VAL DAY-SANCHEZ

Copyright © 2016 Val Day-Sanchez

All rights reserved.

She removed her wedding ring and placed it in the small zipper pocket in her purse. She threw her coat over the car seat in the back, in case they walked her to her car. Checking her lipstick once more she took a deep breath before walking into the country club. This was her second meeting with the manager, if she was going to get him to carry her wine she was going to have to try another tactic. She balanced the case of wine under one arm as she pulled open the doors. She walked straight to the bar. Ten-thirty in the morning and there was already a full bar, half-drunk retirees. They had all flocked to town to live off of their investment portfolio and buying up the lots that offered overpriced homes which backed up to the golf course. Amanda found thought it a rather hefty price to guarantee golf balls flying in your yard.

Digesting her disgust she sat down next to two gentlemen and smiled at the bartender. She sat her case of wine on the bar.

"What have you got there?" One of the white haired and red faced gentlemen inquired. It was almost too easy, Amanda thought.

"Case of reds." Amanda explained lightly. "You want a taste?" She was already opening a bottle.

The bartender approached her, ready to ask her what the hell she was doing.

"I'm just waiting on Ted,” Amanda stated smoothly. “You want a taste too?"

The bartender, caught slightly off guard brought over three glasses and Amanda began pouring. "This is a Merlot from a local winery, aged in the barrel for a year before being bottled." She distributed the glasses and the bartender slammed it before nodding his thanks and attending to a group of ladies that had just sat down. Amanda looked back at the two old men, one of them had a pleasant smile on his face as he slowly sipped his wine. His partner, the more outspoken of the two had finished his glass.

"That wine taste like shit."

Amanda waited for a further explanation, her blood boiling she knew it wouldn’t be wise for her to open her mouth at this point. She had learned that if you remained silent people would inevitable fill their own silence.

"You don't think it taste like shit?" The man pressed, indignant.

"We'll sir,” Amanda began calmly. “I've never tasted shit before."

The man stared at her aghast. His comrade burst out laughing. "I'll buy a case of the Merlot." He handed Amanda his business card.

"I can deliver it to you, for no extra charge."

"You personally? Great." The old man, whose name she now knew was Richard Nox, smiled - his attempt at flirting.

Amanda tried not to reveal her disdain, instead keeping a smile plastered on her face.

"Amanda?" Ted, the manager appeared around the corner. "Let's go to my office."

"Oh,” Richard Nox whined. “We were just getting to know one another."

Amanda turned back to him, "Don't worry, I'll see you soon."

Ted had used the lame excuse of a narrow arrow hallway to walk behind her. She could feel him eyeing her body as they walked back to his office where a picture of him with his wife and three kids were plastered throughout his office.

"Here's the updated price sheet, it reflects what we talked about. I can have your order here tomorrow." Amanda offered sitting down at his desk.

Ted eyed the sheet for a total of half a second. "Do you want a drink?" He pulled open his desk drawer, revealing a bottle of bourbon.

"I'd rather see exactly where you're going to advertising our wine. You mentioned the front of the clubhouse."

"Amanda, all work and no play."

"All play and I don't get paid." Amanda countered coolly.

"Besides, you already know I can drink you understand the table."

Ted watched her and she was grateful she couldn't see inside his mind. No doubt there was an image of the two of them. She choked back the desire to vomit.

"Alright so business then." He said in a baby voice that made her skin crawl. She thought of her daughter and forced herself not leave, she needed this money.

"You want six cases, delivered by Monday of next week. We can offer you a net thirty."

"Great, the owners want more local so this will be great. Can you do tastings once a week?"

"We'll see."

"You're killing me." He said leaning over the desk and Amanda was happy there was a desk between them. Amanda stared at the picture of him and his wife. She wondered what she thought he did at work all day.

"Take me on the tour."

"Alright. You win. I feel like you're getting everything you want and meanwhile I'm losing out, I don't even get to have a drink with a pretty girl."

Amanda transported herself somewhere else. Somewhere, where she wasn't a wife or mother that needed this order to pay her mortgage. She was just a single twenty-something, perhaps at a bar. Wanting to meet someone that could show her a good time. She pretended that she was a woman that could be bought. "Play your cards right." She added slyly before standing up.

Ted, once again, followed her out to the hallway.

Amanda saw her first. A friend of her husband's, Caroline was getting ice starting her shift. Amanda hadn't known that she worked here.

"Amanda?" Caroline said, putting down the ice. "I haven't seen you in forever."

Ted watched them intently."Yeah I didn't know you were still in town." Amanda felt herself slip out of her role. "How have you been?"

"Just working. How's Thomas? I heard you guys had a daughter."

Amanda feels her world's colliding, one where she is a proud mother who has built a beautiful life, the other where she will say whatever needed in order to provide for her family. She has a choice, deny the existence of what drives her to wake up every morning or stop pretending.

"Yeah, she's two." Amanda beams and she feels Ted backing away from her, as if she's diseased. She sits and talks to Caroline for a few minutes before collecting her case of wine and getting back into her car. Before she backs out of the parking lot, her phone chimes. It's a text from Ted, "The owners don't have it in the budget to move forward with the order."

Valerie Day-Sánchez enjoys reading and writing across genres, although young adult is her favorite at the moment. Threshold is her first attempt at Sci-Fi. Her other work consists of YA Fantasy Trilogy, Harlow Whittaker. She received both her B.A. and M.A. in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University. Her love of the desert Southwest keeps her close to home although she loves to travel, especially when she gets a chance to try the local cuisine. Playing with her two sons and the family’s Boston Terrier, Winston, are how she occupies her time when she’ not writing.