“Of course, I couldn’t do anything that I do without my Hayden.” He turned and motioned for a young woman in a light pink knit suit-very Chanel, very springy. Nikki wanted it. She was surprised at the woman’s appearance. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but Hayden Sansi was Alan’s daughter. Again, the family appearance didn’t fit the original image she’d had in her mind. What had she expected? A group in Birkenstocks and white robes, maybe some dreadlocks? A little Bob Marley playing in the background? Patchouli flowing through their auras or chakras, or whatever they were called? Not this, though. This was a total surprise. Here was Alan Sansi, polo shirted out, and his daughter, looking as if she’d just walked out of a store on Rodeo Drive with her light brown hair stylishly cut into a layered bob, and her makeup looking as if it had been applied by a professional.
“Nice to meet you.” Hayden shook Nikki’s hand.
Strong, confident handshake.
“I appreciate you having my father and the S.E.E. members here at Malveaux.”
“Certainly.”
“While you two work out the schedule and arrangements, we’ll take Alan and everyone for a tour of the grounds and over to meet with Derek,” Simon said.
“Can I get some wine first?” A striking young woman with long brown hair and dark brown eyes approached the counter.
“Sierra,” Alan said with a hint of warning in his voice.
“What, Daddy?”
Daddy? The other daughter-Sierra Sansi. Nikki knew there was a son as well, but she didn’t spot him. There was only one other woman with the crew, and Nikki was banking that it was Mrs. Sansi.
“I think it will be time for a glass of wine when we have our meals. Timing is everything.” Alan looked at his daughter and smiled.
“I thought it was everything happens at the perfect time,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “And now is the perfect time for me to have a glass of wine. We are in Napa Valley, for God’s sake. If I want a glass of wine, why should you care? I’m perfect. You’re perfect. We’re all perfect, remember?”
Whoa, ho, ho. What was this? A little family dysfunction going on with the guru and his grown kid? Might be interesting.
The pretty, middle-aged woman who looked like her daughters-but a bit rounder and with shorter hair-placed a hand on Sierra’s shoulder. “Of course you’re perfect, as your dad says, but it will be a long day and you’ll need to be available to the attendees. And isn’t it true, Ms. Sands…” the woman began as she reached her hand out elegantly. “Sorry, I’m Mrs. Sansi. Call me Lulu.” Nikki nodded and Mrs. Sansi continued, “We do have a lovely train ride trip planned for this evening, isn’t that right? The dinner train, I believe.” Lulu Sansi had a style all her own, with a page boy haircut and a poet blouse that flowed over a long flowered skirt that almost reached the ground, where pretty white sandals with a faux yellow daisy in between each big toe adorned her feet. She wore a half dozen gold and silver bangles on her wrist.
“We do. The Napa Valley Wine Train. I’m sure we’ll see a beautiful sunset and I promise there will be plenty of wine and fantastic food.”
Sierra frowned but reluctantly agreed to hold off on drinking any wine. “Okay then.”
“Thank you,” Alan said. “I think we’ll take that tour with Simon and Marco now. If you and Hayden want to go over the rest of the details together, that would be perfect. I know that my publisher, Rich Higgins, should be arriving shortly, along with my son, Eli.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “What? You didn’t tell me that Hayden’s fiancé and Eli were coming. That’s great. Perfect. I can deal with Eli, but Hayden with Rich? God! She’ll be pouring on her holier-than-thou act. Give me a break. Why didn’t you bring the entire family with us, Dad? Yo could have asked Aunt Fran, Uncle Joe, every cousin…”
Simon immediately wrapped his arm through Lulu’s, obviously sensing the tension. “Shall we?”
Marco strolled up next to Sierra and almost forcefully wrapped his arm through hers. She squirmed, but then received a stern look from her mother and sighed, allowing Marco to lead the way. “Come now, Bellissima, there is so much to see here at the winery. Let me escort you,” Marco cooed.
That was Marco-full of charm.
Alan got in behind the group, his hands clasped behind him, chin slightly down, as in either deep concentration, or else distress.
Hayden turned to Nikki. “Oh yes, this will all be perfect. You have no idea just how perfect this will all be.”
Nikki didn’t have a clue how to respond. She wasn’t even sure what the woman meant, but she figured that Alan Sansi’s definition of perfect was probably radically different from her own. From what she’d seen and heard so far, this entire event was going to be less than perfect.
Butter-Sautéed Chicken Breasts in a Creamy Walnut Cilantro Sauce with Nickel and Nickel Chardonnay
What a buzz kill that Rose Pearlman is! Poor Nikki. She handled her in stride, though. It’s just too bad she didn’t get a bit more time to smooch with her guy before being interrupted by the rude woman. One way to handle rudeness, though-food and wine. Seemed to work like a charm with Mrs. Pearlman. Nice job, Nikki!
This is a rich and delicious recipe. It’ll please even the most uptight, silly, sour person you know. Pair it with the Nickel and Nickel Chardonnay, which is produced at True Chard Vineyards. It’s a Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay that is similar to a French white Burgundy. It’s not over-oaked, and is lean and clean with good acids.
1 cup shelled walnuts, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp hot paprika
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
3 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 packed cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
½ cup half-and-half
4 chicken breasts (pound flat)
1 cup flour on a plate
2-3 tbsp clarified butter (see pork loin recipe for clarifying
butter)
In a food processor, grind walnuts with salt and paprika. After walnuts exude their oil and the mixture is pasty, scrape into a small bowl. Crush garlic with a pinch of salt. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and cilantro and cook, stirring, until oil just begins to sizzle (maybe 2-3 minutes). Add to the walnuts along with the lemon juice and half-and-half.
Heat frying pan to high with butter. Salt and pepper chicken breasts, dredge in flour, shake off excess, and when the pan is very hot but not burning, place the chicken in and sauté for 1 minute on one side, turn, and sauté on the other side for a minute-the meat is done when just springy to the touch.
Remove chicken to hot plates and pour sauce over chicken. Grilled asparagus and roasted red potatoes make a nice accompaniment.
Three
IT was getting late in the day and Nikki needed to get home and change for dinner on the wine train. Plus, she wanted to see Derek again before he left for New York.
There were still a few guests who hadn’t checked in, including Alan’s son, Eli. The publisher, Rich Higgins, who was evidently engaged to Hayden, had checked in late.
“Sorry to get in so late. It was one of those situations where I got caught up at the offices and it took me some extra time to get out here with the traffic and all. I’m sure Hayden is wondering where I’ve been. I’ve tried reaching her, but either her cell is off or she’s busy.” Rich Higgins opened his leather briefcase and set one of Alan’s books on the front desk. “His latest. I’m looking forward to showing it to him.”
Hayden’s fiancé and also Alan’s publisher was a nice-looking man, probably somewhere in his thirties, with blondish hair, hazel eyes, and a decent build suggesting he worked out. He wore a coat and tie, which threw Nikki off, yet again. The group that had appeared throughout the day didn’t strike her as New Age, feel-good types. Maybe she’d had this Alan Sansi guy wrong all this time? Maybe she’d been worrying for nothing?