Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,65

wanted stuffy servers and immaculate aprons. Some people liked to kick back. Some people preferred Linda Perry on the sound system instead of Vivaldi.

Toni was those people.

She felt underdressed. She felt like everyone was looking at her.

Hey! she wanted to yell. I was drinking wine when you people were sneaking your parents’ awful, watery beer.

No, that just made her sound like an alcoholic.

The man at the next table was saying something about “fragrant tobacco” and “racy acidity.”

Give me a break.

“Megan!” Ruben entered the members’ room, wearing a black polo shirt with Fairfield Family Wines on the pocket. The dark color set off the silver at his temples and the near-black color of his hair. He really was a great-looking guy.

The image of Ruben and Megan flashed in her mind. They were all dressed up, being fancy, and they looked stunning together.

“Weird,” she muttered.

“What?” Ruben looked at her.

“Sorry!” Toni shook her head. “My mind was drifting to something at work. Ignore me.” She plastered on a smile and motioned toward the windows. “Ruben, this place is stunning.”

“Thanks.” He sat with them. “I’d love to take credit for the tasting room, but that’s all the architect and designer. Ross, Taylor, and Associates in San Francisco.”

Toni nodded like that made any sense to her at all. “Cool.”

“The way the building just blends with the landscape,” Megan said. “It’s just stunning.”

Ruben nodded at their glasses. “And what do you think of the wine?”

Megan smiled, and Toni nearly bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“So nice,” Megan said. “It fits the setting perfectly.”

Toni could feel Megan from across the table. She was lying through her teeth. Well, not pants-on-fire lying, but definitely a polite gesture.

Ruben looked at Toni and Katherine. “And what do you ladies think?”

Katherine frowned. “It’s very… subtle.” She glanced at Toni. “I think that’s the word I’m looking for. It’s subtle. I agree with Megan; very pleasant.”

Pleasant? Toni pressed her lips together and sipped the ice water the server had placed on the table. Pleasant was the very definition of damning with faint praise. Pleasant was what you took to a party when you didn’t like the host or didn’t really know them. You took Pleasant to the office holiday party and didn’t really mind when it was left there at the end of the night.

“Thank you.” If Ruben was offended, he didn’t show it. “Do you ladies drink much wine?” He scoffed. “I mean, other than Toni of course.”

“Way to make me sound like an alcoholic, dude.”

He grinned. “You know what I mean.”

“I do drink wine,” Katherine said. “Quite a lot of it. I like local wines mostly. Have you tried Toni’s cousin’s wine? It’s very good.”

“I have.” Ruben didn’t seem to know what to do with Katherine. “It’s a solid offering. A little fruit-forward for my taste, but they know what their customers like.”

Oh, fuck you. Toni plastered on a smile. “We were hoping we could get a tour of the place,” she said. “Do you have time? We’re so curious to hear about the plans.”

“Sure.” Ruben looked around the room, then pulled out his phone. “Let me just text my foreman and he’ll take care of things for me.”

He looked up after sending the text. “Ladies, I’m all yours.”

Chapter 22

“So what we’re trying to do long term is a type of neural interface for use with prosthetics that mimics the biological systems seen in cephalopods.” Katherine stayed close to Ruben as they moved across the grounds. “It’s all quite fascinating.”

“I’d say so.” Ruben was completely confused.

To be fair, Toni often had the same reaction when Katherine started talking about her work. Her professor friend was so enthusiastic that she sometimes forgot that not all her friends had multiple PhDs in a broad range of subjects.

“And this is where we make the wine.” Ruben opened a metal door to a cavernous tank room with stainless steel tanks rising up from the floor. Workers in white coveralls were shouting from walkways that ran along the outside of the building and around each tank. A man on the far side of the building sprayed down the concrete.

Ruben leaned toward Megan. “I’m sure most of this is familiar to Toni, but do either you or Katherine have any questions?”

Before Megan could even open her mouth, Katherine started.

“How long does the fermentation process take? Do you use wild yeast or manufactured?” She charged into the tank room, pointing at the complicated array of valves and sensors at the bottom of the tank. “Can you