Page 85 of Best In Class
He taps a finger to his temple. “I’m paying attention, Moonbeam.”
Andhe reads my mind!
I laugh, despite myself. “I almost threw my coffee at you that day.”
“I know. Iwasworried. You have an excellent throwing arm.”
The hostess takes us to a dockside table under soft lights.
The tide is low. Crickets are tuning up somewhere behind us.
We order a bottle of Chenin Blanc from South Africa to accompany our meal. The menu at The Wyld is short and simple. We order the crab roll, succotash, fish and shrimp tacos, and, of course, the okra.
“You sure that’s enough food?” he teases.
“Yep. I need to leave room for their key lime pie, though. It’sdivine.”
He samples the wine, and when he nods to the server, he fills up our glass.
“To second dates,” I toast.
“And second chances.” He clinks his glass to mine.
I taste the wine once, and then again. It’s my first glass of the day, and you have to do it twice to get the full flavor of it.
“This is good.” I read the label:Alheit Fire by Night, 2022.
“I know the winemaker,” he tells me.
I arch an eyebrow. “You do?”
“I met him at a wine auction.”
Both eyebrows go up now. “You go to wine auctions?” Lev does too, but that’s because he’s a veritable wine snob.
He shrugs, a little sheepish. “I…uh…collect wine.”
“No kidding?”
“I rent space in a cellar in New York. Not too big. About eight hundred bottles, give or take.”
I blink. “That’s not small.”
He laughs. “What can I say? I like things that age well.”
I swirl the wine in my glass. “Any favorites?”
“I’ve got a bottle of Solaia 2004 I’m saving for something important. And an Ornellaia Masseto 2006—both from Tuscany. I also have a DRC ‘99 that I’ll probably never open. It’s just…nice knowing I own one.”
“Show off,” I murmur.
“You asked.”
“I like wine,” I admit. “But I don’t collect it. Lev’s the one with the fancy racks and inventory apps. I just raid his stash when I feel like it.”
Dom grins. “Sounds like an effective strategy.”
I take another sip. “Well, seeing you have someexcellentwine, I might start raiding yours.”
