You Had Me at Merlot: Part 2 by Lisa Dickenson Page B

Will you kiss me again?’ Hello, where did that come from?
    He chuckled. ‘Maybe. We’ll see. Come on.’ He led me up and out of the cellar, but not before I leant back and grabbed the
     rest of the bottle of chilli wine to take with me. I was drinking more than I ought to, knowing it was making me behave in
     a way I would never normally behave, and bringing me closer to Jamie than I’d dare.
    ‘Look at all these barrels,’ I said as we staggered through the top level, ‘2008 was a good year for us.’
    ‘Yes it was.’ He opened the door and I stepped outside, where it was now twilight and no one else was around.
    ‘No one else is around,’ I stage-whispered. ‘Maybe you should kiss me.’
    Jamie reached for the bottle and took a swig himself. ‘Chilli wine, what have you done to my sweet Bella Ella?’ We stumbled
     away from the outhouse, crunching through the pitch black, over the dirt path and in the direction of the main building, whose
     lights were glowing warmly from inside. Inside, where all the others probably were. George.
Donna
.
    I stopped. ‘Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I get so bored at my work and I think, I hate you all, and I think that when
     I’m CEO I’m just going to fire them all for being boring and for making me talk about work aaaaalll the tiiiiiime.’
    ‘I don’t think you mean that.’
    I slumped against the wall. ‘You’re right. They’re all fine. Maybe I talk about work too much? Do I talk about work too much?’
    ‘Not to me.’
    ‘Well you’re special. Where’s my kiss?’
    Jamie moved in close and pulled my body weight against him, and kissed me softly on the forehead. I sighed and wrapped my
     arms around his chest, feeling like our bodies were magnetically drawn to each other.
    ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘But I really don’t want to go back in there. I don’t want to see everyone or have people asking all these
     questions like, “
What’s going on with you and Jamie?
” and “
How yummy is Jamie’s chest?”
’
    ‘What do you suggest, Bella?’ he murmured in my ear.
    ‘Where’s your room?’
    He was quiet for a moment and I just stood there, leaning against him and breathing in his neck, my mind swirling with wine-fuelled
     giddiness and small drips of crystal clarity about the implications of what I was saying.
    ‘You can stay in my room with me, if that’s what you’re sure you want.’
    ‘Yes please,’ I yawned. I didn’t want to move my head from his chest, I could suddenly have fallen asleep right there, but
     even with this cloudy mind my heart was thump-thumping.
    He took my hand and we turned, walking back through the vineyard.
    ‘Are you drunk?’ I side-eyed him.
    ‘No. Maybe a little, I’m a bit more used to it than you. Are you?’
    ‘Drunk in love,’ I sniggered, then let out another enormous and very attractive yawn.
    ‘Are you tired?’
    ‘Maybe a little. It’s been just the best day, but very long, and you have a lot of sunshine in Italy. And a lot of wine.’
    We stopped at what seemed like a garage, but on entering turned out to be a lovely converted studio. The stone walls had been
     painted white and small touches made it homely and warm inside. Jamie switched on a lamp and turned to face me, his face nervous
     and apologetic.
    ‘It’s not much, and it’s not as fancy as your guest room, but it’s mine and it’s away from everything else.’
    I ran my hand over a collection of photos of Enzo in little wooden frames, from (still fairly massive) puppy to the huge dog
     he was now. ‘I think it’s perfect.’
    ‘Should I … leave you to …’
    ‘Can we lie down for just a minute? Do you mind?’ He shook his head, and I wondered if I was crossing the line, or being too
     forward. But I genuinely just wanted to rest, just for a moment.
    He climbed on to his bed and stretched his arm out for me to lie on. I went to him, and as we lay there I wondered why I’d
     left it so long to lie with someone. It felt nice