Chapter 8 #2
Just then there was another flurry of footsteps and Fenella swept into the room and flopped herself onto the sofa next to Vivi.
They embraced each other with a casual familiarity, and Eliza realised Fenella was very much at home here, confirming her thoughts that there really was a lot of history in Farmington.
‘I would come and hug you, too,’ Fenella said hurriedly, ‘but then I’d have to lift myself from this enormously comfy sofa and I’m not sure I have the energy for that. Wedding planning is exhausting!’
‘It’s all going ahead, then?’ Vivi asked, her eyes round in surprise, when Jean Pierre’s voice came from the bar, ‘Where’s Ross?’
Fenella grinned at Vivi. ‘Yes, it sure is. Luke has a hundred per cent agreed to a big wedding at Stanley’s, thanks to Eliza, who I think helped persuade him,’ she said, glancing at Eliza.
Feeling a little flustered, Eliza smiled, saying, ‘Well, I’m excited to take some of the wedding stress off your shoulders – that’s where I thrive! But first, I have to hear the end of the auction story!’
Fenella grinned. ‘Oh! I love this story – even though I’ve heard it a million times! Which bit are you at?’
‘I think she’s about to tell me that she flew to London for a wine auction.’
‘I did,’ confirmed Vivi. ‘I turned up at the auction, dressed like a businesswoman, got my paddle, and was ready to secure the wine. But every time I made a bid for it, there was someone bidding against me, taking the price higher and higher. It soon surpassed what I could afford, and all I could see was the back of some old man’s head.
Eventually I gave up, realising it wasn’t to be.
It sold for over $100,000, which is a pretty historic amount.
My grandparents would have been shocked if they’d known. ’
If only Eliza could find a bottle of that wine, she thought, her problems would all be solved. But Eliza put her financial worries to one side and focused on the question at hand. ‘And? Was it Jean Pierre who bought it?’
‘At the time, of course, I had no idea who had bought it. I left the auction house feeling deflated and didn’t wait to see who had acquired it – I just assumed it was the old man bidding against me.
Later that evening, I was sitting at my hotel bar, having a drink, when I heard someone say my name.
I turned around, and there was Jean Pierre.
He simply said, “I think I have something that you wanted,” and, well, the rest is history. ’
‘But how did he find you?’ asked Eliza, she was completely caught up in this modern-day fairy tale.
Fenella jumped in. ‘This is Jean Pierre you’re talking about, Eliza!
He’d seen Vivi’s paddle number and charmed her name out of the auctioneers, so that he could track her down later in the day.
Not to mention of course, that when he saw her surname, he immediately made the connection, and why she wanted the wine so badly. ’
‘So he didn’t track you down because of how hot you are . . .’ giggled Eliza.
‘Nope,’ said Vivi, ‘he just got lucky with that part of the package!’
‘Okay, final question, where is the wine now? Have you drunk it?’
‘Hell no! It’s in our wine cellar, but I’ve made Jean Pierre promise me that we’ll drink it one day, together. And hope to high hell it’s not corked!’
‘Wow! That is such an amazingly romantic story,’ Eliza said dreamily. ‘Farmington is slightly blowing my mind.’
They all laughed. ‘Don’t get too excited, Eliza, I think you might be getting all the good stuff at the beginning. It can only go downhill from here.’
‘All the good stuff?’ asked Vivi with a smile, shooting a meaningful glance at Fenella.
‘I think so . . .’ Fenella said, raising her eyebrows.
Eliza started to blush furiously, realising they all meant Luke. ‘Right, wine tasting time! I’m desperate to try what you guys have created here.’
‘Well, if you’re sure you’re not too distracted with anything else,’ teased Fenella.
‘Absolutely not! What could possibly distract me in Farmington?’
‘Okay wait, what am I missing?’ Vivi demanded. ‘I think I know, but I’m worried that I have crossed wires here. Nelly, you know how much I love gossip – there is so little in Farmington I’ll take anything I can get!’
‘No gossip!’ said Eliza, feeling almost hysterical. ‘Now, on to the wine! Fenella, I think we need a good red, a good white, a rosé, and a sparkling to cover all bases, for what is going to be a glorious summer wedding.’
‘Just one clue,’ begged Vivi, ‘it doesn’t have anything to do with a man, does it? I mean, I told you my story . . .’
Fenella just giggled.
‘Wine, ladies, please focus,’ said Eliza, just as Jean Pierre walked in to save the day.
‘Did I hear someone ask for wine? I believe I can help! Now, this is a historic moment, an English sparkling that has never been seen before, with a champagne finish. The very first of its kind.’
He poured them all a glass from a bottle that didn’t even have a label on it yet – Eliza actually loved the whole ‘unlabelled’ vibe. Unintentionally nonchalant.
‘Oh, that is so good, Jean Pierre. It’s hard to believe it’s a local grape,’ remarked Eliza after the first buttery, refreshing sip.
‘That is why we only do one of each wine. Because each one is brilliant. You don’t need anything else. I make perfect wine.’
‘Well, nothing like an ego there, baby,’ said Vivi, ‘but yes, your wine is amazing, just like you. And this? Well, this is superb.’
And she smiled at him with such genuine love and adoration, that it made Eliza realise this was a love that she and Henry had never had. If happiness like this really existed, then she needed to keep hunting for it.
‘I love it,’ butted in Fenella. ‘Do we get mates’ rates, Jean Pierre?’ she asked, with a fluttering of eyelashes. ‘Even a little discount . . .’
‘My darling Fenella, but of course. I was thinking as a little wedding present for you and that gorgeous fisherman husband to be of yours I would gift you the sparkling, and then I can give you the rest of the wine at cost, what do you think?’
‘At cost?’ came an immediately recognisable voice. ‘I don’t even get that for Stanley’s!’
All the girls turned to look at Luke.
‘What are you doing here?’ asked Fenella crossly. ‘How did you even know we were here?’
‘Oh, I ran into Jean Pierre on his morning coffee run and he gave me the heads up. Told me if I could get here a little bit early, I could try the sparkling, too.’
Eliza was beside herself. She hadn’t seen Luke since last Sunday.
Fenella had said he’d been away from town for a bit.
She had been trying to play it cool, not wanting to seem too keen.
But he had sent her a message asking if she had thought any further about having the puppy she had fallen in love with, to which she responded she was still thinking about it.
But neither of them had mentioned meeting up again.
As the new girl in town, she felt he should make the next move.
‘Well, seeing as you agreed to my wedding dreams coming true, I’m glad you could join us,’ said Fenella with a smile.
‘Thanks, Nelly,’ responded Luke, turning to Vivi and leaning over to give her a kiss. ‘Hi, Vivi, looking well as ever.’
‘As are you, Luke. You never fail to disappoint. How’s Rose?’ she said with a twinkle in her eye.
‘Recovering well,’ he responded. As he turned to Eliza, a massive smile lit up his face. ‘Hi,’ he said, as he promptly sat himself right next to her, close enough that their arms were touching.
‘Hi yourself,’ she responded.
‘Been busy?’ he asked.
She suddenly felt very flustered and a little bit excited that he was so close, and at a slight loss for words. Everyone was looking at her, waiting to see her reaction. How could he be this damn hot! Think, brain, think. Busy, had she been busy? Well, she hadn’t been not busy.
‘Very,’ she said, ‘as well as unpacking and catching up on the local gossip, I now also have a wedding to arrange. How about you?’
‘Oh yes, very. You know, puppies, coffee, swimming, tractors, work, wine tastings . . .’
Vivi and Fenella were watching on, intrigued. The sexual tension was palpable, but maybe just to Eliza, as she couldn’t stop getting flashes of Luke going down on her.
Thank God for Jean Pierre who was still more interested in his wine than the gossip. He brought over an extra glass for Luke, and they went through the whole sniffing and swirling again. Jean Pierre was wonderfully dramatic – the whole thing was like a show for him.
‘It’s so wet,’ said Luke, as he licked his lips, running his hand down his thigh and brushing Eliza’s as he did.
Her fanny instantly started to pulsate. It hadn’t even been ten minutes for Christ’s sake. She couldn’t actually believe he had this effect on her.
‘I think you mean sweet, Luke,’ Jean Pierre replied. ‘All wine is wet, but I assume you were meaning the opposite to dry.’ Luke quirked his eyebrow at Eliza, and she thought she might need to go home and lie down to recover herself.
Just as Jean Pierre launched into a detailed explanation of the growing process, the harvesting, bottling, Vivi cleared her throat.
‘Time to greet our other guests, darling,’ Vivi said, gesturing to the bustling crowd who had appeared almost out of nowhere.
Standing up, Fenella went in search of Ross, kissing Jean Pierre extravagantly as she passed, thanking him for the gift of his sparkling wine.
But Eliza was glued to her seat. She wasn’t sure how she kept it together. Luke had spent the whole ten minutes running his hand up and down her thigh, touching her so minutely she wondered if anyone had ever come from a thigh stroke before.
The sparkling had made her feel like she was sitting on the French Riviera, and she couldn’t wait to try more of the wines, but she didn’t know if she could stand. She might just combust on the spot.
Then Luke leant forward, his hand touching hers, his whole palm resting on her thigh just where her skirt ended. It was definitely intentional, and it certainly felt like foreplay.