The Wine Bar

Feeding quarters into the parking meter, Shawn took a moment to study her face. Her long brown hair was pulled back accentuating her high cheekbones and slender neck. Her green eyes were electric in the street light. After studying the three-story building across the street, she turned to look at Shawn, catching him analyzing her features. He quickly walked around the car to cover his embarrassment. A few drops of rain began to materialize. He gently touched her lower back, guiding her across the street and under the navy awning. His first impression of Avalon was astounding. Even her name added to her beauty.

A week before, Shawn was showing his friend Mary a house a few blocks from his place. “Shawn, I have a girl for you! She is horrible to be around. She loves wine and talking about books.”

“I am listening.”

“Her favorite author is this Fred Backman guy you keep talking about.”

“Fredrik.”

“Yeah, close enough. Anyways, I told her you would pick her up Friday night to go to A Buyer for a Cellar. Seven-o-clock.”

“Thanks, Mary. I am glad you asked me for my opinion and schedule.”

“Shawn, you will be saying thank you before you even get inside.”

A Buyer for a Cellar was the most popular place for wine drinkers in Franklin. Standing under the awning, he could not help but think how many thanks he owed their friend Mary. Shawn brushed her shoulder. “What type of wine should we get? I was thinking about a...”

“Merlot,” Shawn and Avalon said as he held the door open for her. They both shared a smile as they walked through the door, missing the eye rolls of patrons that were not in the early stages of young love. Shawn walked up to the bar and ordered a merlot featuring plum and spice while Avalon found a table for two near the diamond paned front windows. Outside, the rain had begun in earnest. Later, Shawn thought he could use this as an excuse to stay longer.

Conversation flowed freely, even before the wine could take effect and lessen their nerves. “So Shawn, Mary said you own this place?”

“I own the building. I have always wanted a rooftop garden. So, I am up on the third floor. There is a party and meeting room on the second floor, and I own a very small portion of the wine bar. A friend of mine has a flair for business and loved the space when I picked this place. I have a knack for real estate and wine but no idea on how to run a bar. I injected some cash when he needed it, and Jack has done a great job with the place since then.”

“I really love this old building,” Avalon replied. “This part of Franklin really has a bright future.”

“That was a big part of our thinking too. What is it you do for a living? Are you looking for any real estate holdings?”

“Very funny. I do social media advertising. Let me know if you need some help with the wine bar.”

“Hang on. We both didn’t meet up to network. What do you think about the atmosphere here? Do you think the bookcases work?”

“I am a big reader, as Mary probably told you. So, I think it really works. It would be great to come here after work and have a glass of merlot and read for a while.”

A week after the date, Shawn and Mary meet up at a different listing. “Well Shawn, were you saying thank you before you got into A Buyer for a Cellar?”

“Yes, I was. She is perfect. She is even reading Michael Ondaatje right now.”

“I will pretend I know who that is and be excited for you. Are you going out again?”

“We are taking a bottle or two up to the rooftop garden this weekend.”

“That place is breathtaking. You might have her hooked on you just for the benefits of your building.”

Shawn had stopped listening. He could see Avalon in his mind’s eye at the table in the wine bar. Her right leg crossed over her left, her glass of merlot clutched in both hands and resting on her right knee. He hoped he could keep that image forever.