Winetasters

The note was cryptic, which was unusual for Addison. It was scribbled on a piece of wax paper, left on the counter in Rob’s kitchen. He had almost tossed it out, actually, before reading it. It was written in yellow marker:

sea dock’s end
shade park
tomorrow
sundown
only you
hide
don’t miss – ad

Rob had tried calling him to ask what was going on, to no avail. Addison had missed the Grove’s weekly meeting; Rob couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. If he hadn’t had the note, he would have been worried.

However, having the note, he found himself sitting on a large boulder in the area of Shade Park that Addison had specified. He had been sitting there for at least a half an hour, on the hope that Addison would show up a little bit early. To be sure, Sea Dock’s End was an infamous locale. You wouldn’t find a playground or tennis courts nearby, and the joggers always avoided it. Daylight was one thing, but folks had been killed there after dark, and Rob didn’t want to know what else went on in the shadows. If he hadn’t been worried about Addison, he wouldn’t have been there.

He missed his comfortable and safe paisley couch as his hind end silently ached on the knobby rock. He was sitting low behind a dense thicket so as to avoid being observed by whatever crossed the main path. However, he could clearly view the main path through a small clearing. His senses quickened nigh paranoia as the sun dipped below the tree line, and the darkness slowly slithered over all in sight. Somewhere nearby, a bird let loose an unearthly warble, and a twig snapped a half second later. Addison!

“Ad!” Rob flew to his feet, arms flagging as if he were lost at sea.

Addison caught sight of him, and looked suspiciously over his shoulders. “Be quiet! Shhhh…!”

Rob’s relief instantly dissolved to worry. Addison looked like someone was following him. He was wearing a dark jacket, zipped up near his neck. He seemed to be cradling something inside the jacket to his chest.

“So what’s this all about?” Rob whispered, resuming his hideaway as Addison joined him. “And why weren’t you at Grove’s?”

Addison looked as if he were carrying a lopsided burden. He strangely resembled a gangster or a politician, Rob thought. “I was preoccupied. And this is about my little surprise here….”

”Addison, you fool, we’re at Sea Dock’s End after sundown. You’d better have diamond mines in that jacket….”

“Rob, do you remember this?” Addison pulled a scrap of paper out of a pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Rob. It was a faded magazine clipping. Rob glanced it over.

Longvine: Fact or Fiction?

Many experienced wine tasters have heard legends of the Longvine Chateau. While no known living wine taster has ever seen it, its legendary vineyard has been mentioned in documents from the 19th century and earlier. It is said to have pressed and aged wines as the final earthly taste for dying French kings since the time of Charlemagne.

“Charlemagne’s Champagne? The stuff’s a myth, Addison. You’re nuts.”

“I found a bottle.” Addison was as serious as a loon.

”C’mon Ad, what’s this all about?”

“Look.” Addison zipped open his jacket, and removed a small bottle from his jacket. It was covered in tan paper. It resembled…

“That’s Worcestershire Sauce, you idiot! I’m at Sea Dock’s End because of Worcestershire Sauce?”

“Shhh…look….” Addison turned the bottle upside down. The paper had been removed, and the initials “VL” were carved into the glass in some ancient script. Rob remained skeptical, but Addison wasn’t one for practical jokes.

“I found it at Old Man Louis’ house. I’m taking care of his cats while he’s sick. I took a look at his liquor cabinet a couple of nights ago, and I found a bottle of Worcestershire sauce in one of the wine cabinets. I thought that was strange, so I picked it up, and found this inscription on the bottom.”

”You stole from Old Man Louis!?”

”What difference does it make? This is the stuff…Longvine! Check this out….” Addison slid off the remaining paper, which revealed a silver bottle. Addison read the engraved label:

VigneLongue

La chair de fleur
Chanson royale

Riviére secréte
Nuit secréte
Le rite de royaume
Baiser qui terminant

“Rob, this is it. We’ll only take a sip each. Charlie’s already opened it for himself. He did a fine job of resealing it, but we can make it look just the same. Besides, what more right does the old man have to the stuff than us? He’s no king. A Grover should never withhold a find this sweet from the others. It just isn’t right.”

Addison was right…they could re-seal it so that Old Man Louis would never know the difference. Besides, who could resist a taste so ancient, so wrought with heavenly wonder? Still, it was thievery, and no Grover would steal from another, either.

Whilst Rob debated the matter in his head, Addison was busy opening the bottle. Rob didn’t feel so tempted as he did imprisoned by the thought of tasting a legend.

But there comes a time when a good thing seems scornful, and a man takes a seat at a strange table. They decided they would sip it straight from the bottle. The anticipation was Christmas Eve in a moment…was he ready to savor this? Did he have the skill to draw out all the flavors? Could he do this borrowed taste justice? Let it linger, man, let it linger.

Addison took his sip, closing his eyes as if he were engaged in the most solemn and pious prayer. He did not ruin it for Rob. He made no vocal hint of his appreciation or lack thereof. Rob imagined he was so enveloped by the voluptuous sweetness of the flavor that the world was drowned out. But before Rob could taste, Addison opened his eyes and spoke…

”Tap water.”

“What?”

”That’s not wine. It’s tap water.” Addison did not curse, nor did he raise his voice. It was as though he had spent those moments of savoring calming his soul from the disappointment.

Rob sipped it. Yes, he had tasted better tap water, too.

“Rob, my good friend, I think we’re a couple of fools.”

They hadn’t wasted any time leaving Sea Dock’s End that night. Tap water is a quick antidote to vine-lust. They quickly realized they were in a location where men had been murdered, and often. Only two fools would linger there.

A few days later, sitting on Rob’s couch, Addison told Rob that he had mentioned seeing the bottle to Old Man Louis. “I just told him the truth, that I was looking through his wine cabinet and noticed the bottle.” Of course, the truth stopped there, but truth can be the stuff of blackheads and callused feet sometimes, right?

“He told me the bottle was a family heirloom. Apparently it’s disappeared a few times over the years, but it always winds up right back where he stores it.” Addison sighed. “Rob, we were so close.”

Rob shrugged. “You know, there is other wine to be tasted. No need to dwell here.” They got up and left the house. As they walked down the street towards nowhere in particular, they both wondered silently to themselves if Old Man Louis knew what they had done. Oh well. It was an easy thing to shrug off.