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Kate shook Mack’s proffered hand. ‘And you’re Mack!’ She laughed, gesturing to her tabard. ‘Do excuse the get-up.’
‘Not at all, it’s very kind of you to come and help. And I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you, but your daughter and son-in-law have both been wonderful. I really thought it was the end of the wine road for me but these two absolutely refused to give up.’
‘Well, I’m not sure they had much choice, to be honest,’ replied Kate.
Flora shot Johnny a look and he gently shook his head. She rolled her eyes before turning back to Kate.
‘OK, Mum, that’s enough chit-chat.’ She handed her a cloth. ‘We’ve got work to do. Just mind the bottles.’
10
‘Can you please not eat those straight from the packet?’ Johnny took the cereal box from Pip, passing her a bowl. ‘Sit down and pour them properly, please.’
‘Are you taking us to school today?’ Tom spoke through a mouthful of cereal, his face hopeful.
‘Yes, Tom, my turn today… and it’s a big day for your mother. She’s got one of her wine exams today.’
Flora rushed into the room, bags already over her shoulder. She looked terrified. Johnny put his arms on her shoulders. ‘Hey, how are you feel—’
‘Have you got everything ready for school? Did you finish your homework, Pip? Tom, have you got your—’ Flora stopped, turning her attention to whatever she was rummaging for in her handbag.
‘Relax, they’re here.’ Johnny grabbed the keys from the side and handed them to Flora. ‘We’re on it, seriously. You go, you don’t want to miss your train. What time will you be back?’
Flora kissed him briefly on the lips. ‘Hopefully around six, unless I decide to drown my sorrows somewhere.’
‘Come on, you know you’re as prepared for this as you possibly could be. You’ve done loads of studying.’
‘Yes, but it’s the last tasting paper today, and I feel like I’ve totally forgotten what anything smells like, let alone what it tastes like. And what if they put really random wines in?’
‘In which case, go with whatever comes into your head first, you know, gut feel. It’s your best bet.’
‘How come you’re suddenly the expert?’ Flora managed a laugh.
‘I’m not. But I know you. Just don’t overthink things. Go with your instincts and you’ll be fine. Better than fine, you’ll be brilliant. Now, go.’ He kissed her again.
Flora kissed both the children then headed for the door. ‘Thank you. See you later!’
‘Bye, Mum!’ chorused the children. The front door thumped shut behind her.
‘OK, let’s get going. Ten minutes and counting. Off you go and brush your teeth when you’ve finished. I’ll be back in a minute.’ Johnny stepped into the back garden, mug of tea in hand. He looked up at the trees at the back, now thick with bright green leaves against a light blue sky. The sun was already warm on his face. He took a last slug of his tea, the liquid now lukewarm.
A robin flew down in front of him and landed not far from his feet. He watched the bird hop across the lawn. ‘What do you think? Do you reckon she’ll be OK? I reckon she’ll ace it.’ He sighed, closed his eyes. ‘Now, if we can just make the shop work…’
Johnny had spent the last few weeks honing the business plan, negotiating terms with suppliers both new and old, sorting out the accounts and setting up a shiny new website. The newly laid-out shop was looking good, freshly painted, and the copper-topped counter and tasting table were the smartest finishing touches. If – and it was a big if – they could take the business from a small neighbourhood wine shop to one that also operated profitably online, sold to restaurants and other businesses wholesale and ran wine courses Johnny felt they were on to something that might just allow them to earn a decent living. At least, that was the plan. The last thing he wanted to do was put Flora under pressure, but the truth was there was a lot riding on her gaining her diploma.
* * *
Flora took another long sniff of the liquid inside the glass in front of her and looked at what she’d written. Taking a furtive glance around, she thought everyone appeared far more comfortable than she felt. One candidate sat back in his chair, casually tapping his pen on the table. Another went along the row of wines in front of her, sniffing each one furiously, smiling as she scribbled down her notes. It took Flora all her willpower not to cross out everything she’d written and bolt for the door.
You know this is Fino sherry, she told herself. You’ve tasted this a hundred times before. That unmistakable tang, the searing acidity that whips across the taste buds quite unlike anything else…
Flora forced herself to put her pen down and move along to the next drink. Picking it up, she tilted the glass and looked at the wine. Closing her eyes, she stuck her nose in the top of it and inhaled deeply. Booze-soaked nuts and raisin aromas hit her immediately, so powerful she felt slightly intoxicated. ‘Light tawny red fading to brick at the rim,’ she wrote. Tawny port, final answer, she thought as she continued with the tasting note, describing its aromas and palate before assessing the wine’s overall quality in detail.
She glanced at her watch. Twenty minutes left and she still had another flight to go. It was going to be tight, but if she could just keep her focus…
By the time the invigilator called time, Flora felt like she was burning up. Whether through panic or just because the exam room was unbelievably stuffy, she couldn’t quite tell. Either way, relief flooded through her. As they left the room other students talked excitedly, comparing verbal notes on the wines. She heard snippets, enough to make her doubt every word she’d written. Given most of her tutorials had been completed online she didn’t really know anyone else on the course, but the last thing she wanted now was a ‘What did you think wine number six was?’ kind of conversation.
Five papers down, one assessment to go. And that didn’t have to be handed in for a while yet. Flora hitched her bag onto her shoulder, popped a piece of chewing gum into her tannin-coated mouth, took a deep breath and headed out of the building. As she waited to cross the road, staring mindlessly at the red light, she saw someone waving at her from the other side of the road.
