What is Wealth?

I had dinner with two different men in London.  One was with the man who made me a woman (MWMW) and the other a dear friend of mine and Mr. Jules’.

I hadn’t seen MWMW for a good ten years probably more like twelve.  I am waiting in the hotel bar wearing the best outfit in my wardrobe not I hasten to add because I still fancy him, but because I have self-esteem and I am old school in thinking that it is respectful.  Let me tell you about my outfit (Guys reading this can move along):  I am wearing my Paul and Joe kaftan top which I paid a small fortune for a few years back, my Joseph wide leather belt, my best black pants and heels.  MWMW has recently made his own small fortune by selling his company to a merchant bank.  I am happy for him, he works hard.  I am an imaginative girl and can get carried away at times so in my head, sitting in the bar sipping my glass of champagne I imagine he is going to turn up with a loud roar in a ……er……porsche (I know cliché but let’s face it fun) or a Harley D.    MWMW arrives a bit windblown from the train.  He orders a G&T.  He is wearing a white sports T with a logo (!), jeans and a moleskin jacket.  I am not wearing a watch but we spend what I presume is an hour chatting and reminiscing.  He laughs a lot at my jokes which is always appreciated.  I tell him he can choose where to go for dinner as my favorite is closed (It’s Sunday).  We walk into Covent Garden.  I pick my way in my heels over the cobbled stones.  We go into a generic burger bar.  There is brown paper on the table and the waitress brings us the menus and a bottle of Ketchup.  I am way overdressed.  He is very familiar with the menu and orders a burger and a jacket potato.  The food arrives fresh from the microwave.  He leaves the table twice to use the bathroom.  The meal is soon over and as we leave he mumbles something about getting a cab half way home.  I find him a cab and wave him off.  I wander pleasantly through the backstreets of Covent Garden to my hotel room.  I still have no idea of the time but presume it is around 10.30. It is 9.20.  I laugh like a drain until 9.30.  So much for the white stallion.

The next night I go for dinner with a man whom I have known for a considerably shorter time.  I dress again this time in defiance, I am in London!  I have been shopping.  I receive an SMS in the afternoon asking me what I want to eat and did I have any preference?  The restaurant is lovely, he is wearing a suit and stands up when I walk in.  When I leave the table he gets up and pulls it away from me.  He is wonderful company.  He walks me back to my hotel room.  (This man is single girls, email me.)

What is wealth?  Knowing how to live.

Copyright Jules Ritter June 2008

PS If any of you are wondering if I will ever see MWMW after reading this, don’t worry he “doesn’t do computers”….