Yesterday`s flower - Michelle Tarynne (fun to read TXT) 📗

‘So, once the grapes are harvested, the real work begins. It takes a ton of grapes to produce six- to seven-hundred litres of white wine. With red wines, you get a li le more because you keep the skins. Either way, you’re looking at a lot of grapes! And wine grapes don’t look anything like table grapes. They’re about the size of a pea and very juicy. We use this machine to separate the stems from the fruit, because stems are very bi er and affect the taste of the wine ...’

Erika noticed how Jared met the eyes of the people listening to him. And she was pleased to see it wasn’t only the young beautiful women – and there were quite a few of them. He bent down to acknowledge some of the kids, helped an old man on a Zimmer frame down the corridor, and manoeuvred a short woman to the front so that she could see. At first, she didn’t think Jared had noticed her hovering on the edges of the crowd, but as he described the fermentation process with cultured yeast, he looked directly at her, sending blood flowing straight to her cheeks. Their glances may have only locked for a second, but it was enough to make her wonder what on earth she was doing there.
Jared smiled, then turned.
‘Right, ladies, gentlemen and children, let’s continue on to my favourite place: the

barrel room. You’ll know that most white wines are not stored in barrels, except for chardonnay. All our barrels are imported from France, and we can only use them a maximum of three times. Hopefully that goes a long way in explaining why a bo le of wine is never too expensive ...’

As the group sipped and spat and ticked off their wine orders back upstairs, Erika turned to leave. She hadn’t seen Jared approach, so his hand at her elbow startled her. She jumped, dislodging his hand.
‘Leaving already?’ he asked, pu ing his arm around her to pull her to him.
‘I was just taking a li le break...’ she mu ered.

‘Ah Erika,’ Jared said. ‘You haven’t even had a taste. The Syrah is not to be missed.’ ‘I really should be going,’ she said. ‘I didn’t even know you’d be here.’
‘Good surprise or bad surprise?’ he asked, his eyes burning into her like a laser.
‘I don’t know,’ she said honestly.

Jared grabbed her hand, pulling her behind the bar counter, where he chose her a glass and placed it in front of her. ‘You can’t do a book about a wine family without knowing about the wine,’ he told her. ‘Here. Our Sauvignon Blanc. When we rebranded it, we called it Emily, after our mother. It’s gentle and elegant, like she was, but something determined lurks beneath the surface.’
Erika sipped. ‘I think I know what you mean,’ she said.

‘See, I’m not the Big Bad Wolf.’ Jared grinned mischievously. ‘Unless, of course, you want me to be ...’
‘Not here, Jared,’ Erika said. ‘Please.’

Jared threw his arms out, admi ing defeat, but then he caught the eye of one of his guests and went off to play host again. Erika watched him cha ing to the man, nodding vigorously as they gazed at a wine glass filtering light from the window. So unlike Max, she thought, who seemed so reserved about himself and his capabilities. In contrast, Jared seemed completely without inhibitions. He expected people to like him, and without any apparent effort of his own, they did. She was no exception.

Gradually the tourists trickled away in their li le groups, boxes of wine and souvenirs sold to them through Jared’s easy-going charm, stowed carefully in their boots and onto the coaches. Until it was just the two of them si ing alongside each other at the bar, and Jared was working through the Le Domaine repertoire of wine and anecdotes. He had a way of making her laugh despite her best intentions, a condition that worsened the more wine she tasted …

‘I was thinking about the other night,’ Jared said under his breath as he poured some dessert wine.

‘Were you?’ Erika tried not to meet his eyes, but failed as usual. She was drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain. This, despite knowing that his every action over the last few days told her she should be wary.

Jared leant a li le towards her, his breath against her cheek. ‘It isn’t easy keeping away from you,’ he said softly.
Erika’s face must have given her away.

‘I like a bit of secrecy, but I know that’s my bag, not yours.’ ‘Max,’ Erika said.

I know there’s Max, but I can see the way you look at me.’ ‘And how is that, exactly?’ Erika challenged.
‘Hungrily,’ Jared said.

From anyone else that would have seemed arrogant, but Jared stated it like a simple
fact.
Erika sighed, looking away.

‘There’s nothing wrong with following your instincts,’ Jared said. ‘You’re sexy as hell, and I don’t think you even realise it.’ He put his hand on Erika’s thigh, and it smouldered.
‘I’m not good at this kind of talk,’ Erika whispered.

‘So, let’s not talk. Let’s just see what happens.’ Jared glanced at the tasting room’s entrance. The cars and buses had all left.
‘It’s closing time.’

Erika felt her heart tighten as Jared came closer. He lifted her onto the bar counter, started unbu oning her jeans.
‘Stop me,’ he said. ‘Any time you want ...’

♥

‘Erika? Erika?’

A male voice echoed down the path towards the tasting room. Panting, Erika felt the imprint of Jared’s body on her, inside her. She pushed him away, watching the slow curl of a smile crease his lips. Jared stood up, neatening his clothes. Then he sauntered to the back room to retrieve another bo le of Syrah.

Flushed, Erika slipped back down onto her bar stool, edging her tasting glass towards
her.

‘Erika? You there?’ Max sounded worried. ‘Max,’ she called after a pause, ‘I’m down here.’

He burst through the door. ‘Oh, good,’ he said. ‘Your car’s still here and Prudie didn’t know where you were.’
‘I tried to tell you where I was going, Max, but you were on the phone –’

‘Christ, yes. Underhand bastard has upped his fees for the mobile bo ling units. And he knows he can do it too, with Gerhard’s plant being on the blink for three weeks.’

‘Supply and demand,’ said Jared as he reappeared. ‘I might do the same in his position. He’s probably run ragged.’
‘He’s run ragged because he has lots of work. That’s where profit comes from.’

Jared sat down behind the bar. ‘So you see, Erika. Our business ethics are a li le different. Max keeps me on the straight and narrow.’

Not all the time, Erika thought. ‘Well, I agree with Max if that counts for anything,’ she said.

Jared raised his eyebrows, then laughed uproariously and pulled another glass from under the bar counter. ‘I see I’m outnumbered. We’ll have to agree to disagree. Max, are you joining us for a tipple? You can’t expect Erika to understand the De Villierses until she’s tasted all our wine.’

‘And have you?’ Max addressed Erika as Jared poured the Syrah. ‘Have I what?’
‘Tasted all the De Villiers wine?’

‘Not if I plan on walking back to the house,’ Erika said lightly. She reached out and pa ed Max’s arm. ‘So,’ she said. ‘Did you win the argument?’

Max nodded. ‘I appealed to his humanitarian side,’ he said.
‘And that worked?’ Jared said incredulously. ‘I wouldn’t have thought Mike had a

humanitarian bone in his body.’

‘Oh, he didn’t,’ Max said. ‘Until I mentioned my connection with the Wine Board.’ This only made Jared even more cheerful. ‘Max, my boy, I don’t know what we’d do
without you. So when is he coming?’

‘Tomorrow,’ Max said. ‘At nine o’clock. You did remember to order the extra bo les we needed?’

Jared downed the rest of his wine. ‘I may not be good for much, my brother. But for once I actually did remember to do that.’

Erika thought that their afternoon interlude might have changed Jared’s mind about

going to see Heinrich, but in that she was mistaken. Jared swung out of the house shortly after six, giving Prudence a departing slap on the rear as he passed her in the kitchen. Prudence jumped and squealed, but still watched Jared’s departure with an expression of affection.
Erika was hungry at dinner, and ate quickly in between sipping sparkling water in an

a empt to dull the effects of the afternoon’s wine. But Max picked at his lasagne, forking it around his plate. Their conversation began in fits and starts, until eventually Max put down his fork, pushing his plate away.

‘I don’t think I can do this,’ he said. ‘Do what?’ Erika’s heart sank.

‘I’m not a complete dolt, Erika. I can see that Jared intrigues you. For all I know you’ve already slept with him.’
Erika looked away.

‘Being the good guy really has very li le value, it seems to me,’ Max continued. ‘Perhaps I should have tried to seduce you in Langebaan when I might have had a chance. I was a fool to bring you here – how could I possibly have thought you wouldn’t be

a racted to Jared? I should probably warn you that his a ention span is shorter than a baby’s. When he’s with you, he’s completely with you. And when he’s not, it’s as if you never existed. I can’t tell you how many of his girlfriends I’ve had to comfort while he’s nailing somebody else. And how, when I tell him that, he shrugs and says I should have taken the opportunity ... Distraught woman. Shoulder to cry on. Who knows where it could lead?’

Erika’s mouth dropped.

‘He doesn’t understand how he hurts people. Myself included. I thought there might be some sort of level of trust between brothers. Keep away from Max’s girl. It’s not like he can’t get someone to drop their knickers just by looking at them from across the room. God, I’ve seen a seduction in play. Thirty seconds and he’s left the building, with the pre iest woman at the party. Married. Engaged. But he doesn’t actually give a toss.’ Max turned his knife on the table. ‘I thought with you, maybe it might be different. I love my brother. And I know he loves me. But God, Erika, he knew how I felt about you.’

‘I do care about you, Max,’ Erika said.

‘Oh, come on, Erika. I’m no competition for my li le brother. So, let’s just keep it platonic, which is obviously what you want. But do me a favour. No sneaking. No lying. I just can’t do that. I want to do this book together. Maybe I’m a masochist, but I don’t want to see you go.’
‘I’m not in love with Jared,’ Erika said firmly.

‘No, but you will be. God, even Prudence is in love with him, and she changed his nappies!’
Erika’s eyes filled. ‘You’re giving up on me,’ she said.

‘I’m not. I’m giving you what you want. At least Jared has had the courtesy of pursuing you with a li le secrecy. I’ll tell him we’re not happening. We’re not going to

happen. I haven’t even kissed you, for Christ’s sake. Not that I haven’t wanted to a hundred times.’ Max stood up, pushing back the chair roughly. ‘No guilt, Erika. I know you’re not a cheat.