Overpriced wine

1.       Overpriced Wine

BELLE

“So where are we going?” I asked Grayson when we stepped out the doors of the hotel lobby. 

“Well, first we need a cab,” Grayson said. He walked in the direction of the street and hailed a taxi with ease. 

“Wait, why don’t we just walk? It’s a really nice night,” I said as a cab pulled up. 

Grayson opened the taxi door for me. “We are on a tight schedule, love.” He motioned me in. 

Not seeing the point of arguing, I got into the car, and Grayson followed behind me. 

He had a plan. 

The driver said something to us in French, which I assumed was him asking where we were going. Astounding me, Grayson gave him the location in what sounded like perfect French. 

“You speak French?” I asked him, shocked. 

“I speak multiple languages,” he replied, as if it were no big deal. “It is normal for an alpha to learn to speak in different tongues. It makes it easier to communicate with other packs around the world.” 

I nodded and fidgeted with my seat belt. as the car pulled away from the curb. How the hell could one person be so perfect? 

He was good-looking, strong, kind, and smart. What on earth does he possibly see in me?   Before I could buckle my seat belt., Grayson wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders and tugged my body over to his, nuzzling my hair.  “You’ll sit here. I’m not ready to be away from you yet.” 

“I was literally less than a foot away from you.” 

Grayson shrugged. “Too far.” 

I decided not to argue, instead settling contentedly into his rumbling chest and watching the beautiful streets of Paris pass by. As we made our way to our destination, the driver kept glancing at us through the rear view mirror any chance he got. 

I squirmed in discomfort. 

I wasn’t sure why he was watching us, but he seemed to be extremely interested in all that we were doing. Grayson was too busy playing with my hair and rubbing my leg to notice.

But he immediately stiffened when he saw my discomfort, following my gaze to the driver. 

His eyes narrowed and he let out a booming growl that made me wince. 

The driver sucked in a sharp breath and quickly looked away, keeping his eyes glued to the road for the rest of the ride. Once we got out of the taxi, I turned to Grayson and poked his chest. 

“You need to stop growling at people.” 

Grayson wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me down the street. He huffed. “I should be the only man looking at you.”  “Was that really why he was looking at us?” 

He sighed. “No. As beautiful as you are, I’m sure he was just curious about the girl on the alpha’s arm. He was probably wondering if you were my mate. It would be a big deal if it got out that I had found my mate.”  “He was a werewolf?” I asked in shock. 

“Yes. Like I said before, Paris has one of the biggest werewolf populations in the world.”  “Yeah, I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. That’s crazy. And he knew who you were?” 

Grayson grinned. “Not to brag or anything, but your mate is kind of a big deal in the werewolf world.” 

I rolled my eyes. “It seems like he’s humble too.” 

He growled playfully in my ear, nipping at it gently. I laughed. He stopped in front of a fancy liquor store and opened the door for me. I gave him a skeptical look as I walked inside.  The store was filled from floor to ceiling with customized wooden cabinets featuring countless varieties of wine. It was the very definition of elegance. 

Everything was pristine. 

I felt a little out of place in my jeans, sweater, and coat that I had bought for ten dollars at a thrift store. My eyes widened as I noticed the price of the bottle nearest to me. It was seven hundred dollars. 

I looked at Grayson. “What are you up to?” 

He just winked and grabbed my hand as he pulled me through the store, completely ignoring my question. He walked up to a man dressed in a suit who was setting up a display on a table. The man looked up at us and smiled as we approached. 

He said something in French, to which Grayson replied in English: “I’d like your best bottle of wine,” as he brought me close to his side. 

The man just smiled and nodded, unfazed and disappeared through a door. 

“The best bottle of wine?” I asked Grayson. “Won’t that cost a lot?” 

Grayson shrugged. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, I promise.” 

I turned to him. “You’re planning on spending hundreds of dollars on a bottle of wine?”  “Thousands probably,” he said nonchalantly. 

My jaw dropped to the floor. “Thousands?” 

Grayson smiled, putting his hands on my waist. “It’s really not a big deal. I’ve spent much more than that before.” 

“Yes, but have you ever spent that much on a bottle of wine?”