“That was the best cheeseburger I’ve ever eaten.” The waitress came to take their dessert order and Theo looked shy for a minute, then laughed. “I want a banana split, but I don’t want you to think I’m a complete pig. I haven’t had one since I was a kid, and I love them. I don’t think I can finish it though. Do you want to share one?” She smiled and he ordered it.

It arrived minutes later, looking like a mountain of ice cream, whipped cream, strawberry, chocolate, and marshmallow sauces, with nuts and a cherry on top. They each dug in at opposite ends, and he laughed when she got a whipped cream mustache on her upper lip.

“You’re laughing at me,” she accused him, and he chuckled.

“Actually, yes, I am. I never figured you for a banana-split person.” She fed the jukebox again with his quarters and she looked happy.

“Well, I am,” she said proudly. “I used to love them when I was a little girl. You know what’s funny? You don’t look like a lawyer.” He was embarrassed to be lying to her.

“I don’t? Why not?”

“I don’t know. You look like something bigger. Like a ship’s captain, or a military person, someone you can count on who would keep you safe. Lawyer seems too tame for you.”

“It’s just my height.”

“What did you do in the navy?”

“I flew fighter planes for a while, got a master’s degree, and then I wound up in military intelligence.”

“Was that interesting?” She was intrigued.

“Very.” His eyes came alive as he said it. His intelligence shone brightly, as hers did. He was eleven years older than she was, but they felt the same age and had the same landmarks, or similar ones. “Maybe I should give up law and become a ship captain.” She laughed and they ate most of the banana split.

“It was a perfect dinner. Next time, if you invite me again, I want to try the southern-fried chicken or the meatloaf. But I think we should stick with the banana split.” It was fun and nostalgic for her to be eating American food.

“Agreed. Do you come to New York often?” he asked hopefully.

“Not really. I run it all from Paris. It works very well. I haven’t traveled in a while. I’m trying to get my bearings. This trip was good for me.” She looked at him, and she could tell that he knew the reasons why she hadn’t traveled. She was grateful she didn’t need to tell him. She didn’t want to spoil the evening. She had had fun with him. “Did you play football in college?” she asked. He looked like he might have.

“Yes, for Notre Dame.”