Chapter 13
Red Red Wine
The next day she got up early and made more Blackberry jam. House was getting used to smelling jam cooking when he woke up. Still feeling lazy, House allowed himself the luxury of going back to sleep for another hour. He finally got up and went out to the kitchen where he found Teagan taking the Ball jars out of the large canner She poured him a cup of coffee and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Reaching around her waist from behind, he swayed her back and forth in a playful hug, "I want to take you to the Awhahnee tonight."
"You are joking, right?" She looked at him over her shoulder.
"Would I kid you?" An innocent smile spread across his lips.
She gave him the look that said it all.
"No really...I'm going to take you. I asked the lodge to call and make a reservation for 7:00 p.m. But you better wear something nice; it's a special event, some wine tasting thing. At first they said it was full, but surprisingly they had an opening when someone told them that Teagan's boyfriend wanted to take her there. I don't know who Teagan's boyfriend is, but I'll take you."
"I can't go Greg. The last time I wore something nice, George Bush was in office, George Herbert Walker Bush that is. The only dresses I own are way out of date and hang on me. Plus they aren't very dressy; they're not something you would wear to the Awhahnee wine tasting dinner."
He grabbed a few blackberries, popping them in his mouth, he knitted his brow and scowled, "Oh, it can't be that bad. Let me see my choices."
She went into her small wardrobe, pulling out three choices, all which were worn and very outdated. None would be appropriate for the Awhanee, "Do you want me to try any of them on?"
He snickered while shaking his head, "Maybe you could borrow something from a neighbor?"
She nodded in mock sincerity, "Yeah, I'll go check with Fred, I'm sure he's got something in his closet."
House chuckled, "I'm not giving up. Let's go into Groveland and buy you something."
She wiped her hands on her apron and then looked up at him, "No. I don't have the money." She was firm.
"I haven't bought you a birthday present; this will be my present. I'm not in the mood to argue so get your stuff, we're going shopping."
Groveland consists of a thrift store, a real western saloon, two hotels, several real estate agents, post office, a Curves gym, six restaurants and one boutique. It was a town for people who enjoyed a little company, but not a lot. It mostly serves the purpose of a place to stay before and after rafting the Tuolumne river. If Teagan couldn't find a dress in the boutique or thrift store, the closest place to shop would be Stockton and that was too far away to go to shop and get back in time to go to the Ahwahnee.
They walked into the boutique, the little bell ringing on the door to let the proprietor know they were there. It was House who described the dilemma to the shopkeeper, a woman about House's age. She looked at Teagan, "You're petite, I think I've only got one dress in the shop that will fit you and be appropriate for the Ahwahnee wine tasting dinner."
The shopkeeper pulled down a lace and chiffon summer dress that was hanging on an upper rack. It was midnight blue empired waist halter dress with a built in underwire bra. Slipping the dress on, she hesitated for several minutes, looking at herself in the mirror before walking out barefoot to model the dress for House and the shopkeeper. The dress lightly skimmed her curves and dipped low in the front framing Teagan's breasts. The hem was just above Teagan's knees, showing off her shapely legs. She felt very self conscious in it, not used to showing off her body like this. When she came out of the dressing room House smiled and nodded affirmatively, so did the shopkeeper. She had to take their word for it because she thought she looked odd in a dress.
"Now that's hot. No man will be able to look at anyone else." House said as he continued to admire her.
She opened up the gate to find out what he really thought and was surprised to find that he was being honest with her. He really did think she looked good in the dress. Go figure?
"She'll need shoes, earrings, and a purse." said the shopkeeper.
"I have earrings and a purse, but I do need shoes." Teagan said with trepidation. It meant more money. She walked over to House and whispered in his ear, "I can't afford them here, but the thrift store often has a good selection."
House exhaled loudly, "Do you have shoes for a size..." He turned to Teagan, raising his eyebrows in a large question mark.
"5 ½?" Teagan knew finding shoes in her size was going to be next to impossible in the small town.
"I have some sixes, but I don't know about 5 ½." The shopkeeper was skeptical.
The shopkeeper went in the back and found a pair of black strappy shoes in a 5 ½. The satin shoes weren't the best choice for the dress, but the saleslady assured her that she wouldn't stick out if she wore them. Teagan tried them on and realized that she could maybe stand in them for an hour at most so she hoped that she would be sitting a lot. They bought them because they really had no choice.
House enjoyed the drive back to her cabin. It passed through meadows and the edge of the forest. The day was sunny with just a hint of a high clouds. Arriving back at the cabin, they cuddled on the bed for an hour, talking and napping, before getting up and dressing for the evening. When she was dressed, House was bowled over. Teagan was wearing her grandmother's sapphire earrings and was carrying her mother's dress purse. It would take an hour to get into Yosemite and down to the valley where the Awhahnee was located, so they left around 5:30, just to give them a cushion.
"I know I sound like a kid, but I can't believe that I'm going to the Awhahnee wine tasting dinner. Do you know what a big deal this is?"
"Not really. I just know it ..." He was going to say that it cost $350 per person but realized that if he told her she would probably be upset. The $700 he was shelling out on the tickets was more than she probably made in a month (a fact which he still had a hard time believing.) "I just know it's hard to get tickets."
As they drove into the Park the Ranger at the entrance booth gave her a cat whistle despite House's presence. "Wow Teagan, you look great. Are you going to the Awhahnee?"
She grinned, leaning over to look out House's window, "Yes, we are! Isn't that a kick?"
"At $350 a pop, it better be more than a kick. You certainly look the part. Go on through and have a good time." the Ranger waved House through without paying.
"Thanks Mike." She looked at House as he rolled up the window. "$350 per person? My God, I forget it was this much. Oh Greg, this dress was $130, the shoes $50...you're spending $1,000 in one night on a wine tasting party?"
"What are you, my mother? Sometimes when you're on vacation, you pay what you have to so that you can have experiences like this. I can afford it." He could see some of the wind was out of her sail. "Come on Teagan, this is my vacation too, let's have a good time."
She thought about it, "You're right. I may never have a chance to be a fairy princess again. This will probably be my first and last ball...so let's enjoy it." She gave him a smile that melted his heart. There was something so innocent and vulnerable in the way she looked at him that he wanted to hug her right then and there.
They made the left turn into the hotel's drive and Teagan thought of all the times she had walked through the Ahwahnee as a seasonal employee or a temporary waitress. The hotel was one of her favorite buildings with its rock and wood exterior and the huge walk in fireplaces in the hall, game room and dining area. It also boasted the most beautiful views of the valley, especially of Yosemite Falls. In the summer the Valley in Yosemite was hot, around 80 90 degrees during the day, falling to 50 60 degrees in the early morning. The air was still warm when they got out of the truck.
House nodded, "Nice place."
"Yes, to work here we have to learn a little about its history and architectures. The Ahwahnee was opened in 1927 and is a registered historical landmark. Yosemite Miwok Indian woven cooking baskets, linguistic symbols and decorative patterns were used thorough out the Ahwahnee's rooms and halls. In the lobby, six great figures, set in multiple mosaic borders were used to add color and interest to the massive floor area. When we walk through the downstairs corridor toward the Great Dining Room, check out the Indian motifs etched in the stone floor. But my favorite element are the 23 foot stained glass windows that rise above the floor in the Great Lounge. In early morning and late afternoon sunlight you should see how the sun refracts through the window." As they walked through the lobby and halls, she motioned to the Great Lounge when they passed by, "Deeply carved wood panels and Colonial Shaker furniture are gathered around a massive eight foot fireplace with an enormous mantel."
"You should give tours." He said, hugging her to him.
Teagan and House went straight to the Great Dining Room and were provided wrist bands by a little old lady who immediately recognized Teagan. Teagn patted her hand, "Ethyl, it's so good to see you again. How are you feeling?"
"Teagan, darling...you look gorgeous. I'm much better. I just can't get over how nice you look. You two make a lovely couple."
Turning, Teagan smiled at House. It was the first time she had actually looked at him that evening. She had been so nervous that she didn't stop to admire how handsome he looked. God, how could I not notice? He was in a deep blue suit with a white shirt and a rich royal blue tie making his blue eyes seem even bluer, making them look clear and lovely. His beard was closely cut and he smelled like Salvatore Ferragamo cologne. She only knew this because she had seen his aftershave bottle on the counter that night.
"Greg." She whispered but he was looking around at the tables set up with wine. "Greg!" She said in a louder whisper.
He said in a normal voice, "What?"
"I just wanted you to know how incredibly handsome you look tonight and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I've just been so nervous."
He laughed at her. "Didn't your parents ever take you anywhere when you were growing up?"
"Getting dressed up meant we were going to a square dance. I lived in the mountains most of my life. I only went to the Big City when I went to college and then to Quantico. I never had the money in college to go anywhere dressy and I worked non stop when I was associated with the FBI. I'm afraid I've lead a very boring life."
He broke into a big grin. "Oh Teagan, you have not lead a boring life. Your life reads like science fiction meets John Boy Walton. By the way, thanks for the compliment, I don't get them very often."
"You should. Even when you look crumpled you look hot." she gave him a quick hug.
He smiled but didn't say anything, enjoying her spontaneous affection and the smell of vanilla that she had dabbed behind her ear. They were ushered into the Great Dining Hall, a cavernous room with a huge wood paneled and open beamed ceiling and a fireplace that took up the entire west wall. The massive craftsman chandeliers did little to light the Grand Hall, it was so deeply paneled and rich in it's interior. As a result, the light was always soft, especially since the large windows faced southeast and were overhung by the huge roof. They were escorted from table to table as Sommeliers demonstrated and discussed the wines. Teagan loved the Great Dining hall and frequently waited tables in it, often being called in to help out during the Wine Tasting and other big events.
Teagan listened to the lecture on the wine; swished the glass to smell the bouquet; took a taste; swished it in her mouth for the taste to evaporate and then spit it out into the spittoons. It seemed like a waste of really great and expensive wines, but they were assured that at the end of the evening they would get a chance to drink the wine and take some home.
Teagan never told House that she really didn't like wine, never had. She was having the time of her life with him. He would make silly faces if he didn't like the wine and then he would pretend to "whine about the wines."
After going from table to table, tasting wine and eating cheeses from Petaluma, San Luis Obispo and other local dairies, they were seated for their four course meal at a table Teagan knew usually cost more than the average ticket. She suspected that the dining staff had arranged it since they were all good friends. The massive fireplace was lit and Teagan was sitting in the candlelight with Greg. It was romantic, exciting and she felt like Cinderella. The view of Teagan in the light from the fireplace took his breath away. She was absolutely gorgeous. He leaned in and gave her a long, passionate kiss, embarrassing her in front of her friends. But, when it was over, she smiled gratefully at him.
"My friends have never seen me on a date." She chortled, "I doubt they will again. Thank you, thank you for giving me such a beautiful night."
Dear Readers, Again, thanks to all of you who made this one of your favorite stories and thanks for the reviews. I REALLY appreciate them!