I Said Yes

The Trip

With a small compact car, loaded with literally everything but the kitchen sink, my assistant manager (Corey) and I arrived at the winery on the eve of the event’s first day. Corey had friends in town, so he decided to stay with them for the weekend and I was going to take Diane up on her offer to stay in the apartment on site. When we pulled in, we were immediately greeted by Dave and Diane with hugs, kisses, playful dogs and two very full glasses of wine. It was clear that these folks were as genuine as they were legit and seemed very excited that Corey and I would be there to handle all the madness of the culinary part of the event.

Dave showed us where to store our equipment and food products and informed Corey and I that we would be having dinner, with the Winery staff, at their home that night. They wanted to start a tradition of Pre- and Post-event celebrations with the staff and would do so by having a 5-course meal catered by the town’s best restaurant.

Once all the food and equipment were stowed Corey took off to go drop his luggage off at his friend’s home and said he would be back in about an hour. Diane, Dave and I sat down in the tasting room and talked for a few minutes about the layout and set-up for tomorrow’s first day all the while tasting a few of the Reserve selections of the wine they were going to be featuring during the three-day celebration. Dave said they had better get home and get ready, so they showed me to the apartment and gave me the key. I told them I only needed about 20 minutes to shower and get ready and that Corey would be back to grab me and head to their house which was only about 15 minutes away. Diane and Dave took off and I carried my bag up the stairs, unlocked the door and went in and put my bag down. I kind of looked around a bit, found the bedrooms…one of which was clearly occupied by someone and then the spare. It was then that I remembered that Diane had said their son, Michael often stayed in the apartment, so it was no surprise he was obviously around due to the weekend’s events.

I went down the short hallway to where I assumed the bathroom was and the door flew open and, standing in front of me was a guy, clad only in a towel with his hair dripping wet. We both jumped and then suddenly, he got an angered look on his face and wanted to know who the hell I was and how did I get in…. what was I doing there?? He was clearly worked up and, though I guess I may have posed some sort of threat to him, he obviously was irritated at my intrusion. About that time, he lost grip of his towel and was struggling to get it wrapped back around his waist. At that point I couldn’t help it and I started to laugh as I leaned up against the wall of the hallway. The more frustrated he appeared, the harder I laughed because I realized I knew who he was…but he had no earthly idea of who I was and what I was doing there. As his anger continued, I laughed to the point where I got the hiccups…. something that was totally out of the ordinary for me but, none the less, there I was basically gasping for air. It was then that the guy got this silly look on his face and he started to laugh…almost uncontrollably. So there it was…our very first interaction….Michael sitting on the edge of the bathtub, wearing only a wet towel, laughing his ass off and me, in the doorway of the bathroom, laughing my ass off in between gasping for air……certainly not a story either of us, in the ensuing years, really ever wanted to re-tell but there it is. Not romantic, not scandalous, not sexy (well….in some respects I suppose).

I won’t go into any great detail about my reaction to seeing this nearly naked guy who, one minute was bitching me out and the next, laughing like a hyena. I will say it was not a "normal" reaction for me personally...and for now I will leave it at that....

Though I had figured out whom Michael was he had no idea, still, who I was. When our laughing subsided, he kind of brushed by me and headed into his room all the while questioning who I was. As I was explaining myself and how it came to be that I was in his space, he showed no modesty in dropping his towel and slipping on a pair of boxer briefs (White CK's if you must know). As he continued to dress, he peppered me with questions...Still maintaining an attitude of displeasure.

I realized we kind of got through all of that when he asked if I was going over to his parent’s house and did I need a ride....when I explained who Corey was and that he was coming to get me Michael decided he would ride with us. I realized, when I heard a car horn blow, that I had not showered...so I slapped on some deodorant...put on a fresh shirt and down the stairs we went. As I was climbing into the back-seat Michael and I made eye contact and I noticed an interesting, sort of devilish grin on his face. Words will never adequately describe or do justice to the picture... that glance or the lingering eye contact between us. Michael, a rugged and incredibly handsome guy, posed next to the car...looking at me. He was facing east with his back to a glorious sunset in the west. Behind him the rolling vineyards that, I would come to find out, he had planted by hand.

From “THE LETTER” … (As it would come to be called)

Saturday, November 8, 2014

My Dearest Matthew,

Forgive me for taking so long to sit down and write this to and for you – As you know, with all of the activities and the Winemaker’s dinner and Barrel Tasting this past weekend it has been a bit crazy around here. That is no excuse but, be that as it may, it has just been very difficult for me to find 5 minutes let alone the time to sit and put my thoughts on paper.

I want to thank you for being the “big brother” to Chris these past few weeks. He is suffering but your friendship and brotherhood has been incredibly important to him – you have given him the outlet to share his grief privately so that he can maintain his tough façade and bravado in public and for that, we all thank you. You would have been so proud of him with the organization of the event – though more than once your name was brought up during those days – why you weren’t here to organize and plan things – but Chris did a wonderful job in your stead.

I have been thinking a lot about you the past couple of weeks. The day that I accompanied Chris down to the coast to get Michael he took me to “your” beach, and he took me to the hiking trail where, I understand, you boys were pretty “naughty” to use Chris’ phrase. Chris and I laughed a lot in between all the tears. I think we were both terribly frightened, so it took us quite a while to get off the beach and head over to pick Michael up. I cannot tell you how deeply moved I was that day to, in my own way, be able to share a part of the “Amigos” that I hadn’t had the fortune to share before”…………

Dinner was fun. We spent the evening getting to know each other, laughing and of course, drinking wine. Most of the stories, especially coming from Michael’s right-hand-man Chris (Assistant Winemaker) were about Michael and at his expense...and he clearly wasn't all that excited about the stories told and being the center of attention. He appeared, to me, to be a brooding, self-centered guy who didn't seem to have much to smile about despite all the accolades showered upon him. Occasionally, I would look up and catch him looking my way. He would be in a conversation and it was obvious he was distracted but, at least to me, he seemed to play it off well. The group made Corey and I feel really welcome...well...except for Michael, who maintained his brooding attitude right up until the end of dinner.

It was close to 11pm and we decided to excuse ourselves...tomorrow would be the first of 3 big and long days so it was time to head out. Once the three of us were in the car Michael convinced Corey to stop at the local dive bar for a night cap...much to my passive protests it happened and there we were bellied up...the only 3 yahoos in the joint NOT singing bad Karaoke....Though I would come to regret the pit stop first thing in the morning, I was glad to have the chance for some male bonding with this guy who makes awesome wine and was a driving force in building, what would prove to be, a hugely successful business. The chit chat was fun…even some back and forth bantering about sports and stuff and then, suddenly, it was last call...holy shit...we gotta go!

Suffice it to say we managed to get up the stairs. 3 cocktails and, honestly, an unknown number of shots later, had me having to maneuver both Corey and Michael up the stairs. Much to Corey’s protests, we decided he would stay with us rather than drive back into town. Michael and I were standing in the living area of the apartment and realized that Corey had been in the bathroom far too long for it to be good. He was either passed out in there or…well…who knows. I walked down the hall and just as I passed the guest room, I heard snoring and, low and behold, there he was…. passed out on the twin bed in the guest room. Well shit! I managed to get his shoes off, covered him with a blanket and put a trash can near the head of the bed…well…just in case!

When I told Michael about it, he started with that goofy laugh again which, of course, got me going. After several minutes of this silliness he got this very serious look on his face…got up and went into the kitchen area and pulled a bottle out of the freezer and told me to follow him. Down the stairs we went…he moved quickly, like he was late for work, and me just trying to catch up. Though it was August there was still a chill in the air and I was cursing him that I hadn’t brought my hoodie with me. He basically told me to grow a pair and get over it and on we went…up one small rolling hill after another…. ducking under vines and around posts and through lines of fledgling pine trees. After what seemed like an hour and many, many miles later we crested a hill and he plopped down on a little berm. Opening the bottle and taking a swig off it he looked at me with that face again…that strange look in his eye that I had yet to figure out.

What I can tell you now is that night forever changed me and changed who I was at the time. After a half a bottle of Fernet and much conversation and silliness, he stopped me from talking and told me to listen…to listen closely or I would miss it. Confused, I started to ask him what the hell he was talking about and he non-chalantley put his finger up to my lips and said “shhhh”…”look over there…just look…come on…look up there” and I realized he was pointing up towards the sky…not much higher than the horizon. When my eyes were finally able to focus on what the heck he was talking about I saw it…Shadowed behind the most extravagant, color-filled sunrise I had ever seen in my life…a life size Bald Eagle…perched on a limb…in all its glory and majesty…just staring at us as if we were prey…or crazy and making quiet cooing sounds! When I started to say something Michael reached behind me, with his palm on the back of my head, and he pulled me into a kiss…yep…a kiss…a full blown, alcohol-induced kiss. Yep…that just happened…there I am looking at this amazing nature scene and I get a kiss…from a guy…from this guy…from this brooding, self-important putz who, for the most part, had been an ass all day…a kiss…and then I realized…Shit…the sun is coming up…holy shit…the sun is coming up!

The Morning After

“Maybe there’s something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love,

or somewhere you’re afraid to go.

It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters”

John Green

Yep that really happened...the sun is coming up and here we are, out in BFE, with about 45 minutes to (a) Sober up (b) clean up. (c) get all the cooking equipment set up/fired up. (d) food prepped and, again sober up...holy shit! Michael led the way back with no real sense of urgency. I, on the other hand, was a freaking mess and totally stressed out...stressed out with a buzz no less. (I think I understood what acid freaks or people with paranoia issues went through).

We made it back to the apartment and, while I rolled Corey out of bed, Michael went into the bathroom and started the shower. Fast forward...each of the three of us got a 2-minute shower, a big ole cup of coffee...one more shot of Fernet (I know I know) and we were out the door, down the steps and into the tasting room. As Corey and I moved over to where the equipment was stored Michael veered off in the other direction to check on the wine and wine servers but, before he disappeared, he turned back and gave me that look again...that devilish grin…There it was again. That look...that smile...and the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach...well, that might have been the Fernet...or not...maybe it was the kiss...wait...was there a kiss? Or was that the Fernet too??

Before I knew it, the game was on. Hundreds of people had filled the tasting room, the barrel rooms and the beautiful lawns on all sides of the winery. Soft jazz played inside and a lineup of acoustic musicians entertained outside. There were activities for kids and a Wine making 101 class for the adults. At last count Corey and I had served up 300 plates of food by 3pm. At 3:30 we shut down the food stations so we would have time to prepare for the VIP Reception at 6 that evening. The only time I really had any interaction with Michael was when he would escort a guest or two over to the food stations and, at one point, he brought Corey and I refills for our Coffee. ... Laced, of course, with something similar to Baileys. Dave and Diane spent the day as the consummate hosts...clearly enjoying the guests and the atmosphere.

The plan for the evening event was for us to set up an extravagant appetizer buffet designed to impress about 100-150 dignitaries, local politicians and other special guests. The event was by invitation only and Diane had gone all out with decor and the menu we presented. Corey would remain close to the buffet, supervising some temp servers and it would be my opportunity to market, mingle and promote our restaurants and catering services. Even though we were 200 miles away there were some very influential folks from all over the state on the guest list. I went ahead and sent Corey to refresh, shower and change while I set up the buffet, our decor and props. As I was setting new linens down Diane came over with a glass of wine for me. As we chatted about the setup it was all I could do just to hold the glass of wine let alone drink it. We finished our chat and as she started to walk away, she said

"don't think I didn't notice...sunrise with Michael will do that to the best of em" and with a chuckle...more like a snicker...she flittered away like a butterfly in the midst of flower-hopping.