Just a Kiss: The Single Girls Wine Club (A Wine Country Romance #1) by Kate Kisset Page B
Authors: Kate Kisset
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Jamie…can you believe Jamie?” Danica asked. “Jamie Santino was blushing.”
Chapter Seven
The next day, the freshly spiffed and spritzed women piled into Sarah’s Prius. It would only take twenty minutes get to the Santino Estate in Napa. Lulu had called shotgun. She shielded her eyes from the late afternoon glare. Sarah, Juliet and Lulu had spent an extra ten minutes getting their “wine country casual up” look together. Danica had taken an additional hour, not including the time it took her to explain the dress code to Sarah and Juliet in forensic detail.
According to Danica, “wine country casual” without the “up” meant dressing very casual, in something you’d wear to the farmers market, or out for a quick coffee. When the word “up” was added to “wine country casual,” the meaning changed and required more time to get ready. The desired result was that you looked very put together, but not like you tried.
“Do you think my cowboy boots look too new?” Danica smoothed the leg of her jeans tucked inside her new distressed Tony Lama’s.
“Stop it,” Juliet said from the backseat. “That’s the third time you asked. They look fine.”
They turned onto the olive tree bordered drive leading to the Santino Estate and found a mishmash of cars parked along every inch of what had to be a quarter mile road. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles were squeezed haphazardly into whatever space they could fit. Some were half on the road, half on the grass. There were bikes in ditches, and a few big trucks were lodged into thick grass.
Sarah slowed the car to a crawl to avoid hitting groups of guests walking in the street making their way to the Santino home. Everyone in the car gasped when the enormous river rock estate came into view. She carefully navigated the Prius around the circular driveway. A valet pointed to an adjacent field for parking. Jamie hadn’t been kidding the day before when he’d said a lot of people would be there.
After parking, the four women trailed up to the entrance. Sarah tried to get a better whiff of whatever deliciousness was coming from an unseen grill. As she brushed past the jasmine and lavender plants spilling over the walkway, they released their summery scents.
Muffled sounds from a band traveled in the still air. Someone spoke over a microphone in the distance and the music started. Goose bumps covered Sarah’s arms, and her stomach pinged with excitement in spite of her reservations about coming.
The grand oak carved doors were open, and when she stepped into the massive slate tile foyer, the temperature dropped about ten degrees.
“Sure wouldn’t want to clean this place.” Lulu looked around the room. They paused for a moment on the twenty by twenty round entrance carpet.
“If you have a place this big, you have several housekeepers, and just consider it a living expense.” Danica stepped off the rug, and her boots echoed against the tile. “Come on, it’s this way. There’s probably something going on in the kitchen.”
Sarah couldn’t help snooping while they ambled through the great room. Her gaze meandered to gilt framed family portraits and sparkling silver arranged on console tables under a winding staircase.
They came to a carved oak table, flanked by two grand floral arrangements. The table couldn’t hold the plethora of gifts guests were dropping off, and a pile of sparkly wrapped goodies lay heaped on the floor.
“Whoa,” said Juliet.
“Hope they like it, they probably need it.” Lulu plunked an unwrapped bottle of white tequila on a small open spot on the table.
Progressing toward the loud hum of murmuring voices and laughter, they found the hub of activity.
At least a hundred partiers were jammed inside the kitchen and spilling into the adjoining family room. Hundreds more were visible through the expanse of open glass doors. Crisp air, delectable smells, and soft music from the outside drifted in.
Even in a crowd like
Chapter Seven
The next day, the freshly spiffed and spritzed women piled into Sarah’s Prius. It would only take twenty minutes get to the Santino Estate in Napa. Lulu had called shotgun. She shielded her eyes from the late afternoon glare. Sarah, Juliet and Lulu had spent an extra ten minutes getting their “wine country casual up” look together. Danica had taken an additional hour, not including the time it took her to explain the dress code to Sarah and Juliet in forensic detail.
According to Danica, “wine country casual” without the “up” meant dressing very casual, in something you’d wear to the farmers market, or out for a quick coffee. When the word “up” was added to “wine country casual,” the meaning changed and required more time to get ready. The desired result was that you looked very put together, but not like you tried.
“Do you think my cowboy boots look too new?” Danica smoothed the leg of her jeans tucked inside her new distressed Tony Lama’s.
“Stop it,” Juliet said from the backseat. “That’s the third time you asked. They look fine.”
They turned onto the olive tree bordered drive leading to the Santino Estate and found a mishmash of cars parked along every inch of what had to be a quarter mile road. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles were squeezed haphazardly into whatever space they could fit. Some were half on the road, half on the grass. There were bikes in ditches, and a few big trucks were lodged into thick grass.
Sarah slowed the car to a crawl to avoid hitting groups of guests walking in the street making their way to the Santino home. Everyone in the car gasped when the enormous river rock estate came into view. She carefully navigated the Prius around the circular driveway. A valet pointed to an adjacent field for parking. Jamie hadn’t been kidding the day before when he’d said a lot of people would be there.
After parking, the four women trailed up to the entrance. Sarah tried to get a better whiff of whatever deliciousness was coming from an unseen grill. As she brushed past the jasmine and lavender plants spilling over the walkway, they released their summery scents.
Muffled sounds from a band traveled in the still air. Someone spoke over a microphone in the distance and the music started. Goose bumps covered Sarah’s arms, and her stomach pinged with excitement in spite of her reservations about coming.
The grand oak carved doors were open, and when she stepped into the massive slate tile foyer, the temperature dropped about ten degrees.
“Sure wouldn’t want to clean this place.” Lulu looked around the room. They paused for a moment on the twenty by twenty round entrance carpet.
“If you have a place this big, you have several housekeepers, and just consider it a living expense.” Danica stepped off the rug, and her boots echoed against the tile. “Come on, it’s this way. There’s probably something going on in the kitchen.”
Sarah couldn’t help snooping while they ambled through the great room. Her gaze meandered to gilt framed family portraits and sparkling silver arranged on console tables under a winding staircase.
They came to a carved oak table, flanked by two grand floral arrangements. The table couldn’t hold the plethora of gifts guests were dropping off, and a pile of sparkly wrapped goodies lay heaped on the floor.
“Whoa,” said Juliet.
“Hope they like it, they probably need it.” Lulu plunked an unwrapped bottle of white tequila on a small open spot on the table.
Progressing toward the loud hum of murmuring voices and laughter, they found the hub of activity.
At least a hundred partiers were jammed inside the kitchen and spilling into the adjoining family room. Hundreds more were visible through the expanse of open glass doors. Crisp air, delectable smells, and soft music from the outside drifted in.
Even in a crowd like
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