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her. Her plan was working. This would be something Bina never forgot.
    The air smelled of freesias and Kate took a deep, appreciative breath. If she had to pay half her salary check for the ‘ambience-schmambience’, it was so worth it.
    Bina, still a little dazed, turned to the shelf beside her left elbow and stared at the almost endless rack of nail polishes. The second beautiful Asian woman came back into their blue heaven and asked the pair, ‘Would you like bottled water, coffee, tea, juice or champagne?’
    â€˜You’re kidding!’ Bina almost squealed.
    â€˜Champagne, I think.’ Kate replied as if Bina hadn’t reacted. Bina didn’t usually drink but, ‘This is a big celebration,’ Kate told her.
    The woman nodded, smiled, and walked out of the room.
    â€˜Kate, this is so nice of you,’ Bina began. Kate was pleased to see she was beginning to relax. ‘But how come a pedicure? Jack isn’t going to put the ring on one of my toes.’
    â€˜No, Jack would never think of a toe ring,’ Kate agreed. Jack was nothing if not conservative. ‘I just thought it would be a nice treat.’
    One of the two pedicurists began to massage Bina’s feet. She giggled, pulled them away, and giggled again.
    â€˜Oh, just relax, Bina,’ Kate told her. ‘Breathe.’ For a moment the two were silent. Kate closed her eyes and let herself feel the strong hands work her heels and instep. It was delicious.
    â€˜This is great!’ Bina leaned forward to whisper across the small room. ‘It’s better than when we both earned the Brownie badge for First Aid on the same day!’ Kate looked at Bina in disbelief. ‘Is this really where Sandra Bullock, Giselle and Gwen Stefanni get their manicures?’ Bina continued.
    â€˜Yup,’ Kate said. ‘And it’s where Kate Jameson and Bina Horowitz have their manicures, too.’
    â€˜Soon to be Bina Horowitz Weintraub,’ Bina reminded her. She was silent for a moment, but Kate was nice enough not to shut her eyes. For,as she expected, in another moment, Bina spoke again.
    â€˜Kate, you know I love Jack so much. I’m just so … so happy today and so glad I’m spending part of it with you.’
    Kate smiled at her friend, who was, at that moment, having her cuticles cut.
    â€˜I just want you to find your Jack and be as happy as I am.’
    Kate laughed. ‘As your mother would say, “From your lips to God’s ears”.’ Before Bina could speak, the door opened and the woman entered with a tray holding two flutes of champagne. She offered one to Kate and one to Bina. ‘Enjoy!’ she said as she glided from the room.
    Kate felt a slight change in her emotional landscape. There was a time when she thought she might be drinking champagne to celebrate something with Steven but she had been very wrong. She wondered if the time would come when she and Michael … She pulled her thoughts away and focused on the moment.
    Bina looked at her glass. ‘I don’t think I should start drinking this early in the afternoon.’
    Kate rolled her eyes. Bina never wanted to drink. ‘Oh, come on, Bina,’ she said. ‘Live a little.’ She lifted her own flute. ‘May your engagement be as happy as your dating and your marriage even happier than that.’
    â€˜Oh, Kate!’ Bina was clearly touched. Tears softened her brown button eyes. Both girls took asip of their champagne. Then Kate started looking through the polishes. She narrowed her selection to two but couldn’t decide between them. ‘Boy, I bet Bunny wishes she was in my chair,’ Bina said, leaning back.
    â€˜How is Bunny?’ Kate asked. Bunny was a dental hygienist with a poor record with men. Kate thought of the delicious-looking man they had seen outside. It was hard to imagine Bunny with him.
    â€˜You don’t want to know,’ replied Bina.
    Bina was