In an attempt to protect her heart, newly single, Ember has sworn off love. Intrigued, the goddess Aphrodite decides to change the girl's mind. But when Ember's stubborn nature proves difficult, Aphrodite's intentions turn dark.
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Ember Mich...
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Ember's second day at work was uneventful, with no male customers wandering about the shop and making eyes at her, she was left to focus on learning the names of the wines she was selling.
Around lunchtime Ember waved goodbye to a tiny old woman who wobbled out of the shop with a three hundred-dollar bottle of Shiraz tucked under one arm and an ancient poodle under the other.
"What a boring day," Amara yawned from her red chaise. She'd already drunk an entire bottle of wine and was uncorking a second. Ember wondered how she could keep her shop afloat when she had so few customers and drank most of the wine herself.
"Uh, Miss Boss?" Henry's voice came from behind the counter, he squinted across the room at Amara as he cleaned his glasses with a white cloth, "the um, person called from the thing they said you have to go now."
Amara stared at Henry blankly for a long moment, her wine glass pressed against her lower lip. "Oh! Yes, of course, Ember, we have an event to attend. The boys will watch the shop hurry along now."
Within ten minutes, Amara and Ember were driving down the highway in a red convertible. Thankfully Amber had a hair clip which she used to stop her hair from whipping her in the face as they sped along.
Holy crap. Ember thought as she glanced around the car, Amara must have come from a wealthy family because there was no way she owned a car like this on the income she made from the wine shop. A wealthy family would have been nice, perhaps then she wouldn't have to live in a crooked house on a dead-end street and go to a college where boyfriends abandon you.
"You haven't even asked where we're going," Amara shouted over the roaring wind, "but I'll tell you that you're going to have a ball! It's a lovely little winery, and we've got an invite to a private tasting!"
Of all the things Ember thought she'd be doing with her summer break, this was not one of them. In fact, this was the week she and Tyler were supposed to be headed on a mini vacation to Orlando to celebrate their anniversary. She fidgeted in her seat, trying to steady her breathing against the new wave of anguish that threatened to send her into a fit of tears. Couldn't she just be happy?
She swallowed hard and smiled, if she looked happy on the outside maybe her heart and mind would follow suit. At least she hoped that was how it worked.
The Amaranth Winery was on a small plot of land that looked more like an orchard or an elaborate garden than a place to drink alcohol. Groups of people sat at wooden benches or on blankets around the property sipping wine and laughing without a care in the world. How lucky for you all. Ember brooded, thinking about how fun a place like this would have been to visit with Tyler. She imagined them hand in hand, walking through the rows of tall sunflowers, stealing a kiss when no one was around, laughing at each other's jokes, and whispering loving words into each other's ears. But that dream would never come to pass.
Amara grabbed her by the hand and led the way into a large storage barn. Inside they found seats set around a long wooden table in the middle of the main room. All else was empty except for the walls on either side which were lined with wine casks.
