Dinner at the hotel.

"Let's meet Veronica at the hotel," Marlissa responded.

Ryan pulled out his smartphone and Veronica's note. Calling the Mandarin Orient's front desk, he asked for Veronica's room.

"Hello?" Veronica answered.

"Hi Veronica, this is Ryan."

"Hey Ryan. How's it going?"

"Great. Sam and I just got into town and we wanted to know if you've eaten yet? If not, we can drop by the hotel to go out for dinner."

"I'm starving! So you guys are more than welcome to come over and we can have dinner here at the Asiate on the 35th floor!"

"We'll freshen up first before grabbing a cab."

"I'll book us a table. See you later! Bye!"

Ryan hung up and noticed that Marlissa was staring at his cellphone. "I guess you never seen a cellphone before?" He handed the phone to her to investigate.

"The last time I was summoned, telephones were big and had rotary dials," Marlissa answered, examining the slim piece of modern electronic. "Your technology is alien and curious to me as much magic is to mortals."

Ryan took the cellphone back and hit the screen. "This is more than just a phone. It can take pictures, play music, and many other things that waste valuable time." He pointed the phone's camera lens at her, snapped a photo, and showed the stunning picture to her. "You definitely need to be a model, honey."

"But right now I need a shower," she replied with a wink. "Care to join me?"

"Of course!" Ryan hastily stripped off his clothes.

As tempting as it was for both of them to have sex in the shower, they restrained themselves to groping and kissing. They knew they had plenty of opportunities later but at the moment they needed to wash away the sweat from the hours spent on the road and change to more appropriate attire for an upscale restaurant.

"How about this one?" Marlissa asked, spinning around in a black lace trim long dress.

"Yes," Ryan replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him while changing to a black cut-out halter dress. "How about this one?"

"Yes," Ryan answered.

"You are mocking me!" Marlissa complained with a cute frown.

"No, I'm not, honey," Ryan denied. "You look amazing in everything!"

"What this one then?" She spun around in a black strapless bodycon dress, clinging tightly to her perfectly body -- showcasing her curvy figure, large breasts, and long legs -- and leaving little to the imagination.

"Yes!" Ryan blurted out.

Marlissa kissed him and smiled when she groped his crotch, knowing he was telling the truth.

"I can't wait to take you out of it though," he snickered.

"Oh, you do not have to since I am not wearing any underwear," she reminded while she fixed his tie.

Ryan called a cab as they waited for the elevator to noisily make its way up. They did not have to wait long and Ryan chivalrously opened the cab door for Marlissa. The taxi driver could not resist staring into the rear-view mirror at the beautiful redhead in his car. "Where to?" the old cab driver mumbled.

"The Mandarin Oriental. 80 Columbus Circle," Ryan answered, getting into the yellow checkered cab.

They arrived at the hotel about twenty minutes later. Ryan paid the taxi driver and opened the door for his wife. New Yorkers who normally paid no attention to anyone else, even fashion models common to the city, stopped to gawk at the statuesque redhead clinging to Ryan's arm. The couple ignored the gazes as they entered the elevator that took them to Asiate restaurant on the 35th floor.

"It is beautiful!" Marlissa gasped when the elevator doors opened to reveal the open panoramic view of Central Park.

"May I help you, sir?" asked the maître d'hôtel.

"We are friends of one of your hotel guests," Ryan replied. "She has a reservation."

"Her name is, sir?"

"Veronica Auberge."

"Ah yes. This way, please," the host lead them to a corner table where Veronica was sitting.

"Sam! Ryan!" the brunette cried as she stood up and hugged them both. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"The view of the park is beautiful. Thank you for getting this table, Veronica," Marlissa complimented her friend.

The maître d'hôtel summoned their waitress. "Hi, my name is Jessica. I'll be your waitress tonight," the young blonde introduced herself. "Would you like something to drink first?"

Veronica did not bother looking at the wine menu, having already been to the restaurant enough times to order from memory. "We'll have a bottle of Domaine Jacques Prieur. 2005, please." The waitress nodded and left to retrieve the $2000 bottle of wine from the restaurant's massive wine collection.

Ryan had already spent thousands of dollars on new clothes for Marlissa and he was wondering how much more he was going to spend on dinner. Veronica saw the look on his face and knew what he was thinking. "Don't worry about the bill," she said. "I have it covered."

"Are you sure?" he protested.

"It'll be a business expense," she said with a smile. "Besides you can pay me back later tonight!" Ryan felt her feet rub against his leg underneath the table.

The waitress returned with the bottle of wine in an ice bucket. "Let me have the honor of opening it," Ryan offered and the waitress handed him the bottle. Veronica and Marlissa cheered when he popped the cork. He handed the bottle back to the waitress to pour the wine for everyone.

"To my new friends," Veronica toasted. Marlissa and Ryan raised their glass before sipping the wine.

The waitress handed them menus. "Please take a look and I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders."

"How was your drive?" Veronica asked.

"Uneventful," Ryan answered, scanning at the menu.

Marlissa leaned towards Veronica and whispered, "He means we did not have sex."

"That's too bad," the brunette muttered. Ryan felt her foot rubbing against his leg again.

"Are you girls ready to order?" They both nodded. Ryan waved the waitress back to take their orders.

"Sam," Veronica said, taking a sip of her wine, "I made a call with with Daddy's contact and he can arrange to have you meet with a modelling agent tomorrow afternoon at two."

"Really?!" Marlissa gasped at the news. She got up to hug Veronica. "Thank you!"

"You can thank me later tonight after dinner," Veronica replied, winking at Ryan.

The three chatted about Veronica's dream of designing her own line of clothing, beyond what she sold in her small town boutique, until their food finally arrived. Marlissa rarely ate food but the seared sea scallop and venison tenderloin melted in her mouth.

"Shall we have dessert?" Veronica suggested, wiping her mouth.