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After confirming that it is the 5.150 vintage, the bartender does a double take when I ask her if I can purchase the entire bottle. “It’s 300 euros per shot,” she informs me with wide eyes.
“That’s fine,” I reply calmly, handing her my Black card. “I’ll need a couple rocks glasses too.”
“I’ll have it repackaged in the original gift box and delivered to your room, it also comes with two tasting glasses. I’ll make sure they bring up a fresh bucket of ice as well,” she suggests. “Can I just charge it to your room?”
“Sure. I’m in the penthouse.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, Mr. Addison. I should have recognized you,” she apologizes after looking at the name on my credit card.
“No problem.” I wave my hand at her. “I’ll forgive you if you pour me a glass now and have the rest of the bottle sent up to the room.”
“Yes, Sir.” She complies with a courteous smile.
~~~
Staring out at the vast ocean, I rattle the ice cubes around the bottom of my empty glass. I press Mom’s number while debating whether or not she still deserves the top spot in my list of favorites.
“Good morning, Trey. How is Monaco?” she answers in an abnormally perky voice.
“Oh, Monaco is great as usual, but I’m not feeling the best,” I admit.
“I know. I woke up to a text from Ray this morning,” she confides in a hushed tone. “He said he told you about our little lapse in judgment.”
“Little lapse in judgment?” I nearly choke on an ice cube. “You have a long term affair and refer to it as a little lapse of judgment?” The silence at the other end of the line tells me that my immediate harshness has caught her off-guard.
“It ended almost twenty years ago,” she replies, going back to a prepared statement. “Your father and I dealt with it back then. We went to marriage counseling and it appeared as if he had come to terms with it.”
“He found out just before our eighth birthday, didn’t he?” I press.
“That’s about right I suppose… why?” she asks, obviously not remembering that day nearly as well as me.
“Because he completely blew off our birthday that year. He never even called.” I suddenly feel a little stupid for dwelling on an event that is so far in the past. “My point is… things were never the same after that day.”
“I know,” she replies, choking up just a bit. “I wanted to have a paternity test to prove to him that you were his boys, but he refused. He always said he didn’t want to take the risk of finding out that he wasn’t actually your father.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “I know it ate away at him.”
“I always wondered why you two separated so quickly after Tyler and I graduated,” I say, thinking out loud. “I always assumed that it was Dad’s fault for wanting a younger woman.”
“No. Over time we both came to the realization that he could never forgive me. He just couldn’t get past it. I think you boys were a constant reminder of my infidelity,” she whimpers. “I wish I would’ve had you two tested behind his back.”
“Things probably would’ve been a little better between us if he actually knew I was his son.” My mind immediately begins to recall a multitude of bitter moments from the past. I hear the door to our suite open and assume that Mandy is back from the spa. “I’ve got to go Mom. I’m just sad that I spent so many years thinking that Dad was the asshole. That isn’t fair to him and now I have no way of telling him that I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Mom, whispers through her tears. “I’m so sorry, Trey.”
“I’m sure you are, Mom. Have a good rest of the day.” Beating up Mom isn’t going to make me feel any better, but I did want her to know my level of regret.
After hanging up the call, I walk inside the suite to see that the visitor was apparently room service. They had left a complimentary bottle of champagne and a bowl of fresh cut strawberries, along with my ice and the repackaged bottle of cognac. I pull the crystal decanter from its shiny black steel case and refill my glass, adding a few fresh cubes before returning to the terrace. It’s way too early in the day to be on my second glass of hard stuff, but I need to numb these feelings. I cast my eyes upon the vast ocean in front of me and slowly sip this incredible nectar of the gods. I’m sure everything will work out in time. I am truly sorry, Dad.
