A Taste of Romance

by Rhonda Laurel

  The woman was so thrilled about hosting a wine party to show off her new wine knowledge that she also bought a case of the wine glasses with the embellished etching and the vineyard’s logo on it to be shipped to her home.

  She glanced at her cell phone. There were several messages. She’d put her phone on vibrate because of the tour, and frankly, she liked being in the zone as walked the grounds talking about the amazing wine they made here. Ula had finally remembered she was her manager and had been leaving frantic messages. Funny how Trina didn’t feel like talking to her now. The choice was hers as to what she’d do about her singing career. Ula would just have to wait on her answer.

  Meanwhile, Marco has been busy working in the bottling plant all morning, and Portia was meeting her boyfriend for lunch, so Trina decided to go solo. She’d already taken up so much of Marco’s time. If she called, he’d drop whatever he was doing to make time for her. He was thoughtful that way. She’d never been with a man willing to put everything on hold for her before, and it was as sweet as it was unnerving. What had she done to be so deserving of so much attention by such a gorgeous, thoughtful man? It was as if all the years she’d dreamed of the perfect man had finally come to fruition. And she didn’t want to leave him. Even if that meant finding a middle ground with Mama Paloma. She wasn’t a mean woman, but Trina could tell it had been a while since a woman had been in Marco’s life for more than a brief spate.

  She took her lunch and went outside to the gazebo. The chef made the chicken pesto panini just the way she liked it. Everyone was always so kind to her. They were kind to each other. It was an awesome working atmosphere. Marco had told her he didn’t tolerate bad attitudes and laziness. He never imposed any responsibility on a person who couldn’t handle the task. He craved feedback and often held impromptu meetings to see what improvements could be made. It was obvious his employees loved him, and he was very generous in return. Giving gifts, hosting parties and giving everyone a bottle of wine each time they got paid.

  She was in the mood to talk, and she wanted the 411 on everyone back home. Charisma was probably still at work, but she’d always take a moment to talk even when she was bathing the kids. She found her cousin’s contact info in the phone and hit the green talk button. Charisma answered on the first ring.

  “Hey, Cuz. What’s going on?”

  “Hey, yourself,” Charisma said. “I haven’t been able to reach you for a couple of days.”

  “A couple of days? Why didn’t you call the winery to check on me?”

  “I knew you were probably busy and having a good time.”

  “But still—”

  “OK. You have a tell. When you’re bored out of your skull, you call me non-stop. When you’re having a good time, you go silent.”

  “Wow.” She hadn’t called anyone except Grandma constantly since she’d been here. “You may be right, but I am still going to call you a know it all.”

  “Duly noted.” Charisma laughed. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve been busy, helping out at the winery.” She nibbled on her sandwich.

  “You mean helping Marco.”

  “It’s his winery, so it’s basically the same thing.”

  “No, it’s not. Helping Marco is indicative that you’re warming up to him. Remember, you said he wasn’t your type?”

  How stupid was that? A gorgeous, sexy, well-off man not being her type? She needed to work on opening her mind and raising the bar on her choice of men.

  Charisma continued. “And I talked to Alex. He told me how you and Marco kept putting off you coming to Harper’s Grove. Hence, something is brewing.”

  “For someone who can’t find her daughter’s shoes when she hides them in her toy chest, you’re pretty astute,” Trina said.

  “I have plenty of clarity at work. It’s when I’m home that logic flies out the window.”

  “I’ve been working in the wine tasting room and giving the tours. I’ve learned so much more about wine than pop the cork and pour.”

  “You can teach Theresa and me all about it. Sounds like just the distraction you needed while getting over your mic debacle.”

  She winced every time she heard that little white lie. As she continued to figure out the course she’d take, she wasn’t ready to share that she was on the verge of giving up on her dream.

  “My yips may be gone. The vineyard had a music night, and I sang with the band that performed. I hate to brag, but I knocked it out of the park.” She smiled. It was actually the adrenaline rush she’d gotten from that confrontation with Marco before she went on stage that stoked her creative fire. She’d known after that night their relationship would change and it had for the better.

  “That’s wonderful!” Charisma cheered. “I take it Marco has something to do with this?”

  “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Of course.”

  “No, seriously. You can’t tell Dana, Beverly, or Melina in passing.”

  “I don’t blurt out secrets like that. At the very least, I would tell Derek.”

  “You can’t tell Derek either.” That’s all she’d need was for Derek to call Alex and suddenly Alex popping up at the vineyard to see what was going on.

  “OK. OK. But if he gives me a bowl of ice cream and a foot rub, I can’t make any promises.”

  “Marco and I slept together.”

  “What!” Charisma yelled into the phone. “When did this happen?”

  “About three days ago.”

  “And you didn’t call me? We usually dish about things like this.”

  “Well, I didn’t want to turn what we shared into something tawdry.”

  “You’re the one who has a rating system for guys in bed.”

  True. “It wasn’t a typical roll in the hay. We talked about feelings then jumped each other’s bones. It was passionate and earth-shaking. He’s such a great lover, and he doesn’t wear socks to bed or has to suck in his gut when he removes his clothes.”

  “Didn’t you say that guy Josh held his stomach in so long he hyperventilated?”

  “Yes. I had to take that idiot to the emergency room.” She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, Marco made Michelangelo’s David sculpture look like a chubby kid who needed to go to fat camp. And they’d need to add a lot more marble to the schmeckel, if you know what I mean.”

  “Oh my. Yes, I do. I still have that dirty words calendar you got me for Christmas one year.” Charisma moved around. “I want details. Let me sit down at my desk. Damn, I wish I had some popcorn.”

  “Maybe I should have called Morgan,” Trina taunted.

  “Morgan would ask way more questions than me. Skip to the good part.”

  “The night we made love was fantastic. It was everything I’d wanted and more.”

  “Molto romantic.”

  “You speak Italian?”

  “Trevor’s teaching it to Alexis. I try to keep up in case she tries to call me a bad name.”

  “Well, everything was going well until I decided to go downstairs to get another bottle of champagne from his wine room.”

  “What happened? Did you ruin everything by picking out the wrong vintage?”

  “Marco’s not a snob like that. He’s been very patient with me.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I went downstairs wearing one of his shirts to get a bottle of champagne. I was in the wine room and turned around and his mother, who was supposed to be on vacation, is standing there. I was so startled, I screamed. Next thing I know she’s chasing me around the kitchen with a rolling pin.”

  Charisma burst into laughter and continued to do so for a few moments.

  “It’s not that funny.”

  “It totally is.” Charisma kept laughing. “First off, you tell me Marco isn’t all that cute, but secretly sparks were flying like crazy between you two. Then you meet his mother butt naked in their kitchen. Classic. I have to call Theresa.”

  “You said you wouldn’t tell,” Trina huffed.<
br />
  “Not even Theresa?”

  “I’ll tell Theresa. But not right now. She’s going crazy juggling the travel agency and planning the wedding. And lately, she’s been telling Trevor everything. But hopefully, when I do call her, it won’t illicit fits of laughter from her.”

  “Theresa has more decorum than me, but I assure you she’s going to be laughing on the inside.” Charisma continued to chuckle. “Come on. When you come home, we’ll split a bottle of wine, and you can tell us all about it.”

  “I’d think my closest friends wouldn’t have a good laugh at my expense.”

  “You’re right. This is totally serious. You finally meet a gorgeous hunk and have a fabulous romantic evening only to be surprised by his mom. How did Marco react?”

  “He flew downstairs in his boxers, and then things just spiraled from there. I wanted to leave, but he refused. It’s been a tense few days at the house.”

  “Is she chasing you around every day?”

  “No.”

  “What does it matter what this woman thinks of you? You’re only there for a little while longer before you head back to L.A.”

  “It matters. It’s more than fantastic sex. It’s just…more.” That was the best way she could describe it. “But there are a few problems.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, you know he’s been married twice before.”

  “OK. He had a few under his belt. What did he have to say about it?”

  “Youthful mistakes and not knowing what he wanted.”

  “Sounds reasonable.”

  “That doesn’t set off alarm bells for you?”

  “It is concerning. But you could talk about it with him.”

  “Then there’s his mother.”

  “What about her?”

  “I don’t want to be her enemy.”

  “What else has she done besides the whole roller-pin thing?”

  “She looks at me a lot like she’s studying me. I think she called me skinny last night at dinner and said I needed to eat more, so she gave me more of the scungilli.”

  “Hot damn!”

  “What?” Trina gulped. “Do you think she was trying to poison me with that scungilli? I ate it. I think I was afraid not to.”

  “Yikes, I know you don’t like scungilli after Derek showed it to you that time at the Slap Shot.”

  “Exactly, I had to meditate just to get through the meal. She’s an excellent cook. But in my mind, I was already in the bathroom washing my tongue. She muttered something in Italian when she caught me wincing.”

  “No, this is good. She’s sizing you up to make sure you have enough girth to carry some babies.”

  “Babies?” she squealed, panicked.

  “OK. Don’t panic. I’ll walk it back. What does Grandma say about feeding people?”

  “She doesn’t like serving people she doesn’t like. She says it makes the food taste bad for everyone else.”

  “Exactly. Mrs. Di Giovanni—”

  “Everyone at the vineyard calls her Mama Paloma.”

  “How adorable.” Charisma said. “I’m sure she knows her son. She probably senses how Marco is feeling about you. She wants to get to know you.”

  Everyone in Napa, make that the whole world, knew how Marco felt about his mother. Not getting along with her wasn’t an option. But it was more than just winning her over. It was about finding a neutral ground to share her son. As each day passed, her feelings grew stronger for Marco, and she was less willing to write it off as a onetime fling.

  “Do you have any suggestions how to butter her up?”

  “Let’s see. Do something simple that she’d appreciate. Something you know she’d like without overtly sucking up.”

  You could set your watch by Mama Paloma. She essentially did the same thing every day. Every morning she ate breakfast. Then she wrote out the dinner menu on the dry erase board on the fridge including the herbs she needed to cut from the garden. After that, the woman flitted around the vineyard for the rest of the day.

  “She likes to get fresh herbs from her garden. I guess I could pick them for her and offer to help with dinner. She had breakfast with her friends today. So she didn’t get to cut them.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Charisma said cheerfully. “I wish my mother-in-law lived closer. We’re relative strangers.”

  “Just be thankful she likes you.”

  “I am, believe me. Do you still have time to cut those herbs?”

  “Yes. I could ride over to the house and do it.”

  “Good, go. If she’s anything like Grandma, she’ll love you for it.” Charisma giggled. “I have to go. Itza’s getting ready to meet her first client on her own, and I promised to hear her presentation.”

  “OK. Tell her I said good luck.”

  “I will. And Trina. I’m so happy for you. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have a good feeling about this. Maybe it’s the real reason you went to California. God has a way of sending us in the strangest directions while we’re searching for ourselves.”

  “Thanks, Cuz.” Trina ended the call.

  She stood up and grabbed her things. There wasn’t another tour until late afternoon. There was enough time to go to the house and do her good deed without getting caught. Picking a few herbs for dinner was a drop in the bucket to what was at stake. The fact that she wanted to win Mama Paloma over meant she was investing even heavier into this whirlwind relationship.

  Here goes nothing. She got into the SUV and drove over to the house. Mama Paloma was nowhere to be found, and the house was whisper quiet. But by the looks of the ingredients on the list on the fridge, his mother was probably out grocery shopping. She had to hand it to her, the older woman preferred fresh foods. Marco said the constant shopping gave her something to do.

  She opened the patio door and checked the gardening chest for a basket, sheers, and a pair of gloves. She immediately got to work clipping the herbs, being careful not to damage anything.

  “Hello, there.”

  She turned around, startled. There was a man standing there that had to be Marco’s brother Matteo. They had the same dark features and striking good looks.

  “Hi. You must be Matteo.” She stood and took off the gloves. “I’m Trina. A friend of your brother.”

  He grinned. “What gave me away?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “I’m curious. It’s OK if you say I’m better looking. He’s not around.”

  “Same humble nature, too.” She put her hand on her hip.

  “Now I know why my brother hasn’t been returning my calls. He’s had a beautiful distraction. I wouldn’t return my calls either.” He looked around. “Where is my big brother?”

  “He’s at the winery, and my guess is your mama is shopping for tonight’s dinner.” Trina smiled. “I should be getting back. Why don’t we drive over together? I just have to finish clipping a few more herbs for your mama.”

  “Excellent. I’ll put my suitcases away and be right back.”

  “Cool.” She watched as he turned to go back into the house. “Did Marco know you were coming?”

  “No. It’s a surprise.” He winked and continued into the house.

  She hoped Marco would be happy about it, but she got the feeling he wouldn’t be too thrilled about his brother popping up. Mama Paloma, however, would be thrilled. She clipped a few more of the herbs just in case the matriarch needed them for the extra dinner guest.

  * * *

  Marco put the papers down on his desk. He’d done his best to get some things done so he could have lunch with Trina. He took the walk down the main building and searched each room for her, but he couldn’t find her. He checked his watch. There weren’t any tours going on right now.

  “Marco,” Trina called out.

  He looked toward the door when he heard her familiar voice. He smiled as he walked toward her. “Katrina. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “I was
at the house cutting herbs for your mama and look who showed up.”

  His smile slipped when he saw Matteo behind her. “Matteo. What are you doing here?”

  “Marco,” Matteo replied. “It’s good to see you too.”

  “Did Mama know you were coming?”

  “No, it’s a surprise.”

  “She’ll be happy to see you.” He looked at Trina, who nodded her head like she wanted him to say something else. But he had nothing else to say. The silence began to grow uncomfortable.

  “Look at the time.” Trina glanced at her watch. “I told Maria I would help her restock the gift shop this afternoon.”

  “Do you have to?” He caressed her arm. He didn’t want her to go.

  “Yes, the mosaic bottle stoppers are selling like hot cakes, and I want to get them on the shelf before the next tour starts.” She kissed him on the cheek and turned to Matteo. “It was nice meeting you, Matteo. Welcome home.”

  “It was very nice meeting you too, Katrina.”

  “Only I call her Katrina.”

  “My apologies.” Matteo grinned as if he knew he’d just gotten under his big brother’s skin. And it appeared to work, so he doubled down. “Trina, don’t let me catch you by the Kissing Fountain, I’m liable to steal a kiss.”

  Trina giggled. “I’ll be on the lookout.”

  “Over my dead body.” Marco folded his arms across his chest. “Keep your lips to yourself.”

  He felt himself tensing up until Trina caressed his arm and then he immediately felt at ease. Matteo had been there two minutes and was already pushing his buttons.