"Is this how you pick up your women these days, Matt? Given up on vegetable stands?" She was walking toward me wearing a smile. I tried to grin back. "How are you, Matthew? Good to see you've still got your hair. Well, most of it."
"Tam Richardson, I don't believe this. Now I know it all is a dream. Please tell me you were kidnapped. None of this is really happening, right? It's just a very big, very bad dream. We'll all wake up tomorrow and go to the beach."
"Welcome aboard, partner." She stuck out her hand. "It's going to be a wild trip."
"No kidding." I looked her over as I took her hand. Nice and warm. Time had treated her well. Very well. "How long have you known Noda?"
"Less than a month." She was checking me over too. Wonder how I was doing. "How long have you been helping him?"
It occurred to me that we both should have been using that classic hooker response when the guy asks his young companion how long she's been in her particular field of endeavor and she replies, "Long enough to know better."
"Few months now. Noda is pretty impressive." I tried to sound casual. "Not to mention persuasive."
"That he is."
"Well, let's have a toast to winning this." I turned to the urn. "How about some tea, Professor?"
"Love it."