The Winding by Avi Datta

Author:Avi Datta [Datta, Avi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647043902
Publisher: Bublish, Inc.
Published: 2021-10-27T11:12:29+00:00

Emika is dazzling in her sapphire blue dress. I remember how she looked at the mountains from the patio of her townhome. So, I reserved a table by the window in Chez-Giraud overlooking the lake, the foothills, and the snowcapped mountains through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. “It’s spectacular, Vince.” She squeezes my fingers.

The server comes forward. “I’m Celine. Would you like to see our wine list?”

I nod. “Sure.”

Emika keeps looking at the foothills and the snowcapped mountains radiating in gold against the setting sun.

I point at Emika’s necklace and her bracelet. “Are those in memory of Haru?”

She tilts her head and smiles. “Yes, they are. I thought you wouldn’t

notice.”

“Oh, I notice,” I say, locking my fingers with hers.

The background music is Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” which complements the sizzling sound of fresh food coming out of the kitchen, the clinking of silverware, and happy conversations all around. I feel a sudden increase in my pulse.

Celine brings the wine list, and Emika turns to me. “Vince, can you order for us?”

“How about a whole bottle of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2005?”

Celine leans forward. “You said the whole bottle, right?”

“That’s correct, Celine.”

Once Celine is out of earshot, Emika squints and asks, “What was that about?”

I shrug. “She was making sure if I could afford it.”

“Because you are not white, right?” she says, lowering her eyebrows.

I kiss her fingers, and I can feel her pulse rise. “Let’s look at it differently. Maybe she checks this with everyone. She is just trying to avoid an imminent commotion.”

“But you have equity here.”

“That’s not pubic knowledge.”

A gentleman brings the wine. He opens the bottle, pours an equal quantity into two glasses, and says, “Enjoy your wine.”

“To life,” I toast, raising my glass to a smiling Emika.

She lifts hers. “To life.”

After a few sips, we see the sun slowly retiring behind the mountains, turning the white snow into gold. A portion of the gold reflects on Emika’s face and turns her black hair to burgundy. The song changes to “My Way,” keeping the jazz motif. Emika is quietly observing the sunset, and I am witnessing the same through her eyes. Then she turns to me. “Thank you for coming into my life. Also, Vince, thank you for asking me to talk to my parents. It was nice to hear pa-pha and mum.”

I press her fingers. “If you need to take a few days to take care of them, just let me know.”

“I will.” She regards me with glittering eyes. “Vince, do you have any parental figure?”

I swirl my glass and take a sip. “Not really.” I don’t want to dull the evening by bringing up friction with Mr. Kruger. The background song is now “Moon River.”

Celine returns. “Have you decided what you’d like to have?”

I turn to Emika. “Lead the way.”

“I’ll have the miso-glazed Chilean sea bass.”

Celine lifts her brows and leans toward Emika. “It comes with roasted Shishito peppers, cream sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and Sichuan green beans.”

“I want all of them.”

As Celine turns to me, Emika coughs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.