Page 24 of Secrets, Scandals and Baby Shoes

CHAPTER 12

ELLIOT

Elliot took the keys with a smile and a quick “thanks.” He was picking up their rental car while Lucy was on the phone with Monica, confirming their arrival. It had been a long flight out to the San Francisco airport. Although he’d been in first class, as usual, he’d been distracted by Lucy sitting next to him, somehow working constantly from takeoff to landing with only a small break when she had to put her tray table away.

It should have been fun to visit a vineyard, but he couldn’t help thinking of all the things he should be doing for both Borderless and Keype. It didn’t make sense to take two whole days away from work for one client, but Lucy disagreed, and Elliot ended up agreeing just to avoid another client-losing fight.

She reappeared then. She was pulling a small wheelie suitcase, a thin laptop bag over her shoulder. In an instant, Elliot remembered going with her on the trip to the beach, when she’d shown up in leggings and a sweatshirt with a duffel bag. A mix of nostalgia and annoyance swirled in his stomach.

“Ready to go?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, we’re good to go.”

They got into the car, with Elliot in the driver’s seat and Lucy pulling up directions on her phone. She turned on the radio and a classical song came on with a strong violin section and cascading piano melodies. Lucy hummed along as she rolled down the window to let warm, fragrant air pour in as Elliot navigated them out of the airport and onto the road.

Despite himself, Elliot found his spirits lifting as they passed through San Francisco and onto the Golden Gate Bridge. Far below, the ocean sparkled blue and green, the wind was in his hair, and the music reminded him of happier days back in college.

“Can we stop for a picture?” Lucy asked suddenly. “I’ve never been to the Golden Gate Bridge before.”

“Sure.”

So, they pulled over at the parking lot on the far end of the bridge, and Elliot took a few pictures of Lucy pointing excitedly at the bridge. Then they got back into the car and were on the way again. Far from New York and the Borderless office, their animosity seemed to have eased.

Until, that is, they got lost. Lucy directed them onto the highway, but Elliot missed his on-ramp and ended up going back toward San Francisco.

“You have to warn mebeforewe get to the turn,” he snapped, pulling onto the next exit.

“I did,” Lucy replied, equally annoyed. “You missed it. It isn’t my fault if you aren’t using your common sense.”

“Come on. How was I supposed to know the ramp would curve like that? This is going to add at least fifteen minutes to the drive.”

He expected a retort from Lucy, but instead, she began to laugh. He glanced over at her, surprised.

“What’s so funny?” If she was laughing at him, he wasn’t going to be happy.

“This just reminds me of driving with Dominic.”

Elliot’s lips twitched into a smile. “Because he was so terrible at giving directions?”

“Andat following them,” Lucy agreed. “Do you remember on the trip to the coast when he got in the wrong lane and ended up on a toll road?”

“I remember.” Elliot smiled. “I was so upset with him about that turn. We fought — just like you and I are fighting now.”

“I think he’d be happy to see you and me on a road trip together,” Lucy said, turning her gaze to the window. “Even though we’re fighting.”

There was a pause as they both thought about that. Outside, rolling green hills and thick forests flew by in a blur. Soon, Elliot knew they would all give way to the grapevines and little houses of Wine Country. The radio was still playing, now with a sad pop song about lost loves and missed chances. Elliot instinctively reached out and switched to another channel. He didn’t want to reflect on lost loves or missed chances right now.

That thought reminded him of everything that had happened between him and Lucy — namely, her breaking his heart and now standing in the way of him successfully running his late bestfriend’s business. It was their argument in front of their client that had led to today’s mess, too. If Lucy had let him do the presentation, as she’d agreed to originally, they wouldn’t have had to make this trip. He could have spent the weekend catching up on Keype and trying to get a foothold at Borderless. Now, he had no time for either.

Lucy looked like she wanted to say something else, but Elliot turned the new song, a classic rock melody about driving along the road to hell, up prohibitively loud. Lucy seemed to get the message because she sat back in her seat without saying anything else. If she was upset, she didn’t show it.

Soon, they began to pass vineyards. Tall trellises strained under the weight of vines covered in plump purple and green grapes with leaves that furled like cursive. Elliot rolled down the window to take in a breath of fresh country air. A few minutes and a few missed turns later, they arrived at the Pura Vida vineyard. The long driveway was made of gravel, so Elliot carefully eased the rental car along the road. Lucy looked out the window, seeming fascinated by the tall trees that lined the driveway and the rolling fields of grapes beyond. In the far distance, large hills covered in scrubby Californian plants loomed.

The hotel was just what Elliot wanted it to be. The old stone building was well-preserved and had a charming sign out front. An outdoor eating area covered by an arch of vines sat atop a small terrace. Elliot was surprised to see Monica herself sitting outside on a decorative wooden bench, a book in her hands. She looked up when she heard the car crunching across the gravel and waved them to a parking area off to one side of the building.

“This is it,” Lucy said, half under her breath. Elliot wondered if she was talking to him or to herself.

“It is. Come on.” He got out of the car. Immediately, the warm and slightly humid air enveloped him. It was completely different from September in New York. Elliot followed Lucy to Monica, where they all shook hands.

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