CABERNET ZIN (Cabernet Zin Wine Country) (30 page)

December

Amanda stood on the steps of Zack’s rented shack, “You could have found a babysitter out here.” The evening temperature cooled as the sun disappeared.

Zack listened to his children playing in the yard with a soccer ball. “The kids know you and trust you – I trust you around the kids. They’ve had so many other changes that it’s helpful to have you here. You might like the warmer weather better as this place gets closer to spring.”

“Are you kidding? Look at this weather. Back home my Mom is still digging out from new snow that came while I flew out here.”

“It might be a stay of a month or two.”

“I’m thinking I could stay longer if I can find my own apartment and a job out here. Soon I can work on my tan,” she spun around in the golden red sunlight arcing across the horizon.

“Yes, you could. You can stay longer too. The kids actually like their bunk beds which leaves that bedroom you’re in open. With the weather changes this spring I’ll bet you can lay out a couple of months earlier than the native Californians.”

Amanda laughed, “That will be fun.” Then she said, “I keyed Nicholas’ car and punctured his front tires before I left.”

“That’s not right.”

“He won’t screw with me again. He was a creep, not only what he did with you but around me too.”

“I agree – a creep.” Zack had a sip of his wine, a recent blend he hadn’t determined how to balance. Just needed a tweak of something and he hoped for his muse. He hoped for Claire.

Zack’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered, “Hello, Harold.” He set his wine down. Not the muse he hoped to hear from. He hit the speaker and dropped the phone to the little side table. He did not feel like crushing it against his ear.

“Zack, we’ve got a big problem with our Mexican supplier and our customer, Azure Motors. I could really use your help. Gus is struggling. Are you available?”

Zack sucked on his wine, and then said, “You know, firing me lead to my divorce.”

“Work never does that.”

“You spend eight to twelve hours a day on work – it is your life, you bleed for it.”

“Zack, what work are you doing now? Can you help for old time’s sake? If not for me, then for Gus?”

“Not now. I’m still wrapping up all the details after the divorce was finalized. The holidays are ahead and your customer’s offices will be closed until the new year anyway. I have my kids now all the time and I am keeping my business going.”

“What business is that?”

“The winery. Traffic is picking up. I just don’t have time. Sorry. Wish I could help at the moment.”

“How about after the first of the year? Budgets will be better again too, so we can pay more regularly and increase your fees.”

“If things work out, sure. I’ll need to be part-time and telecommute, so keep that in mind.”

“Sure, thanks Zack.”

Zack pressed off his phone and returned it to his pocket. He said to Amanda, “They seem to miss me now that I’m gone. I’ll give a call to my friend Juk in Asia after the holidays and help them out.” He watched Noah kick the soccer ball to Grace. Amanda saw the scowl on his face. Then he said, “Maybe I should just call Juk now.” His retrieved his phone, noted the time zone differences, and dialed Juk. “Hey, the guys in Mexico are running into a problem on timing and the scrap level off their production-intent die is way too high. … Yes, that’s it. … Run that test again but increase the test load by twenty percent. Yes. Drop the frequency by a hundred hertz. … Yes, that radius is the concern. … See, you know where I’m taking the changes. Have a good day, Juk. Yep, Thanks.”

Amanda asked, “So what was the problem?”

“The usual. They set the test up incorrectly, loads were too low, and the design performed fine in the beginning. Now they can’t understand why the design breaks under the customer’s test cycle. The changes I suggested to Juk will force failures earlier so they can iterate the design cycle and get to production with parts that more than pass the intended customer requirements.”

“That’s pretty amazing you worked through the problem like that.”

“That’s what a few years of industry experience teaches. I saw that part sitting on Gus’ desk the day they fired me. The bend radius was way too sharp and it would never pass the fatigue tests. Guess I was right – but I was pissed then.”

“It’s like you punctured their tire.” Amanda giggled. “I’d still be mad.”

“No. I just didn’t volunteer information they decided against paying for.”

“Still, I wouldn’t have made that call to Asia even now.”

“I’m moving on,” Zack nodded his head, taking another sip of his wine. He thought of Claire. The wine could use her muse. He really needed her muse.

-:-:-:-O-:-:-:-

Zack gripped the trellis wire with the tension wrench and pulled the jaws together. His chest and arms compressed. He cinched the wire tight. He straightened up and saw someone enter the row he worked in, too far away to determine who, other than the curves of a woman in a skirt. He dropped his tension gauge into his pocket and leaned the wrench against the nearest trellis post. He saw Claire’s stride, wearing heals but not sinking into the vineyard dirt. “Wedges,” he remembered. He already stepped quickly toward her. They met and he scooped her into his arms and hugged her, kissing her as hard as if the world had ended.

Claire broke from his lips, “I stopped at the house and Amanda said you were here, though I should have guessed.”

“I’ve missed you. How are you?”

Claire shrugged, “Getting to recovery. Just moments now that I forget to keep busy and remember some task or event that triggers memories.” She kissed him again, her fingers running against the short hairs behind his ear, cinching him tighter. She whispered against his cheek, “I’ve missed you too.”

“What do you have planned for dinner?” Zack stepped back before his body resented separating, “I need to finish tensioning these rows and remove last season’s slack from the stretched wires. How about another picnic dinner?” He wanted to add that he couldn’t, and didn’t want, to forget the images of her next to him. “It’s the middle of the week and off season for weddings so we only have to contend with the chill night air.”

Claire smiled, “I really liked the last picnic.” She ran her hands through her hair and the strands fluttered across her skin in the light breeze busy teasing her matching small print skirt. “I’ll get our provisions and be back. If I’m here before you finish – I can watch you work.” she scooped her eyes into his and rested her hand against his bicep.

“You mean you’ll distract me until I finish.” His eyes slipped from her face and down her chest, hips, and legs. His eyes came back to her face finding her biting the tip of her tongue between her teeth, a grin spreading across her face.

She spun around, “Or something like that,” her laugh bubbled like an unconstrained brook as she walked toward her car at the winery.

Zack watched her body move away from him until she left the edge of the vineyard. He turned back up the row where he stopped repairing the wires. He called Amanda. “Yeah, I’ll be out with Claire. I hope late. Why don’t you order a pizza for the kids – you’ll be their hero tonight.” Zack returned his phone to his pocket and returned to his work. He carried a little box in his pocket for a couple of weeks now hoping Claire would return to him.

-:-:-:-O-:-:-:-

“You’ve kept sleeping bags in your car?”

“You didn’t see them in the trunk when you worked on the car?”

“No. The engine is up in the front. If it were my car I might have a couple of parts or a wrench there but I didn’t expect you did.”

“I’ve had them in there since our last picnic … just in case.” Her eyes curled at the outer edges, “And some blankets.”

He leaned forward and kissed her, “That’s a pleasant thought. The electric lamp is a nice touch.”

“It glows like an old kerosene lamp, doesn’t it?” Their picnic ended as dusk shaded the vineyards and the cool ocean air swept up the valley. They huddled together under the two sleeping bags zipped together. She shivered but hugged him for warmth and kissed his lip. Zack broke their embrace and got out.

“Aren’t you freezing with just a T-shirt and your boxers on?” Claire leaned up on her elbow, watching him. Her hair fell over and partly covered the bra strap that made a thin dark line across her shoulder.

Zack searched his pants pockets that lay on the ground.

“What are you looking for?”

“Got it,” he palmed whatever it was and then Zack reached for her hand and pulled her up to her knees. The air was cool on her shoulders; the blanket wrapped around her hips accentuated her beauty. The fog huddled around the base of their hill and swirled in a light touch upon the vines. The white vapors floated lightly around them like happy, furry, bounding animals. Zack saw how Claire glowed from the overhead spotlight showered down upon them from the moon and stars that punctured the far away dome of the world.

“Claire,” Zack knelt before her. He brought up his hand and between his fingers, he held a diamond ring that sparkled as bright as the stars. “Claire. I love you more than I have ever loved a woman.” Her eyes looked deep into his, he watched them tear and his voice cracked as emotion surged through his heart, “Claire … will you marry me?”

Claire’s hands came to his face, her fingers rushing around his head, drawing him close, her lips smiling, “Yes. Yes I will marry you Zack.” She drew them together in a kiss and then broke away, “You better put that ring on me.” She splayed her polished fingertips. Zack slipped the ring over her finger, breathing relief that it slid on as smooth as Cinderella’s slipper. Her face glowed with a smile that seemed to warm her like a campfire at the beginning of time, love that reflected warmth in him. He cupped his hands against her jaw and pulled her lips to his.

Claire swept aside the edge of the blanket and slid in deeper pulling Zack after her. He kissed down her chest. She lifted her arms above her head as he pushed her bra off. She brought her hands to his shoulders to draw him. He cupped a breast with his hand, kissed her above her heart, and progressively circled her breast with his kisses and flicks of his tongue. His other arm clamped around her back. Claire’s eyes fluttered and she pinched them tight as the sensations spread throughout her body. She moaned and ran her fingers into his hair as he moved. His kisses left a trail of pleasure from her breasts and progressively down her body, releasing the button of her jeans with his teeth and sliding her pants over her ankles. Claire opened her eyes to see his eyes locked on hers, inescapable eyes drawing her to him. He ran a slow hand from her ankle passed her knee. He kissed the warm spot on the back of her knee. Fire burned between her legs and her eye-lids lowered. She moaned again as his kisses and touch crept deeper up her inner thigh. Almost, more, closer, she willed his movements. Then his lips left her thigh and bounded up her body to her lips. She ran her hands down the sides of his body from his abs and to his pants. He moved. One of his arms ran behind and across her, his bicep hard and knotted against her side. He lifted her against him. Like sunbeams against her skin she melted knowing now of helpless abandon. She could not think. She did not care. She pushed and pulled at him. His hands moved again, wonderful dexterity that knew of arranging vines and plucking at leaves to bring increased sunlight and the burn of desire to her. His touch molded her as her breaths came rapid and her increasing heartbeats pounded in rhythm to his. Her moans came uncontrolled. His moans mingled with hers as they found each other together. She surrendered to his kiss. His touch light and intense. Stroking along her body. Never really getting to any target but getting achingly and passionately close – purposefully and knowingly teasing her body into desire. Her body agreed and the passion of the next kiss firmed in intensity. Golden energy radiated out of her as his lips alighted warmly on her shoulder. Passion glittered along her arms and legs and splashed with energy about her core. His silky chest hot against hers as their lips touched again. He pressed against her and her body compelled itself to press him in return. Energy, excitement, and passion flourished between them.

Her addled mind burst through the after-love euphoria hammering at her thoughts. Zack rolled onto his side and touched her hip. He slid his hand across her skin running around her breasts and then down her thigh looping in sensuous swirls that drew out a moan as his fingers touched softly, briskly, and wetly where she wanted. She lifted her opposite knee and coiled onto him. He guided himself into her and she pushed up on her hands with her knees balancing to either side of him. Her hands found his and they communicated by fingertips and eyes holding each other’s gaze. Zack kissed Claire’s mouth and entwined their tongues as they moved their bodies more roughly together. Waves of pleasure struck them repeatedly and Claire surrendered and succumbed to her trust in this man. She lost count of the number of times her body exploded in pleasure that at times repeated with such proximity she could not fathom a heartbeat between them. The final release left her lying weak and helpless. Zack crumpled to the blanket next to her.