~~Gabe~~

"When did you first know you loved Mom?"

Mr. O'Connor eyed his son over his dirty martini with two olives. "What are you about Gabriel?"

Gabe shrugged as he watched the light from the table lamp reflect off the many facets of the crystal glass he held.

Complicated, he thought with an internal sigh. When did his feelings about life become so complicated? He looked at the ceiling as he took another drink, letting the whiskey coat his throat with a slow burn.

"Son," his dad started abruptly after a silence, "It's time you help the family." He held up a hand at his son's immediate expression. "It doesn't mean you quit your job in the city, but if you can spare some time here, your old man could use the extra help. Otherwise, the family is going to lose the business."

Gabe shifted his weight uncomfortably in the overstuffed armchair. He didn't want this conversation - not now. He knew his parent's winery was suffering. But what his parents didn't know is his company wanted him overseas - in their Tokyo office to be exact. And he was trying to work up the courage to tell them while home for Christmas.

What he wished he could say was Dad, I love you but I need to pursue my dreams - and that doesn't include saving yours. But instead, he murmured, "Of course, whatever you need, I can help."

Mr. O'Connor's expression switched to one of relief, and then he cleared his throat with a small smile. "So, is this about a girl? - Your question before? Because I can tell you there are women you want and then there are women that are good for you - what you need. Your mother..." he paused as he got up to fix another drink, "She was both. But mostly what I needed."

Gabe couldn't quite read the expression on his father's face. He got up to pour another whiskey and patted his dad on the shoulder - noticing how his posture stooped these days - before moving outside to the porch.

Soft paperweight snow fell as the lights from the house glowed warmly against the accumulating white powder on the banister.

Gabe took another slow drink and leaned against the railing, shivering while admiring the snowfall.

He felt like his life was not his own. A hamster wheel, he thought with consternation.

The words see you around suddenly echoed in his head, and in his mind's eye he saw two large blue eyes - bright and inquiring - and they asked him a question he wasn't ready to answer...

Why didn't you kiss me that night?

~*~

"Oh honey, it needs to be a bit higher!"

Gabe rolled his eyes as Elise turned on the ladder and let out a girlish gasp as the garland nearly fell from her hands. "Hold me please!" She wiggled her ass towards his hands which were firmly planted on either side of the ladder.

The front door chimed as the first patrons of the day arrived. Saved, for now, he thought with a wry smile. Elise was good looking back in the day but had become even better looking in the subsequent years. But he wasn't interested in revisiting high school flames. He wasn't interested in anything that reminded him of high school to be honest.

"Gabe! Long time no see!"

Turning around, Gabe saw Anna's sister Kara sidling up to the bar. And right behind her those inquisitive beautiful blue eyes.

~~Anna~~

"He's staring at you again!"

Anna plastered a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes as she hissed, "Kar if you don't stop I'm going to pinch you so hard!"

With a daring twinkle, Kara swallowed the last of her wine and raised her hand to summon Gabe. "Yoohoo! Gabriel! We need some more! If you know what I mean." She snickered and then let out a yelp as Anna pinched her side.

Both women straightened as Gabe made his way back over.

"Sorry for the delay. Uh," he paused as he scanned the bottles. "You're on the Merlot, I believe." Effortlessly pouring a hefty tasting he described the wine he was pouring, "Current on the front, a mild citrus note, with a smooth berry finish."

"So, Gabriel," Kara leaned in over the counter as she swirled her wine. "We know you don't live here anymore - What are you doing working here? Are you moving back home? Giving up the big city for this small quaint Christmas town again?"

Anna cringed. Her sister wasn't the smoothest when she had a couple of glasses of wine. She regretted letting Kara drag her to their now third winery of the day. And she wondered if her sister had known all along he would be here.

"Ah, well..." Gabe hesitated, "It's a long story, but I'm helping out my Dad with his business for the time being. He hasn't been so well as of late."

"Sorry to hear that," Anna said sympathetically. She wanted to ask more but didn't know how.

Gabe leaned against the counter as another staff member took care of the other patrons at the bar. "So, what are you girls up to this afternoon?"

Anna swallowed hard as she picked up a whiff of his cologne - spicy and woodsy. Her eyes trailed along his jaw and the day-old stubble there, and then down to his toned biceps evident underneath his slim-fitting long-sleeve navy tee.

"We're having a sister day. Your Dad's winery was part of this package." Kara paused as she fished in her handbag. "Here!"

Gabe took the brochure she offered with surprise. "Anna, I didn't know our families were in business together," he finally said after glancing at the literature.

Anna blushed and bit her lip at hearing Gabe saying her name - why did it sound so different when he said it? So alluring? She had had no idea their families were in business either before this. Smoothing her hair nervously she answered nonchalantly, " Well, doesn't surprise me given our history."

What the hell? She gulped with panic. What the hell did she just say? Oh Gawd, she's the one that has had too much wine!

"History? What do you mean?" Gabe asked with confusion.

Kara coughed and looked over the wine tasting menu. "Gabe, can we try the Bordeaux next? I'm dying to try the Bordeaux!"

"Uh, sure, we're out up here but let me grab some from the back."

Once Gabe disappeared Kara leaned in with concern. "Sis, are you ok?"

"I can't believe I said that, 'Our history?' I might as well have handed him my teenage journal with the hearts drawn around his name!" She facepalmed with dread.

Kara patted her sister's shoulder. "Just concentrate on the fact that he happens to be working here and you've now seen him twice within days of him being home. That has to be a sign!"

Anna shook her head. "Ten years since we've seen each other. If something was supposed to happen, it would have happened by now."

Anna was a firm believer in signs and 'meant to be'.

Kara whispered as Gabe re-appeared with a bottle of Bordeaux, "It's Christmas Sis, you never know what will happen!"

Gabe deftly opened the foil around the bottle, inserting the corkscrew, and then began to pour the wine as Anna watched a pair of manicured hands as they slipped into the crook of Gabe's arm. Horrified she watched perfectly painted red lips as they reached up to whisper into his ear.

Anna felt as if she could be sick. Elise freakin Goulding. Prom queen - a nauseously perfect specimen and Gabe's high school girlfriend.

Are they an item again? She thought helplessly. It certainly seemed like it. She watched as Gabe smirked and ran a hand along Elise's waist as he moved to attend to the couple seated down the way.

"Kara, let's go," she said abruptly as she grabbed her coat and downed the rest of her wine.

"But we haven't even tasted the dessert wine yet!" Kara protested and then fell silent as she saw the look on her sister's face. "Yeah, let's get out of here. Time for a real drink."

~*~

Tom's Cellar the sign read.

They had been coming here every week since they turned twenty-one. Technically earlier but their parents didn't know that.

"I don't know how Tom manages to keep this place so empty in the middle of the tourist season."

Kara laughed as she grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her down the stairs. "Basement level and no Christmas decor so the tourists stay away!"

Wilco blared over the speakers as Anna ducked her head under a low hanging beam. The dive bar was long and narrow - clean but cozy - complete with a jukebox in the corner.

Several patrons looked up as well as the bartenders as they entered.

A fair-haired young man with a handlebar mustache and suspenders paused behind the bar and bellowed out, "Henderson sisters in the house!"

"Oh Gawd, why is he always so awkward?" Anna said as they moved towards the bar.

Kara laughed. "Hey, you dated him not me, sis."

Anna rolled her eyes in response. "Once upon a time...ages ago. We were babies."

"Ladies!" Tom wiggled his eyebrows with appreciation. "Anna, Kara, it's been a while. How are you?"

Anna rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Tom we were here last week as you know."

Tom laughed and winked, "Well, in that case, drinks on the house to my favorite patrons! What can I get you two?"

"Old fashioned for me. " Anna turned to her sister but Kara was looking over the house cocktail menu with undivided attention.

Tom rapped his knuckles on the counter. "I'll get that old fashioned started...Kar, you want your usual?"

Kara blushed and put down the drink menu. "Sure, yeah that sounds good."

Anna raised an eyebrow as she pivoted in the chair towards her sister. "What's gotten into you?"

"What? Nothing. I'm just annoyed you two still flirt up a storm even though you broke up ages ago."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, we didn't even make it to college together like most high school couples. And we don't flirt for your information. It's called staying friends."

Tom arrived with their drinks. "For the prettiest girls to set foot in my bar. Let me know if you need anything else."

Anna nodded and took a sip of her drink. She could feel Kara stewing beside her and chose to ignore the tension. She scooted off her stool taking her drink with her. "I'm going to play a song, be right back."

Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby played out amongst the din of the bar and Anna heard surrounding groans at her song choice. But she caught a barely concealed smile on her sister's face and that was her goal.

As the song played she started shimmying and swaying while mouthing the words. Kara smirked and got up to join her in front of the jukebox.

"You're crazy you know that?" She laughed as they moved back to back and held pretend microphones.

"And you love me for it," Anna laughed as they finished their pantomime and moved to the bar again after the song was over.

After a moment Tom brought another round. "I'll never forget you two doing that song for our Senior talent show. Pure talent!"

They rolled their eyes. Of course, they knew the boys at school were enamored with their performance. All but one, Anna thought. Well, he didn't even show. And the whole reason she picked that song was to show him she was more than just the studious nerd who...

"Revisiting your Santa Baby performance are we?"

Anna turned to see humorous grey eyes.

"I'm not going to lie, it was one of the highlights of Senior year for me."

Kara elbowed her sister whose mouth was open wide in surprise. "Gabe! So nice to see you again...and Elise. Long time no see."

Elise pouted as she pulled on Gabe's arm. "Honey, I don't think their wine is going to be good here."

Gabe looked annoyed as he sat down and turned towards Anna and Kara. "What are you two drinking?"

"Margarita for me, I don't like to taste my alcohol." Kara paused and then rolled her eyes as Anna still wasn't talking. "My sister here will drink whiskey all day long, however."

Gabe's eyes flashed with surprise and interest as he stared at Anna. "Oh yeah? I'm a rye man myself."

"Bourbon," Anna blurted.

Gabe nodded and turned his attention to Tom as he approached to take his order.

Kara leaned towards her sister. "Are you ok? What's gotten into you?"

"Bathroom." That is all Anna could manage.

"Tom!" Kara shouted, and motioned towards their drinks. "Watch these, we'll be right back!"

"No need to shout woman, I'm right here!" Tom shook his head with a smile.

In the tiny bathroom, Kara narrowed her eyes and demanded an explanation. "Why are acting so strange?'

"Kar! He just implied he saw our performance senior year!" Anna paled and stared at herself in the mirror, smoothing her flyaways from her ponytail.

"So? What's the big deal?"

Anna's eyes widened as she turned to face her sister who had sat to pee. "You can't be serious!? You don't remember?"

Kara knit her brows as she got up and flushed the toilet with her boot. Then she burst out laughing. "Oh - my - god! I forgot!" She started laughing hysterically but tried to control herself at the look on her sister's face. "Ok sis, listen you had a nice ass - well you still do, so if anything you made everyone's day! You made his day - and he hasn't forgotten!" Kara couldn't help but chuckle.

Anna folded her arms, not amused at all. "That was the most mortifying moment of high school for me, but I'm glad it's brought you so much humor!"

She shut her eyes at the memory of her skirt unknowingly tucked into her tights in her back waist as they danced and sung Santa Baby on stage - her sheer tights letting her peers have quite the scandalous eye full. She finally realized what had happened as the catcalls and whistles became louder and impossible to ignore.

She had gone home that day and told her mom she wanted to move schools - that she hated this awful small town and wanted to move to Aunt Shirley's in Seattle.

But her mom had remained silent as she scrubbed their kitchen sink in her yellow rubber gloves.

That was the night her parents had told them they were getting a divorce.

~~~*~~~

Author Note: Bear with me as this is my first serial posted story and I'm essentially posting a first draft! I'm planning on posting once a week but this week will have a few chapters posted! Thank you for reading :)

Question: Do you have a favorite bar, coffee shop, or any other place that you're a local at? Where everyone knows you? Share in the comments!