“So, girls, tell me everything that’s new in your lives. Any interesting new men?” Aunt Vivian asked.

Another question that Paula dreaded. She wasn’t ready to share that Jason had asked her out. She was preparing to give her usual non-answer when Lucy beat her to it.

“I’ve actually just met someone. His name is Ben, and he seems like a really nice guy. We’re going to dinner later this week.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” her mother said.

Her aunt leaned forward and lifted her glass of wine. “Tell us all about him…”

Andrea sipped a glass of champagne on the plane ride to New York and stared out the window, deep in thought. She had mixed feelings about this trip. On one hand, she was excited to go to Manhattan. It was always a fun place to visit. But could she see herself actually living there? Once the plane landed, she caught a cab to the hotel, settled into her room, then ventured out to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

There was almost a sense of excitement in the air when she stepped outside and walked along the busy sidewalk. People were rushing along on their way home from work or out to dinner and there was so much concrete everywhere, not a tree in sight. It was night and day different from Nantucket.

The hotel was a few blocks away from a restaurant she loved and had been to several times, Becco. It was on Restaurant Row in the theater district and Andrea was a big fan of the triple pasta special. Servers kept walking around offering three different kinds of pasta, all delicious, and they varied each night. The pasta was also unlimited, so one could have seconds, or even thirds.

She started her dinner with a simple green salad and a glass of Italian chianti. All around her, people were dressed to go to the theater. It was fun to people-watch while she sipped her wine. The pasta was as good as she remembered and after she ate her fill, she slowly walked back to the hotel.

She took another look at the lobby when she entered the hotel. It was a contrast in black and white, with black marble floors and plush white sofas. The walls were painted a rich black and the reception desk was white. The staff all wore white suits. The overall look was sophisticated and elegant.

There was a bar off to the left in the lobby, and it had sleek dark brown leather chairs. Andrea was tempted to have a second glass of wine but decided instead to head to her room and get a good night’s sleep. Her interview was early in the morning, at nine sharp, and she planned to head straight to the airport after that.