Page 48 of Love Unspoken

"One?"

"I'll be starving by then, Naya. Have mercy."

"Noon?"

"How about I'll come by at eleven and I can even help if you like? Oh, and can you make that cauliflower dish you made when we used to come by your father's place? The one with almonds?"

He remembered what I cooked all those years ago?

"Sure," I squeaked out.

"I'll see you tomorrow. And I'll bring the wine."

"Good because I know what you like, and I can't afford that," I blurted out.

He narrowed his eyes. "How do you know what I drink?"

"Kara told me."

He nodded appreciatively. "And what do you like to drink?"

"Something affordable?" I offered.

"I mean the varietal, Naya," he grinned.

I cleared my throat. "I like Cab…Franc."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay. What kind?"

"I only know my wine because Darren knows his wine," I confessed. "I like Loire Valley Cab Franc, and I'm a big fan of South African Chenin. I like my champagne Blanc de Blanc and super dry."

"I'm fucking impressed, Naya. You know your wine."

"Only what I like and only because Darren makes me taste wine all the time. He buys cases and has a thousand plus bottle wine cellar at his place."

"Challenge accepted. I'll do better than Darren."

"It's not a contest," I called out to him as he walked away, whistling, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

EIGHTEEN

AMIAS

"Man, how the fuck did you get my number?" Darren demanded and then coughed for two minutes straight.

"I know someone who knows someone," I informed him.

"And you want to know what wine Naya likes?" Darren asked.

"Yeah. She said Loire but I sort of said that I'd do better than you."

"Okay, I have COVID, and my head is not screwed on straight, but what the fuck is going on?"

"I'm going to her place for Christmas Eve. She's cooking and I'm bringing the wine. I told you.

"I was fucking with Darren. I knew he'd be surprised when I called him and that he'd want to bite my head off.

"You fucking with her, Westbrook?"