Well. Damn. Dani could think of a lot of reasons to decline the ballet tickets. She didn’t need charity, for one. Yes, The Nutcracker wasn’t in the budget, which was tight now that she was floating the rent on her own. But if she’d really wanted to go, she could have made it happen. But more importantly, she’d planned to do the fruitcake tonight. She was going to watch holiday movies, too, now that it was officially Christmas according to the Dani Martinez calendar.

She had plans, was the point, and going to the Nutcracker would violate #6 on the Things I will Never Again Do for a Man list: Rearrange my schedule to indulge his whims.

Max had said, “Indulge me,” several times last night, after all, and he seemed like the kind of person who was accustomed to being indulged. She didn’t need to add herself to his army of indulgers.

Her resolve lasted five seconds. She zoomed in on the image of the ticket again. Those were really good seats.

Was it really Max’s whims she would be indulging if she accepted? It sort of seemed more like him indulging hers. Let’s go with that, anyway.

She smiled. She felt that same Christmas break frisson of excitement as last night.

Dani: What time is the ballet? Why don’t you send a car for my mom and I’ll take the subway.

There. She’d accept the tickets but not the chauffeur service. Holding back something felt important.

Max: You can’t take the subway in your fancy dress.

She gasped again, which set off another round of yapping from Dog Max. She had forgotten she’d told Max about the dress. She could barely remember last night, but it seemed Max had absorbed every detail. She didn’t know what to say. She felt sheepish, like she was a little girl wanting to dress up and go see the pretty ladies in the tutus.

Max: Listen. I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a vulgarian, but I am extremely rich. It is not a hardship for me to send a car. But if you want to take the subway, that’s fine. Or if you want to forget it, I’ll find someone to give the tickets to.