by Janet Albert
Although Juliet's physical attributes were not essential to the job and they hadn't influenced Lucia's decision, at least not consciously, the fact remained that Juliet was easy on the eyes. Her femininity was understated, a trait that Lucia had always favored. She was pretty in a youthful way and Lucia liked the splatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose. It made her look as if someone had flicked a wet paint brush at her. And then there was something about the way Juliet's strawberry-blond hair fell around her face in barely tamed waves.
Juliet suddenly stopped walking and pointed to a different building than the one they were headed toward. "What's that over there?"
"That's our restaurant. We just opened it."
"You have a restaurant? That's wonderful!"
Lucia's laugh was subdued. "We think so. It's nice isn't it?"
"Very. What wood is it made of?"
"Rough cut natural cedar planks." The exterior of the building had the appearance of weathered wood and yet it was unmistakably new. Lucia remembered telling the architect that she wanted it to blend in with the landscape and complement the overall look of the other winery buildings. The design idea was based on one of the winery restaurants she and Devin had dined at years ago during a vacation in the Napa Valley. Thankfully, she heard Juliet speaking before her mind took her back to that vacation.
"Could we walk over there and take a closer look?"
"Why not?" Lucia led the way to the front of the restaurant. She hadn't planned to include this in the tour because she knew she would have to answer questions when Juliet noticed the name of the restaurant.
At the front of the building, Juliet stared up at the carved wooden sign hung over the entrance, the sign that read, Devin's Lakeside Bistro. "Who is Devin?"
Lucia's instincts told her to come up with something plausible, something other than the truth. Then she realized that was a bad plan. If Juliet worked for her, she'd find out about Devin sooner or later. Although she didn't have to reveal much, what she did say ought to be the truth. Lucia tried to keep her voice even as she answered Juliet's question. "Devin was someone who meant a great deal to me and I built this café in her memory. She was killed in a car accident a couple of years ago."
"Oh, dear," Juliet said. "I'm so sorry."
"It happened a long time ago," Lucia said. Devin would have loved the restaurant as much as she would have loved living in the Finger Lakes area again. And even though they'd never talked about owning a winery, Lucia knew that Devin would have loved that just as much. An overpowering, physically painful feeling of loss and despair cut through Lucia so quickly it almost made her knees buckle.
"Are you all right?" Juliet asked. "You seem upset."
"I'm fine. Would you like to see the inside?"
"If we have the time."
"We have time for a quick look." Lucia climbed the steps and unlocked the double doors. She continued into the main dining area, an expansive room with a vaulted ceiling made of natural wood beams. She noted that Juliet's eyes were immediately drawn to the immense floor to ceiling stone fireplace that occupied the entire back wall. "I know. The fireplace makes quite a statement."
"It's enormous!" Juliet spun around as she scanned the room. "And the view from these windows is breathtaking."
"I'd be perfectly content to look out at this scenery all day every day for the rest of my life," Lucia said. She felt her eyes tear up with emotion. Her words spoken out loud had made her own the fact that she would be in this place for the rest of her life, the only unknown factor being the quality of that life. Would it persist on and on, one hollow day piled upon the previous one, an existence rather than a life, an existence without comfort, peace, happiness, and love?
"I feel the same way." Once again Juliet broke into Lucia's thoughts.
Lucia turned away and dabbed at her eyes. She had better move this tour along and get out of the café before Juliet noticed how emotional she had become. With Juliet in tow, she showed her the rest of the inside areas and then took her outside so she could see the awning-covered decks for outdoor dining.
Juliet spent a minute or two taking in the scenery before her. "This is beautiful. Who wouldn't enjoy eating out here? I can only think of one or two winery restaurants that are this close to the lake and have views as spectacular as yours."
Lucia leaned against the railing and smiled. How could she not feel better while she was in the presence of such an upbeat person? "Why don't we go see the winemaking building now? I'm sure you can't wait to see it."
WHEN JULIET ENTERED the lab, she gasped out loud and covered her mouth with her hand. Leaving Lucia in the doorway, she flitted from one place to another caressing the stainless steel counters, touching a beaker here, a test tube there and tracing the tips of her fingers over the top of every piece of lab equipment within her reach. In the recesses of her busily engaged mind she saw her behavior from Lucia's eyes and wondered what Lucia thought of her.
"I never expected this," Juliet said once she settled in one spot.
"It's completely climate controlled."
"I couldn't ask for a better lab." Juliet faced Lucia, who appeared fascinated by her unrestrained gush of excitement. It occurred to Juliet that she might look ridiculous, but she didn't let that dampen her spirits as she inspected everything for a second time. "It's so shiny, so new, and so full of possibilities."
"I'm glad you like it." Lucia waited patiently as if to give Juliet plenty of time to admire the lab before she made her leave it. "Whenever you're ready, I'd like to show you something else."
"I'm ready. Lead the way."
At the far end of the winemaking facility, Lucia opened another door and held it for Juliet. After Juliet entered, Lucia went in behind her.
Juliet found herself in a modern lounge containing a leather sofa, a large chair with an ottoman, a small round table with four chairs and several lockers. Lucia opened a side door and showed her a large changing area. Off of it, another door led to a bathroom with a toilet stall, sink and a walk-in shower. This was getting better and better.
"I'm not used to so much luxury," Juliet said. "I won't have to go outside and walk to another building to use the bathroom and I could shower and change before I go home. You know how dirty this work can be."
"Not first hand, but I figured it out by looking at Luke and the other workers. That's why I had all this put in here. Come on, we have a lot more to see."
Juliet broke away from Lucia as they made their way through the building. She ran over to the DiFrechesci press and Milani crusher/destemmer and stood by them. With her hand she reached out to caress each one in the same way a lover would. "These are the very best you can buy."
Something else caught Juliet's eye and she dashed off again in another direction, this time to see the stainless steel fermentation tanks. They stood in a row, majestically, like a towering metallic Stonehenge. Lucia had scarcely caught up to Juliet when she took off again to get a closer look at the stacks of oak barrels lining one wall of the main storage area. "Are these French oak?" she asked Lucia as she touched one of the barrels.
"All the barrels on that wall are," Lucia confirmed. Then she pointed to the opposite wall. "And we have American oak barrels stacked against that wall."
"I like to experiment with American oak," Juliet said. "And the barrels cost a lot less. Unfortunately, only the French oak imparts the proper flavor to certain types of wines."
"That's why the wines aged in French oak cost so much more."
"You mean that's why they're worth so much more."
"I suppose that's more to the point." After a brief pause, Lucia asked a question. "What do you think of our winery so far?"
"Every winemaker dreams about working in a winery like yours. There'd be no end to what I could accomplish."
"Then you'll take the job?"
"I'd like to talk to Mr. Parisi before I give you an answer." It was all Juliet could do to keep herself from shouting out that she would take the j
ob. She wanted to jump at the chance. Casa Parisi had it all and it excited her that she might be a central part of their future. Nevertheless, she'd have to work with Luke Parisi on a daily basis and she wanted to hear what he had to say.
"I'll take you to him after we finish here and leave you two alone so you can talk to him without me there." Lucia glanced around. "If you needed anything else in the way of equipment or whatever, we could get it for you. I want you to have whatever you need if you decide to work for us."
"Thanks, but honestly, I think you have everything."
"Well then, let me take you to Luke."
JULIET WAS QUIET as she approached Lucia's office about an hour later. Lucia was at her desk staring intently at her computer monitor which prompted Juliet to knock on the door frame before she stepped inside lest she startle her. "It's me."
"Come in and sit down."
"Mr. Parisi and I finished talking."
Lucia stopped what she was doing and focused her attention on Juliet. "I suppose he made you try some of our wines. He's so proud of them."
"He did and you both should be proud. They were excellent. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I think your husband is awfully nice."
"My husband?" Lucia laughed soft and low, but then she got serious again. "Forgive me. I'm not laughing at you. It's just that Luke is not my husband, he's my brother."
"I thought--my mistake." Juliet didn't know what else to say.
"It's my fault. I should have told you he was my brother when I introduced the two of you. I guess I thought you knew, I mean that Carolyn had told you. The three of us grew up in this area and we went to school together."
"Carolyn mentioned him, but she didn't say anything about his relationship to you. I just assumed with the same last name and all--" Juliet felt embarrassed. "You don't look that much alike and I hope I haven't offended you."
"Not at all," Lucia said. "Technically, I own this winery. Luke works for me and he shares in the profits." Lucia sat forward and spread her hands on the desk. "Why don't you sit tight while I go talk to him? I won't be long."
"Take your time. I need to use the ladies' room."
NO MORE THAN ten minutes went by before Lucia came through the door of her office. She sat in her chair and faced Juliet. "We want you to come and work for us. If you need a day or two to think things over, go ahead and do that. I'm not going to bring anyone else in for an interview until I hear from you."
"I don't need any more time. I'd love to work for you."
"Great. That's great." Lucia got out of her chair and shook Juliet's hand as if to seal the deal. "You're our new winemaker. When can you start?"
"Would you mind if I started a week from next Monday? I have to finish out the rest of this week at my current job and then I'd like to take a week off."
"I'll put you on the payroll beginning a week from next Monday, but don't come in until Tuesday. We're closed on Mondays and since it would be your first day it wouldn't make any sense for you to come in. Luke is sometimes here on a Monday if he has to do something, but he may not do that and I may or may not be here."
"What time should I come in on Tuesday?"
"I'll have Luke meet you in the barn around eight o'clock.'
"I'll be there."
"I'm going to have him show you around and help you with whatever you need. It will take you weeks to get familiarized with the winery and the two of you can arrange to do that however you want to."
"That sounds fine," Juliet said.
"Where do you live?"
"I have an apartment in Ithaca. My address is on my résumé."
"Do you live alone or with someone?" Lucia reached for Juliet's résumé and grabbed a pen. "In case there's an emergency or something."
"I live alone except for my cat, Sabrina Star, and I told her never to answer the phone or the door if I'm not at home."
"Cute." Lucia glanced up, briefly. "Do you have any phone numbers in addition to your cell phone?"
"I only have a cell phone. Feel free to call me whenever you need to."
"The same goes for you." Lucia handed her a card. "Here's all our numbers."
"Just so you know, I'll be out of town the week of my vacation."
"Thanks for telling me, but I'm sure I won't need to reach you." Lucia stood up. "I guess we're done for now unless you have any questions."
"None I can think of." Juliet gathered her things.
"I know I speak for Luke when I say we're both overjoyed that you've decided to join us. We'll see you a week from next Tuesday."
"Thank you for choosing me. I can't wait to get started."
"We can't wait until you get started, either, but first enjoy your vacation," Lucia said. She took Juliet's hand in hers and shook it gently. "Let me walk you out."
"No need to. I can find my way."
Juliet left Lucia's office. She didn't know whether she should go over to Luke and say something before she left, so she merely paused to give him a wave when she passed by the tasting bar.
He signaled her to stay where she was and rushed over. "Well? What do you think? Did you come to a decision?"
"Yes I did. Your sister said yes and I said yes."
"Yes!" Luke hissed, pumping his fist.
Chapter Five
TWO DAYS LATER, Lucia's friend Carolyn came to visit her at the winery. Lucia took her on a tour and when that was over, she brought her back to the barn for a wine tasting and light lunch. She had called Carolyn a pitiable two times since moving back from Atlanta, a fact she was deeply ashamed of. Adding to her shame was how she had turned Carolyn down twice, once when Carolyn had offered to meet her for dinner and then again when Carolyn invited her to her home. To her way of thinking it was a shabby way to have treated the woman who had been one of her best friends for so many years.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to invite you here," Lucia said. "I can't tell you how awful I feel about it."
"I understand. You weren't ready."
"It's kind of you to say that," Lucia said, knowing she'd been a coward. She hadn't been able to summon the courage to face someone from her past because of what it might stir up inside of her. "But I'm not sure I can let myself off the hook that easily."
"Why not be good to yourself and give it a try?"
"I will, but I need to get this out. You know what else I feel bad about?"
"You feel bad about enough if you ask me," Carolyn said gently.
"I feel bad that I've never met your partner," Lucia went on, not needing to confirm the truth of Carolyn's comment. "Why don't you bring her here for lunch? I've heard so much about her and I'm anxious to meet her."
"She'd like that." Carolyn let her pleasure show. "And you'd like her."
"Tell me more about her."
"She's beautiful. She's wonderful. And she teaches courses in food and wine pairing, special event planning and catering. She has a web site called Through the Grapevine and she's a regular columnist for several magazines and wine tabloids."
"What's her last name?"
"Richards. Lisa Richards."
"The name sounds familiar. I might have read something by her."
"You probably have. She's written a lot of articles about the wineries."
"I never even asked you how you met her," Lucia said.
"We met at a wine conference. We were both scheduled to speak on the first day and on the second day we were on a panel together." Carolyn's expression changed.
"You're crazy about her, aren't you?" Lucia was no stranger to the feelings that had produced the look on Carolyn's face. She'd never seen her own face whenever she talked lovingly about Devin, but from the way she'd felt inside, it had to have been the same as Carolyn's. Her mind flashed some of the other faces she had shown to Devin, distorted faces, stressed and impatient, faces with glaring eyes and tight lips. Faces she regretted to this day.
"Completely. I was attracted to her from the start and she didn't hide the fact that the feeling was mutual. T
he conference was about to end when it dawned on me that she'd get away if I didn't do something fast, so I asked her out on a date and here we are. She's the love of my life and I was very lucky to have found her."
"I'd know that if I had bothered to keep in touch." Lucia frowned as their eyes met. "I wanted to see you, but I couldn't handle being around anyone from my past. It didn't have a damn thing to do with you, I swear to God."
"I never thought it did and there's no need for you to be sorry, Lucia. Why don't you let it go and why don't we just continue where we left off?"
"Why don't we? I can't change what I've done, but I'll do better, I promise," Lucia replied. "Now, let me get the tray of cheese, crackers and fruit I made earlier. I want you to eat something so you can try a few of our wines."
"This is the most beautiful bar I've seen anywhere around." Carolyn said when Lucia returned with the food. She ran her hands over the glossy wooden surface and then helped herself to a cracker and a piece of cheese. "The top of it is as smooth as glass."
"Almost everything in here is made of rough old barn wood, except for the top of this bar. It's made out of natural cherry and I insisted it be very smooth and polished. "I told the carpenter we couldn't have our customers getting splinters." Lucia ate a wedge of apple and followed it with a cube of cheddar.
"No you certainly can't. No splinters." Carolyn reached for another cracker. "I have to say, Lucia, this is a beautiful winery. I can hardly believe you own it."
"Sometimes I can't believe it myself." Lucia had never thought that the events in her life would ultimately lead her to this place.
"I'm happy for you and I'm happy for myself, for selfish reasons. I like having you back in the area even though I wish it had been due to happier circumstances." Carolyn carefully selected a slice of pear. "Casa Parisi. I like the name."
"It's my home now and I wanted to name it The House of Parisi, only in Italian. The literal translation would have been la casa di Parisi, but I didn't want the name to sound pretentious and I didn't want it to be too hard to remember."