Maggie found herself walking up to Xavier's door at exactly 7 o'clock. Whatever nerves she had built up over the afternoon had been both assuaged and amplified by Elene's excitement for her, which seemed itself to be one part delight for Maggie and one part delight at being the holder of new, tasty gossip. And who was Maggie to begrudge her such a treat?
She was coming up the steps when the door opened. Xavier smiled, a bit apologetically, and said "There are no surprises on a farm - the herding dogs tell me when anyone is coming. But regardless, I am delighted you decided to join me. Come in."
Maggie walked into the house, feeling some of her anxiousness give way to pleasure as she looked around the space. She was used to men's apartments feeling utilitarian to the point of lacking character, but the combination of the old house and the modernizations Xavier had clearly made after buying it created a beautiful melange of character. It was old and new, and clearly well loved: clean, but also with signs of life everywhere she looked.
Xavier called out to her "There are slippers in the hallway, and a bathroom as well. I will be in the kitchen!"
She peeled off her shoes and traded them for a pair of slippers, and wandered towards his voice.
Unsurprisingly, the kitchen was the star of the place. Full of pots and pans, with newer appliances chosen carefully so as to not mar the beauty of the original space. Windows overlooked the vineyard and orchard on two sides, and the sun still glimmered across the greenery as she settled into the space.
Xavier turned to her and smiled playfully: "Normally I would greet you the proper French way, but cooking requires delicate timing, and it has been a busy day! But here, come join me in a glass of wine if you would like?"
Maggie nodded and took the glass he held out, the dark red of the wine its own sort of luxury.
Xavier was still surprised at himself for inviting the American woman over for dinner, and more than a little suspicious that Elene had sent her his way intentionally in the first place. But while Elene loved to meddle, she did have good taste, and Maggie's particular mixture of determination and surrender into pleasure was his kryptonite. The work of rebuilding this farm was rewarding, but sometimes disconnected from the pleasure of seeing people enjoy the fruits of his labor. And Maggie offered a tantalizing window into that pleasure. So, here he was.
Maggie's first sip of the wine brought him back to the kitchen, thankfully a place where he felt truly at home.
"Wow, even your wine feels like it comes with a row of cherry trees, though not in a cloying way. It's really beautiful" she reflected.
"Merci. It's a tannat, a grape indigenous to this area. I've been experimenting with it, since the farm already had vines decades old of it. If you look out the windows you can see them, to the left of the orchard."
