The Height Of Happiness

Chapter 2

“I cannot believe you, Serena.” Cassie said in a joking tone. “And I have heard this story twice!”

Nearly a month later, Serena held her own disbelief about her surreal experience with that mystery man who still haunted her dreams. Talking it out with her best friend and her hair stylist didn’t make it seem any less like a dream. Even now as she in a half-empty salon with her nails freshly painted and her hair getting happily trimmed, the sensation of his fingers against her spine still remained embedded in her skin. The pale pink walls and black and white tile floors gave Serena something to look at as her head was turned about, but Serena still felt distracted as she recalled the night’s events.

Not letting her feelings show, she sat with a poker face in the stylist’s chair as the familiar woman fixed her curly bags across her head. The woman described Serena’s look as if Bridget Bardot had afro curls inside of blonde locks, and it always made Serena chuckle to hear her describe it. Rebecca Young, the only person Serena could trust with her unique curls, had been making her laugh for a long time.

Rebecca was the only girl cousin Serena had. Serena’s mother had one older brother who had older sons, but when Serena was about five a “miracle baby“ came along much to the delight of the family and even more so Serena. She now had a friend to make her laugh at the Young holiday parties and someone to go to the beach with in the summer on their big family beach weekend. Those handful of holidays were made sweeter with Rebecca, and her dramatic character made the family bearable.

The woman who spoke, Cassie Moreno, was sitting next to Serena in an empty salon chair as she let her hair and fresh manicure dry. Cassie had originally been Serena’s rival in the first grade after a fateful spelling bee put Serena in second place over the word umbrella. However, a few weeks later when Serena forgot her own lunch, Cassie shared half of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a side of carrot sticks and chips. They had been sharing snacks, laughter, and the pains of heartbreak ever since. Even now as Cassie taught art at an elementary school and made catered desserts as a side business, she still made time to do things like get their hair and nails done together as they talked about one of the most sacred topics: boys.

“So, you’re telling me,” Rebecca said as she snipped the last curl in front of Serena’s face before combing the bangs out, “that a hot guy bought you drinks, danced with you, made you laugh, and offered for you to stay in the best suite at the hotel so you two could also have s*x… and you said no?!”

“I said nothing,” Serena corrected. “I just never went up there.”

Cassie shook her head, “I need a time machine for problems like this.”

“Right?” Rebecca laughed, sharing a knowing look with Cassie. “I mean, I’m all about female empowerment and men not having expectations like you owe them s*x or whatever, but damn! How did you let a catch like that get away? You could be in the Bahamas or a Greek island feeling luxurious as hell right now!”

“I personally would want to go to the Amalfi Coast,” Cassie offered. “It’s the hottest destination right now.”

“I heard that too, and the photos of that place look stunning!” Rebecca agreed before turning back to her friend. “Seriously, Serena. What happened?”

Serena sighed, “I don’t know you guys. I’ve never been a one-night stand person. As much as I want to be sometimes, I cannot remove that emotional part of myself from s*x.”

Cassie smiled with an understanding look in her eyes, “Girl, it’s the same reason you didn’t have s*x until you were a senior in college. I’ve known you too long to know you will never be that girl, but who said it had to be one night?”

Serena raised her eyebrows, saying, “You think it could have been anything else?”

“Why not?” Cassie shrugged nonchalantly.

“I didn’t even know his last name! I still don’t. Do you think we could have built a relationship on a first-name basis alone?”

“If he was as handsome as you say, he could call me anything he wanted to!” Rebecca said bluntly as she smiled to herself and got to work on touching up Serena’s layers.

Serena let out a laugh at the comment before continuing, “Plus, I have other things to think about. My biggest yielding season is this year, and we have our first stomping festival at the open house this weekend. I cannot start a long-distance relationship and manage everything here at my business.”

“Who said it was long-distance?” Rebecca asked.

“His accent. He didn’t exactly have a southern drawl. If anything, he sounded a little western, maybe from Oregon or California, which is definitely long distance. And speaking of California, did I mention that executives from Summerfields are coming to my big weekend? They’re booked out for the top floor suites at the inn.”

Rebecca piped up again with, “I buy their pinot noir all the time!”

“Don’t tell me that, Rebecca.”

“Hey, you don’t sell pinots, and I serve it at sports games to all those snotty girls my fiancé’s’s friends date. I wouldn’t waste your quality product on them!”

“I’ll accept that, but it doesn’t bode well that they’re coming.”

Cassie tried to be uplifting as she offered, “Maybe they want to invest?”

“You think they would be silent partners in a local winery?”

“Going national. You’re stepping on their turf, Serena.”

Rebecca nodded, “She’s right. Maybe they just want to size you up, welcome you to the club, or whatever you wine people do.”

“Except they’re a bulk business selling wine by the crates to restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops all over North America. No matter what I do, they’ll be selling circles around me for the rest of my career. We’re not competition.”

Cassie shrugged, “All I’m saying is that they may see something in your trajectory or product or whatever that you cannot see yourself. Don’t people at the top of the mountain have the best views?”

Serena smiled, “I wouldn’t know. I’m still backpacking up this metaphorical peak, I’ll let you know if that’s true when or if I ever get there.”

“You will, Serena!” Rebecca encouraged her. “Believe it that your family business will be a household name one day. If you don’t, nobody else will.”