Later The Same Day ...

Jay and I did indeed lunch at New Life, my favorite Chinese joint.

My mom and I call the woman who runs it "Mama," because everytime I go in there, she asks, "How's your mama?" if my mom's not with me.

Today, Mama took good care of me and Jay (we both had the pork fried rice and egg roll - Chinese heaven) and before we left, she placed a brown paper bag on the table, the top neatly folded. "Cookies and tea for mama," she said.

She did this once before, sent home this token Christmas offering for my mom. Coincidentally, it was the Christmas my father had his heart surgery, and mom's emotions were skating on the surface. When she opened her little package from Mama that night, she burst into tears. Small gestures of kindness mean a lot to us.

So we lunched and then headed to Julius Meinl for dessert. Earlier, I offered for G to join us for lunch, but he declined. "It would change the dynamic," he said. "And you probably want to catch up." So he went shopping after dropping me off at Jay's office, then met Jay and me at the coffee house.

Jay was trying to wake up with a latte. I was trying to get warm with hot chocolate. G arrived and ordered some fruity tea (it was a beautiful reddish color) and spied the cakes in the case. He decided on a chocolate raspberry number, which was equally as fabulous as all the other cakes we've had from there.

"Would you like to take something to your mom?" he asked.

"No," I said. "She'll thank me for saying 'no' for her, but she'll be very touched that you offered."

G blushed.

Later, we headed home. G thought a nap was in order. I had no reason to argue. He dozed off for a couple of minutes then said something to me.

"You're supposed to be napping," I said.

"I did," he said.

At which point we fell back to sleep for about an hour.

As I tried to wake up, he made a racket in the kitchen.

We watched "Elf," widescreen, as projected on his living-room wall. Will Ferrell was practically life-size. (I love watching movies at G's.) He had never seen the whole film, and I thought it would get him in the holiday spirit before his office Christmas party tonight at the House of Blues.

He emerged from the kitchen later with snacks for us, hot out of the oven. Fabulous, again.

And when the movie was over, he got ready for the party. I walked into the bedroom. "What are you going to wear?" I asked and then noticed a suit laying out on the bed.

Oh my.

My friend Eric and I had lunch many months ago and we decided at that time that what I needed was a tall, European man in a suit.

I've had the tall, European man for about a month now. And I've been plenty happy.

But tonight, he put on the suit.

Oh. My.

We stood in the kitchen and I told him of my conversation with Eric as I kissed him.

We walked to my car. "Have I told you that you look really good in a suit?" I asked in a throaty voice.

He laughed.

And I said, "We shouldn't have watched 'Elf.' "