His father had a hint of a smile at his own joke, and Raffi couldn’t help but smile sadly at it, too.
“Noted. After I pull this winery out of the red, I’ll work on it.”
His father grumbled as he rose painfully from the chair and shambled out of the room.
Raffi sat and stared blankly at the computer screen in front of him for several moments. That was possibly the most personal conversation he’d ever had with his dad. Must have beenthe fall. His dad had come face-to-face with his mortality and felt the need to impart wisdom on Raffi. Not all of it bad.
But there was something else—something that kept tugging at the edges of his thoughts during the talk with his dad. In the back of his mind, coming in and out of visualizations, were the gorgeous cosmic eyes of Ani.
It was a hopeless situation, but still. Wednesday could not come soon enough.
13
Ani
Ani got tothe address Raffi provided at ten a.m., like they’d planned. It was a rustic area with several rows of modern low-rise condos dotting the landscape. They were fairly close to The Parker, one of the famous luxury hotels in the area—where she would love to plan a wedding one day—and she wondered if the condos were also owned by the hotel, as they had that same air of contemporary country resort.
Raffi was already waiting outside the buildings in his signature navy suit, white button-down, and a pair of sunglasses that made him look like a celebrity ready to make his Cannes entrance. Not like a guy about to hop into a van and do fountain recon.
Ani, however, was not in her flirtatious best. She’d decided on a shapeless black dress that hit her knees and surely would prevent Raffi’s interest. However, she couldn’t help herself and decided to pair the boring sack with red heels. They were a classic style, not too flashy or too high, but they were still…red. She neededsomethingto not feel frumpy, and the heels were the perfect antidote.
She parked, popped out of the car, and felt for the first time like maybe they should hug? But that seemed wrong—they were colleagues—so she decided instead to take advantage of their distance and gave a wave hello. There, it was done and over with.
“This your building?” she asked.
“Home sweet home,” he said.
It wasverynice, no doubt about it. Everything felt brand-new, and it melded with the landscape well, intentionally designed.
“Is this part of The Parker or something?” she asked.
He nodded. “Kind of. It’s owned by them, but there are twenty or so condos. We do get access to the pool and spa, though, so that was the selling point for me.”
The Parker pool was a legendary hot spot, the type of place where Napa’s elite lounged with their thirty-dollar cocktails and wore sunglasses so expensive they probably came with their own insurance policies. Ani imagined Raffi lying back in a chair, women gawking over him, striking up conversations with him…She felt an uncomfortable twisting of jealousy in her chest. Jealous of women who might not even exist. She blinked, startled by the intensity of it, and silently scolded herself. She had promised herself she’d guard her heart, not get envious over hypotheticals. She needed to calm the heck down.
“Cool if I drive?” he asked.
“Of course.”
She followed him toward the small parking lot.
“I actually have something in the car for you,” he said, almost sheepish.
Ani stopped walking for a second. He had something for her? What could that possibly be? She racked her brain and came up with: an iced matcha latte, some bottles of wine, a photo of the progress being made at the site? She truly could not imagine anything else.
They stopped in front of a forest green convertible that looked both old and modern at the same time. Since they were on the side, she couldn’t peep what type of model it was, but she did know it was a stunning vehicle.
“This is what you drive?” she asked.
“Shockingly, not the creeper van,” he replied. “This is more my everyday. The van’s just for special occasions.”
Ani smiled while Raffi popped the trunk and pulled out a nondescript black bag.
“An apology gift,” he said, handing it to her.
Ani looked up at him before taking the bag, but his eyes were hidden behind those dark glasses, so she couldn’t read how he was feeling. “Oh…kay,” she said.
“Go ahead, let me know if it’s the right one.”
