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fellow diners.
    “Anyway, I got my revenge. Bonnie asked me to order a Town Car yesterday afternoon for an important meeting downtown and I ‘forgot.’”
    “Non?”
    “Since she couldn’t get another car during rush hour, she had to take the subway. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall as she wobbled down the stairs to catch the F train in her Jimmy Choos.”
    I’m surprised by his confession but full of admiration for his spunk. I also make a mental note never to prevent him from going to a sample sale.
    “Did she say anything about it?”
    “Are you kidding? She doesn’t address assistants directly. She had Roxanne yell at me on her behalf.”
    “You’ve got guts.”
    “It’s all about survival. You’ve got to stick up for yourself.”
    He tucks his serviette in over his designer tie. “Anyway, enough about me. You need to find an apartment. You don’t want to stay in that dreary corporate suite for much longer. Where are you going to look?”
    “You won’t approve, but I’m thinking of the Upper East Side.”
    He shakes his head.
    “Soon you’ll be wearing penny loafers and quilted jackets.”
    “It may be a bit staid for your taste, but I like the fact that I can walk to the office and at least I’ll get some sleep at night.”
    “Who moves to New York City to sleep?” He takes a bite from his salad. “Speaking of getting no sleep, have you started dating yet?” he asks with a mischievous glance.
    I take a sip of Beaujolais before answering. “Rikash, it’s not a priority for me right now.”
    “Ah yes, the old not-a-priority syndrome.”
    Unaware that I was afflicted with a syndrome, I pry for more information.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’ve met so many women your age, totally consumed by their careers and ambition, going out bar hoping, luxuriating in the blush of money, not one bit concerned about finding a mate, and then one day, poof!” He snaps his fingers. “They reach forty and freak out.”
    Startled by his abrupt gesture, I nearly jump from my seat.
    “You know, they join those dating sites, buy a book about how to find a man, and become aggressive huntresses. Don’t let that happen to you, dah-ling. Get in the market while the going is good and you don’t have cheek implants.”
    I reach for my glass and swirl my wine pensively before finishing it in one large gulp. Although I know he’s right, I’m not ready to face the reality he’s describing; it seems so distant. After all, I’m in my early thirties and I don’t have time for a committed relationship.
    “You’re probably right, but for the moment, work is my priority, not finding true love.”
    He nearly chokes on his salad.
    “True love? Who’s talking about true love? I just think you need to get out there and get some. It’ll help your practice. Look at Bonnie.” He covers his mouth and I know he’s just revealed some juicy information.
    “What about Bonnie?”
    “I really shouldn’t say.”
    “Oh come on, you can’t do this to me, Rikash! Spill it.”
    He looks around the room before answering.
    “Okay, I won’t say much, but I’ll say this. She’s sleeping with someone at the firm and she’s very territorial about it.”
    “Who?”
    “Can’t say.”
    “How can I stay out of her way if I don’t know who it is?”
    “Just watch, you’ll figure it out. Like I said, be careful or she’ll make your life a living hell. And you definitely don’t need that right now. There are enough turf wars going on at the office as it is.”
    “How do you know all this?”
    “Information circulates at lightning speed, especially that kind of information. Rumour has it Bonnie was engaged a few years ago to a senior partner in London, but he broke it off a week before the wedding. She never got over it and has been fishing in the office pool ever since.”
    Stunned, I lean back into my chair. I then try to analyze my reaction: If Bonnie were a man, would I be so shocked? Of course not. But