‘Bloody hell… look at who’s just walked in with the boss.’
Sophie’s head snapped up at the exclamation from her colleague, Laura. She’d been busy on the filtration floor all morning since she’d returned from Churchwell School, and was, momentarily, lost in the world of tannins, timings and taste. ‘What? Who is it?’ She checked the pressures on the batch of cider she was currently testing and then turned to where Laura was none too subtly indicating with a thumb on her hip. Striding across the filtration floor was Matthew Carter, and alongside him was a tall, dark and extremely handsome stranger. Dressed in mid-washed blue jeans, a white T-shirt and an unbuttoned checked shirt over the top, he was the same height as Matthew, and just as broad. Sophie tried not to notice the slightly bowed knees on endless legs, muscular arms and lean torso, and the friendly smile that seemed to rest on all who crossed his path. Bloody hell indeed, she thought as the two men drew closer.
David, her boss, crossed the floor from the other direction as the two men approached. Shaking hands with the new arrival, he motioned to Sophie to join them. Ignoring Laura’s jealous look, she did so.
‘Sophie, I’d like you to meet Alex Fraser,’ Matthew said as she approached. ‘David’s suggested that you mentor him during his summer internship, since he’d like to learn about the various Somerset bred apples we press here.’
Alex held out his hand, and Sophie took it. His grip was warm and firm, and she liked the way he looked her straight in the eye. ‘It’s nice to meet you, Sophie.’
‘You too.’ Ah, yes, of course, now Sophie remembered the conversation about taking on an intern. She’d been so preoccupied with giving the talk to the sixth form about apprenticeships that she’d forgotten that she and David would be taking on an intern for the summer. The internship had been advertised separately from the more highly paid apprenticeships, and was from late June until the end of September. Sophie had been expecting some spotty schoolkid, who, doubtless, would spend more time looking at his or her phone than actually learning the ropes. She certainly hadn’t been expecting this handsome stranger, who, from the sound of that accent, had come from a little further afield than the local secondary school.
‘Alex has come over from Vancouver to see how our native Somerset apples could be mixed with Canadian varieties,’ Matthew continued. ‘I think it would be good for him to learn about our business from the ground up, so he’ll be working with various people during his time with us, but mainly with you and David, to really get a feel for how to blend and taste. I’m hoping, in the long term, that we might learn from each other.’ He turned from Sophie and David back to Alex. ‘I’ll leave you in Sophie and David’s capable hands for now, Alex. I hope you’ll have a really productive and enjoyable time here. Don’t be afraid to seek me or my brother Jonathan, out if you have any questions.’
‘Thank you,’ Alex said, smiling at Matthew. They shook hands and Matthew departed, leaving Alex, Sophie and David on the floor.
‘So, what brings you to Carter’s Cider?’ Sophie asked as the three of them walked back to where she had been mixing. ‘It’s a long way to come for a minimum wage internship!’
Alex smiled. ‘I’ve just bought a cider business in a town outside Vancouver, and before I can really get going, I wanted to learn how best to get it on its feet. Carter’s came up as the place to learn about English apples, since they’re the best in the world for cider. I’ve learnt a lot about the native Canadian varieties, but I want to produce an original Anglo-Canadian blend that would be a real selling point back home.’
Sophie smiled. ‘What about French varieties? We’ve got one or two from across the Channel that we incorporate into our blends, and surely there must be plenty that came over to Canada with the French settlers?’
‘Oh, of course,’ Alex said hurriedly. ‘But they’re mostly used in Quebec, where conditions are a little different. I’m really looking for something English that I can use that’s robust enough to withstand a Vancouver winter.’
‘Well, you’ve come to the right place,’ Sophie said. She could already hear the enthusiasm in Alex’s voice for his project. She knew that artisan cideries were springing up all over the place, so she wasn’t surprised that Carter’s Cider was getting international interest; they were one of the biggest brands in the UK, after all. ‘If you’re going to learn about English apples, this is definitely the place to be. It’s just a shame Jack Carter’s no longer with us – Matthew and Jonathan Carter’s dad. He knew absolutely everything there was to know about growing apples.’
‘So I’ve heard,’ Alex said. His tone was light, but Sophie noticed he bit his lip as he replied; he must be pretty nervous about being here and want to make a good impression.
‘There’ll be a lot to take in,’ she continued, ‘so don’t be surprised if your head is spinning by the end of the day!’
The two began to walk over to the exit of the filtration floor, towards the main yard where the apple baths were housed. ‘Have you always been into cider?’ Sophie asked as they walked, before bursting out laughing. ‘I’m sorry, that was a stupid way to put it. I mean, what makes you want to run a cidery?’
‘I wanted a change of direction,’ Alex said as they emerged blinking into the strong early summer sunlight. ‘I am… I mean, I was, a lawyer before making this change, but I’ve always wanted to do something more creative. When the orchard came up for sale near to where my parents lived, I thought it was a great chance to change direction.’
‘And what do they think about it? Your parents?’ Sophie asked.
Alex paused for a split second before replying. ‘My mom died at the end of last year, but I think she’d have really liked the idea. My stepdad’s been really supportive but he’s not in great health himself.’
Sophie’s heart lurched. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ she said.
‘Thanks.’ Alex shook his head and then smiled slightly. ‘Mom was really fond of the area where she lived, so I think she’d like it that I’m making a go of something new there. But if I am going to make it work, I need a crash course in cider blending! There’s quite a difference between producing a few bottles at home and scaling that up, or so I’m led to believe, so I’m looking forward to learning a lot from Carter’s – and you.’
‘We can guarantee you that here.’ Sophie replied, relieved that the conversation was moving on. ‘You’ll have plenty of ideas to take back with you.’ She glanced at her schedule for the day on her iPad. At this time of year, when the cider business was gearing up for the first pressings at the end of the summer, it was all about planning ahead. ‘Shall we get started?’
‘Sure,’ Alex replied. He seemed to hold her gaze a little too long, and Sophie felt her cheeks growing warm. She made it a rule never to fancy anyone at work, and for ten years she had stuck to it; workplace romances were just too awkward, in her opinion. She’d seen Laura’s devastation when she’d split up with her last boyfriend, who still worked in the cannery, and she didn’t want to get involved with someone she’d be forced to see every day if things went wrong. After her heartache over Mark, too, she was on her guard even more. There was no doubting that Alex was attractive, though.
Banishing the thought from her mind, Sophie started by showing Alex the cider vat floor, where the forty-eight enormous steel vats stood, ready to be filled with the apple mixture that turned, like magic, into the bestselling varieties of Carter’s cider through its own process of natural fermentation. This truly was the industrial arm of the business, and as Sophie explained about the thousands of litres of cider that were produced here every day she saw Alex shaking his head in mild disbelief.
‘These steel vats are from Germany,’ she said as they looked twenty-five feet upwards at the solid, shining, implacable units that lined the fermenting room. ‘Every time one needs replacing, it’s brought in on the back of a flatbed truck with a crane, and then winched through the roof into place. The roof slides back, and we need to make sure that it’s a dry day when we do it or it gets very messy in here.’
Moving on, Sophie showed Alex her favourite part of the farm, where the oak vats were kept. Pushing open the door to the barn, she paused, inhaling the scent of oak and age. The vats exuded a sense of timelessness, dark and mysterious in their presence. They were the jewel in the crown of the business. ‘These go back to the very start of things,’ she said, as she pushed open the door further to admit Alex. ‘They’re what most people think of when they think of cider, although they tend to only hold the speciality varieties these days – Eloise, of course, and the Vintage years, as well as the seriously strong Somerset Sprite.’ Walking through to where the first vat stood, she rested a hand briefly on the side of it. Thirty-four feet high, and fifteen feet in diameter, made of oak that once housed the finest Scotch whisky, their slats were roughened and darkened by decades of use. It was as if they were still living, still breathing, still watching.
Alex circled the vat, craning his neck upwards to take in the sheer height of them. ‘They’re beautiful,’ he murmured. ‘Breathtaking.’ Following Sophie’s lead, he placed a hand on the side of the nearest vat, feeling its rough texture under his palm.
‘They’re stunning, aren’t they?’ Sophie agreed. She couldn’t help herself; her eyes drifted from Alex’s face to where his hand, fingers splayed on the side of the barrel, rested, back to his lips and then down his body. He seemed completely lost in the moment, and she felt a jolt of something that felt very definitely like attraction. His eyes were wide, lips slightly parted; he was clearly entranced by the sight, sound, scent and touch of the ancient wooden structures that gave the barn its name. Get a grip, she thought. No relationships at work, remember?
Coming back to the moment, Alex dropped his hand. ‘I wish I could afford something like this for Adelaide’s,’ he said, ‘but I’m not sure I could house something on this scale.’
‘There are a couple of smaller ones in the shop.’ Sophie smiled. ‘I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chance to see them and taste it all over the next few weeks, too. Although I’d bear in mind that some of our varieties can give you quite a sore head if you have too much of a good thing!’ Sophie remembered quite a few of her own nights lost to Somerset Sprite, back when she was a teenager.
‘I hope so.’ Alex’s gaze returned to Sophie’s and she was taken aback by the intensity in his eyes. The oak vats affected nearly everyone the first time they saw them, and Sophie had witnessed their thrall on countless occasions. Their very presence was enough to render even the most eloquent people speechless; and that was before they’d had a taste of what was in them.
‘It’s so good to be here, to learn how the professionals do it.’ Alex continued, seemingly collecting his thoughts. ‘Hard cider’s not yet such a big deal at home.’
‘Hard cider?’
‘The stuff with the alcohol in,’ Alex explained. ‘If you ask for cider in Canada, you’re likely just to get apple juice. Although the ice cider’s fermented, of course.’
‘Ice cider?’ Sophie asked, baffled. She knew a lot about cider, but she hadn’t heard of that.
Alex smiled, seemingly pleased to be able to impart some knowledge to the cider expert. ‘It’s made mostly in Quebec from frozen apples and can be really strong.’
‘It sounds like you could teach me a thing or two!’ Sophie laughed, then blushed. ‘Perhaps we should organise an exchange trip.’
Alex laughed too. ‘Let me get Adelaide’s up and running first, and then you’re welcome to visit any time you want.’ His eyes were still locked on hers, and Sophie felt herself growing even warmer under his gaze.
To break the tension, she suggested they head back to the office. Alongside all the practical things to take in, an internship at Carter’s involved quite a lot of reading and learning about the company, which Sophie wanted to start as soon as she could. After all, there was a lot for Alex to learn, and only a few months to do it in. As they left the barn, Sophie noticed for the first time that Alex’s slightly bow legged walk seemed to be more pronounced. She wondered what might have caused it. An ex-professional rugby player she’d once gone out with had a similar gait; perhaps it was a sporting injury? Tearing her gaze away from Alex’s back view again, mindful that she didn’t want to be caught ogling the intern, she closed the door to the barn and headed back to the office she shared with David, which would also be Alex’s base for the duration of his internship.
The rest of the day passed swiftly, and Sophie was relieved. It wasn’t that she minded tutoring him, but having someone shadowing her was going to take a bit of getting used to. Just as she was leaving, wondering whether or not to stop in on her grandmother on the way home, she saw Alex and Matthew walking across the courtyard. He’d been summoned back to Matthew’s office at the end of the day for a first day feedback session, and Sophie was surprised to see the two of them still deep in conversation. Sophie was once again able to appreciate how in step they were for two such tall men. She decided she’d give visiting Lily a miss tonight; she didn’t want Lily quizzing her about the new intern. She was sure that Lily would have found out through the grapevine that the person Sophie was tutoring wasn’t some graduate from the local secondary school, and she knew that Lily’s mind would only go in one direction. Heaven forbid, Sophie thought, if Lily actually met him. Shaking her head, she began the walk home.