Even the finest wine has one significant flaw.
There’s never enough of it.
Chapter 1. In Vino Veritas
KIR
“In vino veritas,” I said with a smirk.
The dark-haired, brown-eyed young bartender gave a slight nod and, with a grin, handed me a small cheese platter with a white napkin tucked beneath it.
I picked up a skewer of cheese and slowly brought it to my lips.
The overly bold flavor of this unrefined, young French cheese didn’t quite pair well with the Cabernet.
One of the simplest yet decent wine and cheese pairings is Cabernet Sauvignon with a sharp Cheddar. If he’d used that instead… Nah, never mind. It doesn’t matter.
I took a sip of the wine.
Today, I wasn’t here as a wine critic, so I decided not to dwell on such details, even if they usually consumed my entire world during the day.
Instead…
I took a couple of small sips, closing my eyes for a moment.
First job in a new city. I always limit myself to two or three gigs. Two or three jobs, no more than three months, then on to the next town. That’s my golden rule.
I opened my eyes, picked up the napkin, and lightly dabbed my lips.
I was just about to leave when my attention was caught by a girl who had just approached the bar.
“Hey, bartender!” called out a tipsy-looking young woman, maybe seventeen at most, as she plopped down on the stool next to mine. “Best whiskey for everyone!”
“What a generous little thing…” I thought, eyeing the amusing, drunk brunette.
She was about four inches shorter than me, roughly five foot seven. A slightly drunken smile played on her face, along with a faint blush, likely from the alcohol.
“You got it!” The bartender grinned at her and started pouring drinks for the crowd.
But his gaze darted under the counter, and I knew exactly what that meant.
“Might as well let us have a drink first…” I said with a hint of sympathy.
“Huh? What?” The young brunette next to me fidgeted, confused. “Man, what are you talking about?”
“Cops. Seven minutes, tops,” I said, narrowing my eyes and flashing a satisfied smile at her.
The brunette nodded, quickly glanced around, and pulled two tablets from her pocket, popping them into her mouth and sucking on them.
In reality, it could easily be fifteen minutes, but…
I smirked, instinctively adjusting the collar of my white shirt.
This way, she’d have a chance to slip away. Otherwise, it’s no fun. I wouldn’t get to see anything, no raw emotion…
“Mints won’t help,” I continued to smile as I reached for her glass and took it for myself.
I wonder how you’ll panic, cry, and call for mommy… You’re all the same. Come on, start freaking out. I want to see it.
I want to see that fear on your face. Your thin black eyebrows will arch and lift, just like your upper eyelids. Your lower lids will tense, and those full lips will press into a tight line…
I stared intently at her face, waiting for that exact reaction.
“But…” She looked at the packaging, bewildered. “It said on the label that…”
“People write all sorts of things on fences too,” I shot back, my green eyes locking with her blue ones as I brought the glass to my lips.
I took a sip of her drink.
What will you do now, little girl? You’re pretty clueless, coming here in this state… You really shouldn’t mess with the law in England.
Especially as a foreigner. Especially when you’re this green.
Though, I must admit, the confusion on your face looks almost too fitting.
Two police officers walked into the bar. One was older, in his forties, gray-haired, stocky, with a sparse mustache. The other was tall, thin, and young, about my age.
“Young lady, have you been buying alcohol? Are you over twenty-one? Let’s see some ID,” the older one said.
“I…”
Oh, look at those eyes darting around, widening… Eyebrows raised, mouth agape.
No, this isn’t fun either. This isn’t fear. It’s just surprise.
What kind of kids are out there these days… So naive, it’s ridiculous. She won’t even entertain me for a minute… And here I was, hoping for something.
I let out a slightly irritated sigh.
Save her? Maybe, if only to get involved in the conflict myself. Sometimes, I find that useful, even necessary.
“Officer, she hasn’t even had a chance to drink,” I said in a friendly tone.
“We can check that…” the younger cop replied, pulling a small device from his pocket.
Oh, this will be too easy. Watch and learn, kid…
I shifted my gaze to the girl.
Watch and learn.
“Got the calibration certificate for that device?” I asked the officers with a smile.
The younger cop glanced at the older one, who nodded.
The older man pulled a document from his pocket and handed it to me.
How naive… With guardians of the law like these, there’s hardly any game to play…
I focused, running my finger over the serial number on the paper, then asked for the device itself. After checking the number on the machine, I smiled with satisfaction.
“Take a look,” I said, handing the document back to the officers. “Right here, in the certificate, the third digit is a seven, but on the device, it’s a one.”
“What?” The older cop took the paper and the device, clearly puzzled.
And sure enough, he saw that the paper listed a seven.
The officers exchanged confused looks, glancing between the document, me, and each other, unable to figure out what had happened.
I sat there as if nothing had happened, continuing to smile.
The girl’s pupils dilated slightly, but otherwise, her expression remained calm and composed.
I didn’t miss that faint flicker of surprise on her face, though the officers wouldn’t have noticed it.
On some instinctive level, she suppressed that reaction… managed to make it almost invisible. Is she a natural at acting? Or is it something else…
“Anyway, my niece and I were just leaving,” I said, standing up from my stool and pulling the girl by her elbow. “Sorry for the trouble.”
The brunette followed without resisting…
YARA
There’s no way he could’ve known about the mismatch in numbers. It’s impossible. We’re in England, and law enforcement here is strict. I thought, keeping my expression neutral. He tricked them? Of course he did, but how… I don’t get it.
“But…”
The officer started to say something, but the athletic man in the clearly expensive suit cut him off.
“Goodbye,” he said, his light eyes radiating confidence, a smile playing on his lips.
The cops exchanged a glance. The older one nodded toward the exit, and they left.
Only then did I allow my pupils to widen noticeably, looking at this unusual man who had helped me with all the astonishment I’d been holding inside.
I wonder why he did it… And more importantly…
“How?” was all I managed to say.
“Sleight of hand, no trickery,” he replied curtly, setting my barely touched whiskey back on the counter. “Jack, what kind of swill did you give her? She asked for the best whiskey.”
“If I’d known you’d be drinking from her glass, I would’ve done better,” the man behind the bar grinned at my rescuer, taking the glass and placing a new one in front of this stranger. “Only a fool would serve bad booze to a critic.”
“Here,” the stranger handed me the glass. “Dave Nicholson Bourbon. Remember this taste. Despite its relatively low price, this whiskey was named one of the best in San Francisco at the 2017 World Spirits Competition. A perfect example of a whiskey where the price is laughable compared to the flavor.” He narrowed his eyes slightly and licked his lower lip, eyeing the glass.
I took the glass and brought it to my lips, closing my eyes.
And instantly, I knew this drink was different… Strong, but pleasant. I never thought hard liquor could taste this good.
“By the way, Kir, you two should probably get going. Those cops didn’t look too happy…” the bartender noted.
“You’re right,” my rescuer smiled, placing three ten-pound notes on the counter before standing up.
I noticed his watch. Definitely very expensive…
Then I set my barely sipped glass on the counter and stood up as well.
“Kid, haven’t you had enough of the police for one night?” the bartender asked me. “Why are you still here?”
“See you around, Jack,” my new acquaintance almost sang as he headed for the exit.
I followed behind him.
The man approached an unremarkable gray Volkswagen, probably from around 2010, and pressed the electronic key.
The car beeped, the headlights flashed, and he walked to the driver’s door.
Meanwhile, I took the front passenger seat before he even reached the door.
He got behind the wheel and glanced at me.
“And why are we still here?” he asked in a casual tone, fastening my seatbelt for me.
“That trick… I want to know how,” I said on an exhale, staring straight ahead through the windshield, avoiding his gaze.
The first drops of rain began to fall from the black night sky. England and rain are practically synonymous, especially in the fall, so it’s no surprise it started now…
“Alright, I’ll drive you home.” The man sighed, pulling some kind of ID from his pocket. “So, Yaroslava, huh…”
“How did you…?” I instinctively touched my small black purse. “My bag was closed…”
“Same sleight of hand.” He handed me back the ID and started the car. “Long drive ahead…”
“Just because I’m registered at that address doesn’t mean I need to go there…” I stammered, caught off guard.
“If you’re not good at lying, don’t bother trying,” he said, his blue eyes piercing into mine. “What, afraid mommy will scold you?”
I sighed, pouting slightly, and turned to look out the window, signaling I wasn’t in the mood to talk further.
KIR
We drove in silence.
I kept the speed slow, considering the roads were completely empty.
The rain picked up. Even with the wipers working overtime, the windshield was still covered in tiny droplets.
After half an hour, I stopped the car and looked at the girl.
She sat in a relaxed pose, her eyes closed. Her steady breathing seemed to confirm my suspicion that this kid had dozed off.
Her black lashes trembled slightly, and her slightly full lips were parted just a bit.
Asleep, or…
I licked my slightly dry lips and leaned forward toward her ear, then gently blew into it.
The girl’s eyes snapped open.
“Almost had me, I’ll give you that,” I whispered into her ear before pulling back. “You control your body more convincingly than your words.”
“What?” She looked at me, slightly flustered.
“Faking sleep with your body—you pulled that off better than lying with your tongue,” I said with a smile. “Though usually, it’s the other way around.”
“I see…” she replied, a bit thrown off.
“By the way, we’re here,” I told her.
YARA
No. I don’t want this to end now. My heart was racing when the police showed up… I thought it was over, but this man… He showed me something new, something thrilling…
“One week from now…” I said confidently. “Same time.”
“You think I’ll show up?” he asked.
“I didn’t say you had to,” I replied with a cheeky smirk. “I’ll just replicate your tricks. But in my own way.”
I can do it. I just need to prepare, really prepare. He didn’t do anything that complicated.
I nodded to myself.
I want to feel this again…
“Is that a challenge?” he asked, mirroring my smirk with the same playful vibe.
“If I pull it off, you’ll show me a new trick,” I said with excitement.
“If you pull it off,” he corrected me.
“See you around, Kir,” I smiled, hopping out of the car and almost running toward home.
KIR
Observant and determined. That’s good. I doubt I’ll teach her much while I’m in this town, but… at least I’ll have some fun. I’ll remember this little place, I’ll remember it well…