Lola's Lurching Life Ch. 03 - Final

Chapter 19

On Thursday, with Lola hoping dinner with Rudi would be a large step in establishing her late choice of the wine industry as her career, Rudi had been called to the entrance to greet her.

He stared at her.

"What?"

He hesitated before saying, "Although I never see your dripping in jewellery, I had expected you to be wearing your finest dress for this occasion."

"And what occasion is that Rudi? You said you would talk to me about a possible job and I guess that is some sort of occasion. I think of it as the probability of losing my personal independence but then again that could be off-set by the advantages that it brings other than renumeration. I thought jeans and a warm colourful top and my usual sturdy two-colour docksides would be appropriate wear. By the way, I do possess three dresses but only one qualifies as being formal."

Rudi nodded, presumably not waiting to comment in case he offended his guest whom he took by the arm to his table. Presumably, in feeling empowered sitting in his accustomed place, he said, "You can be a really tough bitch."

His guest performed naturally, which was to his expectation.

"Oh, Rudi," she chuckled. "A compliment from you!"

He smiled and said if only he were 10 years younger, and laughed when she scoffed and said he meant 25 years younger.

This time it was a compliment.

Still smiling, he said, "You are one of the few people that I really feel comfortable with, Lola and just between you and me, that small group doesn't include my up-herself wife."

She fluttered her eyelids in surprise, but added no comment.

"Let's get business out of the way before I beckon a wine waitress over, huh?"

"As you wish," Lola said, having never treated him since day one of their friendly relationship in any way but a relaxed manner. and as an employer, if that were to happen, she'd want everything to remain that way.

Although Rudi called himself her mentor, over time on several occasions he'd discussed personal and business matters with her as if she were a more valued listening post and adviser than others around him, and now she expected that included his downgraded wife. Perhaps that was jumping to conclusions.

"The Hills and I signed a sale and purchase agreement for 16 ha (40 acres) of the gentle rolling land against my boundary with their farm. As you will know, it involved big money. Possession is immediate. I'm offering you the job of leading the planning and the development of that land with the new title of Estate Development Manager at $85,000 pa plus a new vehicle of your choice to the value of $30,000."

"You'll work only the hours that the contractor's crew is on site and longer if I need you for inspections and discussions of any type. What do you think?"

"Who will be the contractor?"

"I often use Nick Orsini but..."

"Great, I know him and his family, especially his mother."

"But I don't want you around him or his mother... hell, talk about my wife being stuck up."

"I never have made a comment about your wife like that. Anyway, if you seriously attempted to befriend Maria, you probably will find she is rather okay. At least that's my experience."

"What, you call her a friend."

Iola sighed and said it's was Maria who described her as her youngest friend when introducing her to other people.

"Well, I am more than surprised, Lola. But then again how could I be surprised."

"Thanks for the clarity of such thinking, Rudi. What's more, you don't have to make friends with everyone on this island, as well you know. But I suggest you should be friendly with Maria as she's one of the most powerful persons on this island, especially with women."

"How could I make that happen," Rudi said, slyly.

"Leave it to me. I'd have to explain that I have urged you to be one of her friends because of her standing in the community, okay?"

"Yes, do what you need too, and delicately. But now why would I place you and Nick the ram, in the same room or paddock?"

"I'm fine with him, Rudi, I promise. I believe he only succeeds with women who are weak or women who wish to find if his reputation is as good as it sounds. Nick knows I'm in neither of those categories and that's how it will be unless I change."

"You mean..."

"Women are capable of weakening, Rudi, as are men."

He looked at here wide-eyed.

"Nick's chances with me are close to zilch, Rudi, and he'll knows not to bother. I'm thinking of bringing in your new vineyard. Appoint Nick as the contractor if you wish; I contracted him for my wee vineyard. I also say yes to your offer but would like to hear about perks."

"Ah wine," he said, signalling to a waitress. "Perks specifically applying to you are listed in your contract that I'll give you tonight to go over, perhaps with your legal representative. What perks other executives are entitled to are none of your business. Red or white?"

"Your best red that's available, thanks boss."

"Please don't call me boss. I regard you as my daughter."

"Ah, I wonder why I am not surprised at hearing that?"

He smiled whispering: "Clever bitch."

Lola signed the contract next morning and went across to Auckland by ferry. She'd studied models online and was inspecting a new 2WD Juke that was priced at just under $30,000.

"Like it," smiled the female salesperson.

"Yes, I need it as a workhorse."

"Then it should do you well."

"But I need 4WD."

She was told none would be in stock for several weeks.

"What, you don't even have one. I thought I saw one being driven in as I arrived, a white one."

"Oh sorry, but that's a demonstrator and anyway it's a Jimny compact SUV."

Lola asked to have a test drive in it.

She drove around, on road and off-road, half-terrifying the salesperson who asked, in relief, when they returned to the car-yard, "What do you think?"

Lola said it was fine and she would take it providing it included a roof rack but was told it was unlikely the company would release it.

Lola smiled and presented the woman with her chit for expenditure on a new vehicle to a maximum of $30,000 from the company she was working for and said, "That's my max. Tell you manager if he says no, I'm off to try elsewhere, probably at another Suzuki stockist."

"But we'll be without a demonstrator."

"Suggest that he borrows one to cover the gap until your new stock arrives next week."

"They won't lend out new stock and this is the new model."

"Then tell him to buy a new one at mate's rates from another branch to replace his one."

"Gosh, you really are in business, Lola. What do you do?"

"Supervising the layout of vineyard extensions."

She expected the woman to be complimentary but was disappointed when she gasped, "Oh, is that all?"

Two hours later, Lola drove to the vehicular ferry wharf in her new business vehicle that had just undergone a full pre-delivery check and had a roof rack fitted, pleased that she hadn't accepted company policy that it would not buy in a vehicle from another branch.

When Rudi saw the Jimny Sierra he said, "God, it looks like a stylish tin box on wheels."

Lola agreed but said the interior and performance were far improved on the Jimny of bygone days.

"I bet it will fly up grassed hills leaving you stalled behind me because your vehicle will be unable to make it despite all its expense and smoothness."

"Well, you should have hit me up for more money and buy a make that most of us revere."

"What, for you to break company policy; most unlikely."

He smiled, shaking his head and said, "Use your Little Black Book and call Nick and ask him if he wants the job of prepared for 4 ha of vines in stage one of new development under your management on my behalf."

"May I say where?"

"Of course, this is how I manage my news leaks. If I issue a statement to the media, they may or may not use it. But it they get a tip-off and chase that up, it's invariably treated as big news."

"That's smart thinking Rudi."

He beamed at his new employee.

Lola found Gavin the purchasing office, who she knew slightly, putting the last of three stickers on the side and rear of the Jimny. She yelled, "Get those fucking ugly stickers off my pristine vehicle, Gavin."

His snorted, "This vehicle is crap, really not good enough for company vehicles but I can't break company protocol."

"So, my vehicle is crap, eh?"

"Yeah, that's well known."

Lola told Gavin to jump in or she'd scream for help.

He yelled "Jesus" and opened the door and virtually flung himself inside. He buckled in looked around and said, sounding almost disappointed, that the interior looked much like a regular sedan.

"Yeah, and in some respects, it drives better, especially when working."

"How can a vehicle work," said the know-all accountant.

"When the driver flexes its muscles, that's when."

Instead of heading for the highway, they turned inland and Gavin said, "Ah, we're doing to do a bumpy little spin around the hillock?"

"Something like that," said Lola and when they reached the end of the track and turned up to the perimeter of the vineyard, she engaged four-wheel drive.

Gavin stiffened when he saw they were continuing straight at the high hillock instead of turning to go round it.'

Lola kept driving straight upwards and Gavin became more nervous when the front of the vehicle tilted as the climb became steeper. He didn't yell, but his eyes bulged as the slows grind continued relentlessly until they reached the summit.

"Do you wish to get out for a nervous pee?"

"Um no, but I'll get out to climb down the hill."

"No need for that, Lola said and as Gavin reached for the door handle, she accelerated a short way and then the front of the vehicle dipped and Gavin screamed, "Oh fuck, it's even steeper on this side."

Lola had grown up driving tractors and farm bikes and quad bikes sideways across slopes and was in her element, controlling their straight-line descent well.

"Are we going to die?" he yelled.

"No Gavin, this hill is only a pimple compared with really steep hills where complete flips of the vehicle are possible."

They reached the bottom of the hill and she asked, "What did you think?"

"You are one hell of a driver yet you are female. I'd say you are by far the best person who has ever driven me anywhere."

"Thanks for that, Gavin. What do you think of the Jimny now?"

"My opinion has been forcibly revised," he laughed

"And your pants are dry?"

He said that confidently, he'd come close to wetting himself on the descent.

Before long, Lola acquired the name of Tin Can Lola, because of vehicle she drove. She almost didn't mind. She was pleased that Gavin removed the company stickers and had a signwriter in to professionally paint the name of the company midway down both doors of the vehicle.

Lola called on Ernie and Glenys Hills and she said she now worked for Rudi and would be in charge of the development of the 40-acre purchase, in stages.

Ernie asked cautiously, "What do you think about the price we got?"

"I have no idea what Rudi agreed to. He's remained tight-lipped about that and told me is was part of his agreement with you, the sellers."

Ernie nodded approvingly and said, "Come on, Glenys and I will walk you over that section of land as there are some things to point out.

During the walk-over, Lola learned where two underground drains were laid to disperse water flow around from two areas that would considered land-slip areas 40-something years earlier and the approximate areas where two tree stumps had been blasted and big pieces had been buried but not deeply and would be pinpointed by systematic probing.

She went inside for afternoon tea and saw a beautiful painting of flowers.

"Did you paint that, Glenys?"

"Yes," she said. "It was one of my last because arthritis became s permanent resident in two fingers that are crucial for brushwork control.

"Do you have any paintings that didn't sell?"

"Yes two that I withdraw them from sale earlier than when I stopped painting. One of flowers and one is a portrait of a friend in her mother's rose garden when the friend was twenty-six painted in her colour of her recall from a black and white photograph she had kept."

"Come, I'll show you them while Ernie makes the coffee."

The flowers hanging down from an elevated bowl was an attractive painting but Lola really only had eyes for the romantic rose garden scene.

"Omigod."

Glenys said knowingly, "I thought you might be attracted to that, something that reminds you of one of your grandmothers perhaps?"

"Absolutely, my maternal grandmother, and it does look like her just a little."

"Elsie would have been 53 when I painted that, two years after she was killed in a vehicle accident when their car hit a bridge abutment in fog in England. You may have it."

"Oh, I couldn't accept it without paying for it, Glenys. What value..."

"Please take it and in return do something for our family. Do your best to persuade Mr Nevada to call the vineyard on land purchased from us as the Hills Vineyard. It won't matter if you fail, but at least we'll know your tried."

"All of his other divisions of vineyards have European names that are part of his late father's legacy. The purchase of our land is the largest single purchase that Classic Hills has made by far, and our rolling hills are real hills."

"I'll do my best, Glenys. May I ask, if Rudi rejects that name may I suggest to him that an acceptable compromise might be the Rolling Hills Vineyard. At least that incorporates the Hills name in perpetuity."

"Oh, yes and present it just as you did just then because I rather like the compromise. But I think I should ask Ernie what he thinks."

"Ernie, I've given that painting of my friend Elsie to Lola because she loves roses."

One could have heard a pin drop, until Ernie finished pouring his wife's cup of coffee.

"Its's your painting, do what you like with it. It's been in that cupboard long enough and anyway I think one painting of flowers per house anywhere is almost one too many. Boats in high seas are my preference to be hanging on the walls of my home and photos of mountains and fat sows with piglets would be my next favourites."

The two females rolled their eyes and Glenys whispered, "He's joking I think."

"I took the opportunity to ask Lola would she kindly ask Rudi to consider giving his new acquisitions for vineyards its distinctive name of Hills Vineyard but she thought that would go down like a lead balloon, presumable because that suggested that vineyard was owned by the Hills family."

"Yeah, the names of his collection of individual vineyards are named after localities in Europe, not the names of the sellers of those land parcels."

"Right, and then Lola suggested a compromise to put to Rudi, which is the Rolling Hills Vineyard and she said it at least incorporates the name Hills. What do you think?"

"Yeah, he might take that on a good day after he's shed his hangover and his belly rumbling."

"Then should I talk to Rudi about naming of the vineyard?"

"Yeah, great idea and why not put the names to him in the order you just presented them. The Rolling Hills moniker is a true description of its physical form of its future developing terri... terro.."

"Terroir" said Lola, helpfully.

"Thanks, Iola. I was attempting to sound authoritative."

She replied the French word, when used these days, was used rather more loosely than in its distant European past.

Back at Classic Hills Vineyard and Winery, Lola showed the painting to Rudi to emphasise it was a personal gift from Glenys Hills to hang in Lola's newly renovated cottage now complete.

"Ah, renovation of that cottage is completed, and not before time. I used to sometimes go there for poker games. As you will have seen, I prefer photos of famous racing cars in action on my walls and paintings of famous footballers."

"And your ancestral family home in Italty."

"Ah, good girl, you noticed."

"Yes, and no doubt you keep full-frontal photos of lush babes pinned inside your double cupboards here in your office and at home in your dressing room."

"How the hell..."

"That was just a wild guess."

Rudi said, "You may tell Glenys that I will give thought to her suggestion to call the new vineyard on their former land the Rolling Hills Vineyard as I rather like the thought of naming a vineyard after nature of the site. I will bring it up at the weekly Friday morning management conference when your regular present will be expected."

"I will introduce you to everyone, then will announce the purchase of Rolling Hills and immediate start on its staged development, beginning with 4 ha of vines after preliminary work, and then I'll described your role in the company and then invite you to report on the results of your walk-over of Rolling Hills with its previous owners, Ernie and Glenys Hill. I saw you walking over the land with them a couple of hours ago".

"Indeed, and it was worthwhile as Ernie showed me the location of two deep drains that carry away overflow from two springs in one of the hillsides. We'll need to get those spring flows measured over a year, preferably two, and assess their usefulness for the flow to be dumped to holding tanks on the nearest hilltop and used to eventfully irrigate the entire 16 ha block or even only a sizeable portion of it."

"The remains of two huge dead trees are buried not far below surface and Ernie suggested use a steel probe to pin point them. I'll have the contractor, presumably Nick, to have them dug out with a mechanical digger. They may be too rotted to be useful for firewood."

"Well, that visit was useful besides picking up a painting," Rudi said. "Good progress from your first day working for me. Oh, one thing I must say, you should no longer lunch or dine with me in the restaurant, unless by special invitation, as you now work for me."

"As you wish."

"Is that sour grapes?"

"No Rudi, it means must as it said: as you wish. You call the shots around here and I accept that.

"I still would like to know..."

"I'm off to find the staff café. Who writes up goods and services and other supply contracts?"

"Milly Walsh, whose office is in the engineering, development, maintenance and supplies section of general administration. That section occupies most of the second floor of the admin building."

"Good, I check to see if she's had lunch. I need to work with her on the contract for initial development of the first 4 ha of Rolling Hills. We can use the general contract form but with amendments I need to make for exposing those two buried drains to check their conditions and the exposing and the two buried trees and their disposal."

"Iona, I always draft the large contracts."

"Okay, you do it. I'll just twiddle my thumbs and sulk that a significant part of my responsibility has been stripped from me by the boss."

"On second thoughts Lola, you draft the contract with Milly and all future contracts for vineyard developments including replantings, and have them referred to me."

"Thanks, Rudi," she said cheerfully. "I suggest you call Milly now and say I'm on my way and perhaps suggest if she's already had lunch to accompany me to the café for coffee and while she's at it, to give me a total tour of all admin facilities."

"Good idea. I have forgotten to arrange for you to be taken on a tour of our entire little empire."

Chapter 20

Almost two months after signing on as a manager at Classsic Hills Vineyards and Winery, Lola had been in charge of developing 4 ha (10 acres) of the recently purchased 16 ha slice of the adjoining Hills farm, with the subdivision now designated the Rolling Hills Vineyard for ID purposes.

Some of the now seven vineyards under Rudi's supervision were quite flat and others were undulating with the newest addition being the steepest of them all, geographically known as gently rolling hills.