"Yes, well, that is the point. We strive for something a bit better than 'wonderful' here at Chez Chapman." Chapman twisted the pronunciation of his name to a distorted and comical French parody: Chez Shapp-moan´.
"Tres bien, monsieur. Merci," she mimicked his French accent as she extended her glass.
As he poured the wine - her glass first then his, as always - he inquired, "Do you realize that you never speak my name?"
"No, I had not realized that," she said softly as she looked up at him with her eyes while keeping her nose deep in the glass to appreciate the burgeoning bouquet. "You know I feel very comfortable and relaxed when I am with you, but I had not realized until just now that I really do not know what to call you. It's a funny thing when your employer is also your friend. So, how would you like me to call you?"
"Je m'appel 'Brady Chapman' (again with the Shapp-moan´)," he said playfully. He added seriously, demurely, "but I would like it if you would call me 'Brad'. It's a nickname that a few friends use. I would like to count you among them."
"I would be honored to be counted among your 'few friends'," Beverly smiled and clicked her glass to his. "ĄSalud! Brad."
"ĄSalud! Beverly," Chapman replied.
They sipped the wine carefully, appreciating its nuances. Neither spoke for a while, but Chapman noticed Beverly following the koi as they moved from one area of the pond to another. "Enjoying the koi?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied, "but more specifically, the nishikigoi."
Referencing the Japanese carp so precisely caused Chapman to raise an eyebrow. "You never fail to surprise me," he said. "Where did you attend college?"
"No place you would know," Beverly said. "A small school in the Kentucky hills - Centre."
"I do know Centre. It's a major bastion for the liberal arts. What did you major in? Let me guess - philosophy? Japanese? Russian? Creative writing?"
"No. You just think you know me," she laughed. "Biology. I was a biology major. I was lucky to graduate. The school hung together just long enough to graduate my class when the country fell apart. Of course there were no jobs in that field or any other. How about you? Where did you go?"
"Harvard," he said; and she believed him.
