asked with a smile. "All these years we've talked on the phone and emailed each other, it would be nice to sit down and finally get to know more about you."
She wanted to get to know him better as well.
Then why are you hesitating? her mind screamed.
She looked over her shoulder at the exit, then back at the table.
"I'm sorry," he said when she still didn't answer. He looked at his watch. "I suppose now I'm being presumptuous. Here I am asking you to sit down and share this wine and food with me and technically you're suppose to be off the clock already. I didn't think that maybe you already had plans with your husband."
Maya grinned at Xavier's inquisitive tone.
It was more than a little obvious that he was fishing for her relationship status. Grinning, she held up her hand to reveal her bare ring finger. "I'm not married."
"Boyfriend?" he corrected.
She shook her head, and she felt her grin widen. "I'm single."
"Then I'm not stealing you from anyone important."
"It doesn't appear that way." Finally Maya smiled and said, "Sure I would love to sit with you."
They moved over to the table and Xavier held a chair out for Maya. As he pushed her chair in after she sat, she felt his finger inadvertently brush against her shoulder. It amazed her that even the lightest touch from this man made her body come alive.
She expected him to go around and sit on the other side of the table, but was surprised when he pulled out the chair right next to hers and sat down.
"So, what do we have here?" Xavier asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Trying to ignore their knees touching under the table, Maya pointed to a white wine.
"This is a chardonnay, much like the one you tasted from the barrel. Of course this one is ready for consumption," she said with a smile.
They both reached for the bottle at the same time and she stopped as Xavier's large hand grabbed it first.
"Do you mind?" he asked.
"By all means." She held up her glass so he could pour some, then he filled his own glass.
"I assume we're pairing this with the brie cheese over there?" he guessed as he sat the bottle back down.
"You're absolutely right. It's actually from a local cheesemonger not too far from here." She cut them both a small slice of cheese. "You know your pairings."
"I would hope so, otherwise business would be terrible at my café."
"What made you decide to open a wine café?" Maya asked. She had always been curious. "Why not just open a wine shop?"
"Because there is a wine shop every few blocks. Not to mention you can get wine from just about any store. With the wine café, people can also experience the joy of learning about wines as well as different foods that pair well with them."
She loved his answer. And it was obvious that he was a true wine lover. As they went through their flight of wines, tasting several varieties, she watched as he described each one in great detail, as well as how each item of food was enhanced by the wines.
As they finished up their tasting, Xavier wiped his mouth and sat his napkin down on the plate in front of him.
"That was amazing. I can't thank you enough again for doing all of this."
"Even though it was meant for you and someone else?" she asked sheepishly.
Xavier turned and looked Maya directly in the eyes. "If it was meant for me to be here with someone else, I would have been here with someone else," he said with a self-assured tone.
There was something in his voice and the look in his eyes that made Maya's heart race.
She broke their eye contact and stood, gathering up the dishes. "I still feel terrible. Setting up this whole romantic scene must have brought up some strange feelings considering–"
"Maya." Xavier stood, gently grabbing her arm, to stop her from her task of cleaning. "The only thing I've felt tonight is joy at spending time with you. In fact..." he removed his hand from her arm and hooked his thumbs into the loops of his jeans. "...I was wondering since the winery is
She wanted to get to know him better as well.
Then why are you hesitating? her mind screamed.
She looked over her shoulder at the exit, then back at the table.
"I'm sorry," he said when she still didn't answer. He looked at his watch. "I suppose now I'm being presumptuous. Here I am asking you to sit down and share this wine and food with me and technically you're suppose to be off the clock already. I didn't think that maybe you already had plans with your husband."
Maya grinned at Xavier's inquisitive tone.
It was more than a little obvious that he was fishing for her relationship status. Grinning, she held up her hand to reveal her bare ring finger. "I'm not married."
"Boyfriend?" he corrected.
She shook her head, and she felt her grin widen. "I'm single."
"Then I'm not stealing you from anyone important."
"It doesn't appear that way." Finally Maya smiled and said, "Sure I would love to sit with you."
They moved over to the table and Xavier held a chair out for Maya. As he pushed her chair in after she sat, she felt his finger inadvertently brush against her shoulder. It amazed her that even the lightest touch from this man made her body come alive.
She expected him to go around and sit on the other side of the table, but was surprised when he pulled out the chair right next to hers and sat down.
"So, what do we have here?" Xavier asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Trying to ignore their knees touching under the table, Maya pointed to a white wine.
"This is a chardonnay, much like the one you tasted from the barrel. Of course this one is ready for consumption," she said with a smile.
They both reached for the bottle at the same time and she stopped as Xavier's large hand grabbed it first.
"Do you mind?" he asked.
"By all means." She held up her glass so he could pour some, then he filled his own glass.
"I assume we're pairing this with the brie cheese over there?" he guessed as he sat the bottle back down.
"You're absolutely right. It's actually from a local cheesemonger not too far from here." She cut them both a small slice of cheese. "You know your pairings."
"I would hope so, otherwise business would be terrible at my café."
"What made you decide to open a wine café?" Maya asked. She had always been curious. "Why not just open a wine shop?"
"Because there is a wine shop every few blocks. Not to mention you can get wine from just about any store. With the wine café, people can also experience the joy of learning about wines as well as different foods that pair well with them."
She loved his answer. And it was obvious that he was a true wine lover. As they went through their flight of wines, tasting several varieties, she watched as he described each one in great detail, as well as how each item of food was enhanced by the wines.
As they finished up their tasting, Xavier wiped his mouth and sat his napkin down on the plate in front of him.
"That was amazing. I can't thank you enough again for doing all of this."
"Even though it was meant for you and someone else?" she asked sheepishly.
Xavier turned and looked Maya directly in the eyes. "If it was meant for me to be here with someone else, I would have been here with someone else," he said with a self-assured tone.
There was something in his voice and the look in his eyes that made Maya's heart race.
She broke their eye contact and stood, gathering up the dishes. "I still feel terrible. Setting up this whole romantic scene must have brought up some strange feelings considering–"
"Maya." Xavier stood, gently grabbing her arm, to stop her from her task of cleaning. "The only thing I've felt tonight is joy at spending time with you. In fact..." he removed his hand from her arm and hooked his thumbs into the loops of his jeans. "...I was wondering since the winery is
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