Cabernet Confessional

Prologue

The Healdsburg Tribune

Lightning Strike Kills One, Injures Three

ALEXANDER VALLEY, CA—Sept. 13, 2019—Yesterday afternoon, a seasonally rare thunderstorm produced a freak lightning bolt that struck a group of vineyard workers at Branson Family Vineyards, killing one and injuring three.

Raul Jimenez, a longtime employee, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three others were seriously injured, among them Jameson Sonny Branson, the son of Sonoma Valley wine icon and Branson Family Vineyards founder Lowell Branson. The three survivors were transported to Healdsburg District Hospital. There was no further information on their condition.

Chapter One

Palm Beach, Florida

As the red rim of the sun peeked out over the Atlantic horizon, filling the eastern sky with ever more brilliant hues of gold, yellow, and white, Justin James lifted his long-empty champagne flute and silently toasted to the first light of the first day of the new year.

While the crescent-shaped morning star quickly morphed into a dazzling orange orb and ascended into the clear January sky, he smiled as nature’s daily display paraded from the balcony of his luxurious oceanfront room at the Breakers® Palm Beach.

Sure, the sun rose each day with grace, promise, and wonder—breathtaking and beautiful, just like this—but this was no routine sunrise. Today was different. Today was the first day of what was going to be the best year of his life. He was absolutely sure of it.

While the sun climbed swiftly higher, a flock of chattering seagulls appeared on the shoreline and played loudly in the surf. He set his glass down and flashed back over the year gone by. It had begun for him just like all of the others in his recent past—alone and miserable—but it had ended in an almost unbelievable and improbable way—with a bang. With a big bang.

He took another deep, satisfying breath of the refreshing ocean air and turned to face the main reason for his profound joy. She was asleep in the king-size bed and as usual, had hogged the entire blanket and stolen all of his pillows. She appeared to be holding them as tightly as he had held her a few hours earlier, while they’d put an enthusiastic and very physical exclamation point on the end of a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration.

Dropping his cushy velour robe, Justin slid quietly in next to her, gently brushed the tight, curly ringlets of her long, dark hair away from her lovely face and marveled at the stunning Mediterranean beauty lying beside him. Even after six months together, he still had the same feelings of inner shock and awe every time he thought about his unbelievable good fortune. Tenderly nuzzling her olive cheek, he whispered softly into her ear.

You make me feel like I’m the luckiest man on earth. Happy New Year, my love. With that, Destiny Verrano opened her dark, almost violet eyes and flashed him a radiant smile. Then, she suddenly pushed the thick comforter away from her suntanned, goddess-like body.

"Well, Justin…you are the luckiest man on earth, she said emphatically. Cupping one of her prodigious breasts in each hand and then, slowly, provocatively tracing parallel lines along her toned torso, she continued, this, my dear, is all yours. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Quickly springing into action, she roughly pulled the startled Justin down on top of her, positioning his smiling face exactly where she wanted it.

Mmm…breakfast of champions…what a delicious way to start the new year!

Chapter Two

Cosmo Koulouris liked to get an early start, even on a New Year’s Day. As the head of Cosmo Brands, a smallish but remarkably successful North American wine distributor, no matter where he was or what his schedule entailed, he made a habit of rising early and engaging in some sort of physical activity to get his blood pumping.

He didn’t have a set routine, but whatever his mood dictated—be it stretching and light cardio, a quick 3K run, or open-air tai chi in a park or on a beach—he threw himself into his daily regimen heart and soul. And this morning’s exercise of choice was his absolute favorite, taking him back, as it always did, to the sunny days of his carefree youth, sailing, diving, and swimming in the crystal clear, azure waters of Santorini, his Greek island home.

Not too bad for a guy pushing retirement age, he thought, as he completed the last of his laps in the Breakers’ Olympic-length swimming pool and pulled himself onto the deck.

After toweling dry his full head of salt and pepper hair and his bushy, mutton chop moustache, he wrapped himself in a plush Breakers’ spa robe and sat down poolside to sip on a crystal-encrusted bottle of Bling H2O, the ridiculously expensive designer bottled water he’d fished out of the mini-bar before coming downstairs.

He took a long swallow and found the overpriced water to be quite delicious and refreshing, much like the final bottle of champagne he and his friends had enjoyed at the climax of last night’s festivities, the exceptional 1998 Krug Clos du Mesnil. He’d never tasted a finer Blanc de Blancs. Cosmo had been saving the last of his magnums of the legendary libation for an extra special occasion, and he hoped he had made the right choice.

It had been a wonderful New Year’s Eve, surrounded by his good friends and their significant others—friends who also happened to be his top, most highly valued employees—Barry Love and Destiny Veranno—as well as his longtime companion Svetlana Ivankov. He had invited all of them here to The Breakers to celebrate Cosmo Brands’ most successful, record-breaking year in its over three-decade history.

And, of course, his son Klitos had been present, but he wasn’t really there, was he? As usual, he’d been socially and mentally missing-in-action, spending the entire evening sipping water while completely glued to whatever was happening on his iPad…something with video game programming, which Cosmo didn’t understand at all. At this point, it went everywhere he did and seemed to be surgically attached to his body.

He’s a good kid…Cosmo told himself again…for the most part. A good kid, but a disappointment to a father who desperately wanted his son to take at least a passing interest in the business he had built from scratch.

Now twenty-four, Klitos had spent the last few years thwarting every attempt by his dad to involve him in the family business, or anything else. He had his own passions, desires, and dreams, none of which had anything to do with wine, the distribution and drinking of, or otherwise.

When he’d very recently announced his plan to leave the nest and move to San Francisco, where he intended to start a career with one of the major video game developers, Cosmo, with a heavy heart, had finally acknowledged the inevitable.

His parents hadn’t stood in his way when he’d left Santorini, and neither would he hinder the ambitions of his own son, who had also provocatively announced his decision to legally change his first name to Kevin. Cosmo really didn’t get that, but his only child had always seemed a bit off, so what was one more defiant act of oppositional behavior added to the list?

Truth be told, upon reflection, he had actually breathed a genuine sigh of relief. Now that he was released from the burden of his familial obligation, he would have the opportunity to follow his heart, go with his gut and choose the right person to be his successor.

Cosmo found himself smiling as he took another sip of the designer water and tightly screwed the cap back onto the crystal-studded bottle. It just so happened he already had a new candidate in mind to take the reins from him at the appropriate time, after he’d satisfactorily passed on all of his knowledge and experience, of course.

This new candidate was someone whose passion for wine was second to none and whose sensitive palate was even more refined and developed than his own. He had only recently become acquainted with him during a trip to France this past summer, but he’d already felt a deep respect and a growing kinship for the younger man.

And there he was!

Chapter Three

Justin gave Destiny a quick peck on the cheek as they split up under the towering arches of the stately hotel’s soaring Renaissance revival lobby and went their separate ways.

She was off to further tone and train her phenomenal physique in the Breakers’ fully equipped spa gym, and he was going to spend some quiet time alone to contemplate his future, something he used to do all too frequently, and not by choice.

It had been nearly a year since he had met the divine Destiny while attending his very first wine tasting, and since then, his life had been turned completely upside down and inside out. But in a good way, in the best possible way.

He hadn’t realized it at the time, but he’d fallen in love twice that night. First, with the magical allure of the wonderful world of wine, and then of course, with the gorgeous, wild-haired wine rep pouring at one of the tasting tables. It had taken him a few months to come to see that truth and only a little longer to learn how deeply involved he would become with both new objects of his affection.

But when he’d come to that realization, there had been no turning back. From that instant, the trajectory of his life had changed so radically and with such force, that just thinking about it still made him a little woozy. He’d been on a fantastic voyage of self-discovery and personal growth that had seen him morph from a celibate, sad-sack sci-fi fan that spent 99.9 % of his spare time alone, into a globe-trotting wine aficionado with a knockout girlfriend, a group of wine-crazy friends—his Juice Brothers—and a new appreciation for, and knowledge of, the many gifts life had bestowed upon him.

Most importantly, he’d ascertained the identities of his long-deceased parents, two northern California residents whom fate had taken from him while he was still in diapers and whom he had never known. His mother, Alicia, had been a PhD in applied mathematics and professor at Stanford. For his entire life, Justin realized, he had been his mother’s son: a logical, left-brained math whiz who thrived on data analysis and problem solving, first at school and then at his long-time job at FedEx.

But the even greater, more life-affirming disclosure had been about his father, his occupation, and his numerous achievements. Jason James had been the youngest person ever, at the time, to earn certification as a Master of Wine from the Court of Sommeliers and to also win the prestigious annual Golden Palate blind-tasting competition that was held among the top, most highly regarded sommeliers in San Francisco and the northern California wine country.

These were sensational, extraordinary revelations, because Justin also possessed, according to all of his new friends and acquaintances, a golden palate of his own. Suddenly, he’d gained a new sense of self, family, and his future. And he’d found his true raison d’être—his reason for being—and for being exactly who he was.

For the first time, he was grounded and whole, like he belonged to something greater than himself, a lineage, a tradition, but he wasn’t exactly sure what it all meant. He was sure of one thing; he was immensely happy and fully enjoying the new direction his life was taking.

And with the surprising developments of last night, things were rapidly moving farther into uncharted waters. In between dinner, dancing with Destiny, and drinking countless glasses of celebratory New Year’s Eve champagne, he had received an offer, completely unsolicited and unforeseen, the magnitude of which he still couldn’t grasp.

Would he accept…could he accept? It was a risky, life-altering proposition, one the Justin-of-old would certainly have dismissed without a second thought. But he wasn’t that person anymore. His universe was no longer limited to the four walls of his cubicle at work. Hadn’t life and fate taught him an invaluable lesson in the last twelve months: to simply follow his heart and learn to say…yes?

A boisterous group of youngish kids, heavily laden with all sorts of beach activity paraphernalia screeched by and out through the double doors to the main pool deck, jostling him out of his thoughts of future and past.

Moving out into the sunshine, he momentarily shielded his eyes from the glare reflecting off the Breakers’ immense, main swimming pool. After his vision adjusted, he was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar, mustachioed face across the deck, enthusiastically beckoning to him to come on over, join me.

What could he say? Yes, perhaps?

So, how are you feeling this morning, young man? Tell me, have you given my offer any thought?

Yesterday evening, while the others were up dancing or otherwise occupied by New Year’s Eve partying, Cosmo had taken Justin aside and presented him with an opportunity to take his life in a totally new and vibrant direction.

After popping open the 1998 Krug magnum and pouring them each a glass of bubbly deliciousness, Cosmo had popped a question and made a proposal from so far out of left field Justin could never have seen it coming in a million years: How would you like to come work for me at Cosmo Brands?

While the band filled the room with a festive song and the partygoers reveled in a confetti-covered conga line, Justin momentarily found himself wrapped in a shroud of stunned silence as his usually nimble brain tried to comprehend and process the question his friend of six months had just posed.

Excuse me? was the only response he could muster. Sorry, Cosmo, what did you say?

I believe I just asked you to come and work for me, Justin. He’d let the statement hang in the air a moment. And please don’t worry, you don’t have to give me an answer tonight. Just think about the possibilities, the older man said, wrapping his arm around Justin’s shoulder and guiding him back toward the dance floor. It could be a very exciting new year!

They hadn’t spoken about it any further last night, but in between slumber and their very physical activities of earlier in the morning, he and Destiny had discussed it at length. Cosmo had taken her into his confidence to inquire about Justin’s potential interest, so she knew what was coming. And naturally, she was totally in favor of the proposition.

As Justin sat down poolside, a server appeared, and while Cosmo ordered coffee and a basket of croissants for the two of them, he thought of how best to reply.

I don’t know much about your job or your salary at FedEx, Cosmo continued after the server had gone on his way, "and you do have a lot to learn, but to start, I would be willing to match whatever you’re currently earning."

Really? Justin replied, in total surprise at the man’s largesse. "I mean…ahh…I’m very grateful Cosmo, and please don’t take this the wrong way…but I’m not sure I understand why you’re making me this incredible offer."

Of course, you don’t understand, my friend. Cosmo chuckled, almost to himself. I’m not sure I completely understand it, either. But I can tell you this. Ever since we met in France last summer and I’ve gotten to know you a bit better, I’ve been overwhelmed by your almost supernatural palate and your ability to identify and bring to light specific flavors, nuances, and attributes in a wine so fleeting or subtle, they might even escape the attention of a seasoned pro like me. It’s quite impressive…and highly unusual.

Justin found himself grinning broadly and thinking…thanks, dad!

With your talents, you would be such an asset to Cosmo Brands—our secret weapon in finding new and unknown wines to bring to market! In addition, you have a natural, almost contagious, enthusiasm for all things related to the wine lifestyle and culture. It would be my great pleasure to help you develop your knowledge and professional experience and see where it takes you. But most importantly, you have shown yourself to be a man of character and conscience, which, in my opinion, are the two most essential elements for success in business and in life.

Cosmo stopped for a moment when the server reappeared with their order, and while the coffee was poured and the pastries laid out, Justin took a deep breath, gazing out through the waning morning mist at the brightening Atlantic. His world would turn on this moment.

And having the respect and love of one of my favorite people doesn’t hurt, either. Cosmo continued, laughing once again and raising his coffee mug in salute. Destiny…of course! So, he said in between bites of a flaky, delicious-looking croissant, any questions for me?

In the distance, the seagulls were still playing loudly in the breaking surf. A few of them hovered closely around one of the children running out to the beach. He admired the bold birds’ fearlessness in taking whatever the girl was offering directly from her outstretched hands. They didn’t seem to have any qualms or questions about an opportunity that had presented itself.

Justin took a bite of his own delectable pastry, and with his mouth still half full, hungrily replied, Just one question, Cosmo…when do I start?

Chapter Four

Orlando

Justin walked into Clancy’s Irish Pub, just a few miles from the FedEx office at the Orlando International Airport and found happy hour in full swing. He was there to meet a group of his now ex-coworkers intent on throwing him a small going away party at the conclusion of his last day on the job.

Surveying the boisterous crowd of his former comrades, still in their FedEx blues and seated at two large tables, he was flattered and more than a little surprised at the turnout. Even though he’d worked in the same office for eight years and had a good working relationship with just about everyone, he’d never really been close to anyone there.

Earlier in the day, while cleaning out his desk, clearing off his cubicle’s shelves and boxing up his old sci-fi action figures, knick-knacks, and other mementos, it occurred to him that he wasn’t going to miss the job or the people. Not for a minute.