I'll have the Chablis

"Well, I was thinking,"
she thought,
"that 2 bottles of the Chablis
might be a bit much,
but in fact the goût de pierre à fusil
is strangely lovely,
the acidity goes nicely
with the slightly flinty aftertaste,
less fruity than other grapes
that produce various Chardonnays,"
but out loud she stated,
"Hmmm, quite nice"
and continued to stare
at her date with
the unfortunately
long hair,
who, after resisting her knowledge,
tried to convince her
that academia was a hard road to travel,
and teaching was a difficult path,
describing his work at Google
as if she were at a job interview
rather than understanding
that people are her passion
and interpersonal connection -
listening, absorbing,
volleying a reply
that continues the thesis,
lining up supporting arguments
like little green army men -
is of the utmost importance.

She internally recounts
the chapter on Henry James
that she recently read,
enjoying the thought that, like Isabel,
she could inscribe meaning
on a seemingly empty situation.