The Spirit World

I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly – sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom mirror with some unintelligible  scribbles and notations below it. I know he sometimes even  takes her to bed.

Like all relationships, there is a definite up and down cycle to his infatuation with this woman. As his WSET exam gets closer he finds her more frustrating. At other times, he finds her charming, witty, and distinctly sexy. But he relies on her totally and without reservation. “I just can’t be without her,” he’ll sometimes confess.

I suspect that if Frank ever actually met her face to face and in person, he would give her the traditional European greeting – three kisses on alternating cheeks – right, left, right.  He might even hug her.

Tonight Frank writes the vinticulture portion of his WSET Diploma exam. Perhaps when he’s done and the marks are tallied,  he will close the Oxford Companion to Wine and Jancis Robinson will  be forgotten for a short while. Perhaps. At least until it’s time for the next exam.