Robyn isn’t convinced and talks Emma into a proper job.

Robyn shook her head. This was one of those times when she needed to be firm with Emma and do what was best for the pair of them.

“Sorry, Ems but we’re broke. Like proper broke. We need to earn some serious money or we’re going to have to go home,” Robyn told Emma letting her see the bigger picture.

Neither of them wanted to call it quits on their big adventure. This was their chance to escape the small town they had grown up in together. If they went back, they would end up getting stuck there for what would seem like the rest of their lives like so many other kids had who hadn’t managed to escape.

“A thousand dollars and we’d be rich,” Emma tried one last chance to convince Robyn but she knew it was worthless, the fight had gone out of her already.

“A grand would be great but it still wouldn’t last long. And what about Bently? You know he could break down at any moment. The radiator’s stuffed and you must be getting sick of putting water in it all the time.”

Bently was the name they had given to their old and increasingly unreliable station wagon. The girls had originally bought it because it was cheap and could store plenty of gear plus surfboards on what was going to be their first solo journey out into the world. Unfortunately, they were finding out that cheap doesn’t mean low upkeep.

“Alright Rob, you’re right. I know. We can get that job at the pub if you like,” Emma offered conciliatorily.

“I was thinking the job at the vineyards…” Robyn told Emma, not sure at all if she would go for it.

“The vineyards! You want us working every single day? This was supposed to be a holiday,” Emma moaned. It was the response Robyn had been expecting.

“Hear me out for a second,” Robyn began trying to sell Emma on her plan, “yes, it is a holiday, just a working holiday but only for a little while. We do this for a couple of weeks and we get enough money for the rest of the summer all at once.”

Emma stood with her arms folded across her body, leaning back on one foot with all the sass in the world coming from her.

“Come on, we do this and we don’t have to worry about anything else at all. And besides these farms probably have a bunch of cute guys working there. Just think about it. I bet there’s some handsome Frenchie come over from Champagne to see what we’re doing on the other side of the world. Don’t you want to meet him?” Robyn put on a truly terrible French accent, “Qui? Qui?”

Emma tried to suppress her smile as she shook her head, saying, “No. No.”

Robyn knew she was cracking her friends resolve, “Qui! Qui! You can see his pee-pee.”

Emma burst out with a snort that she quickly tried to suppress.

Robyn had her. “So, you’ll do it?”

“Alright, I’ll do it just so you don’t ever do that horrible accent again!” Emma finally gave in to Robyn’s cajoling.

“I thought I was magnifique!” Robyn said before shrieking as Emma pinched her hard on the inside of her arm at her stupid voice.

Afterwards, Robyn rang the viticulturist back and the pair of them headed back to the campsite to prepare for their first day of work tomorrow. In a sign they had made the right decision, the fan belt on Bently screeched much louder and for longer than usual when they started the car and drove off. More than one local turning to look at what was making such an awful noise.

The next morning, they arrived at the farm while it was still dark, dressed and ready to begin a hard day’s work.