You Had Me at Merlot

by Lisa Dickenson

  Would it be as good as it felt to live on my own, and have my independence? How could I make that decision, or know the answer to that?

  ‘Can I get back to you on that?’ I asked, afraid that he’d have hurt feelings, or compare me to Rachel. But Jamie just laughed and pulled me back down.

  ‘Of course you can. Nobody has to give an answer to a job offer in the middle of the night with no clothes on.’

  With the knowledge that I had real, transferrable talent for marketing, I had options, I had love – or something on its way there – and I had a few hours left in this country, I settled in for my final bella notte in Italy.

  In the morning, there were many tears. New couples parted, new friends said goodbye, and one by one the people we’d become familiar with over the past ten days disappeared.

  Donna held my face before she went and for a moment I thought she was going to kiss me. But she looked at me and said, ‘If you stay at the agency, you do everything in your power to knock them off their pedestals.’

  ‘Does that mean you’re not coming back?’ I felt a pang of sadness, for her situation and for the loss of a friend.

  ‘I’ll come back long enough to pack up my office and delete a few important files on the shared drive, but they won’t want me to serve my notice. And I’d like to just take a few weeks to relax and sort out some things at my home before I go to Florida.’

  ‘You’re definitely taking the VP job?’

  ‘Definitely, and my daughter hasn’t sounded so happy in a long time; she can’t wait to come with me.’

  I squeezed her, hard. ‘You send me an invite to you and George’s wedding, won’t you?’ Donna laughed and stepped aside, so the man himself could get his greasy mitts all over me. ‘I’m going to miss you, George, weirdly.’

  ‘Imma miss you too, baby. My offer always stands.’

  ‘The marriage offer?’

  ‘The marriage, the job, the vacation – all the offers stand, just visit us once in a while, okay?’ He hugged me, and whispered in my ear, ‘I know Donna would appreciate it – she thinks a lot of you.’

  Jon and Laurie were saying goodbye to each other as he was sharing a lift to Florence airport with George. He looked more broken than her, but I could tell she was sad. Sad, but strong, and I was proud of her for keeping it together while she murmured into his ear about what would happen next time they met.

  I squeezed Sofia and Sebastian one after another, and then had a second helping of both. ‘Thanks for an amazing holiday, it couldn’t have been better.’

  ‘It was okay was it, Bella?’ asked Sebastian.

  ‘It was okay.’

  ‘Not too much of a wasted trip?’

  ‘Leave her alone,’ hissed Sofia. ‘We want her to come back.’

  So that just left Jamie. How could I leave Jamie? I couldn’t; I couldn’t do it. I was going to have to stay. How could I not be in those arms tonight, or next to that face again? But … how could I give up everything I know?

  ‘I have to go home.’ My voice shook as I said it.

  He nodded, a forlorn shadow settling across his features. Then he shook his head and took my arms, holding them gently in his big hands and he looked down at me. ‘No, you don’t. Just stay with me.’

  ‘I can’t just stay.’

  ‘You can’t just go.’

  ‘But I might come back.’

  ‘Don’t say “might”.’

  ‘I can’t make you a promise right now, you need to understand that.’ I reached up to his face. Would I be okay without it? I’d been okay without it for years before now, surely I could pull through? ‘I need to sort my life out there, and make some decisions when I’m not intoxicated by all this delicious wine – and delicious you.’ I smiled at him, the best I could through my tears.

  ‘It’s going to seem empty here without you now. There’ll be no Bella at Bella Notte.’

  ‘I’m going to seem empty too.’

  ‘You will think about it, yes? It’s a real job offer.’

  ‘Is it just a job offer?’

  ‘It’s a real offer of … me.’

  I knew it was. ‘I will think about it, really seriously.’

  The taxi pulled up and Laurie hobbled in, finally letting a few tears fall as Jon’s car faded into the distance. Sebastian dutifully loaded all of our bags in while I clung to Jamie’s shirt, tears dripping down my cheeks.

  He wouldn’t take his sad eyes off me. ‘Please let me know how you are and what you’re thinking. I don’t want you to just not be here any more.’

  ‘We’ll talk all the time. You’ll let me know how things are going here? And how Enzo is?’ I felt frantic, afraid of these last moments. ‘I hope it isn’t goodbye.’

  ‘It isn’t,’ he said firmly. ‘You’ll come back, this is your second home. You can’t not come back home.’

  My feet took me to the taxi though my heart hated them for every step. I needed to remember everything as beautiful, and as we pulled away, crunching over the dust, I forced a small smile to settle on my face. I wanted him to remember me smiling. With effort he smiled back, and as soon as the taxi descended the hill, and no amount of neck-craning could show me him again, I broke down.

  I couldn’t not come back home.

  Epilogue

  Two months later …

  The taxi crawled through the Tuscan countryside, the windows down, the air still warm though the sun was dipping earlier than I remembered.

  As we carved up through the hills the emerald greens of summer had been painted over with bright oranges and reds, the colours of the roofs in Florence. The vines boasted fat purple grapes in such abundance it looked like they could topple over at any moment, and the violet haze I’d been promised was there.

  I hadn’t wanted Jamie to pick me up from the airport because I’d wanted to do this journey on my own, to see my new home turf by myself, and not as his guest.

  I quit my job; I’d had a better offer and there was no contest really. After Donna had handed in her notice morale was noticeably down anyway, and ripples of why she’d left were permeating throughout the company, leaving bitter tastes in their wake. But for her that job was long gone; she was as over it as if it were a lucky break from a bad boyfriend, and whenever we spoke on the phone she sounded as bright as the Floridian sun she and her daughter were now living under. And George had more than stuck to his word, placing a rolling yearly order for a case of wine for each of his employees to complement their Christmas bonuses and booking corporate retreats to Bella Notte for the spring and autumn. Laurie had booked flights back to Italy in a month, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Jon might also be under instruction to do the same. Mum and Dad would be coming over in two weeks, and Mum’s excitement was dazzling.

  Who knew how long I’d be out here for? But with Jamie, sunshine, a challenging new job and that chilli wine, I was in no rush to run back.

  My heart ping-ponged as the taxi made its way towards Bella Notte. I’d been away from Jamie for too long, and my skin was tingling at the thought of being back by his side. Does that make me co-dependent? Am I no longer the career-driven, modern woman I held myself up as?

  As my new workplace came into view, the vineyard I was going to save, and not a partition, a keycode, a desk or a Tube train blocked my way, I’d never felt more independent.

  And there he was. Jamie met me outside Bella Notte, his shirt crumpled, sleeves rolled up, messy hair and that lopsided grin. I jumped from the taxi before it had even come to a complete stop and ran to him.

  ‘What took you so long?’ he smiled at me.

  ‘I really don’t know.’

  Jamie didn’t complete me, but he complemented me. He was the chocolate to my chilli wine.

  Acknowledgements

  So. Have you all been as sloshed reading this as I was writing it? Just a couple of thank yous and I’ll be out of your way. (Bear with me – this is as close as I’ll get to a dramatic Oscar speech.)

  Manpree
t – in the paraphrased words of Britney Spears, blimey, we did it again with another book! Thanks for helping keep up this massive practical joke that I’m a real author, and for being all-round smashing in every way. Thanks to all the other Little, Brownies too – Hannah G, Marina, Thalia, Zoe, Clara, Rachel, Hannah W, Kate, Andy and Helena, to name but a few.

  Hannah Ferguson, my beautiful-haired agent at Hardman & Swainson – thanks for all your lovely patience and advice, and for also nodding politely when I go off on some embarrassing tangent. You’re the best in the biz. F-to-the-E-to-the-R-G-I-E-Girl you tasty.

  Husband Phil – sorry this one still didn’t contain any dinosaurs or explosions. Thank you for reading it all for me anyway, and for being lovely and basically doing everything for me while I was glued to the laptop.

  Emma – winner winner chicken dinner of the Sunlounger 2 short story competition – you are so clever! Thanks for all your help with this, and once we’ve moved into a luxury writing retreat together I’ll return the favour, because you’re going to be famous.

  Mama G – thanks for setting the scene in Devon with the Italian Merlot and the Tuscany travel guide, and for concocting an elaborate story in a travel agents just to nab a few brochures for me. And Papa G – I’m really not rich yet, so stop telling everyone you’re set up for life now. I might buy you bar of Cadbury’s if you’re lucky. Love you both heaps.

  Thanks to Belinda Jones, an author who continually inspires me and without whom I’d probably still just be working on Sweet Valley fan fiction, and to all the new author and blogger friends I’ve made who are so bloody lovely! I’d love to name you all, but you know who you are and you’re all Twitterati Glitterati. And big hugs, smooches and thanks for putting up with me to all my extended family, my friends, my holiday buddies and my work chums.

  And thanks to YOU GUYS for reading: it’s been a blast. Now go and get yourselves another glass of vino!

  Six Summer Breaks to Take With Friends

  You know in summer-anthem music videos people are always dancing on boats with their friends, all coloured sunglasses and perfect bodies? That could be you! No, really. Even the perfect body bit – because your bod is perfection no matter what shape, size or shade. Key criteria for a break with besties: a) space to talk, catch up, and laugh; b) plentiful food and drink to consume during the above. Whether your thing is dancing, culture, working up a sweat or lying on the beach, it’s time to salute the sun and get some happy holidays booked up.

  London, UK

  A London city break is something that should be on every friendship group’s bucket list – there’s so much to do and see that you’ll get caught up in the whirlwind of London life from the get-go, and the long summer days offer the perfect time to summer in the city. History buff? Take your pick – museums, galleries, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre … All about the fun? Try Madame Tussauds, or my fave: the London Dungeon. Sports fan? Swim or bike in the Olympic Park, watch some balls whiz by in Wimbledon or jog through Hyde Park with your best lycraed-leg forward. Retail therapy your thang? Oxford Street, Covent Garden Market, and the Westfield malls are all waiting for you, doors flung wide open. And then end the days with city-view dinners up the Shard or lungfuls of laughs over half-price cocktails at Dirty Martini. Bliss!

  Anywhere You Like, UK

  Little can beat a good cottage holiday with your ladies – chuck way too much food in the car, create a cracking summer playlist (must include ‘Mysterious Girl’) and drive a hundred miles or so in any direction. Open rosé immediately upon entering your cottage and settle down for some well-deserved gal pal time. I’d always migrate towards Devon or Cornwall because I’m a beach bum who loves nothing more than a beer, a sunset and the sea, but the beauty of this break is you can take it wherever works out best for you. Within a couple of hours’ drive from anywhere there’s always going to be a pretty cottage just waiting to host your homemade margaritas and LOLs.

  Paris, France

  Paris, the city of love … well you love your friends, right? Don’t go thinking you can only explore this amazing city if you’re with someone who likes to look at your rudey bits; non non non! Hop on the Eurostar and can-can your way around France’s capital, like the belles you are. Treat yourselves to pricey patisserie treats and trips to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and (’cause I know you like books) be sure to drop by the Shakespeare and Company bookshop on the Left Bank, which is a wonderfully higgledy-piggledy maze of writings, and is a famed attraction for anyone who likes to get lost in literature. The Hotel Saint-Jacques near Notre Dame is a good base for exploring the city if you like a touch of 19th Century charm and ambience, Edith Piaf piped in the background, and burning off those croissants with a long walk along the Seine.

  Greece

  If ever there was a place to make all of you step off the plane, drop your bags, throw on the wide-brimmed hats and let out a collective aaaahhhhhh it would be Greece, with its warm air, blue skies and seas and beautiful coves and sands. Visit Zakynthos for the beaches and turtles, Mykonos for swanktastic hotels and spas, Santorini for stunning scenery or Rhodes for nightlife to keep you buzzing till dawn. But these niches aside, all the islands have a melting pot of fun, sun and culture, and delicious fooooooooood to keep you yumming from sunrise to sunset …

  Las Vegas, USA

  Vegas. Remember when Ross and Rachel got married in Vegas?! That was the best. But anyway, shotgun weddings aside, Vegas is a great place to go with friends. I know it seems like a really long way away and is mega-expensive, but WHO CARES ABOUT BEING SENSIBLE, VEGAS BABYYYYYYYYYYYY. Plus you can win all your dosh back at roulette; it’s easy.* Las Vegas is the epitome of fun in the sun, so be sure you and your squad check out the pool parties, Britney’s residency, Sky Bar at the Palms and (believe me) Matt Goss’s cabaret show at Caesars Palace.

  East Coast, Australia

  If you have at least two weeks, an adventurous friend and a pocketful of savings, head south to Australia’s East Coast. Start with snapping crocs up in Queensland’s Daintree National Park, followed by swimming with the fishes on the sparkling Barrier Reef, before moving down to the Whitsundays, Fraser Island, perhaps a trip inwards to an outback cattle ranch for good measure, Byron Bay and finally Sydney for a cold glass of wine in front of the Opera House. You’ll stack up so many memories together that you’ll be laughing your heads off over the photos for years to come (believe me, my friend and I spent six months doing this trip and more way back in 2002 and we still speak in awful Aussie accents to each other whenever we meet up … it’s well annoying for everyone else). Go for as long as you can and stop in as many places as possible. If you can spend the whole summer out there, you won’t be disappointed, but a two week tasting menu will be enough to whet your appetite.

  Recipe: Sun-Baked Summer Days

  Hello, what’s this? *yawn* Is that sunshine outside your window? Already? Even though your morning alarm has only just gone off, and it only feels like yesterday you were still slapping on your make-up in the dark and leaving the house in twelve woolly jumpers? *throws back curtains* It is the sun! It is! Summer is HERE! Time to whip up a batch of Vitamin D-drenched Sun-Baked Summer Days to relish throughout the season…

  Preparation and cooking time: 3 months

  Makes: Fun in the sun

  Start by turning the temperature up and putting the fan on cool.

  Soak yourself in sun for 1–12 weeks and add a large dollop of time off work.

  Splash in a waft of summer scents – coconut, salt water or the insides of paperbacks.

  Add a clink of ice cubes into your mojito.

  Pair with a summer playlist bursting with happy-making tunes.

  Reduce stress and worries until they’ve evaporated and then fold in plenty of relaxation.

  Whisk in a holiday until happiness and laughter is bubbling over.

  (Check to make sure skin is not burning, and rub in lashings of lotion if so)

  Mix shorts with ka
ftans as the sun dips for casual cosiness during a late afternoon walk on the beach.

  Barbecue all meals, if weather permits. Best enjoyed al fresco with plenty of friends.

  Allow body to rest for long periods overnight, preferably from sunset to sunrise.

  Incorporate ice cream and kissing where possible (too much is advised).

  Method:

  Combine ingredients together over summer months until the temperature has cooled, at which point apply a thick layer of woolly jumpers and endless memories.

  Turn the page for an exclusive extract

  from Mistletoe on 34th Street, Lisa

  Dickenson’s hilarious new novel.

  Available in November 2016!

  3 weeks, 4 days to Christmas

  I grasped around, trying to find something to pull my tired body through the water yet again. So cold, so achy, such conflicting feelings as to whether it would be better to escape this hell or just die under the surface of this mud-churned lake. And I’d paid to do this? In December? I would give anything to be a chestnut roasting by an open fire right now.

  Yes, dying was definitely preferable. Goodbye, world. But then a pair of hands pushed into the squash of my butt cheeks and I was propelled through the sludge, hippo-style.

  Then finally, there was the wooden platform above me. I would live! My thigh muscles remembered they had a job to do and pushed me up out of the mud and into the wintery air, where the noise of a hundred other racers – grunts, groans, cheering, laughing, the odd person crying – filled my ears as the brown lake trickled out of them.

  I wiped the mud from my eyes with an equally muddy arm, and stretched my arm back to pull out Kim, who broke the surface like Ariel the mermaid, whooping and pushing her dark curls out of her face. She slung a tiny bronzed arm around my shoulders and we trudged towards the river bank.