Sweet Vintage
Summary: Jumin Han excels at wine tasting and wonders if any other can tempt him the way that wine does. He is soon given an answer.
Rating: T
Genre: Romance
Word Count: 1,406
A/N- @illneverrecover @omgawkward @windy-scribbles For You, my furry friends~
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Jumin continued sipping his wine as he waited for you. He allowed his tongue to revel in its tang, sloshing it around in his mouth walls before swallowing. Licking his lips for another quick aftertaste, the man began to mentally analyze its taste and scent, jokingly testing himself to see if he knew what wine he was sipping without glancing at the bottle.
It was thick, to say the least. Bubbly at the swallow and rich in its gnashed fruit combination. He could taste blueberry, cherry, and a pinch of mint. Clearly not the best wine he’s tasted so far, but Jumin had been offered by the flight attendant. SHe claimed the alcohol to be special and old; over ten years.
Old wine was better than the new ones, this was a fact Jumin had learned and agreed on during his stay at the wine industry when he went abroad. He had been introduced to various categories of wine, and though he admitted he did not like drinking wine, Jumin was slightly fascinated at what could become of fermented grapes and a pinch of alcohol.
He closed his eyes, trying to rack his ingenious brain of what specific brand this old bottle contained of. Something in French, perhaps? One of the Romantic languages anyway…
He opened them suddenly, a ghost of a smile coating his lips: Château Pétrus 2006.
Jumin gazed at the rich crimson liquid, letting it swirl around his crystal cordial glass. He wondered, were humans as enjoyable as alcoholic beverages? He could not wait to test that theory.
Someone sat in front of him suddenly, a brisk aura about them, as if they had just returned from the cold weather outside of the warm plane. Jumin turned his soft gaze from his glass to the woman sitting across from him. Although he didn’t it show (after all, he never loses his cool sangfroid), Jumin felt his heart race.
He had met with beautiful corporate heiresses before, but none like the one in front of him. Her chestnut bangs evened out her hidden forehead, allowing her piercing eyes to show. Cheeks slapped with an airy blush, her rounded face soon curved into sharp jawlines that illuminated her poreless skin. Her silky strands were pinned up into a loose, yet professional bun, exposing her neck.
He let his silver eyes roam gently, and quickly, over what was below her chin. A small diamond necklace embroidering her collarbone, which was bony and prominent. Her suit was simple; a black ruffle dress shirt tightened with an obsidian belt and...well, that’s where the damn table let him decide for himself what sort of bottoms she was wearing. Dress pants, he presumed.
You smiled at him. “Good evening. I presume you are the infamous Jumin Han I have been scheduled to meet with.”
He redirected his eyes to meet your bright ones. “No doubt you presumed correctly. After all, if I remember right, I am ‘infamous’?” He lifted his glass to look over the rim at your face.
You allowed your lids to fall slightly into a comfortable expression, placing a satchel he had not noticed before to the side and leaned over the leather armrest of your seat. “Forgive me if it came out that way. You are well-known among those in the business world.”
A waiter passed by your table and settled an open menu in front of your seating. You glanced up with a polite ‘thank you’ before scanning your evening’s options. Jumin swallowed the rich wine, but was disinterested in the taste. Something, or rather someone, more captivating had caught his eye.
He settled his cordial glass down to the side, watching you with blazing charcoal irises. You had skimmed over the menu for no more than three seconds before shutting it lightly and placing it down neatly. You crossed your hands over the table, leaning in.
“Made your choice so quickly?”
“I am an impatient woman, Mr. Han,” You replied smoothly. “A few selections of the same meat roasted differently in an aircraft is nothing special to me. All I need is a bite of something sufficient enough to satisfy my hunger pains.”
He raised a clean eyebrow. “You starved yourself before a flight?”
“Mm, starving isn’t a word I would use to describe my condition.” You mused to yourself, looking down to recollect your thoughts. “I suppose you would call me ‘irresponsibly rash’.”
Jamin let out a small snort. You were too punctual for your own good, but there was the indication behind your humor showing that you were from what he referred to as a ‘commoner background’. The waiter returned and collected their menus. You looked up and smiled briefly before stating your orders for the night.
“I’ll have a Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame ‘98, please.” You glanced over at Jumin, enjoying his subtly wide eyes before continuing. “And a Montealegre Special.”
The waiter nodded with a slight bow of his head, before walking off, your order fresh in his mind. You turned back to your host for the night, pulling your sleeves together as you crossed them in wait once more. “Now, where were we? Ah, right. We were discussing my diet, weren’t we?”
Jumin seemed to snap out of his surprised trance, focusing his gaze on you. “You didn’t tell me you drink such expensive wine. Especially white wine.” He stated this rather bluntly.
You laughed, leaning back into the leather and relaxed your shoulders. “Mr. Han, we just met. How would you know anything about me unless I told you so?”
“I always love a good surprise,” Jumin lifted his glass for a physical feel. He was shaken and thankful to God that he met a woman like you. “And please, call me Jumin.”
You raised an elegant eyebrow. “Why? I thought this was a strictly professional business meeting between two corporate heirs?”
He smiled; you were too innocent for his own good. It pleased him. “Never mind that. Two human beings have no restrictions to friendly exchanges. I, for one, do not mind if you call me by my first name.”
You shifted in your seat when your wine was brought to you in a bottle and a fine cordial glass, one similar to Jumin’s. The waiter expertly poured the sparkling liquid into your glass, a light tinkling heard along with the honey-colored fluid being spilt. The waiter set down the bottle next to you and bowed his head before taking his leave.
Raising the wine to your lips, you closed your eyes as you took a light sip. Your eyelids tightened as the bitter tang of the honey-berry mix stung your throat. You swallowed unsteadily; of course, you reminded yourself, it’s been a while. Jumin’s eyes smiled when he saw your discomfort.
“Not to your liking?”
You licked your lips for an aftertaste; a mistake you would learn to regret later on throughout the night. Your right eye twitched as your let your buds get used to the taste of alcohol once more. It had been only two years since your last alcoholic meeting with wine, but still…
“No,” Your voice cleared slowly. “It’s just...been a while since I last drank.”
Jumin leaned forward slightly, dropping his tone. “Well, don’t push yourself. Drinking alcohol simply to impress is not a good way to start off a professional impression.”
You ducked your chin into your neck to show offense. Settling your glass down, you stared into the eyes of the businessman, as if scolding a child who cursed. “I beg your pardon?”
Sitting back amused, Jumin smiled in a challenging manner. “Did I offend you, madam?”
“I have a name.”
“One you have not yet introduced.”
You froze, then furrowed your brows at him. Did you ever tell him your name? You stared at him. He rose his eyebrows in wait, still smiling. Damn, that smile. It turned your insides into a racing heap of organs. This man was powerful; not only with monetary issues, but he seemed like a people person as well.
“My apologies.” You straightened your back and took your wineglass into your fingers once again. “I go by MC.”
“MC?”
“Just MC.”
He thought about this for no more than five seconds before sinking into a relaxed position. He, too, lifted his wineglass to meet yours in a delicate clink, before bringing the rim to his lips. “MC it is, then.”
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yay happy early bday present to me
