Desserts & Dramas

Chapter 14

 Gabriel tasted it and identified some fruity notes and a bitterness at the end, probably from the oak. When he told all this to his father, he gave a huge smile and asked:

"And the verdict?"

"Not that I am an expert like you, but I liked it and I think it will please the driest palates." And he added: "Quite different from the rosé."

"The rosé was inspired by Angelica, sweet like her." Raul exclaimed with dreamy eyes. "But this one will reach another segment."

"Absolutely, Dad. As an entrepreneur, I can say that it is always good to expand the business."

"That's it! " Raul, smiling, squeezed his son's arm. "Now enjoy the wine while I go check on dinner with Angelica."

After the very well served dinner of pasta, yes, the father's Italian roots spoke loudly, Angelica served a blackberry pie, one of Gabriel's favorite desserts, which could only mean that her request would not be small. The recipe for the pie came about after Angelica found some blackberry trees in the back of the house as soon as they bought the property. She started testing dessert recipes while her father tested the fruit in the wines.

"So Gabriel," Angelica began, "I need your help, or rather, we do." And she pointed to Raul sitting at the head of the table. Gabriel, sitting facing her, looked from one to the other. She continued:

"You know that business in wine has prospered quite a bit."

Gabriel nodded and thought about how they were entirely dedicated to the business. They turned a decaying winery into a thriving business, it would be hard to get a different result of success. Unfortunately Angelica never succeeded in her dream of becoming a mother, even with all the treatments she and her father tried, and he was not the best example of a stepson, so they put all their energy into making the winery work.

Gabriel's mind wandered a bit, but he thought she was talking about the distribution of the business. His father coordinated the production and product development, Angelica the marketing, sales and the occasional event. Angelica was still talking.

"You know that our contracts with the European countries are going well. So we would like you to help us with the contracts in the USA, and maybe even invest in the company to increase production?" Angelica finished her sentence with a questioning tone, clearly showing her doubt in asking him something like this.

Gabriel choked in the middle of his sip of wine. Watching his delay in answering, Angelica added:

"What do you think?"

Gabriel took a second to process the information, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Do you think I'm the right person for this? I'm sure you can find someone more qualified. Maybe someone from the beverage business?"

Now it was Raul's turn to speak.

"We have given it a lot of thought, son, and we think you are the ideal person."

Yes, they needed someone to help them and could hire other people, but it was also a way to get closer to their son and maybe one day be more involved in his life. He was so isolated in the big city and never visited as often as Raul would have liked.

"Gee, it is not a small request, but I can try then. I will talk to my directors and see the best person to help us."

Angelica jumped up and went to the other side of the table to hug him. She wasn't one to show him such affection, but sometimes she couldn't control herself.

"Gabriel, this is fantastic, thank you so much! We are thinking of organizing a series of events to publicize the new partnerships."

"And of course, to guarantee the publicity that our investors expect," Raul added and winked at his son.

"We can certainly look into this with our teams. However, we have to think one step at a time. First, we secure the contracts, then we think about publicity.

"He is so smart, Raul." Angelica complimented "I knew he would be the right one."

"It's all genetic, honey, all genetic," Raul joked to his wife.

Angelica petted Raul and the three of them continued to talk about lighter topics. Gabriel was satisfied with dinner, and he would like to help them in any way he could.

When he was half asleep on his way home, his phone rang, it was Tomas who had sent a message for them to go out on Saturday. The idea was to go to some restaurant to talk and exchange some ideas for the wedding. Alice and the bridesmaids would also be there. Gabriel immediately thought of Sofia, but before he could answer, Tomas sent another message: No, we didn't invite Arthur.

This was a relief. Gabriel had known Tomas' family since he was a little boy, and deal with them on the weekend was not his idea of fun. Even more so when he had to add the irritated Sofia to his equation. Well, he didn't have much choice but to accept. They would have to find a way to treat each other politely at least until the wedding, so as not to displease Alice and Tomás, and after that it would be easier to keep their distance from each other.