“Georgio didn’t say anything to me. Please, I don’t want to upset anyone. My plan was always to return to Florence.”
“Yesterday, you said you didn’t have a plan. You were so excited.” Pia shook her head. “If you think this is…how do you say? Charity? You are wrong. I have been looking for help in the tasting room and haven’t found anyone with knowledge like yours.”
“I find that hard to believe, Pia. You can’t find anyone with knowledge about Italian wine?”
“Will you excuse us?” she said to Ben.
“Of course.” He went out the door to the terrazza and closed it behind him.
“Can we sit?”
“Sure.” I pulled out a chair at the table.
“Things have not been…easy for me since my papà died. My mamma has been ill, and the doctors have no idea what is wrong with her. Georgio, who used to be like a brother to me, argues and disrespects me. We have had many accidents, like the one earlier tonight.”
“I’m sorry. I meant to ask. Is whoever was injured going to be okay?”
“Sì, but…I am not sure how to say this. I need someone in the winery who is on my side. Even if it is just in the tasting room.”
“How can you be sure I’m that person? You don’t even know me.”
Pia tilted her head. “I am sure you’ve experienced what I have before. When you meet someone and immediately know that you will be friends?”
I had, and for many years, the four women I met in second grade had been my lifeline. They no longer were.
“Please stay, Catarina.”
How could I say no? I could feel her pleading with me. “Okay.”
Rather than her face breaking into an immediate smile like it had every other time I’d conceded something she asked, she remained serious.
“You must tell me what happened that made you reconsider.”
“Again, nothing happened, Pia. I thought, maybe your offer had been made in haste.”
She sat back in the chair, her eyes scrunched again. “I know something happened. You will tell me eventually.” She motioned with her head to the door that led outside. “You feel the same with Ben, sì?”
“That we’ll be friends?”
Pia smiled for the first time since we began talking. “Friends? I think perhaps more than that.”
I shrugged one shoulder.
She stood and patted my hand. “Tomorrow, I will tell you a story about my friend, Mylos. Tonight, I’ll leave you and Ben to get to know each other better.”
“Could we also figure out where I’ll be staying tomorrow?”
Pia smiled again and raised a brow. “If you still need to.”
I smiled too and shook my head.
Once Pia left, I went outside and joined Ben on the terrazza.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Fine. She’s impossible to say no to.”
He held his hand out to me, but instead of taking it, I sat in the chair beside him. Ben leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “You’re cold,” he said, noticing I rubbed the chill bumps on my arms. “Let’s go inside.”