The New Yorker was just a few blocks from the mall. The restaurant didn’t have a formal dress code, but everyone inside was professionally attired. It was the kind of place where movers and shakers met and business deals were made. Needless to say, I had never been there before.

After the hostess had seated us at a table for two, Nicholas leaned forward. “So tell me what that was all about.”

“The girls in the office have been intrigued by the gifts you’ve been sending. I overheard them talking this morning. Zoey said, and I quote, ‘the amount of money a guy spends on a woman is in inverse ratio to his looks. He’s probably some fat, bald guy with ear hair.’ ”

“Did I dispel any of that?”

“I think you left them speechless.”

“Good,” he said. “Fortunately I plucked my ear hairs this morning.”

“That’s just wrong.” I laughed. “Can I tell you something honest?”

“Of course.”

“I didn’t want you to meet Zoey.”

“Why is that?”

“I was afraid you might want to trade up.”

“No disrespect, but that would be like trading champagne for Kool-Aid.”

I grinned. “That’s totally disrespectful.”

“Not to you,” he said.

“And thank you again for the mirror. It’s beautiful. As is the thought behind it.”

“Did I impress you with the cleaning tips?”

“I was very impressed.”

He smiled. “I thought you would be. So are you ready to order?”

“No.” I looked through the menu. “What do you recommend?”

“The tomato soup is always good,” he said.

“Why don’t you just order for me?”

“I’d be happy to. Something to drink?”

“I’d like a glass of wine.”

“Okay,” he said. He ordered a glass of Chianti for me, a cranberry juice for himself, and our meal. That was the first time I realized that I had never seen him drink. I wondered if he did.

As the waiter walked away I asked, “So what’s next on our agenda?”

“It’s your call. You were going to come up with something for our weekend.”

“I have an idea,” I said. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

“Name it,” he said.

“Do you sing?”

“In the shower.”

I nodded slowly. “That will do.”

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER

Ten

The Golden Rule is a two-edged sword. If some of us treated others as we treat ourselves, we would be jailed.

Elise Dutton’s Diary

I had always looked forward to Fridays, but now even the weekdays were better. The whole office anticipated Nicholas’s daily gifts. The FedEx man delivered my Friday gift around eleven.

“What is it?” Cathy asked as I opened the box.

“It’s New York cheesecake. It’s really from New York.”

Cathy read the label. “S&S cheesecake from New York. Zagat rated number one.”

“I’ll get some plates,” I said.

“Really?” Cathy said. “You’re going to share?”