A Glass of Magic

The bartender picked up his dish towel to begin drying off wine glasses. As he put them away, he surveyed the bar. It had been a slow night. The bar was mostly empty except for a few regulars and a couple of college kids. As he finished serving his patrons another round, a petite brunette walked in. She ran her hands along her sides smoothing down her dress before taking a seat at the end of the bar.

He watched as the brunette nervously tapped her finger tips against the counter. She set her car keys, leather clutch, and cell phone down in front of her. The bartender approached the brunette after a few minutes to take her order.

"What can I get you, miss?" the bartender asked.

"I'm waiting for someone, but he should be here soon. I'll wait for him to order," she informed him.

He nodded politely and walked away. He served a few more regulars and continued to clean more glasses. He made a trip to the storeroom to grab some more bottles of wine. It had been about 15 minutes since he had asked her for her order. He glanced toward the end of the bar. The brunette was still alone. He approached her again.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything while you wait?" he asked.

"No, I'll wait just a little longer," she said shaking her head.

"No problem," he said and returned to his bar keeping duties.

She continued to glance down at her phone to check the time.

7:05 p.m.

7:10 p.m.

7:15 p.m.

She had been waiting for over 30 minutes. She decided to check her phone again. Perhaps, her date was running late or maybe something had come up. The brunette picked up her phone and entered her passcode. There were no new messages.

7:25 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Another ten minutes had passed. She had now been waiting over an hour. She checked her phone one last time. The screen showed that she still had not received any messages. Honestly, she was tired of making excuses for this guy. He was not coming. It was official. She had been stood up. She looked up an saw that the bartender was glancing at his watch. Was he checking his watch because of how long she had been there? It was evident. He knew that she had been stood up. The brunette's cheeks warmed in embarrassment.

The bartender nervously rubbed his neck. He saw this happen at the bar regularly. He could see the disappointment written all over her face. The brunette couldn't have been much younger than the bartender himself. He didn't want to see her leave this place unhappy. Could he somehow turn her night around?

The bartender thought for a moment. He walked over and pulled a wine bottle from the shelves. He poured her a glass of wine from his favorite bottle. This wine was happiness in a glass. He hoped he could share some of this happiness with her. He walked over and set the glass in front of her.

"Have a glass of merlot on the house," he said with a soft smile.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me," she quipped.

"It's just a glass of wine," he replied.

He hadn't noticed her beauty earlier. He took a moment to drink her in. Her skin was like porcelain and her chocolate brown hair barely touched the tops of her bare shoulders. She was wearing a plum off-the-shoulder dress. The color complimented her gorgeous green eyes.

"I do like wine. Thank you..." she trailed off not knowing his name.

"Jack," he answered her unasked question.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ruby," she told him.

He watched as she picked up her wine glass and gently swished its contents around. She slowly put the glass up to her lips and took a tiny sip.

"How does it taste?" he asked.

She took a proper drink before answering. She studied the flavor of the wine as she drank. Notes of fresh blackberries kissed her tongue. They were paired with the perfect blend of spices. It was rich and intoxicating. It was more than intoxicating; the taste was almost magical.

"Hmm, that's delicious. I taste...well it kind of tastes like magic," she whispered.

"It's my favorite wine. Can I get you anything to go with your merlot?" he asked.

She asked Jack to bring her a menu. Her date had never shown for dinner and she was famished. Jack handed her a menu and went about serving his other customers. She took a few minutes to look over her choices. They served small plates and pub-style food.

Jack watched her study the menu. It did seem like her night was improving. Her entire mood had changed. Maybe the wine did have magical qualities.

"Have you decided?" he asked.

"I'd love a cheeseburger with house-made chips. Oh, and another glass of merlot," Ruby said.

"The wine really is irresistible," he said.

He walked over to the kitchen to put in the order. He checked on the few patrons still at the bar. As he was cleaning up a spill, he couldn't stop thinking about Ruby. He didn't know why her date had stood her up, but he definitely knew in his heart the guy had made a mistake.

"Order Up!" the cook called from the kitchen.

Jack took the time to pour her a second glass of merlot before grabbing her meal off the counter. He put everything down in front of her. It looked absolutely delicious. Ruby carefully picked up her burger and took a healthy bite. The burger's juices dripped down her chin.

"Sorry," she apologized as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Jack laughed and handed her a napkin. She smiled sheepishly. He walked away to get drinks for the handful of fraternity brothers seated by the pool table. She ate a couple of chips dipping them in house-made ranch. They were so crispy.

"How's the food?" Jack asked when he returned.

"The wine, food, and company have definitely turned my night around," she said.

It was true. Her night had really improved. It was hard to remember that she had been stood up in the first place. It was a slow night at the bar. Jack didn't mind that it had been slow because it allowed him to chat with Ruby for hours. Time had passed quickly as they go to know each other. They had shared embarrassing stories, favorite recipes, and future dreams. Their night was coming to an end. It was almost time for the bar to close. Ruby glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. She hadn't planned to stay out this late.

"Jack, it's getting late...I should probably go," she said.

Although, he didn't want the night to end; he knew she was right. He needed to clean up and re-stock before he could close the bar.

"I hope your night wasn't totally ruined," he said.

"It definitely wasn't," she answered.

He went to get her bill. He placed the bill face down in front of her. She turned it over and scanned the receipt and reached for her leather clutch. She pulled out some cash and handed it to Jack. He left to go get her change.

She scribbled something on a napkin and quickly gathered her stuff. She silently slipped out the door before Jack could return.

When Jack returned her stool was empty. He sighed. He knew that he was just the man behind the bar, but he thought they had formed a connection. He walked over to collect the empty dishes. He looked down to see something written on a napkin. Ruby had left her phone number and a simple question. She had asked him out on a date. He smiled as he tucked the napkin into the pocket of his blue jeans. He could not wait until he could call her tomorrow and set-up their first official date.

In a way, the wine was magical that night. It had brought them together. It had also given both of them the courage to open up their hearts to the possibility of love.