Page 18 of My Grape Crush
Dani cracks the tiniest smile, but it vanishes quickly as Evelyn herds us into our seats.
“Please, sit and eat.”
Dani and I ease into our appointed chairs, Evelyn and Nicole planted on the opposite side of the table. Feels like the perfect set-up.
“Coffee?” Evelyn asks me. “It’s your favorite brand.”
“Yes, please.”
She pours a dark, fragrant stream from a silver carafe into my cup as birds chatter deep within the enormous willow trees flanking either side of the deck. The long tendrils sway hypnotically in the hot breeze. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday, with a killer view and surrounded by a crew of bad-ass ladies. Imperial Evelyn, tiara tucked into her beehive. What I’m guessing is a gender-fluid Nicole, country chic in dusty overalls and Birkenstocks.
And sweet Dani. Far less skin on display this morning, but she’s just as hot semi-clothed.
Maybe hotter.
“I love that your winery is pro-woman, Evelyn,” I say. “From what I’ve heard, that’s rare.”
A smile lights up her face. “I’m proud to be a trailblazer,” she says. “Nicole has one of the finest noses in the biz, and Dani’s creative genius ups our brand game. Have you seen the labels she created?”
“She hasn’t shown me anything.”
Under the table, I gently nudge my knee against Dani’s. It’s a just-between-us move, lighthearted and meant to be imperceptible, but Dani jumps in her chair as if I’d smacked her. The table shakes, ice cubes clinking in our water glasses.
Evelyn raises an eyebrow, curious, as she and Nicole silently gauge the friction that’s poked up. Dani’s eyes flash on mine—a not-so-subtle message ofdon’t you dare go there—before sheseizes the momentum back.
“I didn’t want to overload you on day one.” She smiles sweetly, impressively pro.
“Well, you have to take a look,” Evelyn insists. “They’re utterly gorgeous. And you told me last night that you like to draw in your spare time. Why not have our two creatives gab about their respective inspirations? Start with breakfast while I grab my tablet.”
Dani reaches for her arm. “They can wait. Let’s eat first.”
“Nonsense!” Evelyn swats Dani’s hand away.“The reason you’re here today is because of those labels. Tell Rhys your story.He needs to weave it into one of his videos. And remember, your success is my success.”
As our eccentric host and her giant bed sheet of a dress swirl away into the house,I turn to Dani and don’t try to hide my interest. “Okay, let’s hear it. I’m intrigued.”
Nicole settles into her chair like a movie is about to start. “This is so classic.”
Dani’s quiet for a few seconds, slowly succumbing to the fact she’s outnumbered.After what sounds like a steadying breath, she starts, “I lost my job a few weeks ago. In the process of drowning my sorrows in a bottle ofThe Emperor?—”
“That’s our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon,” Nicole interjects. “It’s what the kids calllit.”
“I had this vision, how to rebrand Evelyn’s wines,” Dani continues. “Tying everything into Nero and Rome. I fired up my laptop and got busy in Photoshop. At three in the morning, I said, ‘Screw it. These look great.’ I sent the labels and my resume to Evelyn in what managed to be a coherent email.”She laughs at the memory. “Probably should have slept on it.”
I nod, liking every word. “That’s an impressive origin story.”
“Necessity is the mother of invention, right?”
Dani shrugs like drunk-emailing an employer is how she rolls every day. The most my drunken nights have amounted to are sloppy hand jobs and a blistering morning hangover. But I heardhow her voice hitched after admitting she lost her job. Last night’s version sounded like the career pivot happened on her terms.
Evelyn rejoins us, wielding an iPad she hands off to me. “Take a gander and tell me these are not groundbreaking.”
“I don’t know aboutgroundbreaking,” Dani hedges. “They’re different. But sometimes that’s a good thing.”
What snags my attention is the assault of color. Supersaturated pinks and dreamy blues frame a young Roman god in the clouds, casting his gaze down to the wordsPink Pearl Rosé.
“Rosé, for goddesses and gods,” I read the tagline aloud. “Genius. Did you come up with that?”
Dani returns my smile, hers a little shy. “I created all the images and taglines.”
