Wine Country Girl Ch. 04

"Isn't it?" she said in a bubbly tone. "Alessandra brought that recipe with her from Italy."

I must have had a quizzical look on my face when she spoke up again. "Oh, sorry - Alessandra came over from Florence as an exchange student last year and stayed with us while Megan was doing her senior year in high school."

That gave me the opportunity to ask about Megan. "So how is Megan doing? It's been so long since I've talked to her."

"Oh, we'll get to my darling daughter in a minute." Then she put her hand over mine and said, "But first, how 'bout you tell me all about your trip to California? I heard you met some interesting people and even some mutual acquaintances," she added with a wink as she took a sip of her drink.

I must have had a dumbfounded look on my face so when she glanced over at me and saw my blank stare she laughed. "Oh c'mon Alex, I heard all about your dalliances with all those girls out there. I just hope you came home refreshed with a new focus on things."

I sat there in silence for a minute thinking first about how her words sounded: "out there" sounded like out thay-are, "you" was yewww and "things" thangs.

I started to splutter, "How did -," but she interrupted me quickly.

Putting her hand on mine again, she looked me in the eye, "Honey, the most valuable commodity I know of is information. One of the reasons my booze business is so successful is that I have a global network of confidants that makes sure that I know things that other people don't and that I get that information before my competitors do."

She continued, "And it just so happens I've known Maggie for a long time and we share everything."

There was that phrase again. I first heard her say it in the context of her daughter when she was talking about teaching Megan how to please a woman. The thought of incest between mother and daughter actually went against everything I thought I knew.

"Um, what exactly did Maggie tell you? I asked, looking down and wringing my hands in my lap. Her shapely legs came into view again.

"Look at me," she said, leaning in and squeezing my hand. I jerked my head up to look her in the eye and our faces were literally within twelve inches of each other. I could smell her flowery fragrance and feel her warm breath on my face as she spoke. "You and me, we're not so dissimilar you know."

"How do you mean?" I uttered, almost under my breath.

She let go of my hand and sat back in her chair. "Well, for starters, apparently we're both into men and women so that would make us both bisexual."

I was shocked by her directness and immediately felt my face go flush. I pondered the "bi" word for a moment and realized that for whatever the reason I had never attached that label to myself. I just love people for who they are - not what they are. I just happen to prefer women over men, most of the time anyway.

"But how do you know Maggie?"

"Lemme tell you a little story Alex. When I was about your age, I'd just graduated from Baylor and it was pre-ordained that I was going to join the family business. That's just what you do when you come from a long line of bootleggers and rum runners like me," she added in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The business was good when it came to liquor and beer but wine, fine wine, was a new frontier for us. So, the summer after I graduated, my daddy thought it'd be good for me to go out into the world and learn about wine and bring those learnings back home. It was a good idea at the time since I'd just broken up with the jerk I'd been dating since high school. You know, get a little distance away from Kansas City and maybe grow up a little too," she added intentionally.

Her story was beginning to have a familiar ring to it and I began to relax. I took a long sip of lemonade as she went on.

"Well, the first stop on my grand tour was California since that was where all the really good American wines were coming from at the time. With my daddy's help, he'd arranged meetings at all sorts of wineries and with the wine makers and growers too. I was learning all facets of the wine making business and how they marketed and sold their product. I threw myself into the task and found it fascinating...like I was really beginning to find my niche to be able to help out the family business."

"Over that summer I'd also become friends with a bunch of other young people out there and we hung out a lot together. In fact, a lot of those people are now movers and shakers in the wine industry and we've stayed in touch. That's how I met Maggie," she said as her lips formed a knowing smile.

"One hot day a big group of us headed out to a lake to party and go swimming. The sun was warm and the wine was flowing," she said before lowering her voice, "and we even smoked a little pot. We were all feeling pretty good but I noticed this one girl kept looking at me, eyeing me up and down almost like she was trying to determine whether or not I should be part of their group. I was beginning to feel a little self-conscious by her staring. She was really tanned and pretty and was wearing this little bikini that didn't do much to hide her hot little body," she murmured almost wistfully.

"Then she just comes up to me and says, 'Hi I'm Maggie and you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.' I must have turned about a hundred shades of crimson when she said that. No one had ever told me that before."

I listened with rapt attention but found it a little hard to believe she'd never been told that before.

"Then she goes, 'Hey listen, some friends of mine have this winery not too far from here and they have this great spring-fed pond and waterfall on their property. Wanna blow this place and go check it out?' I was still a little stunned by her comment but I think I just nodded my head and then she grabbed me by the hand and led me towards her pick-up truck."

I was pretty sure Georgia was talking about Primitivo Winery now. Things were starting to make a little more sense to me now.

"So we get up there and strip down to our bikinis and went swimming, just the two of us. The place was so beautiful, the water was clear as can be and we had some more wine. It was hot up there and we were just sittin' there soaking in the cool water when she leans over and looks me straight in the eye and says, 'I meant what I said earlier,' then she leans in and kisses me full on my lips. It startled me at first but also felt so natural at the same time. I reciprocated, kissing her back, then our tongues found each other and before I know it we were making out hot and heavy...something I'd only ever done with a guy before. Then I felt her hand slip inside my bikini top and she began rubbing me."

I sat there listening to her story and felt myself getting tingly and wet down below. Her story line was oddly familiar in that it was the same scenario for Megan and me in the hot tub at the B&B.

"What happened next?" I asked, suddenly aware that the words came out slowly, almost making small, halting gasps between them.

"I broke the kiss and I told her that I couldn't, that I had a boyfriend, even though it was a lie."

"And?" I asked breathlessly.

"She just shrugged and said, 'So what? I'm engaged.' Then she grabbed me by the back of my head and rammed her tongue down my throat," she said laughingly.

I cleared my throat as I adjusted myself in my chair, sure that my dampness was causing my dress to stick to it now.

"Let's just say we did things to each other that day that I didn't think was possible between two women," Georgia added with a slight chuckle.

"I know that feeling," I softly mused. "So what happened after that?"

"Well, we were inseparable the rest of that summer. She'd spend the night with me at the B&B whenever she could get away from her fiancée."

"The same one in Healdsburg?"

"Yep, one and the same," she said smiling. "Daddy put me up there for the summer and liked it so much he ended up buying a half interest in the damn place and we've been staying there ever since."

I think I smirked as I slowly shook my head smiling. "Well, I guess that explains a few things. So what ever happened between you two?

"I thought I was falling in love with her but like I said, she was engaged and was getting married later that year. Besides, I was off to Italy on my next wine adventure so it was just as well. We've stayed in touch obviously and well, I think you know her story. We get together whenever I'm out here for business and catch up on things."

"So how did you know about Maggie and me?"

"I didn't until after we'd left and later she told me about meeting this sad news girl at the Creekside that had been staying at our B&B. After meeting you, I just put two and two together. She told me all about your escapades and about your ex, Hunter. That guy sounds like a real douche bag if you don't mind me sayin'," she offered up with a knowing nod of her head.

"Yeah, I may have been a little harsh on him but he really screwed me over."

Georgia reached over and patted my knee. "Guys can be such a-holes Alex but don't give up on 'em just yet."

"What about you Georgia?"

"What about me what?"

"Well, if you don't mind me getting too personal..."

She snorted, "A little late for that don't ya think?"

"True that," I said, "but you're married now and still do things with other women and even Megan? Doesn't your husband mind?"

She pondered my question for a long moment. "Oh," she began in a low murmur. Then a higher pitched Ohhhhh! Oh noooo, it's not like that at all. Is that what you think, me and Megan...?" she asked incredulously.

"Um, well, um, it's just that, that night when you came to my room you said if it wasn't so late you would come in and join us. Then the next morning you said something about how she made your toes curl...I just figured you two were, you know, intimate," I stammered, trying my best to recover and put the best face on things.

She stared at me for a minute then suddenly burst out laughing. I mean, a real belly laugh that had her almost doubling over. Georgia was bent over in her chair laughing so hard that when she raised up, there were tears coming from her eyes. She wiped away the tears and her laughing subsided enough where could she could finally speak

"Ohhh - my - gawd," she said as she tried to stifle more laughs, "that might be the funniest thing I've heard in years."

"Wha, what?" I asked.

"You thought...me and Megan...?"

"Well you said you shared everything together so I just thought..."

She held her hand up as if to stop me from speaking further. "Ah I get it now. Now I know why you thought I was doing it with my daughter."

"Georgia, I didn't mean that," I spluttered.

"Yes you did but that's okay. I get it now. Let me set the record straight once and for all," she started.

"Yeah, I was a little drunk that night at the inn when I came to your door. I meant what I said about coming in, but not in the sense you interpreted it. You're an incredibly beautiful woman Alex and I would've loved to jump in your bed but not with my own daughter too."

I blushed when she said that and felt immediate more stirring in my insides.

"You see Alex, our family is very progressive and we discuss things like sex very openly. The last thing we want to do is raise a frigid little prude so we talk about things. Shoot, I know she's into girls so the least I can do is to share what I know about how to please a woman, what turns us on and so forth."

"And yes, we share everything so when she told me all about her night with you and Bree, I gotta say, I was a little jealous about some of the things she told me. Verrrry hot," she added with an eye roll as she playfully waved her hand in front of her face as if to fan herself.

"But we do draw the line at some things and incest is not part of the package," she snickered. "Good lord, I haven't laughed like that in a looong time."

"Um thank you," I said sheepishly.

"For what?"

"For what you said about wanting to jump in my bed...that you would think I'm pretty enough..." I said sheepishly, looking down again.

Georgia leaned in and took me by the hand, squeezing it, the warmth of her touch shooting through my body like a lightning bolt. "Listen Alex, I think you're an amazing young woman and beautiful inside and out. Too bad Hunter didn't see the same thing in you. And from what I hear, I wouldn't want to be on your bad side," she said laughing again.

I laughed with her on that one. "My bark is much worse than my bite," I said.

"Well like I said, we're both more like one another than not," she repeated.

"But you're married?"

"Oh Raffaele? Yeah, well that's the other part of the story. You know how I told you I went to Italy after California?"

"Uh huh," I nodded.

"I met him at a winery in Tuscany and well, they say the French are good lovers...he showed me why I shouldn't give up on men. Good lord, with that cock of his, he should have been in porn," she said as she tilted her head back and licked her lips. "But that's a whole 'nother story we'll have to save for a different day," she said effectively ending story time.

I squirmed in my seat as I felt my entire body go flush.

Georgia sat up straight and looked at me momentarily. "Sorry honey, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that but suffice to say, I like men and women equally and he's totally okay with that. But I didn't invite you over here today to tell you all that. I have something else in mind for you."

"Oh?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Listen, I'm going to be direct - as if I know another way," she said chuckling at her own remark.

I don't know where you are with your career but I think you're incredibly talented and sharp. My company is at the point where we need to take the Mid-America brand to the next level. We're already one of the largest distributors in North America but I've been outsourcing our PR to an outside agency and I want to take it back in-house. I want to bring someone on to manage our overall communications and PR across our beer, wine and spirits portfolio."

I leaned in, "Tell me more Georgia," I said, trying to contain my excitement.

"Well, with your background in journalism and your engaging personality, I think you'd be ideal for the job," she said looking at me intently as she paused to gauge my reaction before continuing.

"This position would be working closely with me and our marketing department to improve our standing and reputation within the industry, solidify our relationships with key partners and bring on new strategic ones. It's basically what I've been doing as one of my many additional duties but I need help now."

"Do you have a job description by chance?" I inquired.

"I don't. We would be basically making that up as we go but I guarantee you would have a lot of autonomy on the direction we take this. Look, this will require a lot of travel to industry events, meeting partners around the world and the like. You're young, you're single, you're an oenophile and you've already started cultivating contacts in the wine industry," she said smiling, "and I think this position would suit you well."

"Well, I do feel like I'm stagnating in my job at the station," I said in reply. "And I have been thinking about making a change."

"Then you'll think about it?" Georgia asked hopefully.

"For sure Georgia, I'll seriously give it some thought."

"Good," she said squeezing my hand again with a broad smile.

"But I do have a lot of questions for you."

"Sure honey," she replied, suddenly looking at her watch. "Oh shit, I've got a function I've got to get ready for." Grabbing my hand, she said, "If you still have time, maybe we can keep talking while I'm getting changed?"

When I saw her pleading blue eyes my heart jumped a little and skipped a beat. "Um, sure - I have time."

"Awesome!" With that, Georgia stood up and guided me back into the house.

As massive as the house was, I still hadn't seen another soul in there as we walked down a long hallway towards what apparently was their bedroom suite. As we walked through the doorway, what a grand suite it was! There was a living area with comfortable couches set around a large stone fireplace. A wet bar and wine fridge were off to the side. A massive king-size bed dominated the room. It's head and footboards looked like they were hewn from the same oak that formed the beams throughout the home.

We walked through the bedroom down another short hallway and into their massive bathroom. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows that provided plenty of light. In an alcove sat a claw-foot bathtub almost on a pedestal. Above it was a turret that rose, I don't know, sixteen feet about the tub maybe? It had a chandelier that illuminated the imported inlaid tiles in the ceiling.

There were no coverings on the windows but the turret was one of several at the corners of their mansion and when you looked through the windows there was nothing but woods beyond. The entire bathroom was marbled - I knew without asking this was probably all from Italy. We moved past the huge steam/shower combo and past the his and hers sinks. To the side of each sink was a door.

Entering the right-side door, my mouth dropped open as we walked into Georgia's personal dressing area - if you could call it that. I thought I'd walked into the women's department at Niemen Marcus or Nordstrom. Brightly lit and luxurious, central to the room was a sitting area with a plush white couch and chairs. A large screen was mounted on the wall that was tuned to Bloomberg Business but was muted.

There was another area that was reserved for make-up purposes and another mirrored alcove area for trying on her haute couture. Another door led to her closet. Larger than my apartment, it was separated into different spaces for casual, executive and evening wear garments. Everything was grouped by colors and custom cabinetry held everything else. Finally, yet another room was a shoe gallery that would make Imelda Marcos proud. Georgia stopped at the door, slipped off her heels and kicked them into the carpeted room then turned around and looked at me smiling.

"Honey, would you mind unzipping me?" she asked as she turned her back toward me.

The request surprised me but I didn't answer her. I just reached up and saw my hands were slightly trembling as I grasped the fabric with my left hand and the zipper between my right thumb and index fingers and started to slowly lower the zipper from the back of her neck downward. As the fabric of the dress parted in back it exposed her tanned and tight skin to me. The fine light hair running along her spine reminded me of Megan's as I pulled the zipper lower. I felt myself biting my lip as I went past her bra and finally down to a stop at her waist. I took a step back.

"There you go," I said, struggling to find additional words.

With her back to me, she pulled her arms through her dress so that I saw the well-defined muscled in her back. The woman definitely worked out. The dress dropped to the floor and I saw Georgia standing there in a matching bra and thong set. She stepped out of the dress and leaned down to pick it up giving me a view of her perfectly toned butt and legs. She turned to face me holding the dress and paused for a moment. Although it was against my better judgement, I couldn't resist looking her up and down.

Her breasts were perfectly shaped, a C cup I quickly judged. Not huge but wholly suited for her frame. Even with her dress partially covered her front, I could see her defined abs and down to the tops of her amazing legs. Standing flat-footed, she was still tall - a good five feet, eleven inches or so. She watched me appraising her for another moment before speaking.