Page 103 of Gone With the Wine

Of course we have to hear wedding details, it’s coming so close now. Millie doesn’t seem stressed at all, though. And we all catch up on our jobs and families.

“You only came to one yoga class,” Ana says to me.

I wince. “I know. Sorry. It’s been so busy. Things are starting to settle down…”

“But you’re leaving,” she finishes.

I push my lips out. “Yeah. But I really need to work out. It’s good for stress.”

“It is.” Millie nods.

“I always meet my step count.” I hold up my arm with the fitness tracker on my wrist.

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Apparently new studies show only five minutes of vigorous exercise a day helps your heath,” Ana says.

“No, no,” Millie interjects. “That was for people who don’t exercise at all. If they started doing five minutes a day, it had an effect on their heart health.”

“Oh.” Ana frowns. “It’s hard to stay on top of all the latest news.”

I make a face. I don’t have a hard time, because I don’t even try. But I should. My life has been so insular while I’ve been here. Maybe everyone is right—I’ve been working too hard. I worked hard in Argentina, too, but at least I got out sometimes, hiking, horseback riding…things that are all available here, too. In fact, now that I think of it, the things I liked about Mendoza—the blend of urban and rural, the rustic ambience combined with the magic of wine—are here as well.

“Thanks for keeping it real,” I say to my friends. “I’ve been kind of isolated in the wine world.”

“But you love it.” Ana smiles at me.

“I do. But there’s more to life than wine.”

“There’s sex,” Millie says.

I give her a look.

She grins. “You’ve been doing that, too.”

I have to laugh. “Okay, yeah.” There’s been quite a lot of that, actually. And top tier, five star, first class sex.

“There are lots of health benefits from sex,” she points out.

“Now I don’t feel so bad.” I give them a naughty smile.

I studymy new dress in the mirror, ready for the harvest dinner, then go downstairs to the kitchen. Rosa’s there with her laptop on the table.

“I can’t believe you’re going to that dinner,” she says. “We should be boycotting it, since they didn’t even invite us.”

“We’re part of the family. And part of the community. They can’t exclude us like this.”

“True.” Her bottom lip drops into a brief pout. “It kind of hurts.”

“I know. I was pissed when I saw that invitation.” I drop onto a chair at the table.

Rosa’s focused on her computer screen. “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Jansen?”

“I…I don’t know. It’s personal.”

“We’re sisters. We can share personal stuff.”

Is she…hurt? I study her face.

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