In the Vineyard Ch. 05

"Don't be," she said. "That was as much me as you."

"Ana....oh, Ana....If only we had met before" .

He poured a little more of the wine and sat into a chair. He seemed to have forgotten about the food. Ana sliced the cheeses and started to put together a platter of food, listening intently.

"Once upon a time," he began, "there was a young man who came from a nice family. They lived in a small town a couple of hours north of here. The kind of town where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everybody else's business."

"The young man's parents were artists - his father was what you'd call a failed musician, only he never thought of himself as a failure. He played sax, drums and electric bass and he played in bands at parties, weddings, whatever, almost until the day he died. He had such a passion for music that he named his son for his favorite artist." He paused, then looked directly at Ana. "Miles. Miles Davis Delong."

Ana had a flash of memory - M. Davis - where had she heard that? Of course, at the winery, in Miles' office.

"My mother, she made beautiful things from fabric, she wove, and sewed, and knitted, and quilted, she could make anything from fibers you could imagine. The family were fortunate to have inherited money that supported their lifestyles."

"They hoped their only son would choose to pursue an artistic direction. But, he was determined to be different and to make his own living. He loved his parents but he though they were strange. And, he was embarrassed by his name. So, he started to go by his middle name of Davis. His father was hurt, but never really said anything. Anyway, this is the story of Davis." Miles poured a little more wine and took a small swallow.

"Davis was determined to be a success. He did well in high school, he ran cross country, played a little baseball, learned to golf, and graduated near the top of his class. He went to college, majored in business, and was obsessed by the thought of career, money and success. He did everything he could to help him meet his goals. He took summer internships, read business magazines, started to dress the part, even wearing suits and ties while he was still a college student. He carried his books in a briefcase, instead of a book bag." Miles laughed a little to himself. "When he graduated, he was heavily recruited by a local branch of an investment services office. They paid for Davis to complete his MBA." Miles stopped and looked back at her. "I bet you didn't think I ever went to college. Let alone had an MBA."

Ana blushed. "Well, I can say honestly that I thought there was more to you than you showed."

"Fair enough. So, Davis, impatient with making money for other people, decided to take his MBA and start his own business. He hung up his shingle, as they say, and started an investment counseling/financial planning business. He had a lot of family friends who came on board as clients. Things were going well, but it was getting a little hectic. He bought a big house, drove flashy cars, but he didn't want to spend all of his time at the office. So Davis decided he needed help"

"And help showed up one day. She was beautiful." He looked over at Ana, listening intently. "Not nearly as beautiful as you, though," he said, sincerely. Ana felt herself blushing.

"Beautiful, intelligent, and so incredibly likeable that everyone instantly took to her. She had long golden blond hair, hanging down her back. And, she was always happy, quick to laugh, a beautiful melodious laugh that people loved. Emma, Em, soon became a fixture in my, I mean Davis' office and the clients were just as comfortable with her as with Davis. Em had some schooling in accounting and bookkeeping, was just wonderful. She encouraged Davis to get out of the office and market to new clients. Em was always willing to stay late, and, if she thought that Davis was tired, or burnt out, she would insist that he leave. Eventually, Davis lost track of much of the business, but Em was so capable and so well liked that he wasn't that concerned. If he forgot about some detail, or some client, Em was there to prompt him. Davis' father in particular really liked Em." Miles paused. "It didn't seem meaningful at the time, but Davis' mother was always a little hesitant about Em.

"So, there was one week when Em had set Davis up with so many out of town and out of the office appointments that he wasn't in at all. Finally, mid day Friday, Davis had a cancellation and he came back to the office. Em was leaving, surprised to see him. She told him that she had a doctor's appointment and would be right back. Davis was surprised that she would close the office in the middle of the day, it wasn't like her at all, but he didn't say anything, she was in such a hurry to get going.

As soon as Davis walked into the office he knew something was wrong. Drawers were opened, files were gone, papers were astray. He thought he should call the police, but didn't. A part of him couldn't' believe that Em had done anything wrong. He discovered over the following weekend that his personal bank accounts were completely empty. He still thought that Em would come back, that there had been some emergency or misunderstanding, or something. Finally, late on Monday, he called the police who eventually contacted the FBI. Although Em had drained Davis' accounts, he still had his house and cars and a little money he kept for emergencies. Em hadn't taken very much from the clients, just some of the fees collected during the last week, but Davis sold his house to pay back every cent. Most disturbing was Em's other operation. She was running a phony investment club targeted at the very religious. She received hundreds of thousands in cash, maybe more, if you count those who didn't ever come forward to admit they'd been duped. She did this entirely through the mail. She had set up a separate post office box but sometimes she received an overnight delivery. For those, she used the office - the reason for her insistence on staying in the office, and her encouragement that Davis leave."

"As I said, Davis sold his house, and his cars. He moved in with his mom - the family house was large enough for him to have his own area. His father had died, fortunately before all of this happened, since he was close to Em. Davis went into a deep depression. People didn't seem to blame him - after all, he'd paid all of his clients back and helped them find an investment firm to take his place - no, it was their looks of pity he couldn't deal with. Everyone thought he was incompetent, that he didn't know how to run his business. And, they were right!' Davis began to eat and drink too much and gain weight. He didn't leave the house. His mother was concerned - Davis had not been that athletic after college, but he shot a few rounds of golf now and then, and ran occasionally. He began really deteriorating now. He'd even taken to smoking cigars, after being an adamant non smoker all of his life."

"So, Davis mother called several of her friends for help. Jack Formby, an old friend of the family, was most receptive. Jack had been through his own hard times when he was young, and felt the need to return the help he had been given. Plus, he had a business that was becoming too much for him - Creek Valley Winery. And he talked Davis into working at his winery. It wasn't easy to shake Davis out of his depression, but between Jack and his mom, they convinced him that he had to do something now, or he never would. Jack managed to sell Davis on the idea of starting over, reinventing himself. As an added incentive, he offered Davis a percentage of the profits. More importantly, Davis didn't have to be Davis anymore - he could go far away, where people didn't know about him, about Em, about what happened. And he decided he would go, and that he would finally be Miles, as his father had intended. He had already started to change his appearance - growing his hair longer and wearing a mustache. New name, new place to live in, new job, it was like having a second chance."

"Miles went through the most challenging time of his life that winter. Jack moved out of the winery and moved Miles in. There was no heat in the winery other than a small woodstove in the fireplace - we've since put in a propane furnace - so Miles had to cut wood to heat the place. He came close to leaving time after time, but he felt that he owed Jack at least one full year. And, after a lot of backaches, Miles came to enjoy the fact that he was getting in better physical shape than he'd been since high school. He quit drinking, other than wine, quit smoking, and started to watch what he ate. When he had time to eat! Jack showed him how to prune the vines, and Miles started to learn how to run a winery. It was Miles' good fortune that Jimmy showed up one day out of curiosity and decided to stick around and help. Todd wasn't interested and Brandon was just a kid then. So Miles and Jimmy started to turn the place around. They took Jack's little winery and made it into a successful business. And Miles never wanted to look back."

Ana walked toward Miles. She held a platter on which she'd arranged the roasted peppers, dried tomatoes and cheeses. She sat it on her coffee table. Then, she placed her hand on Miles hand. "Its not so bad, after all. So, your assistant took some money. It's not that bad."

Miles squeezed her hand, then withdrew his.

"No, that's not all of it. Em wasn't just my assistant. We were married six months after she came to work for me. And, I'm still married to her, wherever in the world she is!"

Ana let this sink in. She walked back to get some plates and utensils, starting to feel a little sick to her stomach. Married!

Miles continued . "There is still one other thing. When I was still living with my mom, a couple of months after it happened, Em sent me another surprise . A sixteen year old girl in a sports car pulled up in our driveway. Tessa was Em's daughter. She introduced herself - Em had become pregnant when she was in high school. Of course, by this time, the police and FBI had told me more than I wanted to know about Em, a series of marriages, changed names, altered identities, and an ongoing string of scams and con games. So, the idea of a secret daughter - I really shouldn't have been surprised.

Tessa came to the door with an envelope. She said her mother missed me. In the envelope, she said were directions and a plane ticket. The thing that bothered me the most was that Em would ever think that I was that unethical, that I would want to be with her and her stolen money. I never understood why it wasn't enough for her to stay with me, knowing we'd eventually inherit as much as we'd ever need. And, I wasn't doing that badly on my own. I guess for Em, it was all about the game, the challenge of it. " He shook his head. "I sent Tessa away. I considered taking the information to give to the police, but I just didn't want to think about it anymore. And I didn't want to involve or hurt the daughter - it wasn't her fault her mother is a criminal. If they did catch Em, it would be all over the papers up there and I'd be right in the middle of it. I didn't want to put my mom, or myself through any more. So Tessa left, and that was the last I saw of her. Or heard about Em. I promised Jack to leave the past behind when I came here. To the extent that I can, I've kept that promise."

"You said something about other people knowing."

Miles frowned. "Some people thought they needed to know more about me than I wanted to discuss. But, that's not really important now."

Ana was sure he must mean Todd Formby. Maybe even Greg. Maybe that was what Greg was talking about at lunch the other day.

Miles stood up. "You see, Ana, what I've been saying? If we had met back then, before Em, before this happened, I was another version of a Greg. Someone you could take home to your family. But, I can't go back, and I don't want to. I think that, whatever drove me to it, I was meant to be a winemaker. And, I was meant to be Miles."

Ana didn't know what to say. She was trying to digest it all. Miles - married! And, married to a criminal who had fled! Was his secret better or worse than she'd feared? One thing she did know, for certain. She stood beside Miles, and took his hand. She looked up at him.

"Miles, its who you are now that I find so attractive. This Davis, he would have been just another man like every other man in my life, at my work, my parents' friends, or like another Greg. Its your passion for what you do that I find so appealing. I'm sure that Greg in his way, likes what he does, he spends lots of time at it, but I've never seen him absorbed like you get. If you could have seen yourself when you first tasted this wine - Miles, part, a big part, of what I like about you is that you love what you do." She was beginning to think that things might not be so impossible, after all. "Can't you get a divorce?"

"Yes, I can. I just haven't. In a way, I don't want to think about it. In another way, I just I feel like I need to suffer, for being such an idiot. Ana, I did pay everyone back, but it happened, as they say, on my watch. I should never have allowed it to happen." He looked at her. "I've avoided getting too close to a woman. I was afraid that something like this would happen, and then I'd have to live through it again." He turned. It took her a moment to realize he was heading for the door.

"Miles, wait." He turned back. "You said it was my choice. I didn't ask you to leave." She took a deep breath. She could hear her mothers' voice. 'These Prince Charming types aren't always what they seem.' That's right, mother, she said to herself, there is much more to this man than meets the eye. "Miles, I want you to stay. Tonight. And, as long as you like."

He turned back, and she could see a mixture of surprise and reluctance on his face.

"Ana, there's another reason I am afraid to get involved with you. You see, you're the kind of woman I could fall in love with. If we go forward, I can't guarantee that won't happen. And, as you've noticed, I get pretty intense about the things I love." He started to walk back toward her.

She said, "I'm not afraid. Whatever happens, happens."

He took her hand again. This time, he started kissing her fingers, one by one, and putting the tips in his mouth. She felt like she was starting to float. She began to lean toward him. Miles held her against him, and with a sudden movement, he bent down and picked her up. She was caught off guard, and put her arms around his neck. But he had a firm hold of her. He walked toward the hallway, it was the only direction to go other than out the door. He looked through the doorways until he saw the bed. The he crossed the room and laid her lightly on the bed. "Wait here a minute," he said quietly. He went out of the door and came back a minute later. He had taken off his sport coat and carried the wine with the two glasses. He poured a glass for her, she sat up and took it. He sat on the side of the bed, and started to stroke her legs.

"You know, we should eat something. Too much wine, too little food, not a good thing."

Ana nodded. Miles went out of the room again. She had a sudden thought, and opened her closet. She untied the dress and slipped it off. She put on a pale green silk bathrobe over the blue lace underpants she was wearing. She slipped off her shoes. She looked at herself in the mirror and started to run a brush through her hair. Miles came in with the plate of food. He sat it down on her nightstand, and came up behind her. He took her hand with the hairbrush. "No," he whispered in her ear. "I like it messy. " he ran his hands through her hair. She watched him behind her in the mirror, she could see his hands in her hair, then running down her shoulders. She spoke to the image in the mirror.

"I have a man's bathrobe. I wear it in the winter. In the bathroom, in case you want to get more comfortable." Miles kissed the top of her head. He went through the door in the corner leading to the bathroom. She could hear him carefully undressing, and he came back into the bedroom in the green and white striped bathrobe, carrying his carefully folded pants. "Hanger?" he asked.

She nodded and took one out of the closet. He draped the pants over it and placed his shirt on the hanger, buttoning the top button. She was surprised by this neatness, he seemed so relaxed the rest of the time. He saw her watching. "Habit," he said. "Leftover from my suit and tie days." He looked at the night stand. "Food, remember?"

Although Ana wasn't hungry, she forced herself to eat some of the food. She nibbled at a piece of bread, but Miles went for the tray with some enthusiasm. He took a piece of bread, topped it with some cheese, and a piece of roasted pepper. He repeated this a few more times, then finished with a couple of the sun dried tomatoes. He looked at her. "You'll be sorry. " He was smiling broadly. He topped another piece of bread and handed it to her. She took it and was surprised to find it refreshing. The pepper was slightly tart, the cheese soft, and the bread had a pleasant crunch without being too hard.

Miles was enjoying watching Ana eat. Her hands were delicate and she took neat little bites. He wiped his mouth with a tissue. He looked back at her. "Missed one," she said, smiling, and pulled a crumb from his whiskers. He liked that, too, she wasn't embarrassed, or uncomfortable, it was as if they had known each other for a long time.

"Get enough?"

"Mmm," she said. "You?"

"I'm fine." He handed her back her glass of wine and picked his up.

Ana was finding it strange that Miles would stop his seduction for food. But, she didn't mind it. He didn't seem to be any less interested in her, he was just aware enough to know that they shouldn't drink and not eat.

They finished their respective glasses of wine. Miles looked at the bottle. "I'm going to cork what's left and put it in the frig. I want to try it again tomorrow, and take a careful look at it. Do you have anything else I can open?"

Ana thought. "There is a bottle of sparkling, Blanc de blancs or something, out there. I have an ice bucket..."

"I'll find it." He got up. Ana relaxed and lay back on the bed. Miles returned in a couple of minutes, the wine in the ice bucket and two flutes in the pockets of the robe.

"The wine needs a few minutes. Do you think this is cold enough?"

He was holding an ice cube, and ran it along her neck. The sensation was thrilling, the cold ice cube creating a line of chill along her warm flesh. Ana made a little noise.

"That's good," he said. "I guess you're still awake." The ice cube was melted, Miles rubbed his wet and slightly chilled hand inside the front of her robe, underneath her breasts. He leaned up and untied her robe, spreading it open around her body. "Ana, you are so beautiful," he said looking. He got up off the bed and took off the bathrobe he was wearing. She looked over at him. He was turning, opening the sparkling wine. His back and bottom were full of tight muscles, almost the figure of a weight lifter. She heard the pop, and Miles was handing her a flute full of bubbles. She had to cover up a gasp as she realized that he was standing there, nude and ready. He downed his own flute in a gulp, then straddled her in the bed. Miles started with a kiss on the back of each hand, Ana moaned as she felt his tongue. He caressed her arms with his hands, and followed with his mouth. He kissed her shoulders, her neck, and the tops of her breasts. Ana lay as if in a trance. She occasionally let forth a sound, and grasped to hold onto his back. But, he kept moving, and moved down. He worked his mouth all around her legs, along her belly, coming closer, but not quite touching her there. He stopped, and kissed her on the mouth. "What do you call it?" he asked.