Chapter Seven
1040 Words
We got straight on the road as soon as we left Swarovski. I watched as Luca put Dijon into the sat nav and at least knew the next destination, but I anticipated that it was more of a pit stop on the way to Paris. I gawked at the estimated journey time, not knowing how on earth Luca planned to drive for over six hours and still be standing. My thought was realised when he pulled into a service station to get petrol and came back with three coffees and a coke. I watched as he put two coffees in the cup holders and then sat and downed one, despite the steaming temperature. "You alright there?"
"Yeah, it's just a long drive, that is all."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" I knew he wouldn't let me drive even if I offered. Not because he thought there was anything wrong with my driving, but because he knew I hated driving in places I didn't know. Instead, he would shoulder the burden himself.
"Keep me talking."
"That I can do. What do you want to talk about?"
"The future. The restaurant."
"Let's start with the restaurant. Are you happy with the final plot?" It had taken so long, but we had finally picked the perfect location.
"Yeah, it's close to the road and closer to the village. Just need to hope we can organise the road access."
"Not to mention building it." Although there were buildings across the vineyard we could have repurposed, they were all too far from the main road. The location was way more important than having something to start with, so we decided building from scratch was the best option.
"What do you think style wise?"
"I wanted traditional Italian, in keeping with the vineyard."
"Really, that surprises me. I was thinking of a more modern setting, to set it apart from the vineyard more."
"Why would we want to do that? The wine is all coming from the vineyard, there's a connection there already."
"Because it isn't the vineyard. It's not part of that at all. It's mine." He was getting mardy with me. I could hear it in his tone, but I was hardly happy with his comment either.
"Your's, really? Nice to know."
"I didn't mean it like that. Why do you always have to push?"
"Because you need to deal with your bullshit. The real reason you want it to appear separate from the vineyard is because you want to pretend that you've broken away from it. That you're not stuck there anymore."
"It is not part of my life anymore."
"If it wasn't, it wouldn't bother you so much. The traditional Italian style is more in keeping with all the properties nearby. It will appeal more to the Italian residents, but tourists will still visit regardless. We need to tap into the locals, we're too far from the tourist hotspots to rely on them."
"Fine, but I'm insisting on having it fully open plan. Kitchen and all." At least he saw sense. The sooner he spoke to Pops and they got over their issues the better. They were both so stubborn and it was a needless thing to be between them. Pops had already given up any hope of Luca taking over the vineyard. All that was left was for him to voice it to Luca and tell him he had been wrong to try and force Luca to conform. Luca needed Pops to tell him he was proud of him. The rest of us could see it but Luca was too stuck in the past.
"You mean you want the kitchen in the restaurant?"
"Absolutely. I like to see the process and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Oh and absolutely no bar." I certainly loved to watch him cook, so maybe he had a point.
"Where are you serving drinks from?"
"Only available at the tables. If I wanted to open a bar, I would. Can't you remember how annoying it was when customers used to hang around at the bar after they were finished and stopped us from going home."
"No, of course I haven't. I was the one working the bar after all. I can cope with both of those. How about a vegetable garden?"
"Sounds good to me, but why can't you use the one you have at the house?"
"I want it out in front of the restaurant. The whole area in front, so guests have to literally walk down a path in the middle. It would match the landscape more than grass and flowers. It shows the guests exactly where their food comes from and cuts down on produce costs. It's really a win on all fronts."
"Wow! Who would have thought you would be so passionate about getting your hands dirty?" I hadn't realised I had communicated that to him, but apparently I had. The idea of growing something myself that would eventually end up as a beautiful dish, thrilled me.
"It's less about the garden and more about contributing to the way you cook. If I provide ingredients, it's really a team effort."
"You will be running the show, that's more than enough surely?"
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I want to give the job to Em. Free me up to do the tourist accommodation with Aurora and, besides, Em is the best woman for the job."
"I can't disagree with that. When she took over at the restaurant after you left, she did a great job. The only thing that hampered her was Carlton and what he refused to hand over to her, which was very little." I loved that we both agreed about Em. I just had to get her to agree and I wasn't sure she would. Maybe before, but with George and Amiee to think about, it might be a different matter. If she did said no, I would understand. George hadn't wanted to make the commute from the vineyard to Verona, so there was a strong possibility Emily wouldn't want to make the same journey and I couldn't blame her. Amiee had to be her priority just like Isabella was ours.
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