Her favorite place in the world was Manhattan, her favorite pastime was shopping, and when she was shopping in midtown—heaven. At the curb she stopped and turned to stare at the pert blonde who’d just passed. She couldn’t believe it. “Helene? Helene Ryder, is that you?” The blonde turned. Her eyes lit with recognition. “Ohmigod, Denise! Imagine meeting you here! How long has it been?” They hugged and air kissed. “Oh, I don’t know. Six months?” “At least! What are you doing in the city?” “Just shopping. Accessory hunting.” “Me, too. Where were you headed?” “Actually I was looking for a place to get off my feet and have a bite to eat. I skipped lunch and I’m famished.” “That sounds good.” Helene glanced at her watch. A diamond Piaget, Denise noticed. “It’s tea time at the Waldorf. Why don’t we go there?” “Wonderful!” During the bouncy cab ride down Park Avenue, Denise gave Helene a thorough twice-over and was impressed. Her short blond hair was fashionably tousled; her merino wool topcoat, camel’s-hair sweater, and short wool-and-cashmere skirt reeked of Barney’s and Bergdorf’s.
