Alice sorted through the mail she had retrieved when she got home.  Her attention was only partly on her task while the rest of her mind replayed her date.  Overall, apart from the Bette-related blip and the shocking restaurant tab, it had been a very good evening.  She had forgiven Ephraim’s leer of appreciation when he realized that Bette was her ex.  After all, Alice thought, who wouldn’t react that way to Bette.  As they parted less than ten minutes earlier after an intense necking session on her couch, Alice had agreed to dinner at Ephraim’s on Saturday.  He was cooking his best dish and she was bringing the beer, the popcorn and the movie.

Alice looked at the box that had been sitting on her kitchen counter for five days.  When she had seen the return address on the kraft paper covered box, she had tossed it angrily into the kitchen garbage can, assuming that Bette was sending her whatever she had left at her house after the breakup.  Sometime in the middle of the sleepless night that followed, Alice had realized that she had not ever brought anything to Bette’s house.  She had climbed out of bed, headed to the kitchen and removed the box from the garbage, carefully wiping the banana peel and coffee grounds from its top.  She had placed the box on the countertop and stared at it.  The box had remained unopened in that same spot for five days.

Alice sighed and approached the counter, “Just get it over with Pieszecki.”

Alice reached for the box but stopped.

“Dutch courage,” she muttered to herself as she opened her freezer door.  She made a small vodka and tonic.  Looking at the glass before she took a sip she made a correction, “Russian courage.”

Alice reached into the sink and grabbed a dirty knife with leftover cream cheese from her morning bagel and slit the tape sealing the box.  Before she lifted the now-freed flaps, she thought dismissively, “It’s something she sent her assistant to get, like a letter opener.”  Alice looked at the knife that she had used to open the box, and conceded that she could use a letter opener.

Alice took a fortifying breath and opened the box flaps, she moved the shredded paper aside.  Her first glimpse of the contents was a surprise.  She removed a beautifully wrapped box and placed it on the countertop.  She stared at the paper and the beautiful wired ribbon, tied in an extravagant perfectly made bow.