A Taste of Merlot Read Free Page A

to be from now on? Was she going to be made to feel like a loser at every turn?
    â€œSorry. I overstepped. But let’s talk turkey. How’re you going to pay for this studio, all by yourself? I assume you have resources. . . .”
    Meri lifted her chin. “I will.” When her trust fund kicked in. But that wouldn’t be for a long time.
    â€œSo . . .” Bill made a rolling motion with his right hand.
    The skeins of long hair whipping across her face impeded her view of the vine-combed hills rising up on either side of the two-lane. To buy time, she developed a sudden preoccupation with digging through her oversized bag for an elastic band. “I’ll figure something out,” she said with a breeziness she didn’t feel. “Let’s just find the place, first.”
    â€œMind if I make a suggestion?”
    The eager glance she shot his way was a tacit yes. Truth was, she needed all the advice she could get. She was an art major, not an MBA.
    â€œIs your father on board with this?”
    â€œYou mean, with my renting a studio?”
    â€œYeah. How’s he feel about it?”
    â€œHonestly? He’s usually too caught up with his own life to pay much attention to mine.”
    Bill mulled that over.
    â€œYour papa got off the hook by not having to cough up that final year’s tuition, am I right?”
    She nodded uncomfortably.
    â€œWhy not ask him to loan you a year’s tuition? A year at a private art school has to cost way more than the rent and electricity for a room in an old warehouse.”
    She felt the first legitimate spark of hope in months.
    â€œYou think that would work?”
    â€œTell your papa you want to cut a deal. When you start making some income, you’ll pay him back.”
    â€œWith interest,” Meri added, for good measure. Thank you, Char. Bill Diamond was a genius .
    Now that everything seemed doable, her focus returned to finding the ideal place.
    â€œWhy Vallejo?” she asked, as they pulled off the highway onto an unremarkable boulevard.
    â€œThere’re some artsy-fartsy shops sprouting up down here.” They’d come to a street dotted with antiques shops, secondhand stores, and the like. “This was a Navy town, ’til they closed the old shipyard back in the nineties. When the whole economy took a nosedive, the town went bankrupt. Most of these downtown stores closed. But it’s cycling back. There’s a lot of empty real estate up for grabs, and as you can see, creative types are snapping it up. Plus, it’s situated about halfway between the valley and the city. The commute’s short, and the rents’ll be a lot cheaper than in San Francisco. I’ve set up appointments at a handful of locations.”
    The vehicle slowed to a crawl as he peered toward an ancient brick monstrosity on the right. “In fact, here’s the first one now.”

Chapter 4
    S avvy was perched with one leg tucked under her on Meri’s bed when Papa surprised them with a visit. Meri couldn’t remember the last time he’d set foot in her bedroom.
    As his eyes roved over the spacious yet tidy boudoir, his brows shot up. Even the mildest emotions registered strongly on his Gallic face.
    â€œMerlot? Where are the bags?” He spread his hands questioningly. “Where are the clothes, the shoes, the cosmetiques ?”
    All summer Meri had known this moment was coming, but she still wasn’t ready for it. From the corner of her eye she noted Savvy carefully monitoring her reaction.
    â€œ Cheri? August has arrived. When will you return to school?”
    â€œI don’t want to go back.”
    Papa’s eyes registered confusion. He lowered himself onto the foot of the bed. “ But why not? You don’t like making the art anymore?”
    â€œNo Papa, I love making art. And it’s jewelry. That’s what I’ve been concentrating on for the past two years. Mixed-metal