Moonlight and Merlot

The continuing saga of the lives, loves and heartbreaks of the residents of Dion Valley, CA.

As with all the best things in life, this is for adults only.

*****

Headlights on the horizon distracted Lela from her brooding thoughts. She squinted into the distance trying to determine who it could be because she couldn’t even begin to imagine who else would be out here on this lonely road to nowhere. She supposed she would find out soon enough, the headlights were growing brighter as the car got closer.

It took the curve off the main road hard, kicking up dirt and Lela waved her hand in front of her face to try to dispel the worst of it. When the dust cleared, she was shocked to see Zach’s roadster parked next to her.

She wondered if he was going to get out of his car or not. It had been a long, long time since the two of them had been alone together. To her surprise, he didn’t hesitate, just flashed her that old, familiar, crooked smile through the windshield and got out of the car.

“Hello, Lela,” he said, coming to stand beside her.

“What’s going on, Zack?” she asked cautiously.

He shrugged and shook his head. “I like it out here,” he said, looking up into the sky. “It‘s peaceful.” He glanced over at her. “A great place to think.”

Lela nodded, waiting for him to say… something. She wasn’t sure what. She almost wished she didn’t miss him as much as she did. Missed the friendship they once shared. A lot had happened between them though and she wondered if they were beyond ever getting that back. Beyond ever being totally comfortable around one another again.

Of course there was Phoebe now, which was an obstacle that wasn’t there before. Lela liked Phoebe well enough, but she knew how jealous she was of Zach’s attention. And Zach… well it seemed like Phoebe just about owned him.

“Have you ever been in love?” he asked, breaking the silence.

A fantastically vivid image of Nick immediately popped into her head, but she quickly pushed it aside. “No.”

Zach sighed deeply and a very disturbing thought occurred to Lela. “You don’t think you’re in love with Phoebe, do you?” she blurted out. The look on his face was answer enough and Lela shook her head in disgust as well as pity. “Oh, come on, Zach she’s –”

“She’s what?” he asked. “What, Lela? Flakey? Unreliable? Shallow?” He ran his fingers through his thick, blond hair. “Do you think I don’t know?”

“Do you know?” she asked. “Cause it sure doesn’t seem like it.”

“You just don’t get it,” he said, turning from her, his profile in shadow.

“No, I don’t,” she admitted. “I mean, she’s pretty and all, but I really don’t get what you see in her.” Though when she thought about it, maybe she did see in a way. Phoebe’s family owned the largest rival vineyard in the county. It must be driving Zach’s family insane that he was with her. She supposed there could be quite a lot of appeal in that whole forbidden thing.

He smiled at her, a playful, wonderfully alive smile. It reminded her of the Zach she used to know. “It’s not because of my family.”

Lela laughed, amused that he had read her thoughts so clearly and completely. “Whatever you say, Zack.”

He shifted his weight and looked out over the endless rows of grapes. “Why are you doing this spell, Lela?” He looked over at her. “Do you really think it is going to work?”

“Oh, it’ll work,” she said, her smile wide and brilliant in the moonlight. “And when it does, nothing is ever going to be the same again.”

[Until next Tuesday…]