“Oh my goodness … and married!” he exclaimed.  “I’d heard you’d move to New York, and that you’d left Shaolin. I was hoping to one day look you up once I got here…”

She smiled, “I wish you did, Steve.”  She stepped back and teasingly eyed him also, “Still blonde, I see, and now, well-muscled.”

He shrugged, “What can say, I left LA and arrived in the land of milk and honey.  I realized quickly New York was the one place in this country you could pet such a wide variety of exotic creatures in public, but only if you look like someone somebody would like to cage, first.”  He winked naughtily.

Tina laughed lightly, shaking her head, “You never showed this naughty side of yours before.  Or else you’ve certainly changed since we last met!”

“Look who’s talking! Clearly, so have you!” he responded, and then pulled up her hand again to eye her rings.  “I have to say, beautiful rings. Excellent taste.  Either he’s rich as Croesus and maintains expensive shoppers with exceptional taste to get the stuff he gives you; or loves you a lot, and earnestly shows his love with these rings.  So where’s the lucky ….”

Tina smiled and cut in, “Girl.  The lucky girl,” as she took a sip of her champagne.

He raised his eyebrows, and asked slowly, “Really?”

Tina smiled and nodded her head.  “Uh, huh.  And she doesn’t use expensive shoppers to get the stuff she gives me.” She gave him a wink.

“Well … you have certainly become much more interesting, Miss Tina,” he winked back, then dropped his voice melodramatically, as if they were acting out a seduction scene.  

Tina looked around to see if she could point Bette out, “She’s around here somewhere ….”

Steve smiled and urged her, “Well before she claims you, do drink your champagne, and favor me with a dance, would you?”

Tina smiled as she downed her champagne, and allowed Steve to lead her to the dance floor.  The song she and Bette had first heard in the Maldives began to play.  She was swaying to it even before they began to dance. He smiled at her with good humor, as he held out his arms to her, “Like this song, I take it?”