Page 18 of WASP

Okay. The flirting. And the winking. It was definitely happening. And not by accident. Annie had paid extremely close attention to Max’s movements all afternoon, observing how she was with other customers. Not a single wink thrown. Except to her.

Heat bloomed in her chest as Max set down a fresh glass on the bar in front of her, meeting her gaze with a smile. “I grabbed this for you.” She slid the glass across the bar. “It’s last year’s vintage cabernet franc. I know it gets a bad rep for being too specific for its flavor profile, but you seem to have an open mind. Plus, I know you like reds since you ordered one at the club the other week.”

Annie took the glass, swirling the liquid gently, raising it towards the light as she’d always seen people do with red wine.

Max laughed, leaning forward slightly, her palms spread flat across the expanse of mahogany. “Do you even know what you’re looking for?”

“Not a fucking clue.” Annie didn’t know where that response had come from—probably all the wine she had consumed that afternoon—but a wave of boldness washed over her. If Max could flirt with her, Annie could flirt right back. She tossed a look over the rim of her glass, hoping it came across as flirty and assured, before taking a sip, the earthy bite of tobacco and black cherry hitting her taste buds. Max’s eyes never left hers as she lowered the glass, running the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip. “Delicious.”

A pleased sensation rushed through Annie at the way Max’s gaze lingered on her mouth a little longer than it should have.

“I thought you’d enjoy it,” Max said.

“You were right.”

“I usually am about most things.”

“And she’s humble too,” Annie joked, grinning into her glass.

Max giggled, a light, breezy sound Annie instantly became obsessed with. “Oh, shut up and enjoy your wine,” she said, looking down the bar before glancing back at Annie. “I, uh, I need to take care of a few things… Holler if you need a refill…or…anything.” Annie knew Max had spent way more time with her than her job required, knew she was taking Max away from other work, but still, she couldn’t help the small twinge of sadness knowing Max had other things she needed to be doing.

“Don’t worry, I will,” she said, bringing the glass to her lips once more as Max pushed off the bar and away from her.

Annie sipped her wine, tracking Max’s movements exactly as she had done all afternoon, averting her gaze each time Max caught her. It was easy to see that Max was good at her job. She was charming, poised, and articulate—her passion for wine on full display. Annie had always been a sucker for a woman with a passion.

“Here, I need you to eat this,” Max said, setting a prepackaged cheese board in front of her two minutes before the winery was due to close. “You’ve had four glasses of wine since you’ve been here, and I haven’t seen you eat a single thing. I can’t in good conscience let you drive right now, so eat this while I close up, and then we’ll see how you’re doing.”

She looked from Max to the cheese plate back to Max, her protest ready as she got to her feet, but a poorly timed wobble had her struggling, unfortunately proving Max’s point.

“Told you I tend to be right about most things. Plus, hanging out for a little longer will be fun. I promise.”

Annie grumbled a half-protest as she reached for the cheeseboard, unwrapping its contents. Fine. Maybe Max was right, and maybe she was actually a little hungry.

Another winery employee plopped two racks of freshly washed wine glasses on a stand next to Max as she reached for a clean cloth and began wiping them one by one, ensuring that not a single water spot survived her scrutiny.

“You’re a hard worker,” Annie said, offering up her earlier observation.

Max glanced at her, then back to the glass in her hand. “I know I am.”

“No, I meant it as a compliment,” Annie tried to correct, catching the grin unfurling across Max’s lips.

“I know you did. I’m messing with you. It’s so easy to push your buttons.”

Okay, one: Annie didn’t have pushable buttons, and two: She had officially confirmed that Max was a tease.

“You think you know my buttons?”

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good read on you, Dillinger.” Max reached out, grabbed another glass, and ran the microfiber cloth over the shiny surface.

“Do share,” Annie encouraged, popping a cracker and a piece of cheese into her mouth, crunching down.

Max studied her almost like she was sizing Annie up, but all Annie felt was the lure of Max’s gaze over her body. “Okay, but remember you asked.” She hummed, tapping her chin. “Where do I start?”

“The beginning has always worked the best for me.”

Max grinned. “Your snark is showing.”

“Just reflecting what you’re giving,” Annie shot back, matching Max’s smile.