“I have one more important question,”
“What’s that, Miss?”
“Will there be other patrons at Eleven Madison Park and Le Nozze Di Figaro tonight?”
“I believe it’s one of the most popular restaurants…and shows in the city, Miss, so I’m sure there will be.”
“You know what I mean, Jeffrey. Did he buy it out? Is he still hoping to sneak me unseen around the city?”
“No Miss, I reserved the table and bought the tickets myself.”
I smiled then, Aaron was going about it strangely…as usual, but he was trying. That was what mattered most. I know that most women would have just told him he was out of chances….but I wasn’t most women.
***
Jeffrey took me home after my shopping spree. It wasn’t actually a spree, but it did cost Aaron two months of what my rent cost me. I hadn’t meant to spend so much. I wasn’t out for revenge or anything. It wasn’t going to make a dent in his wallet either way. I got out of the bath and put on all my creams and essential oils and then I wandered into my bedroom and looked at the cornflower blue Chanel skirt and blouse lying across the bed. I reached down and ran my hand across the smooth fabric. When I’d tried it on at the store, I hadn’t wanted to take it off. It fit like a glove and even if I’d had something special made I didn’t think it could have felt any better.
I slipped on the shirt and buttoned up the white pearl buttons. When I finished that, I looked into the mirror and appreciated the way it hugged my curves on top. It was fitted at the waist, and when I slid on the matching skirt that fell loosely to the tops of my thighs and decided I’d never worn anything so flattering. My eyes looked startlingly blue against the color of it and I found my usually not-vain-at-all-self excited at the prospect of Aaron seeing me in it.
By the time my doorbell rang, I was ready to go. I grabbed my coat and my purse and pulled open the door. The look on Aaron’s face when he saw me was priceless. I’m pretty sure though that I was sending him back the same look. Tonight he wore a black suit with a red and black pinstriped tie. He looked like he’d just gotten his hair trimmed and his beautiful face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I had to use all of my impulse control to keep from flinging myself into his arms. He would have to do a bit more groveling before that happened.
“Wow!” he finally managed.
I smiled and said, “Thank you, you bought it so obviously you have good taste.”
He smiled back and said, “Yes I do, but I wasn’t talking about the suit…although it’s lovely as well.”
We rode to the restaurant in silver Lamborghini. I was surprised yet again at just how much money he really has when I said,
“Wow, you have three cars?” I’d seen the Camaro, and of course I’d ridden in the limousine, but this one was new to me. He smiled and said,
“More, actually. I’m kind of a car buff.”
“Really? Something else I never knew about you. How much is more?”
“I own a dozen…at last count.”
I tried not to choke, “A dozen cars? Wow! Where do you keep them all?”
“I have a house in the Hamptons that I rarely use, but the cars are stored there nicely. Jeffrey brings them up to me when I want to drive them.”
Again I said, “Wow, there is a lot I don’t know about you, isn’t there?”
He didn’t say anything until we’d driven up in front of the restaurant and he’d given his keys to the valet. Before we went inside he said, “I’d like very much to change that. I’d like for you to know who I really am.” He held up his hands at out opulent surroundings and said, “This is such a small fraction of it.”
I took his hand in mine. It was warm and strong. I squeezed it and said, “There’s nothing I’d like more.”
The restaurant was almost too stunning for me to describe. It was located in an art deco building with soaring thirty-five foot ceilings and stunning views of Madison Square Park. Aaron and I were warmly greeted and he called the hostess by her first name and introduced me…as his girlfriend. We were shown to a table near a window and we were surrounded by other guests but in an open, spacious dining room.
The bright lights of the city shown through the window as the sun began to dip down behind the thirty and forty story buildings of central Manhattan. It was a new experience for me as well. Instead of a menu, we were given four cards from which we chose our favorite flavors. Aaron told me after the server left that the food was served in courses…up to fifteen if you had the five hours that took. We didn’t if we wanted to see the show, so he ordered us the three courses and a bottle of wine. He poured us each a glass and then offered a toast,