Chapter 14
Bea looked up from the TV when she heard the distinctive purr of Lochlan’s sports car outside her window that evening. She smiled as she swung open the front door.
‘Got any dinner plans?’ he called from the kerb, lowering the car window.
‘No, but…’
‘I’ve made us reservations.’
‘Really? Give me five minutes to get changed—’
‘You look fine,’ said Lochlan, ‘just get your keys and let’s go.’
‘Okay,’ said Bea, grabbing her handbag from the banister and locking the door behind her. ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, climbing into the car.
‘It’s a surprise,’ said Lochlan.
‘So mysterious,’ she laughed.
‘I try,’ he said, flashing her a smile that made her heart soar.
‘Seriously, though, where are we going? I’m not dressed for anything fancy—’
‘Like I said, you look fine,’ he said, placing a warm hand over hers.
‘Hmmmm…’
‘You might need these though…’ he said, pointing to a muddy pair of wellies in the footwell.
‘Wellies? For a dinner date?’
‘It’s not your average dinner date,’ said Lochlan, squeezing her hand.
‘Obviously!’ Bea laughed.
‘How’s your day been?’
‘Good, well, great actually,’ she replied. ‘I’ve put all the finishing touches to the wagon, so I’m ready to open this weekend.’
‘Wow, Bea, that’s brilliant!’ said Lochlan, turning to look at her. ‘We can celebrate tonight. I’ll get us some champagne.’
‘Oh, you don’t have to—’
‘It’s a moment, Bea, we should mark it.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘That would be lovely.’
‘So, you’ll be launching at the village fête on Sunday, then?’
‘Yep. I can’t wait! Will you be able to make it?’
‘Of course! I wouldn’t miss it. I know how much it means to you.’
‘Thanks, I’m really nervous. Just knowing you’re going to be there helps.’
‘Good, I’m glad,’ he said, pulling on his sunglasses.
Bea took in the scenery as they passed through the villages of Appleton and Cherrydown towards Briarwood, and finally along a dirt track. ‘Are you sure there’s a restaurant down here?’
‘Well, not exactly, no…’
‘Where on earth are you taking me?’ Bea asked. ‘We’re in the middle of nowhere.’
‘Not quite nowhere,’ Lochlan laughed, nodding towards a barn at the end of the track.
‘Are those grapes?’ Bea asked, pointing towards a field in the distance with rows of what looked like vines growing. ‘Is this a vineyard?’
‘Jackpot!’ he laughed.
‘Seriously? That’s incredible, I had no idea this was here.’
‘Me neither.’
‘So, how did you find it?’
‘I’ve got good contacts…’
‘Like I said, so mysterious…’
‘Let’s just say it belongs to a friend of a friend. She’s refurbished the barn, put in a kitchen, hired a chef. The plan is to open a pairing restaurant – you know? Different wines with each course.’
‘Sounds great,’ agreed Bea.
‘Anyway, she’s testing menus and was looking for some guinea pigs to try out the food, so I volunteered us,’ he explained, pulling the car to a stop in front of the barn.
‘It looks amazing,’ said Bea, admiring the frosted glass doors embossed with the logo for Cherrydown Vineyard.
‘Hello there, you must be Bea and Lochlan,’ called a tall woman who was waiting to greet them. ‘I’m Phoebe.’
‘Lovely to meet you,’ said Lochlan, shaking her hand.
‘This place looks incredible,’ said Bea.
‘Thanks. Let me show you through, I’ve got some wines for you to try before dinner.’
Bea and Lochlan followed Phoebe through to the restaurant, which was fitted out with a beautiful low-lit bar area and comfy leather sofas.
‘Wow, Phoebe, this is amazing,’ said Bea, admiring the exposed beams and vaulted ceilings.
‘Thank you. I must admit, I’m proud of it. I’ve poured some wine out for you at the bar, and we’ve got the private dining room ready. Chef’s put together something really special for us today, so I hope you’ll enjoy it.’
‘I’m sure we will, thank you,’ said Lochlan.
‘I was hoping we could take a walk around the vineyard after dinner, if that’s okay, Phoebe? Do a bit of stargazing?’ he asked.
‘Of course! It’s still a bit muddy in places,’ she replied. ‘But it’s a clear night, so you should have some great views. Zero light pollution.’
‘Oh, that sounds wonderful,’ Bea said, taking Lochlan’s hand. ‘So that’s what the wellies were for?’
‘Now, let’s start with the rosé,’ said Phoebe, handing Lochlan and Bea a glass each. ‘Give it a swirl and a sniff first,’ she said, demonstrating.
‘That smells divine,’ said Bea, inhaling, ‘definitely fruity… maybe grapefruit or orange?’
‘Very good,’ said Phoebe, beaming at her, ‘rosé wines generally have more fruit than traditional whites, so they’re a lot less floral.’
‘Now have a taste,’ said Phoebe.
‘We don’t have to spit it out, do we?’ asked Lochlan.
‘No, absolutely not,’ Phoebe laughed, ‘that would be a terrible waste.’
Lochlan and Bea followed her instructions, taking a small sip and pausing briefly before swallowing.
‘Absolutely delicious,’ Lochlan murmured.
‘I’m glad you like it,’ said Phoebe.
‘Oh, me too,’ said Bea quickly, ‘Could I buy some to take home, please?’
‘We’re not ready to retail just yet, but I’ll put a box of whatever you’d like aside for you to take away,’ said Phoebe.
‘Oh, you don’t have to—’ said Bea.
‘It’d be my pleasure,’ said Phoebe, holding up a hand.
‘That’s really generous of you, thank you,’ said Lochlan.
‘Ah, it looks like we’re ready for you now,’ said Phoebe, as two black-and-white-uniformed waitresses appeared in the doorway.
‘This is Rachel and Joanne, they’ll be your servers today, I’ll leave you in their very capable hands.
And just let me know when you’re ready to leave at the end of the evening and I’ll drop you both home as we agreed. ’
‘Thanks, Phoebe,’ said Lochlan, draining his glass.
‘If you’d like to follow me,’ said Rachel, leading the way to the private dining room.
‘Wow,’ said Bea, open-mouthed as they entered the intimate space, lit with fairy lights and candles, soft music playing in the background. ‘This is gorgeous,’ she said, as Lochlan pulled out her chair.
‘Chef’s put together a special tasting menu for you this evening,’ said Joanne, handing each of them a menu. ‘We’ll bring the first course through shortly.’
‘Just look at this: guinea fowl, truffle, caviar,’ whispered Bea.
‘I know, right,’ said Lochlan, raising his champagne flute. ‘Here’s to spending time together.’
‘Thank you,’ Bea said, leaning back in her chair as Rachel placed the first course in front of them. ‘This looks great.’
‘Mmmm,’ said Lochlan, putting a forkful of truffle arancini into his mouth, ‘Oh my God, Bea, you have to try this,’ he said, holding up his fork.
‘Ooooh,’ she murmured, ‘that’s so good.’
‘Right?’
‘I could get used to this,’ she said, taking another bite.
‘Well, I’d have to learn to cook first,’ laughed Lochlan. ‘Beans on toast is more my level.’
‘Oh, I’m not suggesting you cook, we should just come here every weekend,’ she laughed.
‘So, we’re going to be spending our weekends together then?’ asked Lochlan, reaching for her hand.
‘Maybe…’ she whispered.
‘Hey, I’d like to spend more time with you,’ he said. ‘I really like you.’
‘Good to know,’ she said, blushing.
‘The other night was pretty special,’ he said, ‘you know, back at yours…’
‘Yeah, I know,’ she said, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink. She was very much hoping for a repeat performance later.
‘Well, next time you fancy beans on toast at mine…’
‘With grated cheese on top?’
‘Absolutely,’ he laughed.
‘Then I’m in.’
After working their way through the six-course tasting menu, Marcel, the chef, came out of the kitchen to introduce himself.
‘I hope you enjoyed the food this evening?’ he asked, warmly.
‘It was out of this world,’ said Lochlan.
‘It was the best meal I’ve ever had,’ agreed Bea. ‘This place is going to be a huge success.’
‘You’re very kind, thank you,’ said Marcel, taking their plates. ‘And now a stroll around the vineyard, yes?’ he asked.
‘Wow,’ said Bea, as she and Lochlan walked slowly through the vines. ‘Look at the stars,’ she said, gazing upwards.
‘I told you those wellies would come in handy,’ he laughed, steadying her as she slipped in the mud.
‘Whoops, nearly,’ said Bea, holding on to him tightly. ‘I think all that wine’s gone to my head.’
‘No problem,’ said Lochlan, lacing his arm through hers. ‘I think Phoebe said there’s a viewing platform on top of that hill.’
‘I can’t believe how much clearer the skies are out here than in the village. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them shine so bright.’
‘Me neither,’ Lochlan agreed.
‘Whoooaa,’ yelped Bea as she slid in another patch of mud.
‘Gotcha!’ said Lochlan, pulling her in close.
‘Thanks,’ she said, breathlessly, turning to face him.
‘You’re welcome,’ he murmured.
‘Good job you were here to catch me,’ Bea whispered.
‘I’ll always catch you,’ said Lochlan, kissing her softly on the mouth.
‘Good to know,’ Bea replied, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him back.
In that moment, under a blanket of stars, Bea couldn’t think of anywhere she’d rather be than right here, with Lochlan by her side.
‘I can’t believe tomorrow’s the big day,’ said Jess, sipping a glass of red wine.
‘I know,’ said Bea, taking another handful of popcorn from a big bowl on the coffee table.
‘How are you feeling?’
‘About as anxious as you’d expect for someone who used all their savings to buy a second-hand horsebox.’
‘It might have been a bit impulsive, but you should be proud of yourself, Bea, you do know that, right?’
‘I guess so, but there’s so much that could go wrong. What if—’
‘Hey, just try to relax, you’ve done everything you can to launch the business. It’ll be great, I promise.’
‘I hope so.’
‘It will. The wagon looks amazing. Seriously, it’s better than those ones we saw on Pinterest!’
‘You think?’
‘Absolutely. It’s the little touches that make it feel really special. The lamp and all those framed prints on the walls are so cute,’ said Jess, smiling. ‘I love that one about magic… what does it say again?’
‘Books are a uniquely portable magic.’
‘Yes! Who said that?’
‘Stephen King.’
‘What? The horror guy?’ said Jess, surprised.
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Who’d have thought?’ Jess shrugged. ‘And the tote bags, pin badges and bookmarks are brilliant. I love the “I’d rather be at book club” one, it’s genius! They’re going to sell really well.’
‘Thank you, that means a lot, it really does,’ said Bea, swallowing hard.
‘You’re welcome,’ said Jess, squeezing her friend’s hand.
‘I just can’t believe it’s really happening.’
‘I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how it was going to look when I first saw the state of the horsebox, but I didn’t want to put a downer on the idea…’
‘Jess! It was you who persuaded me to go for it!’
‘The point is it’s all finished, tomorrow’s going to be brilliant, you’re brilliant and I’m proud of you,’ said Jess, with a decisive nod. ‘Is Lochlan coming by the way?’
‘Yes! He said he wouldn’t miss it.’
‘Dinner at the vineyard sounded amazing. As did the hot sex afterwards.’
‘God, it was! He’s really spoiling me and I’m loving every second of it!’
‘Are you talking about the date or the sex?’ Jess asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
‘Well, both, but the sex is…’ Bea trailed off, biting her lower lip.
‘Hot?’
‘Well, yeah!’ Bea laughed.
‘But you’re taking it slowly, yes?’
‘Erm… kind of,’ Bea stammered.
‘Listen, I just want you to be careful, Bea. Don’t rush in too hard too fast. You know what you’re like. Just take it slow this time, okay?’ Jess paused.
‘But—’ said Bea, keen to explain that, while things were moving quickly, it was Lochlan who was driving it.
‘Seriously, Bea. I just don’t want you to get hurt again. Take some time to get to know one another properly. You’ve only seen him, what, three times?’
‘Well, four actually, if you include the day we met, but I get your point. I promise I will. I know you only want me to be happy.’