Tequila Sunrises over Georgia (a novella) by Yara Greathouse Read Free Book Online

wooden floors provide a great contrast. The open design
makes it airy and comfortable. There are two gray leather couches
forming an “L” and opposite those are a couple of comfy leather
chairs and ottomans, matching the couch color, all adorned with
white, burnt orange and patterned gray throw pillows.
    The back wall is made of glass doors and
windows from floor to ceiling, and they provide a view to the
beautifully landscaped backyard, complete with a huge pool and a
rocky cascade surrounded by tropical palm trees.
    Wow.
    To the left of the living area is the
kitchen, full of stainless steel appliances, more dark wood
cabinets and granite countertops. The breakfast bar is lined with
modern stools, charcoal in color. There’s a small eating area with
a round glass table and four dark leather chairs. The table is set
for two and has a medium size flower arrangement made of daisies
and sunflowers, and it gives the whole thing a nice “homey”
feeling.
    This is way different than I expected
Carter’s place to be… and it’s a huge difference to my small New
York apartment.
    I’m still trying to take it all in, when
Carter comes from behind and whispers in my ear, “Do you like? Mi
casa es su casa. Make yourself comfortable.”
    Dropping my pocketbook on one of the living
room chairs, I follow him to the kitchen.
    “Carter, this is beautiful. You would think
that all the gray tones would make the room cold and uninviting,
but it’s not. The open layout and ‘outside in’ view makes it so
inviting… You did really well. I love it!”
    “Thanks, I will give you a tour of the rest
of the house in a little bit, would you like something to
drink?”
    “Yes, I would. What do you have?”
    “I have a fully stocked bar and an under
counter wine cooler at your disposal. Or I can make you one of my
specialties from my bartending college days.”
    “Surprise me.”
    He winks at me and I take the opportunity to
really look at him. Worn out loose blue jeans with a couple of
barely there holes, and a tight olive green t-shirt that showcases
all his muscles and makes his eyes turn more green than yellow. Oh,
and no shoes. Dayum! I think I’ll have him for
dinner, to hell with the real food.
    I admire his muscles flexing and the fluid
way he moves about the kitchen. He brings a couple of tall glasses,
Gold Tequila and grenadine liquor from the small bar on the other
side of the kitchen and pulls out orange juice, an orange and a jar
of cherries from the fridge.
    “Tell me, Gia, have you ever had a Tequila
Sunrise?”
    “I can’t say I have.” I give him a warm
smile. He has mixed all the ingredients in a matter of seconds -
ice, tequila and orange juice first, shaken. Then he takes the
bottle of grenadine goodness and flips it upside down on top of the
glass. The liquor goes straight to the bottom and then rises up.
Pretty! Two drinks are quickly topped with a slice of orange and a
cherry floating on top, held together by a nice stirrer in the
shape of a heart.
    “Here you go.” Carter slides one drink in
front of me. “I hope you like it. I normally drink beer, but I
don’t want you to drink this alone.”
    He gets quiet for a second then raises his
glass.
    “A toast?”
    “Sure. What are we toasting to?”
    “To an evening full of surprises, and to ten
fun, unexpected weeks of getting to know one another. Cheers!”
    I clink my glass to his. “Cheers.”
    I take a sip and at first, it’s a bit sour
but then the sweetness comes through and it all balances in your
mouth. I take another, larger sip.
    “Mmm… Delish! Thank you! And here I thought
you just wanted to use tequila, because you know what they say
about it.”
    Carter laughs and the rich sound of his voice
added to his yummy looks send tingles all through my body.
    “What, tequila makes your clothes fall
off?”
    “Well, it’s not a proven fact, but I’m sure
tequila in combination with a handsome, sexy man, could accomplish
some of that.”
    His