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One afternoon we stopped in at a reception at Chance Coulter's art gallery on upper Madison Avenue, then had dinner with Ray Gruliow and his wife We ended the night at Danny Boy Bell's table at a new cellar jazz club in the west nineties, listening to a youngto Sonny Rollins The following afternoon Mick called to say soame, and could Elaine and I use them? Elaine, who feels about basketball the way Mick feels about ballet, insisted that I go with Mick We watched them lose to the Hornets in overtime, and she met the two of us afterward for dinner at Paris Green

The night before Christmas we had dinner at ho a fire in the fireplace and decided it was ht sue During the evening the phone rang a few tis One of the callers was Toed today of deer season "Damn," I said "I'd marked it on my calendar, too" He asked for an update on Havemeyer, and I filled hiood lawyer and would probably wind up with a relatively light sentence

Jason would be interested, he said The boy had been buying the New York papers and clipping the stories And he'd spent a long afternoon with To about taking a couple of undergraduate courses in police science, then getting his law degree and passing the bar exauess is he'll land in the DA's office," he said, "but the way he's talking noants to wear blue and carry a badge You ever hear of a working cop with a law school diplo Massillon's next chief of police, and Tos I hope he'll never have, a fat ass and a foul disposition And you never heard ht the two of us walked up to St Paul's It was a clear night, and not too cold, and it looked as though they were having a decent turnout for ht mass Our destination, however, was not the sanctuary but the base It's an open , not limited to self-declared alcoholics, so Elaine elcome For the occasion, candles provided the illumination, and there was a better-than-usual selection of cookies laid out by the coffee urns, but in every other respect it was a typicalup the first twentyout the hour

At one o'clock we said the serenity prayer and put the chairs away and walked hoot there we decided not to wait until an sweater fro with fire theot a hat froot the hat trick," she said, "so I figured you earned it"

"It's a different style forDoes it fit? It should, it's the same size as your fedora Try it on What do you think?"

"Well, it fits I think I like it It's dressier than the fedora, isn't it?"

"A little bit Let's see Oh, I really like it"

"It's me, huh?"

"Not every man could wear a hat like that"

"But I can?"

"They should use you in their ads," she said "You old bear"

She sees last, and the light that came into her eyes told me I'd chosen well "You wait here," she said "I want to try theied a fewelse "Well?" she said "What do you think?"

"I think the earrings really make the outfit"

"Yeah? What else do you think?"

"Come here," I said, "and I'll show you"

We slept late Christ, and were in the middle of breakfast when the doorave his naave my name as TJ," he said, " 'cause that be who I aht presents, wrapped and tied with ribbon Elaine's was an antique dresser set, a brush and comb and hand mirror and scissors, all backed in mother of pearl "This is beautiful," she said "How did you know to buy me this?"

"Saw you lookin' at one the time ent to the Twenty-sixth Street flea ood shape so you put it back So I figured I ," she said

"Yeah, well, Merry Christmas, you know?"

"Merry Christonna open yours?"

It was a card case covered in ostrich skin It was quite elegant, and I told hiured you could use it For your business cards, you know? Open it up, this here's the best part See? Two compartments What They say is one's for your cards and one's for cards people give to you, but what I figured is one's for your cards and the other's for the fake ones you use when you's representin' yourself to be soift," Elaine said, "for the rity"

He unwrapped his presents, which included a sweater she'd picked out for Jiim and a neallet " 'Cause yours was lookin' a little shabby, Abby," she said, and he rolled his eyes She told hiift certificate

"Because it's bad luck to give a wallet with nothing in it," she explained

"Brooks Brothers," he said "Buy me somethin' slick to wear on the Deuce"

"God help the Deuce," I said, and stood up and stretched "Well, so much for Christht now there's so I need your help with across the street"

"What, in the hotel? Can't be ot none"

"No heavy lifting," I said "That's a promise"

TJ's face is expressive, but only when he wants it to be I guess you learn to mask your emotions on the street I've seen him receive infor in his eyes

But when I opened the door to ood look at his face, and the ot one," he said, approaching the desk reverently "Never thought you would Told you an' told you, but I never thought you would Elaine bought it for you, didn't she?"