Lunchtime at Tiffany's
I'm writing this now at lunchtime, but I'll post it later tonight because I don't want to ruin the surprise.
I'm at Tiffany & Co., waiting to pick up an online order as a surprise gift for Shelly. (She already got one gift from me, which should make this even more unsuspected.) It's a little surreal, because the whole place is just as extravagant as it looks on film. There are six floors, elevator operators who announce each floor in five languages, and private booths for previewing your order before it's gift-wrapped. The playlist of light jazz was interrupted only to play a traditional performance of Santa, Baby.
It's like stepping into the 60s, but not the actual 60s, the pretty, expensive film version.
Of course, as curious and fascinated as I was, I wanted to talk to talk to these folks. I remarked to the elevator man, "You have a great job," and he briefly chuckled and agreed before announcing the top floor again, a polite reminder he had a job to do and I needed to get off.
The rep who previewed and then handed over my gift remarked on the pendant I got, saying it would likely make someone very happy. Since delivering gift-wrapped shinies is all she seems to do, I remarked that she must be really loving her job right now. With New York quickness she remarked that she really did and then wished me well on my way, again, politely steering me off. There were plenty of others waiting.
I do love how they treat all their customers so well. So much of their collection is way out of my price range, but their attitude is that all their shoppers are Tiffany shoppers and all gifts are Tiffany gifts. It's goodwill that means I'll likely spend more there, when I have it.
Now I have a pretty teal box to spring on Shelly tonight. It'd be more fair to do it at home when it's time to open mine, but more fun to do it while we're out at dinner. These days, if it isn't already obvious, I tend to lean toward "more fun"..
Not checking in here on Foursquare is killing me a little, but she'd see that. I'm about to walk down to Grand Central and check in there just to make sure she's unsuspecting (and, well, to check out the new GC Apple store). I'm a conniving little devil, but you probably knew that already.