"You Had Me at Merlot"

Six o’clock. 6:00 p.m. 1800 hours. Ben looked down at his phone; message received two hours ago, “See you soon! Xo-xo.” A text to which, he replied, “Can’t wait!” But Ashleigh was nowhere in sight. They had met online, and after talking for two weeks, they were FINALLY meeting in person. They agreed upon La Vite for Happy Hour. La Vite was the new wine bar in town, and they were both looking forward to enjoying a fine glass of medium-bodied red wine.

Ben remembered how Ashleigh described herself as “expertly punctual”. She always believed in arriving fifteen minutes early, for any and every event or occasion. He was getting anxious. She hadn’t texted to say she was running late. Was she flaking out? Did she decide she wasn’t interested? Did she ghost? He sat down at the bar, next to an empty seat…well, almost empty. He noticed the purse hanging off the back of the chair; a near-empty wine glass was sitting on the bar, ruby-red lipstick on the rim, and a gold lipstick tube standing beside it. His heart jumped and raced forward as he took note of the purse’s color…silver. Ashleigh was here! She had told him she would be wearing a black dress and red heels, accessorized with a silver clutch, which he now assumed meant purse. She said she would place her gold tube of lipstick on the bar for good measure. He waited…nothing. Five more minutes passed...still nothing. Something was off. Why would she just leave her things behind?

Ben asked the bartender if he remembered the woman who had been sitting there. The bartender said she ordered a glass of wine, and then left after scribbling something down on a card, which she placed in her purse. Hesitantly, Ben unsnapped the clutch. Inside he found a card. On the front, “Wandering Giants” was written in vertical font. On the back, a description of Wandering Giants Merlot 2018. At the bottom of the card, Ashleigh had hand-written in jet-black, gel-ink pen,

“Order a glass ;) xo-xo.”

Ben did as the note required, “Excuse me. I’d like a glass of Wandering Giants Merlot 2018, please.” The bartender laughed heartily and pointed to Ashleigh’s abandoned seat, “She ordered the last glass, but here’s the bottle. She asked me to hold onto it for you.”

Puzzled, Ben took the bottle. Instead of a cork, there was a rolled up note. A note in a bottle. Ben briefly thought he might open a treasure map. He shook off the thought, and opened the note. Close. It was a riddle…

He chuckled and thought to himself, “Ashleigh is sending me on a scavenger hunt.”

The note read,

“I mimic your every move…until you walk away.

I stare back at you…until you look away. What am I?”

Ben milled it over in his mind, “My reflection?” He walked into the restroom. Sure enough, scrawled on the mirror in ruby-red lipstick,

“Merlot: cherry, Red Currant, violet, vanilla.”

Taped to the mirror was an old road map, and a 10-block radius from La Vite was circled! He picked up the map, and the gears started turning as he glanced back at the writing on the reflective glass. Red Currant was capitalized. He looked back at the map. Currant Park! The park was only two blocks away.

He scanned the park as he walked amidst the fading sunlight. Off to the left he could see a red picnic table. Ben decided it was a start, and headed in that direction. As he got closer, he noticed a newspaper fluttering in the breeze. It had been set on the table, weighted down by a large, smooth rock. Painted on the rock was,

“A9”

Ben avidly flipped to page A9 of the paper. Immediately an advertisement entitled “Art Exposé” caught his eye, coupled with a time and place: Thursday, April 1, 2021 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Museum of Art; 1555 Cherry Street.

Ten minutes later, Ben entered the Museum of Art. He strolled through the exhibit, admiring a painting here and there, looking for a clue. He had stopped in front of a large painting. The painting had a rich, deep blue background, with hints of purple and black, emulating the night sky. Depicted upon this silky canvas was the constellation of Orion. Orion, in Greek mythology, is known to be a giant and a hunter. As he continued to stare in awe at the painting, he could feel a presence behind him. He turned around, smiling and ready to excuse himself for blocking the view. A glowing face smiled back at him, and questioned, “Ben?”

Ben blinked a few times. Ashleigh was even more beautiful in person! He laughed and gave her a So-Good-to-Finally-Meet-You Hug. She proceeded to ask him what he thought of her painting. Ben was amazed, “You painted this? It’s amazing!” And it was amazing…she was amazing. They spent the rest of the evening talking about Ashleigh’s art and Ben’s podcast. They were already discussing how they could combine their passions and creativity. By far, this was the most interesting first date Ben had ever experienced, and he knew that this connection with Ashleigh was special. Ashleigh knew it, too.