an unexpectedly wild night

In typical John fashion, he calls around 8:30 to tell me he's in NY. He lives in Minneapolis, has a wife and three kids. I haven't seen him in over 20 years, plus he never phones.

"I'm here at the Four Seasons finishing dinner. Meet me," he begins.

"When?" I ask.

"Now. Like right now."

Within an hour, I've taken a shower, washed my hair, put on makeup, and walked over to The Mark.

And it's like I saw him yesterday. Really. His absolute craziness, humor, and edginess have always appealed to me. He's also brash, arrogant, and irreverent. Qualities to which he'll easily and proudly admit.

We first met in 1981. We were both working in Boston at Gillette; I was seven years older, worked in Marketing, and he in Finance. We ended up in a passionate, highly volatile relationship. I loved/hated him for years, and he played me for the same amount of time. 

When things were good there was nothing better, and when they weren't, they really really weren't. 

My idea for the night is a couple of hours at a quiet bar catching up on life. But that's not what happens. 

I arrive at The Mark around 9:45.

We walk into the hotel's bar soon after hugging hello.  Immediately we see a very pretty twenty-something woman posing for a photo on a nearby sofa. Without saying a word, John jumps into the shot. 

She's with an attractive group of young women, all dressed in evening attire, having just come from a ballet gala at Lincoln Center.  I don't remember if they invite us to join them, or if John just assumes we will. We spend the next 90 minutes or so with them and they are all great (and very welcoming).

On John's suggestion, we call Alexander and he arrives an hour or so later. John and Alexander have spoken over the years, but the last time they saw each other my son was about six. 

The last part of the night we spend outside. The engaging and beautiful Scheele joins us for a while, but mostly it's just John, me and Alexander.

Toward the end of the night, John brings up Aristotle's three different levels of friendship. He concludes that we are in the highest group. The least superficial one. The one based on true appreciation of the other. And the one that is the most long-lasting. He's right.

Totally unplanned and filled with outrageous moments and plenty of laughs, it is a spontaneous, memorable night. Just the kind I'd expect from John.

Age has not diminished his bad boy behavior.