The Winemaker's Dinner: Dessert (The Winemaker's Feast) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Dr. Ivan Rusilko
room until she cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned his attention to her and was surprised to see she was dressed and stepping into her shoes. “You can stay if you want to, but I have to go.”
Yanked from his fog, Ivan reached for the towel she’d tossed his way and roughly cleaned himself as he gathered up his clothes. “No, I should be going too.”
“Do you need cab money?” she asked as she stared into the mirror and reapplied a thick layer of rich-girl-red lipstick.
He snorted a soft laugh as he pulled up his jeans and buttoned the fly. “No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
She turned back to him, her small purse tucked under her arm and a parking valet claim ticket and some cash in her free hand. “All righty then…”
Ivan didn’t reply but kept on with the task of getting dressed. He turned his black T-shirt over in his hands and looked up at her.
“You wouldn’t mind giving me a ten-minute head start, would you? I’d hate for anyone to see me at this hour with a shadow,” she said. “You know how fast gossip travels in Miami Beach.”
He put his arms through the T-shirt and pulled it over his head. “No problem.”
“I knew you’d understand.” She blew him an air kiss and turned her sky high heels toward the door. Just before the door clicked shut he heard her call out to him, “You’re a doll!”
He blew out an exasperated sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. He knew every second spent in a hotel room doing the freak’s bidding, getting his goddamn fix, was accruing a debt that was tallied by the minute, one his soul might never repay.
He slipped on his flip flops, picked up his sunglasses, and tucked his keys and wallet into his pockets. He took a quick glance around the room and then went to the bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face and ran his hands through his hair. In the mirror was a virtual stranger with beads of water dripping down his face and over his beard. He hated the man who stared back at him. God, who have I become? His guilt worsened. He splashed cold water on his face over and over.
Washing away your sins, are you? the freak taunted.
Ivan picked up a towel and scrubbed it hard over his face, then released a heart-wrenching, guttural groan of a yell into the cotton he held tightly over his mouth. The day-to-day stuff was hard, but this shit—the aftermath of one of these sex sessions—was when the real torture began.
He tossed the towel to the floor, raked his hands through his hair, and wondered if it had been ten minutes. Screw that . He put on his sunglasses and stalked out of room 1020 toward the elevator bay. The doors slid open, and Ivan stepped into the elevator. With a whoosh he sped toward the ground. Then, as he had so many times before, he traversed the hotel lobby, sidestepping the throngs of people as they made their way toward the counter. An overwhelming sense that he was on trial for the act he’d just committed burdened his heart, and for a moment it froze him in his tracks. He was suddenly unsure he had the strength to face the day.
Fuck it. Progression! The freak roared in victory, but Ivan couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding that had settled in his soul. He looked out through the glass front doors in the lobby, cracked his neck, and ran a hand though his just-fucked hair, wishing he’d taken the time to find his hair tie. But there was no avoiding it. His life wasn’t going anywhere.
Muggy air embraced him as he stepped through the doors, raised his arm, and hailed a taxi.
“Where to?” the cab driver asked.
“South. Just head south.”
Chapter 5
“Miami”
“P LEASE M AKE S URE Y OUR S EAT B ELTS are fastened and your tray tables are in their upright and locked position. We are beginning our final decent into Miami. Flight attendants, please take your seats. Thank you.”
The sound of the captain’s voice jolted Jaden awake. God, I love redeye flights . She stretched out every inch of her
Yanked from his fog, Ivan reached for the towel she’d tossed his way and roughly cleaned himself as he gathered up his clothes. “No, I should be going too.”
“Do you need cab money?” she asked as she stared into the mirror and reapplied a thick layer of rich-girl-red lipstick.
He snorted a soft laugh as he pulled up his jeans and buttoned the fly. “No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
She turned back to him, her small purse tucked under her arm and a parking valet claim ticket and some cash in her free hand. “All righty then…”
Ivan didn’t reply but kept on with the task of getting dressed. He turned his black T-shirt over in his hands and looked up at her.
“You wouldn’t mind giving me a ten-minute head start, would you? I’d hate for anyone to see me at this hour with a shadow,” she said. “You know how fast gossip travels in Miami Beach.”
He put his arms through the T-shirt and pulled it over his head. “No problem.”
“I knew you’d understand.” She blew him an air kiss and turned her sky high heels toward the door. Just before the door clicked shut he heard her call out to him, “You’re a doll!”
He blew out an exasperated sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. He knew every second spent in a hotel room doing the freak’s bidding, getting his goddamn fix, was accruing a debt that was tallied by the minute, one his soul might never repay.
He slipped on his flip flops, picked up his sunglasses, and tucked his keys and wallet into his pockets. He took a quick glance around the room and then went to the bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face and ran his hands through his hair. In the mirror was a virtual stranger with beads of water dripping down his face and over his beard. He hated the man who stared back at him. God, who have I become? His guilt worsened. He splashed cold water on his face over and over.
Washing away your sins, are you? the freak taunted.
Ivan picked up a towel and scrubbed it hard over his face, then released a heart-wrenching, guttural groan of a yell into the cotton he held tightly over his mouth. The day-to-day stuff was hard, but this shit—the aftermath of one of these sex sessions—was when the real torture began.
He tossed the towel to the floor, raked his hands through his hair, and wondered if it had been ten minutes. Screw that . He put on his sunglasses and stalked out of room 1020 toward the elevator bay. The doors slid open, and Ivan stepped into the elevator. With a whoosh he sped toward the ground. Then, as he had so many times before, he traversed the hotel lobby, sidestepping the throngs of people as they made their way toward the counter. An overwhelming sense that he was on trial for the act he’d just committed burdened his heart, and for a moment it froze him in his tracks. He was suddenly unsure he had the strength to face the day.
Fuck it. Progression! The freak roared in victory, but Ivan couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding that had settled in his soul. He looked out through the glass front doors in the lobby, cracked his neck, and ran a hand though his just-fucked hair, wishing he’d taken the time to find his hair tie. But there was no avoiding it. His life wasn’t going anywhere.
Muggy air embraced him as he stepped through the doors, raised his arm, and hailed a taxi.
“Where to?” the cab driver asked.
“South. Just head south.”
Chapter 5
“Miami”
“P LEASE M AKE S URE Y OUR S EAT B ELTS are fastened and your tray tables are in their upright and locked position. We are beginning our final decent into Miami. Flight attendants, please take your seats. Thank you.”
The sound of the captain’s voice jolted Jaden awake. God, I love redeye flights . She stretched out every inch of her