Skaydal - Twin's Witch

9

Veronica

“How’d your date go?” Felicia questioned curiously as she watched me fill up the sugar pots.

“Surprisingly well,” I admitted as I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Conrad is definitely the bad boy, isn’t he?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call him a bad boy…Conrad is the more outspoken one, but he is also like…the strong, silent type. But he does have that mischievous sparkle in his eye, and he enjoys messing with everyone about which twin is which. Callum is more…reserved. Well put together. He is also the more reliant one. He can be quite chatty but…you know they are oddly similar in a lot of ways, but Callum is the more adventurous one,”

“He is?” I was surprised to hear that as I filled up the last sugar pot and turned to face her.

“Have you been to the vineyard yet?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Well, that was all Conrad’s idea. He wanted to make his own beer and then he came up with the idea that Cal could make wine. Their parents will be the first to tell you that Conrad came up with that idea just to get his brother to come home,” she explained, and I frowned.

“Home?”

“You see Cal had…well, he wanted to see the world. He wanted Conrad to go with him, but…Conrad is the more responsible one. He wanted to stay home. Look after his family. So, Cal went alone. He came home regularly and all that, but he was gone for almost five years,” my eyes went wide in surprise. “When he came home for a visit, Conrad sprung this idea for the vineyard and…well, Cal could very rarely say no to his brother,”

“Interesting, and…who do you think is the more romantic one?” I couldn’t help but ask. While I hadn’t had my date with Callum yet, I had to admit that Conrad had swept me off my feet.

“I’d have to say, Conrad. He likes to pretend that he is picky and all that, but everyone knows he has been waiting for his mate. Callum…well, he has had his fair share of hookups, but neither of them has committed to dating anyone for a long period of time,” I nodded at that, and I wondered how much I should tell her. Neither twin had said that we should keep things a secret, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be accepted. I wasn’t even sure why. The members - the community of Skaydal - were rather close and friendly. “But to have both brothers interested in the same person, that is a surprise,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed as she finished wiping the last of the cups. “Treat them well, Ronnie. Those boys are the heart of Skaydal,” I nodded as I hurriedly picked up the sugar tin and carried it to the back. I had invited Callum over for dinner and I was more than a little nervous. I wasn’t even sure why. I hadn’t been nervous with Conrad. Maybe a part of me had realized that Callum was more sensitive. Now I wasn’t so sure. Either way, this day couldn’t be over fast enough.

*

I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror and deemed myself ready. Conrad had been a few minutes late last night and he had shown up empty-handed. Either Callum would be on time with a gift of some sort, or he would be the same as Conrad. I smoothed down my white dress and smiled. I was looking forward to getting to know Callum, but I was still nervous. A knock at the door made me frown. Surely that wasn’t him, right? I checked the time on the way to answer the door and if it was Callum, then he was early. I pulled open the door and I couldn’t help but smile. Felicia had said that Conrad was the more responsible one, I wasn’t so sure.

“You are early,” I remarked as I stared at the large bouquet of pink roses.

“Sorry,” Callum said as he lowered the bouquet. “I was far too eager to see you,” he then admitted, and I blushed as I stepped aside to let him in. “These are for you,” he said as he handed me the bouquet and I greedily accepted as I breathed in the scent of fresh flowers.

“Thank you, Cal, they are lovely,” I said as I headed into the kitchen. I took out the vase and carefully put the roses in it. They truly were lovely.

“And this is for us,” he said, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him offering a bottle of wine.

“Oh really,” I remarked as I took the bottle from him. It was a bottle of sweet red wine and, for some reason, the gesture was too sweet. “Thank you,”

“Of course,” he said as he looked around. I left him to it as I set the bottle down on the counter and took out two wine glasses. I was suddenly grateful that my mother had insisted I get wine glasses. I wasn’t a very big drinker, but I enjoyed the occasional glass now and again. “You look very beautiful,” Cal complimented, and I smiled. He seemed rather stiff and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t help but compare him to his brother. I shouldn’t, but I was doing it. “And you have a lovely little place here,”

“Thank you, Cal,” I said as I carefully popped open the bottle. Callum hurried forward and I handed over the bottle. He poured a small sample into one glass before he handed it to me. I had no idea what the point was, so I stared at him curiously.

“Like this,” he said as he quickly poured some into the second glass. He set the bottle down and picked up his glass. “Gently swirl the wine in the glass,” he said as he demonstrated. I followed his lead. “Sniff, and then take a small sip,” I did as he said, but it was still the same to me, but I pretended that it made all the difference.