Casa Parisi (12 page)

"I came down to say hello and see how you were doing. Luke told me you've been working very hard." No traces of anger were evident on Lucia's face and it seemed as if her sharp edges were sheathed for the time being. "What are you working on?"

"I just finished the third bottling run of Graceful Light and I'm almost done cleaning up. Would you like to taste it?" Lucia said she would and Juliet led the way to the lab with Lucia behind her. She poured a sample of the pale, golden-tinted wine and handed it to Lucia. "I hope you'll be pleased with it."

Lucia swirled it over her tongue and swallowed it. "This is outstanding, Juliet. It's crisp and fruity with just the right amount of sweetness."

"I blended a seyval blanc with a Niagara. I think it has the best qualities from each wine and good balance. It's delicate and refreshing and yet it has a lush texture and crisp acidity. Were you able to detect the subtle hints of citrus and pineapple?"

"I did taste the citrus, but I can't say I was aware of everything you said. I only know it tasted wonderful. And I love the name." Lucia put her plastic cup down and leaned against the counter. "You're doing so much for us and I'm very pleased with your work. I've been too rough on you since you came here and I'm not proud of that. Specifically, I'm not proud of how I walked away from you when we were talking the other day."

"I shouldn't have upset you," Juliet said.

"The thing is you didn't say anything wrong. It was my problem." Lucia shifted her weight from one foot to the other and held her hands tightly clasped together. "I'm not always this hard to get along with."

"I work for you. You don't need to explain your behavior to me and you don't have to get along with me," Juliet said. "Although I think that would make the situation better for all of us."

"I agree and I want you to feel comfortable here. Thanks to your efforts, this is going to be our best summer so far. Our wine sales are steadily increasing and record numbers of people are coming to the winery. We should bring in four or five times what we made last year and that was exactly what Luke and I wanted."

"I'm only doing what you hired me to do," Juliet said, relieved that Lucia had moved on to a more neutral subject.

"Naturally, it follows that the café business is doing better, too. On weekends they're waiting in line and we might have to consider taking reservations for our brunch." Lucia smiled and paused for a moment. "What else do you have in the works?"

"Tomorrow I'm going to start bottling one of the new red blends, the one we named Blaze. That will give you another moderately priced red."

"The labels came in by the way. They look great."

"I saw one. Luke brought it down this morning."

"That's good. I wanted you to see them." Lucia shifted her gaze around. She seemed uncomfortable and restless.

"I think you'll be pleased with the wine," Juliet said to keep the conversation alive. "It's full-bodied with vanilla overtones and hints of cranberries. It bites your tongue at first and then caresses it. Come down tomorrow and I'll give you a taste."

"I'll do that." Lucia rubbed at a smudge on the counter.

The ensuing period of silence began to make Juliet uneasy. "If you'll excuse me, I'm done for the day and I was planning to go home soon."

"Don't let me stop you." Lucia's voice was almost a whisper.

Juliet didn't know what to do so she started to leave. "Have a good evening."

As she passed by, Lucia grabbed the sleeve of her shirt. "I'd like to go out to dinner this evening and I wondered if you would join me. I don't like going out to eat alone. In fact, I'm tired of eating alone, period."

"I suppose I could. I'm pretty grimy, though, and I didn't bring a change of clothes with me today. I'd have to stop at home to get ready and I would need to check on my cat and feed her. Do you want to come home with me and wait while I do that or would you rather I meet you at the restaurant?"

"Why don't I follow you home and wait so we can go together? I thought we would go to the Moosewood restaurant. Have you ever been there?"

"No, but I've heard about it. It's vegetarian, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm not a vegetarian, but this place is excellent."

"Then I'd be interested in trying it," Juliet said.

"Are you ready to leave now?"

"Just about. I need a few minutes to get my things together."

"I'll meet you in front of the barn in ten minutes."

LUCIA HEARD THE mournful cries of a cat as they approached Juliet's apartment. The instant they went inside they were accosted by a pint-sized white cat who purred like a miniature combustion engine as she rubbed against Juliet's legs. Back and forth she strutted like an authentic feline diva, her back arched, her head held high.

"First she was mad at me for leaving her and now she's happy." Juliet bent over and petted her head. "You're such a drama queen, my little Sabrina Star."

"She's so adorable and tiny. And she's all white except for that one star-shaped black spot on her head. Is that why you call her Sabrina Star?"

"How did you guess?" Juliet asked with a smile. "The vet told me she's genetically a black cat with a huge white spot over her entire body."

"Is it okay if I pet her?"

"Please do. She's very sweet."

Lucia squatted and held her hand out. Sabrina approached cautiously and sniffed it. As Lucia began to rub her head and ears, Sabrina fell to the floor and exposed her belly. Lucia rubbed it gently. "I've always liked cats, but I've never had one."

"Why not?"

Lucia stood and shrugged her shoulders. "I never got around to it."

"Do you like dogs?"

"I do, very much. When we were young, Luke and I had a mutt our parents got for us from the pound. We named him Brownie because he was brown."

"Very clever name."

"We thought so." Lucia laughed softly. "Brownie got run over by a car and we never got another one. I thought about getting a dog when I grew up, but there never seemed to be room for one in my busy life. I was gone so much it didn't seem fair to have a dog." Lucia was silent as she remembered how Devin had wanted a dog or a cat and how she had always talked her out of it. Now she wished she hadn't.

"You could have a dog now. Your lifestyle is perfect for one."

"I know. I could bring the dog to work so it wouldn't be alone."

"What kind of dog would you want if you got one?"

"I like small dogs like Chihuahuas. I especially like the long haired ones with the fluffy ears, although I also think the short haired ones are nice."

"This is the first pet I've ever had and I've discovered that they're great company if you live alone and they can be comforting. Don't laugh, but I talk to Sabrina a lot."

"Doesn't everyone talk to their pets?" Lucia asked, not expecting an answer. "Where did you get her?" This time she waited for an answer.

"I found her out front in the rain. She kissed my hand with her sandpaper tongue and I fell in love. She was there every day and after four or five days, I couldn't stand to leave her out there anymore."

"She must keep you entertained."

"That's about all she does besides being cute," Juliet said. "Every day when I leave for work I tell her to do the dishes and clean the house before I get home."

"And does she?" Lucia played along.

"When I get home, she's still asleep and nothing is done."

"I thought so," Lucia said. "Would she let me pick her up?"

"Go ahead. She likes to be held."

Lucia picked up Sabrina and pressed her cheek against the cat's head. "She smells like a stuffed animal." Sabrina licked Lucia on the cheek. "She kissed me."

"She likes you and she's finicky about who she likes."

"I'm truly honored." Lucia gave Sabrina a thorough petting around her head and ears before setting her down. Sabrina squeaked and scurried off.

"She's indulged us as long as she's going to and now she wants to be fed. Make yourself comfortable while I take care of that and get myself cleaned up and changed. Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks." Lucia went over to the sofa and picked up a magazine. "I'll sit here and take a look at this. I'll be fine."

"It's a bit warm. I should open the windows for you." Juliet opened both windows in the living room. "I won't be long. Fifteen or twenty minutes at the most."

"Don't hurry. We have all evening." After Juliet left, Lucia sat down. Another warm day had evolved into a cool evening thanks to a fast moving front that had blown through late in the afternoon. The open windows let in some cool air and made the temperature in the living room more comfortable.

Lucia opened the magazine, but before she even read anything she closed it and set it down. She preferred to watch the gossamer curtains sway hypnotically, choreographed by the shifting breeze. They invited her to a place of peacefulness, the kind of peace she'd been yearning for. Resting her head on the back of the sofa, she closed her eyes. "Just let yourself be in this nice place. Just let yourself breathe."

Being around Juliet, being in her space, made Lucia feel good. Juliet had a serenity about her that made Lucia feel grounded and connected to life again. And she was special in so many ways. Why then did she have to clash with her every time they were together? Being mean to Juliet or at odds with her was the last thing Lucia wanted.

Licking her lips, Sabrina came into the room and jumped onto the sofa. After circling a few times, she curled up against Lucia's thigh. Lucia rested her hand on warm vibrating fur and left it there. For the first time since Devin's accident she came close to drifting off to sleep the way she used to when her world was unsullied and carefree.

"I'm ready." Juliet's words preceded her into the living room. Her hair was damp around the edges, her cheeks aglow. She had changed into a pair of faded jeans and a sage-green cotton shirt. "Do I look all right?"

"You look fine." Lucia held back the more accurate answer. Juliet was adorable and fresh, she looked spectacular in a pair of jeans, and the color of the shirt she had chosen to wear was perfect with her hair.

Juliet looked at her cat. "Sabrina looks content next to you."

"She came in after she ate."

"Speaking of eating, I'm really hungry. Do you want to get going?"

Lucia got to her feet. "I'm ready. Let's go."

IT WAS SIX-THIRTY when they entered the Moosewood restaurant. The place was bright and inviting and Juliet absorbed the pleasant ambiance as Lucia approached the hostess's podium. The indoor section of the restaurant was below ground level with large windows above that let in plenty of light. It was full of natural wood and soothing colors. One small group of people mingled near the bar while a few others milled around the waiting area browsing at the restaurant's cookbooks and souvenirs that were displayed on shelves. As far as Juliet could tell, no one else was waiting for a table.

"There aren't many people here tonight," Juliet remarked.

"It's usually not that crowded during the week," Lucia said. "You should see it on a Saturday. It's packed. Sundays are a little better."

"Don't they take reservations?"

"No. On Saturdays you have to get here around five-thirty and stand in line. They put your name on a list and at six p.m. they open the doors and fill the tables."

"What if there aren't enough tables?" Juliet asked.

"You have to wait until people leave. It's only the six o'clock seating that's crowded. If you come later, you usually get seated right away."

When the hostess appeared, she checked her chart and led them to a table underneath a large window. Only three other tables were occupied.

"I'm surprised you've never been here before," Lucia said once they were seated. "The Moosewood's been going strong since the early seventies. It was hailed as one of the most influential restaurants of the last century, a driving force in creative vegetarian cooking. It's very popular with the types of people that live here."

"You mean the all-natural B.O. and Birkenstock types?"

"Yes, I mean them." Lucia's eyes sparkled. "I'm glad you said it."

After a waitress took their drink orders, Lucia and Juliet read the dinner choices on the enormous wall-mounted chalkboard on the opposite wall.

"I think I'll have a cup of the spicy corn chowder for starters and then the mushroom ravioli with the sage cream sauce," Lucia said.

"That sounded good to me, but I think I'm going with the cream of tomato soup and the Tunisian stew on couscous."

The waitress returned with their iced herbal teas and took their order. Juliet held her hands together on the table and focused on Lucia who seemed relaxed for a change, even happy. Lucia's dinner invitation had surprised her and now that she was here alone with Lucia, Juliet felt that familiar pull she always experienced when she was with her, that hard to ignore urge to know more about her. "Do you like to cook?"

"I don't do a lot of cooking. Do you?"

"It's hardly worth it for one person. Sometimes on weekends, I make a pot of chili or some soup for the week, but most of the time I fix myself something easy or get take-out on the way home. Just like you, I don't like going out to eat by myself."

"I never enjoyed going to the movies alone, either," Lucia said. "And that seems silly since you aren't there to interact with anyone."

"But you know they're there and that makes a difference." Juliet let Lucia lead the conversation as much as possible to avoid any potential for conflict. Earlier, when getting dressed, she had made a silent vow that she would keep things casual.

"Have you ever seen the gorge at Watkins Glen?" Lucia asked.

"Surprisingly, I haven't. I've always wanted to."

"Why don't we go there one of these days? We could hike the gorge and have dinner at another of my favorite places." Before Juliet could answer, Lucia quickly added, "Only if you want to, of course. Don't feel obligated to go because I'm your boss."

"I'd love to go with you." These unanticipated gestures of friendship from Lucia, although not unwelcome, produced in Juliet an undercurrent of apprehension. Could she trust her or would the axe fall again when she least expected it? She had agreed to go to dinner because she had no reason not to, but she wondered if they could ever be totally at ease with each other.