The Imposter Bride by Sallie Woods

Chapter 275
Lexi fumbled for words, acutely embarrassed by her previous hysterical cry for help that echoed in the room. That was a real
face palm moment!
Meanwhile, Callum had been choosing wine in his cellar when he stumbled upon a long–cherished bottle of red wine. He
instantly thought of Lexi, believing the sweet, fruity wine would be to her liking. So he brought the bottle up to share
Callum uncorked the bottle with an elegant twist, letting its rich, sweet aroma fill the room.
“Sweetheart, this is a special wine from my private collection perfect for ladies. I thought I’d bring it up to share with you,” he
said, pouring the ruby liquid into a delicate wine glass, twirling it gently to aerate the wine befom handing it over to Lexi
Lexi shook her head T I don’t drink *
Truth be told, Lexi could hold her liquor given it was sweet enough. But she didn’t want to drink anything from Callum
Why? Because the last time she drank, she ended up under him
Seeing Lexis evasive gaze, Callum knew what she was thinking. He reassured her “Darling, this wine won’t get you drunk. And I
promise, there’s nothing poisonous in it.”
Hearing his words, Lexi felt a surge of defiance. She wasn’t going to let him think less of her. She grabbed the glass, threw her
head back, and downed the wine. To her surprise, the wine was indeed delicious–nch and sweet with a tantalizing fruitiness.
Very refreshing!
“Mmm, this is really good wine!” Lex couldn’t help but praise.
Callum nodded approvingly and refilled her glass 1 told you it’s good. But remember, fine wine is to be savored, not gulped
down”
He lifted his glass, guiding Lex’s eyes to his fingers. “Appreciating wine is a three–step process. Observing the color, smelling
the aroma and tasting it gently & insually appealing wine isn’t necessarily good, but a truly good wine always has a captivating
color”
Lex nodded She was vaguely aware of these things, but never really bothered to delve into them.

Callum continued to swirl his wine “Two–thirds of a wine’s value lies in its aroma. If the wine’s aroma hasn’t fully developed,
gently swirl the glass to let it interact with the ait releasing its richness”
“Yeah, yeah, Lexi raised her glass. “I know all that.”
Seeing her dismissive gesture, Callum chuckled and pointed to her fingers holding the glass. “When holding a wine glass, your
fingers shouldn’t touch the bowl it not only maintains the aesthetics but also prevents your hand’s warmth from affecting the wine
Only then did Lexi realize she was holding the glass by its bowl. She shrugged “So what? This is how I always hold a glass.
Whats the big deal?”
Callum saw through her nonchalance and laughed. “Appreciating wine is an elegant pastime, not downing shots. Sometimes,
seemingly insignificant details can reveal a
person’s class”
‘So you’re saying I lack class? Lex puffed up her cheeks in indignation. “I insist on holding my glass this way. Refill my glass!
Callum shook his head in amusement. Tve never heard of anyone demanding a refill of wine like that. You really are something
else!”
“So what? It’s just wine Even the most expensive bottle is made to be drunk. I’ll drink how I please. I can stand, sit, lie down wine
bottle on the table, refilled her glass to the brim, and downed it in one gulp.
whatever makes me happy!” Lexi grabbed the
Watching Lex’s childish antics, Callum found her amusing Indeed, no matter how expensive something was, it was meant for
enjoyment. Why would he fuss over the rules? Whether you preferred to chug or sip wine, as long as you were happy, that was
all that mattered!
“You’re right I’ve been too rigid Let s drin
A short while later Rita returned with a cart full of wine bottles Satisfied Callum dismissed her “Good. You may leave now
Once Rita left, Lexi and Callum were alone again
“This is boring Let’s play Rock Paper, Scissors Lexi suggested already a little tipsy She stood up, swaying slightly, and
demonstrated the game to Callum.

“Rock Paper, Scissors? Callum echoed puzzled
Lexi decided it was time to enlighten Callum about the ancient game of Rock, Paper, Scissors She stood up, swaying a little, and
gave him a demons
“Rock, scissors, paper
Lexi began to sing and make playful fist bumping motions “See this?” She explained, “We start with these moves, and then fish
with a round of rock paper scissors. i bet you know this one, right? Rock smashes scissors, the scissors cuts paper, and the
paper covers the rack. Whoever loses, sings a song!”
Callum watched her perform with a hearty laugh, his interest piqued I’ll give it a shot
“Good lad” Lex replied, giggling and slightly tipsy she felt k to that Callum, feeling jovial, disregarded his usual decorum, and
filled his glass to the brim, imitating Lexi.
“Cheers” Lex, her cheeks flushed, raised her glass to clink with Callums.
“Cheers” Callum found the whole situation amusing. They clinked glasses, drank, refilled, and clinked glasses again
Before they knew it, the bottle of wine Callum had brought was empty. Lexi, having forgotten about the storm outside, giggled
tipsily. This wine is so good, too bad there’s
only one bottle
“You want more? Callum rang the bell in the room, summoning Rita “May I help you?” She asked
“Go to my cellar and bring the vintage Lafite Callum commanded without even looking at her
Rita nodded. “Yes, sir How many bottles do you need?
Callum waved his hand. “The more, the better” a sense of joy in playing the role of a teacher