately wanted to experience.
After dinner, she brought me back to the bakery, and I invited her up for another round of drinks. I didn’t want the night to end yet, even though it was nearing eleven. I knew I had to work in the morning, but I couldn’t say goodbye. I loved spending time with her, and she seemed to feel the same about me.
“Welcome to my little slice of paradise,” I say as I close and lock the door behind us.
“It’s exactly what I was expecting,” she chuckles as she takes in the decor.
“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not,” I chuckle nervously.
“ It’s definitely a compliment,” she assures me. “I love your style, and I love that you can see it through everything in this room.”
I looked around, smiling to myself because I was proud of how everything turned out. Most of the furniture, appliances, and electronics were black, but colorful accessories, rugs, pillows, and curtains added pastel pops of color throughout the small living room that doubled as my home office, thanks to the computer set up I had in the right corner. She nodded as she admired my basket of crocheted zodiac-themed plushies. She picked up a small ram and held it up.
“Did you make this?” I nod. “It’s cute. I love rams.”
“Are you an Aries?”
“How’d you know?” she laughs.
“I had a hunch earlier,” I giggle. “I’m a Libra.”
“Niceee,” she nods as she sits, still holding the plush ram. I take a seat beside her. “I have no idea what any of that astrology stuff means, but I like what the ram symbolizes. It’s strong and bold, two things I pride myself on being.”
“You can have that if you’d like,” I tell her. She looks up at me with a smile, and I return it. “Crocheting and knitting are also hobbies of mine, as you can see. I even make my own sweaters.”
“Damn, mamas, you talented as hell,” she says as she looks at me with nothing but admiration in her eyes. She softly tugs at my sweater. “You can bake your ass off and you know how to make cute shit like this? And you’re fine as hell? You the whole package, Sweets.”
I g iggled at her words as I turned my head. I’d never been complimented as much as she complimented me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. Then the nickname she gave me? Sweets. I loved it so much. If any other person tried to call me that, I’d cuss them out, but she had been granted this privilege that no other person would ever get to enjoy.
At least that’s what my heart was telling me.
“You like it when I compliment you, beautiful?” she asks as if reading my mind. I nod but don’t turn to look at her. “Look at me, Sweets.” I do, and she smirks, leaning closer to me until there’s barely any space between us. My heart was beating dangerously fast. “I don’t think I’ve told you this yet, but I love the way you react to me.”
“Phee…” My voice trails off as she places her hands on my hips and effortlessly moves me until my back rests against the arm of the couch. My eyes locked on hers, and my breath hitched as she brought her lips down until they were only a few inches from mine. “Ph-Phoenix…”
“Yes, baby,” she whispers, and I feel myself growing weak. Her hands grip my hips tightly as my arms wrap around her neck. Her lips move to my neck, and she kisses it softly. I let out a small moan as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. “You smell so damn good. So sweet. So perfect.”
“Phoenix, please,” I whimper as she bites and sucks my neck lightly.
Every inch of my body was on fire, and my desire for her was at an all-time high. I didn’t care that we’d only been on one date. I didn ’t care that we’d only just met for real five days ago. I didn’t care that we weren’t even officially a couple yet. I just wanted her. I needed her.
“Stop…t-teasing me,” I manage to say as she trails kisses down to my collarbone. “I…I need t-to feel y-you.”
“I got you,” she assured me as she continued to trail kisses down until she made it to the exposed parts of my breasts.
I felt her hands unbutton my sweater, but a blaring sound made us both jump right before she could help me out of it. She groaned, resting her forehead against my chest. She kissed my exposed skin once before sitting up and pulling her phone out of her pocket. I sat up as well and saw an alert flash across her phone’s screen. She quickly got up from the couch, and I followed her motions, confused.
“I’m really sorry, Sweets. There’s an emergency at the station and I need to go in,” she sighs. I nod and walk her towards the door. Before exiting, she gently grabs me by the waist and pulls me into her arms. She kisses me softly on the lips before pulling away. “We’ll pick this up another time, okay?”
“Okay,” I nod as my fingers trace where our lips had touched. She told me to have a good night before rushing out to her truck.
I managed to close and lock the door as my thoughts swirled around my head. I glanced over at the couch, and the memories of what was about to happen came flooding back. We were so close to crossing that line, and it all felt so surreal, but I understood that her job required her to be on call at all times of night. I sighed because I knew t onight would be another night I spent with my good friend from the bedside table.
Maybe this was for the best. It was late anyway, and I knew that she and I would’ve been up all night, and I’d be groggy when I had to go to open up the bakery in the morning. Yeah, that’s what I will keep telling myself for the rest of the night. That it was just a sign that the timing wasn’t right, I’d waited this long. What was a bit longer?
I shook my head because I knew I was thinking too much about this. I needed to get ready for bed while I was standing around thinking about fucking this woman I barely knew. I sigh and set the alarm before heading to my room. Once I reach the bathroom, I strip down to nothing and then climb into the shower.
I let the water wash over me as I clean all of today’s activities from my body. I’m not sure how long I was in there, but the mirror was covered in steam when I stood in front of it and ran through my skincare routine. Once everything was taken care of, I finally climbed into bed and pulled out my Kindle to catch up on my reading.
I was two pages in when my phone beeped. I picked it up and smiled as I read the message:
Goodnight, Sweets. Make sure to dream of me, my angel.
I reread the message repeatedly before finally replying, telling her goodnight as well. When I put my phone down, I was hit with a sudden wave of sleepiness. So, I closed the cover of my Kindle and set it on the side table before pulling off my glasses and setting them on top of it. I flicked off the lamp and snuggled under the covers. My bed was comfortable, so I had no problem drifting off to sleep.
However, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much more comfortable it would be if Phoenix shared it with me.