Page 26 of Just Like the Brontë Sisters

She wavered, nearly trembling in the gentle summer breeze. “Yeah, but our business is doing so well…” Jo Beth reached for my water bottle and I handed it over. She took a swig before continuing, and we all waited, expectant for whatever she was about to say. “I mean, I want to be up at Portillo with you, but I also want to be in Santiago, running day trips.”

“Because our day trips are way cooler than teaching ski school,” said Magda.

“Portillo happens to be the coolest ski resort in the world,” Mitch countered. “You can’t get ‘cooler’ than that.”

Magda laughed and extended her leg toward Mitch. “My ankle is sore. Rub it for me?” Mitch instantly placed her ankle in his lap and began kneading with both of his thumbs.

“After all that wine and water, I have to pee like a madwoman.” Jo Beth got up and spoke only to me. “Come on, Sky. Let’s go find a hidden spot where we can do our business.”

“Okay.” I stood, stepped over the blanket and the food, and joined my sister. Jo Beth was smiling, her freckled cheeks rosy, wisps of her brown hair bleached blonde by the sunlight. She was the picture of health and vitality, yet it seemed almost too good to be true, as if her appearance had been photo-shopped.

As we walked away, Mitch and Magda murmured and laughed. The ease between them was natural yet unnatural, like incestuous siblings. Jo Beth took my arm and pulled.

“What do you think of Mitch?” she asked.

“He’s cute.” And he was; the guy could turn some heads. Imagine a mixed-raced, younger, curly-haired, and slightly better-groomed Brad Pitt. That was Mitch.

“I wish he wasn’t so busy with school,” Jo Beth said. “His fellowship is taking all his time.”

“What’s it in again?”

“Cognitive studies.”

“Wow. Impressive. And he has to live on campus?”

“Yeah.”

We both fell silent; there was the crunch of twigs underneath our feet and a soft wind ruffled the grape leaves. After several moments, I asked, “So you miss him?”

“I do…” Jo Beth let her voice trail off, ending at a humble, sad pitch.

“What’s wrong, Jo?”

She let go of my arm and squared her shoulders. When she spoke, she returned to her usual tone: the strong and loud one. “I can’t tell if Mitch and Magda are fooling around.”

“I thought Magda was your best friend. Do you really think she’d do that to you?”

Jo Beth barked out a laugh. “You’re so naïve, Sky.”

“But…”

“Mitch belonged to Magda first. It doesn’t matter that they were long broken up by the time Mitch and I met. Magda still thinks that I stole him from her.”

“Okay.” I pushed a protruding branch from the vineyard out of our path. “What about Mitch? Don’t you trust him?”

Jo Beth’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt, so I stopped too. We stood, freckled face to freckled face, each brushing wispy brown hair from our eyes, each blinking away the sun while staring the other one down.

Jo Beth’s chin quivered. “I’m scared, Sky.”

“Of what?”

She took three deep breaths. “Mitch and Magda. I’m scared of them both.”

“But… why?”

“I think they’re up to something. They’re always speaking in Spanish, quickly, so I can’t keep up. And the other day I found some papers…” She looked away from me, off into the distance, at the rows and rows of grape vines that will one day be plucked, smashed, and made into wine. “That’s why I signed my condo over to you. The less I have in my name, the better. It’s also why I’m working with Magda. You know, that whole ‘keep your enemies close’ thing.”

“You don’t have to do that. You can just leave. You don’t need either of them, Jo.”

At the sound of her name, Jo Beth snapped out of her reverie. She shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be insane,” she told me, laughter filling her voice. “I’m in love. There’s no way I’m leaving Mitch. And my business with Magda totally rocks. I’m not leaving that either.” She playfully hit me, because clearly what I’d said was so ridiculous that it warranted some false physical punishment. “Come on. I really do have to pee.” Jo Beth stepped off the path and into the vines, to find some place to crouch and relieve herself. I followed.

I always followed.