In the Vineyard Ch. 12

Miles grasped her still upright body and pulled it down. She gratefully snuggled back up against him.

"Ana, my love," he murmured to her. "You have a decision."

"What is it?" she said, clinging close to his chest. She felt like she could sleep like this for hours.

"We, at least I, need to be at the winery around eight."

Ana was momentarily annoyed at how awake Miles sounded. And, how business like.

"Hour drive, leave at seven," she said, matter of fact like.

"Ana, sweet," his voice was insistent. "It's Monday. Traffic is always worse on Monday. The question is, do you want to arrive at eight, like we tell the pickers, or arrive before?"

Ana breathed deeply. "Who cares what the pickers think?"

"Ana, darling. One of the first pickers to arrive is usually Chester. Uncle Chester, I mean."

Ana started waking. She sat up to see Miles looking at her with amusement.

"Ana. It isn't that serious. We can get there at a quarter to eight, and beat everyone. I don't know how long it takes you to get ready." He grabbed her around the middle and pulled her back on the bed. "But, we should start the day out right, shouldn't we?"

Ana responded by kissing Miles.

"Six twenty to be safe, six thirty to be on time, " Miles said.

"So we do have an extra minute."

They kissed, rolling this way and that. Ana could sense the restlessness and was reminded of when Miles was embracing her yesterday morning, in front of Cassy Combs. "Miles," she said. "You decide when to leave."

She wasn't surprised when Miles gave her one last deep kiss, then pulled away. "Ok if I shower? I have to pick up Jack later this morning."

Ana remembered. "Go ahead. There should be spare towels in the bathroom. Coffee?"

"Please," Miles said as he walked through the door to the bathroom. He looked back at her on the bed. "Ana?" he stopped. "I don't want to tell you what to do, but..."

"What, Miles?"

"Pass on a shower now and take one this afternoon, I mean at my place. Just pack some things." He looked at her to see her reaction.

"As long as you don't think I smell bad, or anything," she said, laughing. "That was quite a romp we had last night."

"That's exactly right. And you will have the odor of our sex on you the whole time this morning. From your mouth, from your crotch and from your fanny. Not that people can smell it, they can't, but they can sense it. They can detect your hormones, our hormones."

Ana had a shower yesterday, and it would save them time. She could tell he was in a hurry to leave, so she agreed to skip the rinse off.

"Pack a lot of underwear," he said with a smile. He looked at her with an unusual expression. "If you like, bring something nice for this afternoon. I'm free late in the afternoon."

Ana blushed and was glad when Miles went into the bathroom and started his shower. She did own some erotic underwear - purchase on a whim years ago. Ana quickly gathered some things - the white and black erotic set with stockings to match, jeans, several pairs of panties and bras, a cotton skirt, one dress, a sweater and various tops. She stared at her shoe collection - did she really own that many pairs of shoes - then settled on two pairs, comfortable mid heels that would work with jeans or dressier clothes, and a pair of short black dress boots. The coffee pot was just finishing its cycle as Miles emerged from the shower. Ana went to the kitchen, poured two cups, added milk and carried them back into the bedroom.

Miles was nude in Ana's bedroom, waiting for her. He took the coffee from Ana, thanking her, and he took a large swallow. His notebook computer was open on the dresser, displaying a database program. Seeing Ana look at it, he said, "I'm just adding up what's left. To divide the picking days out evenly. Looks like Merlot, and some odds and ends today." He closed out the program, then turned the computer off. Turning around, he eyed Ana appreciatively.

"I wouldn't mind it if you stayed like that all day." She was wearing the green silk robe and nothing else. "Especially when you bend forward like that," he said, bending down himself to get a better look inside the robe.

Ana giggled. "I thought we had to go."

"We'll leave soon enough. Take off the robe." Ana removed the robe and tossed it on her bed. She and Miles were now each nude.

"Kneel down, Mrs. Romano."

Ana didn't like being called that. As she went to her knees, Miles pulled her face toward his privates. He was ready for her. Ana smelled the scent of the shower soap on his organ. She took him as far into her mouth as she could, still hoping to show Miles her skills at oral sex. She felt him grow huge in her mouth. And this time, surprisingly, it worked. As Ana sucked and squeezed Miles, he began to climax. Miles withdrew his penis, and started to ejaculate onto Ana's face. Then Miles pushed Ana back and finished his climax onto her breasts.

"Rub it in Ana," Miles said, as Ana ran her tongue around her lips. Ana rubbed his semen onto her neck and breasts with her hands and then sucked her fingers. Miles looked at the clock, confident that Ana would carry his scent all day. Six twenty. He shook his head. "Duty calls, my love. I'll leave you to dress. Your things are in there?" He pointed to a large duffle.

She nodded. "It looks like I'm over packing, doesn't it?"

"I'm not worried. The more you move to my place, the more likely you are to stay." He came close and put his arms around her. "Not that I mind staying over here." He sniffed. "You smell nice, even without a shower." He unwrapped his arms and picked up the bag. "Its chillier today. Dress warm. And Ana, you will put this on."

Miles went to his own belongings and produced a dog collar, a bright blue collar one inch in width, complete with a belt buckle and a strap hook. "Lean forward," Miles said, and as Ana did he tightened the collar around her neck. 'Too tight?" Miles tested the tension. "A good fit, Ana. You are to wear the collar until I remove it. Now get dressed, but no bra or underpants."

Ana pulled on some loose fitting jeans. She found a long sleeved cotton tee, and pulled a green flannel shirt on over it. She was lacing up her work boots when Miles came back into her room.

"Just let me get my coat." Ana pulled her hair back and, picking up the coffee cup, went back down the hall. Stopping at the closet, she took out her work coat. She checked the pocket - the clippers were still there. Grabbing a hat and sunglasses, she double checked the front door - still locked. She turned off the coffee pot, and went to the garage. Miles followed. He already had the car keys, and raised the garage door.

As the door lifted, Ana looked out, nervously. What if Greg was out there watching? She remembered his phone message, and the word 'Goodbye'. He had said that he would leave her alone. But there was also that warning about Miles. Would Greg think it was alright to interfere if Miles was involved? Or maybe Greg had stopped caring. Would Miles be as fun if there was no Greg?

But no sign of his car. No sign of Greg anywhere. And no calls. The thought appeared to Ana, for the first time, that her sexual involvement with Miles gave Greg the excuse he needed to find someone else. Greg's remarks, about women with 'the whole package', hung in her mind. Ana had lost it, her job, her income, her future. All she had were the things Greg had given her, and she maybe didn't even own them. She stood, wearing a dog collar that Miles had tightened around her neck, and watched Miles back her car out and down the driveway. Six thirty five.

"Lets see what kind of time we make."

Traffic was, as he feared, horrible that morning. They hit the first snafu even before getting on the highway - an accident on the on ramp itself, involving three cars. No one appeared hurt, but one car sat, disabled, in the center of the ramp.

"Is it worth trying to go around?" Miles asked Ana.

She shook her head. "Not if we're this close." They were only a few cars back and large numbers of cars were going the other way. "By the time you get turned around, plus go the five or so miles to get to the next exit, well, it's usually not worth it. There are about ten busy intersections between here and there."

Miles nodded and put the car in neutral. "Patience is a virtue," he said. "Or, is it, no time like the present." He leaned over and took Ana's face in his hands. He started to kiss her, slowly, deliberately, then took one hand and rubbed her jeans between her legs. "I almost hope it takes a long time to get that car out of the way," he murmured, then resumed the kiss. But, within a couple of minutes, horns were honking, traffic resumed moving. "Ok, ok," said Miles, addressing the honking horn behind him. There was now a space between them and the cars in front. He put the car in gear, waving his hand up to acknowledge the driver behind, and drove forward onto the freeway. Ana had tuned the radio to National Public Radio, and listened intently to the news. She had also grabbed the morning paper, and was glancing through it.

"You notice something odd?" Miles asked her.

"What do you mean?" They drove along in dense, almost bumper to bumper traffic, moving just below the speed limit.

"Everyone else is alone," he said.

"Alone?" she asked, puzzled.

"In their cars. Look around. We're about the only people sharing a ride. And, I bet a lot of these people go the same direction at the same time, day after day."

Ana agreed. "One thing I don't miss about work - driving in or out during rush hour. I was lucky a lot of the time that I traveled, so I drove during off hours."

"I never cared that much for the big city," Miles said. "That's why, after college, I went back home to work. And, now, it's really like living in the country. Especially during the summer, when most of the population of Creekboro, the students, I mean, are gone."

Ana was curious. "Where do you want to build your own winery?" she asked.

"That's a good question," Miles replied. "I've done a little scouting around, but haven't settled on a place. I'm looking for the right mix - leaning toward the south, near a body of water. The climate I am looking for will need to be warmer, and more grape friendly."

"But, most of the wineries I know about here are north, toward the lake. Markko, Harpersfield, " Ana said.

Miles nodded. The traffic was breaking down as they got further from the city.

"The climate is warmer there, too. Because of the lake. But, as you said, most of the wineries are there. Too much competition - and lots of them are doing stuff like we do, entertainment, steak dinners, receptions, some even have their own rooms or bed and breakfasts. I'd like to find a place with lots of people - being close to the college has been good for us - but not a lot to do. And, the property itself has to be just right. A south facing slope - room to develop and grow, and I need to find land that is in an established wine growing region. Some place that already has the respect of the world, so that I don't need to spend years earning that respect. One of my plans for this winter is to continue the search. Once growing season is over, and we get the grafts covered, it's pretty much inside work, just monitoring and working with the wines themselves. " He looked at Ana. "I'd like your input. I hope we can do some looking together."

They were getting close to the winery. Miles pulled the car off the highway. Seven forty-five. "That traffic cost us." They pulled up to the winery within minutes and got out of Ana's car.

Uncle Chester and Jimmy were waiting there sitting at a table. A couple of figures stood up on the deck. Miles waved. He stopped beside Ana, and picked up her hand. She looked up at him with a questioning gaze. No one seemed to notice the dog collar around Ana's neck, at least no one said anything. Ana supposed her coat covered it up.

"Everything's fine," said Miles in response to Ana's gaze. "I'm going to go up and talk to those guys," he gestured to the growing number of men on the deck. "I'll be right back." He gave Ana a quick kiss on the check.

"Don't forget, I'm going after Jack this morning," he said to Jimmy.

"Why do you think I showed up this early? For my health?" Jimmy sighed. "Ah, the pressures of management."

"Do me a favor, Jimmy. You can also take my place when I meet with Todd later today."

"I don't think I'm ready to be promoted that far!" Jimmy laughed. Miles laughed too, and went around the corner toward the stairs.

Miles addressed the group. "Thanks for coming. This should be the almost next to last day this year. Plan for tomorrow and either Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather. Today, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and some other odds and ends." He looked toward Chester. "Nebbiolo, for one individual."

"Don't think you'll get off that easy," Chester yelled back, good naturedly. Miles smiled at him.

"As some of you know," Miles motioned toward Jimmy, "Master Beaumont here is in charge for a few hours while I run a necessary errand. You can count on him to be as fair and exacting a boss as I myself am."

Jimmy bowed to the crowd in general. They responded with smart aleck comments.

"If he's the boss, I quit!"

"We want a raise!"

"We want better lunches!"

At the last taunt, Jimmy looked up. "I just may be able to help you there," he said, his eyes sparkling. He looked at Miles and winked. "I just might be able to win over their stomachs, if not their hearts!"

Miles smiled back. "Let Jimmy know if you need anything. Remember, picker appreciation day will be this Sunday. Plenty of food and wine for all. Thanks for the beginning of the end of a great season!"

The group started to melt away, going toward the shed entrance to pick up their clippers. Ana, uncertain, started to follow the group, staying close to Uncle Chester. She didn't know what to expect from Miles. She was relieved when he ran after them, stopping the two of them.

"I have to get Jack." Chester was standing close. He was curious to see how they acted with each other.

"Will you be OK?" he asked. "You can come with me, if you want."

"Miles," she chided him. "I thought you needed me to do some work here."

"Well, I do," he was sheepish. "I really do need you to help here. But, I don't want to desert you."

"You'll be back. You're not deserting me."

Miles was aware that Chester was watching the exchange. He glanced at him as he said, "I'll miss you. How about a goodbye kiss?"

He didn't wait for her response. Nor did he look at Chester. This is the woman I love, damn it. Forget about everything else. Miles put his arms around her, pulling her close to him. He started to kiss her, and she responded.

After several minutes, Miles and Ana ended their embrace.

"I do have to go, sweet. Old man Jack will be mad if I'm late."

"Be careful, Miles."

"I'll be fine. I'm driving Jimmy's wagon. Jack can't step up into the truck easily. But, I'll be back this afternoon. I'll see you then," he said, winking as he left. Ana went on toward the vines, with a feeling of happiness like she'd rarely known.

Miles drive to Mount Union hospital was fast and easy. Miles took the highway all the way, and drove just above the speed limit. He was in a hurry to pick Jack up and to get back. He arrived at Mount Union Hospital just before ten. He parked in the short term lot, then went inside. The receptionist, an efficient and attractive young woman with frosted blond hair said, "May I help you?"

"I'm here to pick up a patient. Jack Formby."

She nodded and pushed some buttons on the computer. "He's on his way down now."

"Great!" said Miles. He was glad to be able to get out quickly.

Within minutes, the elevator opened, and a wheelchair containing Jack emerged, pushed by a nurse. Jack spotted Miles almost immediately, and called out.

"You didn't bring your goddamned truck, I hope," he yelled.

"No, old man. I brought Jimmy's wagon. " He added. "How stupid do you think I am?"

Jack was pushed closer - almost up to where Miles was. "Where's your young lady?"

"At the winery. Picking grapes."

Jack laughed his raspy laugh that turned into a cough. "I wouldn't leave her alone, if I was you. She's a looker" he grinned a Miles, "as I once said."

"Jack, can you not ride me for a change? Look, I came all the way here to take you home. He's fine, I assume," Miles addressed the nurse pushing the wheelchair.

She nodded. "Oh, yes. In fact, some of the nursing staff were complaining," she looked back at Jack, who was smiling broadly. "Mr. Formby has a couple of bumps and bruises, nothing more." She pushed the wheel chair around so the handles were close to Miles. "Mr. Formby is officially released. Goodbye, Mr. Formby," she said.

"Goodbye, beautiful," he responded. The nurse flushed and turned away. Miles pushed the wheel chair out the door. He parked it just outside the exit.

"I'll bring the car up, " he said. He left the parking lot after paying a fee, and pulled the car close to the door. Jack was still sitting there in the wheelchair, but his head was sagging. Asleep already, Miles thought. Leaving the car running, he got out and walked around toward Jack. Miles was surprised to see him looking alert, his eyes darting about.

"Get a move on! We've got things to do!"

Miles frowned. "Jack, I have to get back. What things?"

"Help me get in the car," he said. Jack stood tentatively, then started toward the car on his own. Miles jumped in front of him and opened the door. Jack got inside and sat. He fastened his seatbelt. Miles got back into the driver's side. Jack looked as healthy as he could remember lately, he thought. Maybe getting out of the house, even the trip to the hospital had done him good.

"I'm taking you home, right," Miles said, to reiterate that he hadn't planned to spend the day driving Jack around. Just then, Miles cell phone rang.

"Hello," he said. A female voice on the other end. It took a minute to register. "Tessa. You're calling with some information. " Miles listened for a minute. "Wait. I need something to write on. Hold on, please." Miles looked up as Jack thrust a pad of paper and a pen toward him. "Thanks," Miles said, brusquely. Jack must be happy with this call, he thought.

"Go ahead. No, please spell that. Via Beliena 41, Aquileia, Italia. Phone number? 0431919700. The Ca' Tullio winery. A good hour plus east of Venice? He wrote down the series of digits. "Email, too, yes, I'm getting it. This is current?" He listened. "And they have producing vineyard acreage for lease? Great. Thank you so much." He clicked off.

"You called the girl?" asked Jack.

"No, in fact, it was the strangest thing." Miles was looking closely at Jack. "We ran into her yesterday after leaving your place." Miles was thoughtful. "Isn't it the strangest coincidence, me meeting up with Tessa? And, of course, you knew how to get in touch with her. I couldn't believe that she recognized me - I barely recognized her, but I know that I don't look anything like I did years ago."

"Call it luck, then, Miles. Call it fate, providence, whatever."

"Jack, you old..."

"Miles. Please don't hurt the feelings of a dying man."

"I don't believe you're dying. And, I can't believe that you set me up like that. How could you?"

"Miles, Miles. I had a fear that you wouldn't actually follow through and make the call. I did tell you everything I knew, even that she was living close. I just ....nudged you a little. Nudged you along, if you like..."

"OK, Jack," Miles was resigned. "Where do you want me to drive you?