Chapter Eighteen
There was a frisson of excitement as Vigneto Almagno prepared for their annual Vendemmia party. Four days to go and there was a never-ending stream of vans, as deliveries arrived, decorations went up, market stalls were erected, and people came and went – everybody playing their part to get the vineyard ready to celebrate. Strings of fairy lights were thrown from window to window, and the bulbs in the outdoor lamps had been switched from white to green, to dress the farmhouse appropriately.
The party would mark the official start of the grape harvest, where the farmers reaped the rewards of tending to their crops all year and welcomed in the wine. It was a rolling celebration across all the local vineyards, which attracted tourists from far and wide. Holly and I had offered to help Mia with the decorations, and I made my way outside after a very late breakfast to find the two of them already on the case, tying brightly coloured paper fans with string.
‘Ladies,’ I said, gliding in and sitting next to Holly. ‘I’m here to serve. Tell me what you need me to do.’
‘You’re not going to like me after this.’ Mia laughed. ‘We need to tie all of these fans, to all of this string.’ She pointed at two large bins of fans in pink, green, blue, and yellow, and a box of string, each spool the size of my head.
‘It’s going to take a while,’ Holly said, with a yawn.
‘It’ll be worth it, you’ll see. It’s going to look magical once all the fairy lights are up.’ Mia smiled. ‘Now, who would like a drink?’
‘Un espresso, e un vino bianco, grazie,’ I said, practising my Italian.
‘Bueno, Abi, you are coming along very well,’ she replied, with a nod.
‘A coffee AND a wine?’ Holly laughed. ‘Make your mind up.’
‘I need a quick caffeine kick and then a slow burn alcohol-in-the-sun kick.’
‘A balanced liquid diet.’ Holly smiled. ‘Green juice for me, please, Mia.’
‘Of course,’ Mia said, running off to the kitchen.
‘Green juice at wine o’clock? Are you coming down with something?’ I asked, concerned.
‘12.30 p.m. is hardly wine o’clock! I’m getting my vitamins in. You’ve got to look after your insides, Abs – isn’t that what you’re always telling me?’
It was. I could do with taking some of that advice myself. I hadn’t been for a run since I’d arrived, as the ground was uneven and the roads didn’t feel safe. I missed my morning leg stretch around Highbury Fields, the fresh morning air, the quiet. Actively avoiding Ned. It was far too hot to run out here, as well. Which sounded like an excuse, but I was sticking to it. Even now, we were sat under a large umbrella and I had a sweaty moustache.
Mia came back with the drinks, and we got cracking.
‘Are we all wearing dresses for the party? I asked, carefully tying a pink fan onto the string. ‘I can do both your make-up if you like?’
‘Ooo, yes please!’ Holly said. ‘I’ve missed you being on hand to beautify me. I just slap on a bit of mascara and lipstick these days and hope for the best. Abi is amazing, Mia; she can literally work miracles.’
‘I’ve never had my make-up done,’ Mia said, touching her cheek. ‘I don’t wear very much.’
‘I can see why – your skin is flawless. We can keep it light and natural,’ I said, already imagining a pale gold eyeshadow and a sliver of purple eyeliner. ‘Nothing dramatic.’
‘I’d love that, thank you, Abi,’ Mia said, with a shy smile.
‘We can all get ready together,’ Holly said. ‘Like the old days, eh, Abs?’
I almost preferred the getting ready part to the going out. A shot of tequila and Taylor Swift on full blast, while we tried on different outfits and experimented with our make-up.
The sun seemed to be following us and the heat was increasingly stifling. I was finding it hard to get a breath of fresh air. ‘Shall we move inside?’ I asked. ‘Or will it be even hotter?’
‘Yes, let’s,’ Mia said, wiping her brow. ‘We can sit in the lounge, with the fans on. They’ve been warning about a heatwave on the radio for weeks now. This must be the start of it.’
‘It’s finally here,’ Holly agreed, unsticking her thighs from the chair. ‘Although it is August, I suppose; it’s always sweltering this time of year.’
‘Not like this.’ Mia carried the string inside, as Holly and I each took a bin full of fans. ‘It has been unbearable these past few days.’
‘Xavier said the wildfires in Greece were on the news again this morning. Houses just burning to the ground overnight,’ Holly said, shaking her head.
‘That’s awful,’ I said, shocked. ‘I haven’t seen the news since I’ve been out here.’
‘It is like living in a tinderbox,’ Mia said. ‘One mistake and everything can be lost.’
‘Sometimes it isn’t even a mistake. Just bad luck. Dry land and a beer bottle in the wrong place can cause a spark.’
Even sat inside, the air hung hot and heavy over our conversation. The grounds of the vineyard were well-shaded by the farmhouse, the building loomed large to shelter the top of the field from the sun. It was easy enough to avoid direct sunlight, but I’d have to be mindful of walking anywhere further than the pool for a few days; I didn’t want to dehydrate or collapse from accidental heatstroke.
The front door creaked open and Xavier walked in, covered head to toe in fairy lights. He looked like a Christmas version of Action Man, with an enormous loop of wire hanging off each shoulder. He hunkered down to kiss Holly.
‘Salut, salut,’ he said, smiling. ‘Working hard here, I see?’
‘We sure are,’ Holly said. ‘The entire farmhouse will be wrapped in bows by the time we’ve finished.’
‘Same with the lights,’ he said, putting them on the floor. ‘Paolo asked me to bring these over from the restaurant and I said I’d help Tony put them up.’
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed twice, and Tony appeared in the doorway.
‘The beef has arrived,’ I said.
‘Si.’ Tony flexed his muscles and Xavier looked at us, confused. It was a treat to see the two of them side by side, like handsome bookends from different planets. Xavier, with his floppy auburn hair and green eyes, and Tony, tall and buff, morphing back into an Italian in front of our eyes, his chestnut hair getting lighter and fluffier as his tan deepened. He was wearing jeans, despite the horrendous heat, and a navy linen shirt, which accentuated his abs.
‘Looking more and more like a local every day,’ Holly said, summing it up perfectly.
Tony lifted his Aviators and wiggled his eyebrows. ‘Grazie, signorina.’ Mia giggled.
‘These are all the lights we have,’ Xavier said, passing one of the loops to Tony.
‘Awesome. Thanks for bringing them over – the ladders are outside – it shouldn’t take us long to put them up.’ The boys headed off to do their thing, leaving us to fanny around with the fans. Like ye olden days.
‘Good to see you and Tony have made up,’ Mia said quietly.
I blushed. ‘Yes. It was a misunderstanding. I over-reacted.’
‘Doesn’t sound like you,’ Holly said, lightly and I gave her a pointed look. Although she was right. When it came to men, it wasn’t like me to over-react. It wasn’t like me to react at all.
*
After three hours of tying fans, Mia and I kissed Holly goodbye and watched as she zoomed off with Xavier to get Lavedrine X ready for dinner. The three of us had worked non-stop and were finally at the bottom of the first barrel of fans. It was satisfying to see the lengths of decorated string piling up, but I was hot and tired and glad we were done for the day. My dress was a strapless scrap of silk, but it still felt too heavy on my skin. I couldn’t wait to jump in the pool and cool off, then lie in the air con until the sun went down.
‘We have done so much!’ Mia said, pleased, looking at the enormous coil of fans and giving her shoulders a rub. ‘Thank you for all your help, Abi.’
‘No worries at all,’ I replied, standing up. ‘Shall we have a swim and an Aperol Spritz to reward ourselves?’
‘Not for me, but let me get you one,’ Mia said. ‘You’ve earned it.’
‘Mia, Mia!’ Paolo shouted from upstairs.
‘Tutto bene?’ she called, with a frown.
‘Vieni presto,’ he replied, his plaster cast clunking down the stairs. The pool would have to wait as I followed Mia towards him. I could tell by his tone there was a serious problem.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.
‘The heatwave is on its way and it’s worse than we thought,’ Paolo said, panicked. ‘The Vendemmia can’t wait till next week; we have to start today, to save the grapes.’
‘Oh no!’ I said, looking at the vast field full of vines in alarm, as the sun burned down. There were a lot of grapes to get in.
‘How much time do we have?’ Mia shouted, frantic.
‘Not much. Twenty-four hours if we’re lucky. Tony and Viola have already started. The extra staff aren’t booked until Monday, and I’m no use to anyone. Mia, amore mio, can you help them?’
‘Of course I can,’ she said.
Paolo looked at her, worried. ‘I don’t really want you out in the heat, but I don’t know what else to do.’
‘I’ll be fine, don’t fuss,’ Mia said, kissing him on the cheek.
‘I can help too,’ I said, guzzling down half a litre of water. ‘Just point me at whatever needs doing and I’ll do my best.’
Paolo exhaled, looking visibly relieved. I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d signed up for, but I wanted to help. Hopefully they wouldn’t put me in a barrel to squelch the grapes with my bare feet. I’d only just had a pedicure.
‘Tony is over there,’ Paolo said, pointing to the back of the field. ‘Take a basket and some grape scissors and he’ll show you what to do.’
‘Can I have a quick shower first?’ I asked. Paolo looked like he might cry. ‘OK, no time for that – I’ll have one later. Let me change into something more work-friendly and grab my hat. Don’t worry, Paolo, we’ll get it done!’ I was covered in sweat and my floppy hat would not work for hardcore manual labour. I ran upstairs, threw on a maxi dress and trainers and plaited my hair under a baseball cap. The air con brought me back to human temperature and I felt like myself again. I could easily do a few hours in the fields, no problem.
I could see Tony and Viola from my window, beavering away. Farmer Tony in control of the situation. He’d changed out of his jeans and was now in a vest and shorts combo, like a man of the soil. I left the cool of my bedroom into one level of heat in the farmhouse, and then outside to next-level stifling. My calm self, a hot mess once more. It was like climbing into an oven. I needed to stay hydrated and in the shadows.
‘Grazie mille, Abi,’ Paolo said, from his chair, as I walked down the steps. He handed me a wicker basket and four bottles of water.
‘No problem, Paolo, I’ll do my best!’ I said, taking the basket, which weighed a tonne, and walking through the field to Tony. Viola and Mia were already on it, snipping away in a frenzy.
‘Mason, reporting for duty, sir,’ I said, with a salute.
Tony took the water from me and handed it out. ‘OK, well it’s pretty simple. We need to get all the grapes off the vines asap,’ he said. ‘There’s no science to it, just snip them at the stem and toss them in your basket.’ He grabbed a nearby bunch of grapes and cut them down. ‘Like this.’
‘Snip and toss.’ I nodded and did an air snip with my scissors. ‘Fully understood, sir.’
‘Snip and toss,’ he repeated, a twinkle in his eye.
Viola already had half a bucketful and the four of us worked like a swarm of locusts, snipping at speed as the sun went down, to get as many grapes in our baskets as possible. Once the baskets were full, we’d switch them with Tony and keep going. He piled the full baskets onto a gurney and ran them inside, emptying them into what I can only assume was the grape-squishing barrel for my pedicure to deal with later.
‘Here you go, basket number four,’ I said, a couple of hours later.
‘Excellent work, Mason. You keep going like this and there could be a promotion on the cards,’ Tony said, taking it from me.
‘Wow, really?’ I replied. ‘I could be chief-snipper one day.’
‘You sure could. Also, I’ve got a little refresher somewhere for you. Now where is it…’ Tony disappeared behind one of the bushes, rummaging around on the floor. I really hoped it was a Diet Coke. ‘Found it!’ he shouted, popping up with a hosepipe and squirting me with ice-cold water.
‘Whatttt???’ I shrieked and ran down the field. It was absolutely freezing.
‘Paolo said you wanted a shower,’ he hollered after me, spraying as he ran. ‘This will freshen you up.’
‘Stop!!! Turn it OFF… arghhhh!!’ I held up my hands, completely drenched and he turned the hose on himself.
‘Just trying to keep morale up,’ he laughed.
‘And doing a great job of it, sir,’ I retorted, water dripping off my nose.
Mosquitos and their tiny bug friends ran at the four of us the whole time and I was glad I’d covered myself in rainforest-proof jungle spray. The grapes were small and grubby and hard to spot, camouflaged in among the leaves. As the self-titled Vine Invader, it was satisfying to hunt each bunch down and clip them out, saving them from a raisin-like death. My skin was sticky with juice and my feet felt tight and sweaty in my trainers as the hours went on, but I pushed through the discomfort.
‘You all OK?’ Tony called.
Viola looked like she was about to keel over and Mia was pale as a sheet. We’d done about six buckets of grapes each and had covered nearly half the vineyard between us. The sun was slipping over the horizon, taking the light with it, so we’d have to call it a day soon.
‘I think we’ve done pretty well! We make a good team,’ I said, desperate for a drink.
‘We can do the rest in the morning,’ Mia said. ‘We’ve done enough for today.’ We finished off the row we were clipping, then bundled our baskets onto the trolley, and made our way back to the farmhouse where Paolo had somehow laid out a table with water and glasses. He hopped up to greet us with tears in his eyes.
‘Grazie, tutti, and thank you especially, Abi,’ he said, gesturing at the table. ‘Please. Sit. Let me get you all a drink.’
‘I’ll get them, hop-along; sit down and rest your leg,’ Tony said, helping Paolo back to his chair. I could see Tony’s body through his T-shirt, like a marble sculpture, with muscles on top of muscles. He wiped his brow and went into the house. The heat and endeavour had sent us all a bit delirious, and we each sat and stared into space in a silent daze. I looked out at the vineyard, half-stripped of its wares, the haze of another hot summer’s day hanging low in the air. It felt as close now as it had when we were stringing fans together at lunchtime. The whole day had been relentless.
‘How long until the heatwave hits?’ I asked.
Paolo fidgeted next to me, poking a biro inside his plaster cast to scratch his leg. ‘The wildfires are already in central Greece, so it could be any day now.’
‘The fires could just as easily pass us by,’ Viola said, holding up her hands to the sky in prayer.
‘I hope so,’ Mia said, crossing her fingers.
Paolo winced in satisfaction, as he vigorously scribbled up and down on his leg. He tried to go a little lower and lost his grip. ‘Pffft.’
‘Here we go, workers!’ Tony had a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of Vernaccia, both so cold they were smoking. He offered them up to the table.
‘No vino. I need acqua,’ Viola said, pouring out more water.
Mia shook her head. ‘And I need a bath,’ she said, standing up.
Tony turned to me. ‘Just us then,’ he said, with a smile.
‘And Paolo,’ I said.
‘Niente alcol,’ he said, pointing at his leg. ‘The painkillers are very strong.’
‘Prosecco for me then, please,’ I said, taking a water as well.
‘Excellent choice, ma’am.’ Tony popped the cork and generously filled two glasses.
‘I’ll put that wine back in the fridge,’ Viola said, taking the wine and returning seconds later with an ice bucket for the bubbles.
‘Paolo?’ Mia called from inside. ‘Can you help me with something please?’
‘Lean on me, old man,’ Viola said, helping him hobble up the steps and into the house. Leaving me and Tony and a bottle of prosecco, looking out at the vineyard as the sky turned pink. The sun had completely disappeared, but the skies were flooded with colour.
‘You did pretty good today, Mason.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘I was very impressed with your work ethic and attention to detail.’
‘My snipping was to your satisfaction?’
‘The snippiest snipping I ever did see.’ Tony raised his glass and clinked mine, and we both took a long drink. The prosecco was cold, and sweet and delicious.
‘Seriously, thank you for helping. You didn’t need to do that – you’re supposed to be on vacation.’
‘Anytime,’ I said. ‘I like to stay busy. And I was happy to help you – all of you. I can’t believe we got so much done in such a short time.’
Tony took a photo of the strawberry skies over the vineyard, and a selfie of us with our prosecco. ‘They don’t make them like you anymore, that’s for sure. You’re a good friend.’
I felt irrationally stung, but what else could he call me? He’d tried for something more and I’d said no. I’d made my feelings clear, and he was just being respectful.
‘I’m here for you – for all of you – you know that don’t you?’
‘Sure. For a limited time only,’ Tony said with a nod, and took another swig of his prosecco.