LOST INTO THE VINE (BWWM)

CHAPTER 40

"I don't know how you convinced me into doing this," Adiah whined, dramatically stomping her feet as they carried crates to the vines. Nala rolled her eyes then faced her sister with a big plastic smile, "because I'm your sister and you love me and you want me to be happy." "This is more like Lisa's job," her sister grumbled. Nala's gut clenched. She tried not to think about that name. According to her sister, after the death of her fiancé, Nala took leave, leaving everything behind, cutting the connection with her then-future mother and sister-in-law. She remembered how she waited for her best friend to come to visit her in the hospital or even give her a call. Her hands tightened on the crate in her hand until the plastic was biting into her skin. She forcibly relaxed her muscles and continued walking to where Matteo was standing. Her eyes found his watching her, concern brewing in them, she forced another smile and nodded to the pair of yellow gloves in his hands, "what're those for?" He took the crates from her hands and her sister's, placing them down and handing her one glove and Adiah the other one, "it's better that she's left-handed so I didn't have to find another set." Nala furrowed her brows. He took out two pairs of hand-sized shears and placed each on the sisters' hands, "don't want to blister your pretty hands now, do we?" his lips twitched in a smile.

Matteo took the glove back from Nala's hand and held onto her hand, skimmed his fingertips across her palm before putting the glove on. "Squeeze your fist," he ordered. She did and nodded. "Comfortable?" he asked, she nodded again, "thanks." He looked to Adiah and asked the same. He nodded. Nala's left hand reached for his in a blink, he turned back to her and looked at her waiting for her to talk. She flushes, "umh... how do we know for sure the grapes are ripe enough for harvest? I mean I checked a youtube video and it said to taste the grape to know but I can't go around tasting every bunch." He grinned, his hand reaching to a bunch near him, he plucked two grapes and popped them in Nala's mouth, watched her chew, her eyes closed, her throat bobbing. He cleared his throat and looked at the vines around him, before looking at her again, "well, do you think they are ripe enough?" "Si," she smiled big at him, he swore her eyes sparkled. "Do you make wine with these? I could swear I've had it before." He shrugged then turned fully to the vines, "you can tell the grapes are ready with how full they look and their color, the smell, and this." He took the shears from Nala's hands and cut the bunch, holding the grapes in his hands, then he showed it to them, "the stem and these branches will be brown if the grapes are ready. But you can always taste to be sure and if the seeds are edible and tasting like the grapes, you have a good bunch." The sisters nodded their thanks. He put the grapes in one of the crates and left.

Nala glared at her sister, "what was that for?" her sister swatted her again on her arm. "What were you doing moaning when you ate those grapes as if you were getting fucked?" Adiah asked. "Maybe because they taste better than se- wait what?" Nala's eyes bulged, threatening to leave their sockets. Adiah took a grape in her hand and popped it in her mouth, closed her eyes and started fake moaning, "mmh, this is so good." Nala gasped, "I did not!" Adiah opened her eyes, grinning at her sister, "you totally did, but I get why. These grapes are so good. Like so good." She popped two other grapes in her mouth. Nala slapped her sister's hand, "focus! Did I actually-" Adiah nodded, grinning, "you should have seen him, his veins were bulging on his neck. I totally see his appeal." Nala closed her eyes tight, images of Matteo taking her filling her mind once again. She wondered if it was her imagination or if it actually happened before she lost her memory. Feeling her skin flush with heat, she glared at her sister and moved far from her to harvest. They worked fast, filling the crates they had and a worker came around each time to take the crates to the bigger crate that would be driven to the winery and packaging for sale.

Matteo walked towards the two sisters now joined by his daughter, his hands carrying three water bottles. Irina saw him first and raised her hand, waving with a lot of excitement, "papa!" Naturally, his smile matched hers. The two sisters turned in his direction, Nala quickly looked away, seeming shy. He figured she realized her actions that morning and did not know how to face him without feeling embarrassed. He thought of making a joke about it, he shook his head to rid the images of having her right there between the vines.