We stayed at our seats during the first intermission and talked about the performance and exchanging comments about, the music, and our favorite operas. The banter was easy and Ann seemed to hit it off well with both Richard and Ellen. The second act was well staged, but when the curtain fell we were all anxious to stretch our legs. Ann and Ellen engaged in the female twinning ritual of escorting each other to the ladies room. Richard then excused himself to stand on line at the bar, promising to return with champagne for all of us. I was on the lookout for the ladies. As I was standing by myself I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Saundra. Saundra introduced me to her cousin, Cynthia. Cynthia was visiting, New York and was excited about the glitter of the evening. As I was telling Saundra that I was at the opera that evening with business investors, I noticed that Ann and Ellen were on their way over, but Ann, for some reason, directed Ellen away from where I was standing. Just at that moment the house lights dimmed and Saundra and Cynthia made their way to the second dress circle where they were seated. They were busy in conversation as they walked past Ann and Ellen. After they passed, I walked over to Ann and Ellen and we headed to where Richard was waiting for us.

When the opera ended I was anxious that we get to the restaurant quickly; actually I was hoping not to bump into Saundra. Our reservations were at Augustine's back on the East Side. We piled into a taxi and headed back through the park to the restaurant.

Dinner was a high energy event, despite the lateness of the hour.

For some reason, everybody was in good spirits and the two bottles of wine we enjoyed with our meal contributed to the feelings of well being. Richard and Ellen lived only a few blocks from the restaurant and Ann and I walked with them back to their apartment. We were invited up for a nightcap, but we decided to call it a night.