Dog Days

She finished showering, stepped out, and slathered her body in a perfumed moisturizer. She slipped on a light blue thong and a short light green sundress with spaghetti straps and a deep plunging neckline, showing off ample cleavage. She deliberately did not wear a bra.

She realized he might be coming back any minute. A shiver ran through her and her nipples got hard again. It was 29 degrees Celsius inside the cabin.

While towel drying her long, dark brown hair, she heard the screen door close and heard Rob call tentatively into the cabin, "Hello....knock knock..."

Jess stepped out of the bathroom and into the cabin's main room, still toweling off her hair, replying playfully, "Who's there?"

Rob stopped short when he saw her. A look of dark hunger crossed his eyes as his gaze traveled over her body. She noticed his gaze lingered for a second on her hard nipples before returning to her face. The dark look was quickly replaced by a broad affectionate smile, but he wasn't so subtle that time.

She looked him over, too. His hair was combed. His face was clean. He was wearing black shorts and a blue short-sleeve button down shirt. She detected the faint hint of his cologne.

"Who's there?" she repeated, waiting for him to pick up on the old childhood joke. Rob gaped at her with a questioning look in his eyes. She draped the towel over the back of a chair and ran her hands through her wet hair. He just watched her, silently.

"You're supposed to be telling a knock knock joke," she said, smiling, "you used to love those things." He finally got it and smiled back.

"Oh," he said, smiling sheepishly. "Cabernet Sauvignon," he said, presenting the bottle to her, over his forearm with a little flourish, the way waiters did in fancy restaurants.

He slipped off his sandals by the door, stepped forward toward her, and handed her the bottle he'd brought. She looked at the label. It read Clos Du Val 2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Her brow furrowed. She read it several times to convince herself she was reading it right. Yes, the year on the bottle was 2000.

"This is a 10 year old bottle of wine," she said, incredulous, thinking it might belong to his parents. "We shouldn't drink this. It must be really expensive."

"Meh." He shrugged his shoulders, "I bought it when I went to Napa a couple of years ago. It is incredible with steak. I mean, incredible. Besides I can't think of anyone I'd rather share it with."

She smiled brightly. It occurred to her that the year 2000 was the last time she'd seen him.

"You went to the Napa Valley?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as he stepped forward and grabbed the corkscrew and decanter off the liquor shelf. She gently placed the bottle in front of him on the dining table, which took up nearly a third of the main room of the tiny cottage. He pulled a little metal contraption from his pocket, and continued, "It was during the summer of 2008. I went with a couple of other friends. We had an fantastic wine tour. We kind of did the Sideways thing. Have you seen that movie?"

Jess nodded. "Yeah, great movie," she said smiling. She couldn't help but recall that the two main characters were in their 40's, not their 20's.

"Well, we did the wine tour thing, but not the crazy relationship drama part," he said snickering. "We visited 10 wineries in 6 days. I spent way too much, but it was so worth it. I still have quite a few of the bottles I bought on that trip. I think I'm still paying off the credit card bill, too." She chuckled.

While he talked, she alternated between watching his face and his hands as he expertly uncorked the bottle, put the little metal device on top of the decanter and poured the wine through it. The dark red liquid spilled slowly down the sides of the decanter and then swirled and pooled in the bottom. Little bubbles formed in the wine and then disappeared.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Oh this?" he gestured at the metal contraption. She nodded. "It's a diffuser. It helps to aerate the wine. It makes up for not letting it breathe. Usually I'd uncork a wine like this the night before I was planning to serve it."

"So you're like a wine connoisseur, eh?"

"Well I'd like to be. Unfortunately, I have tastes far beyond my means," he said ruefully, then perked up and added, "I went to France last year and toured wineries in Burgundy and Loire. I'd like to go back and visit the southern wine regions. And go to Spain, and Italy, and Portugal, and Chile, and Argentina, and South Africa...." He looked up as he finished pouring the wine slowly through the diffuser. "Well you get the idea," he said smiling.

He grabbed the two largest wine glasses from the shelf and filled each glass half way. He handed one to her and raised his.

"Cheers," she said, raising her glass to his and smiling into his soulful deep blue eyes. She felt a little flutter in her stomach as their eyes met.

"Cheers," he replied, and lightly touched his glass to hers, holding her gaze. The flutter in her stomach spread throughout her pelvic region and centred between her thighs.

She took a sip and the taste flooded her mouth. It was delicious. She watched as he swirled the wine in his glass, looking at it. Then he stuck his nose in the glass and inhaled deeply before taking a drink. Then he did that thing with his mouth that she'd seen other wine connoisseurs do. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made a very quiet slurping sound. Then he took another sip and grinned.

"Ahhhhhh. Even better than I remember," he said.

"I think this is the best wine I've ever tasted," she said and then added, "thank you for sharing it with me." He shrugged like it was nothing, but his grin broadened, and that happy light entered his eyes again. He was genuinely glad it had pleased her.

"I've got a couple of even better wines in my collection at home. Mind you, my collection is still pretty small. I've only been collecting wines for a few years, and I don't have the money to spend on it like some of the people I know. I don't even have a wine cellar. It's just in a closet in my apartment."

Jess laughed, thinking how unusual it was for a 24-year-old guy to have a wine collection at all. She looked at his deep blue eyes again. The term old soul sprung up from the back of her mind again. The term sexy sprung up from somewhere else. She had to look away to keep from blushing, so she looked into her wine glass.

She took another sip, savoring the taste momentarily on her tongue, swallowed, and asked thoughtfully, "How much is a bottle like this worth?"

He thought about it for a moment and said, "It was cheaper when I bought it two years ago, but I think it would probably go for ...um... around 90 or 100 now."

"90 or 100 dollars? A bottle?" she asked, shocked, her eyebrows raised.

He chuckled and shrugged like it was no big deal. "Yeah," he said, and then changed the subject. Taking two steps toward the tiny kitchen, he asked, "so what did you want to do with the steaks?" he asked.

"I was just going to barbeque them with a side of grilled vegetables. They've got a barbeque wok here somewhere."

"Great," he said cheerfully. As she began pulling peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms from the fridge, he searched the cupboards.

She watched him as he found a small mixing bowl and started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards; olive oil, garlic, herbs. He kept looking for something, but didn't find what he was looking for and closed the cupboards. He walked around behind where she was setting up the cutting board and vegetables, and grabbed a whisk and garlic press from the utensil container on the counter. The kitchen was tiny, and the dining table was practically in their way. There wasn't much space for two people to move around each other.

As he moved back toward the bowl he was working on, he brushed past her. The touch caused a tingle to run through her, and they both paused and looked at each other for a long moment. She shivered, causing her nipples to perk up hard again. He noticed and smirked momentarily. Then he moved over to his workspace and quickly picked up his glass, taking a long drink of his wine. She drank some more too, stealing glances at him. He crushed the garlic into the bowl and started adding other ingredients.

He opened the fridge and a little huffing noise escaped his mouth. She smiled. She'd often lamented that the fridge and cupboards at her mother's cottage were not well stocked. It was strange because the pantry at her house in the city was always well stocked. He grabbed a bottle of Greek salad dressing and a bottle of balsamic dressing and added a little dribble of each to the bowl. She watched his forearms and hands as he tilted the bowl and began expertly whisking the ingredients together.

"So what do you do?" Jess asked as she finished chopping zucchini into pieces and dumped them into a large mixing bowl before starting on the peppers.

"Um...I'm a chef," he replied, tentatively. Well that explains how he knows his way around a kitchen so well, she thought.

"Really? That's so cool. Any restaurant I might know of?" She picked up her wine and took another sip.

"Um..." he looked almost embarrassed. She regarded him and wondered if he was embarrassed because it was some dive. Waiting for him to answer, she sipped some more wine.

Finally he said, "Reds."

Jess nearly choked on her wine. "Reds?" she exclaimed, "Reds Bistro and Wine Bar?" She knew it was one of the best restaurants in the city, with a stunning wine collection.

"Yeah," he said nonchalantly. "I'm not the head chef though," he quickly added.

"Wow!" Jess said. "I've only been there once and it was when my company was entertaining a big client. It was amazing."

"Oh, what do you do?" He seemed relieved to be able to move the conversation away from his profession.

"I'm a communications consultant and trainer, among other things," she replied.

"Really? What exactly does a communications consultant and trainer do?" he asked.

"Mainly I get paid to write and talk a lot," she said chuckling, "and teach others how to write better and improve their public speaking and presentation skills. My company does individual coaching for executives at our client companies, and we teach courses on business writing and presentation skills for their employees."

"Hmmm. Impressive," Rob mused.

"It sounds more impressive than it is, but I like it most of the time," she smiled as she finished chopping the last of the peppers and started on the mushrooms.

Rob pulled out another cutting board and a knife, and started chopping onions -- with far greater skill and dexterity than she was demonstrating on the mushrooms.

Jess continued, "Some of the clients are real assholes though. You know....they're executive types. They think they already know everything, but often they suck at public speaking. I always wonder 'if you think you're already so great at this, why did you hire us?'" Rob chuckled knowingly at that.

"I think we get those same guys in the restaurant," he said nodding.

Jess smiled at him nodding. "No doubt," she said, and continued, "anyway, at least I've had the opportunity to travel a little on the company's dime, so that is pretty cool. They've sent me to Halifax, Calgary, Chicago, Boston, Dallas and Vancouver. It was nice to visit with some old friends there."

"Wow that's great. I'm a little envious," Rob said smiling in a way that indicated he was mostly joking.

"Well it's not France," she said, raising her eyebrows. He smiled. "And honestly, sometimes I have to fly in and out pretty quickly, due to my schedule, so I don't have time to explore the city much. Whenever I can, though, I try to arrange to spend an extra day or two." Rob nodded and took another drink of his wine.

"Well I really wish they would send me to the Florida or California offices during the winter. That would be something." She looked up at him smiling and rolled her eyes, as she dumped the mushrooms into the large bowl and he dumped the onions in.

Rob then poured the little mixture he'd concocted over the vegetables and stirred to coat them thoroughly. It smelled wonderful. While he did that, she cleaned up the vegetable scraps and washed the cutting boards and knives. She took another long sip of wine. Her face was starting to feel warm, and it was not from the scorching heat of the air.

Jess looked over at him. "Rob, what was that thing you did when you first tasted the wine?" she asked.

"Oh, haven't you ever been taught how to taste wine?" he asked. She shook her head, and his smile broadened as someone who is passionate about something gets to teach it to someone else. That light danced in his eyes again.

"Here let me show you. Pick up your wine glass." Jess did, and since it was nearly empty, Rob stepped closer to her, grabbing the bottle, and filled both their glasses again. He set the now half empty bottle down gingerly on the table.

He had an eager look in his eyes. His voice was soft and encouraging. "It's a sensual experience, drinking a fine wine. If you're paying for it, you don't want to just gulp it down, right?" She nodded.

"You want to savour it," he continued. "First you hold the glass up to the light and look at it. Then you swirl it and just observe it for a moment. See how it moves? See the richness of the colour? It's so deep, it's almost purple. See the legs on it? Those are the little rivulets of alcohol that slide down the side of the glass after you swirl it. The higher the alcohol content, the longer the legs stick on the side of the glass."

"Oh, I never knew that," she said. She did as he instructed and watched the little rivers of dark red liquid run down the side of the glass. He watched her intently.

"Now put your nose near the edge of the glass and inhale slowly as you move the glass closer to your nose. What do you smell?"

Jess did as he said, and her eyes opened wide. "Wow. Berries?" she said. Rob nodded and smiled, that light dancing in his eyes again.

"What else?" Rob asked. She put her nose back to the glass, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She opened her eyes wide and looked at him.

"Spices? Vanilla? Can that be?" He nodded again, smiling.

"It's amazing how it can smell like something other than grapes," she said. He smiled more broadly. A passionate teacher is always happy to have a keen student.

"Now we're going to taste it." She lifted the glass to her lips. He raised his eyebrows and added, "But wait a minute. Don't just put it in your mouth and swallow. You're going to sip a little into your mouth and hold it there. Let it roll around in your mouth, over and under your tongue. Feel it. Taste it all over all your taste buds. Then, holding the wine in your mouth, you open your lips slightly and inhale letting the breath out through your nose. You'll be able to smell it so much better than just sticking your nose in the glass. Now this is the tricky part, you're going to hold the wine in your mouth, purse your lips and kind of suck or slurp air through it. It takes a while to get it right. Here, I'll show you."

Rob sipped some wine, rolled it around, and then inhaled through his mouth and breathed out through his nose. Then he pursed his lips and sucked air through the narrow opening. He made that quiet little slurping sound. Jess watched him intently and all she could think about was how sexy he looked with his lips pursed like that. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss him. He put his wine glass down, and said, "Now you try it."

"Ok, I'll try, but don't laugh if I choke and spill your delicious expensive wine all over myself." Raising an eyebrow and smiling a mischievous smile, Rob looked almost intrigued at the prospect of that happening. The look passed quickly and was replaced with a reassuring smile.

"You'll be fine," he assured her.

Jess took a little wine in her mouth and swirled it around. She was amazed. Since she was really focusing on it, she could detect different tastes on different parts of her tongue. Blackberries and vanilla and something kind of nutty and something that tasted almost like the rosy sweetness of red peppers. It was amazing to her that it could taste like so many things other than grapes. She imagined it would taste great with the grilled steak.

Then she inhaled through her mouth, and let the air out through her nose. She could smell the aromas in ways she never had before. Then she tried to purse her lips and suck air through the wine. She slurped significantly louder than Rob, but her eyes went wide as new tastes she hadn't noticed flooded her mouth and new aromas flooded her nose.

He smiled broadly seeing the realization come across her face. She smiled, too, before completely swallowing, causing a little wine to dribble out the side of her mouth.

Rob's hand came forward quickly and wiped the drop of wine off the side of her mouth with his thumb. The touch was electrifying to her. Her pulse sped up instantly, she gasped slightly, and a noticeable shiver ran through her. His deep blue eyes locked on hers as his thumb lingered on the side of her mouth and slid softly, slowly across her bottom lip while the rest of his fingers came up to gently caress her chin with such tenderness.

"How is it possible that you are even more beautiful than I remember?" he whispered softly, almost to himself. Then his eyes popped opened wide in embarrassment, as he seemed to realize he'd just said that aloud. He looked bashful, averted his eyes, and withdrew his hand.

"Rob," she breathed, and touched her hand to his cheek, bringing his gaze back to meet hers. She smiled appreciatively. She stepped closer, almost touching him and tried to convey through her eyes how much she wanted him.

Her heart was racing as she moved her slightly parted lips toward his mouth. He brought his face closer, too, and with their eyes open, their lips touched, softly at first, then pressing a little more firmly. Her lips molded to his. She stuck her tongue out furtively and met his. Electricity rushed through her as their tongues met and swirled around each other. His mouth tasted like wine and berries. His lips were soft and warm. She closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her. They explored each other's mouths with their tongues, in a sensuous dance. He pulled back ever so slightly and sucked her bottom lip between his, then pressed his mouth harder against hers and met her tongue again.

Without pulling away from the kiss, Jess gently placed the wine glass on the table and brought her arms up around him, pulling him close. One hand went to his back, and one hand tangled in his hair. She pressed her body against his. She felt his hands on her back too, pulling her closer to him. His body was so hot against hers. As they kept kissing, she pressed her pelvis against his, feeling his hardness. She ground against it, feeling it swell and emanate heat. He groaned softly into her mouth, as he slid his hands all over her back, and down over her ass. He felt the outline of her thong and made a growling sound while cupping her cheeks and pulling her pelvis firmly toward him.

Her heart was hammering in her chest and she was practically panting. Liquid warmth pooled between her thighs. Excitement and tingly heat coursed through her body out to her fingertips and toes. Her nipples poked prominently against his chest. Her hands traced the muscular contours of his shoulders, back, and down to his ass as well. She pulled against him and ground her pelvis into him again. His hardness pushed the fabric of her thong against her clit. It was her turn to let out a little moaning sigh.

His hands were moving continuously, as they continued to kiss. He ran them up her back, across the bare skin of her shoulders, causing goose bumps to rise. One hand came up to the nape of her neck and tangled in her hair, while the other slid down her arm making her shiver and gasp. He pulled his mouth away and began kissing across her jaw, down her neck. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations.