“Would You Like to Spend Tonight With Me?”

SILVER & SAPPHIRE MAGAZINE Love Younger. Live Larger. THE DIRECT APPROACH — JUST ASK! Some women wait for romance. Others make it happen. In this recurring Silver & Sapphire feature, successful, wealthy women over 50 share how one remarkably direct question to a beautiful younger woman led to an unexpected night, an extraordinary offer, and sometimes a completely new life together. This Issue: Victoria, 58 & Danielle, 29 One question over a restaurant bill. One unforgettable night. And a morning neither woman will ever forget. HER STORY — VICTORIA, 58 Victoria Ashford had everything that money could buy, including a magnificent penthouse overlooking Manhattan, a substantial investment portfolio, several homes, and the freedom to travel anywhere in the world whenever she pleased. What she didn't have was someone waiting for her when she came home. Divorced for eleven years, she had spent far too many evenings dining alone in expensive restaurants, watching couples laugh together while pretending she was perfectly happy with her own company. “I wasn't looking for someone to support,” Victoria told us. “I was looking for someone to enjoy life with. And I certainly wasn't getting any younger, so why waste time?” HER STORY — DANIELLE, 29 Danielle Morgan was working two jobs, sharing a small apartment with a roommate, and struggling to pay off debts accumulated during a previous relationship. Her former boyfriend had borrowed money, cheated on her, and disappeared, leaving her with unpaid bills and very little confidence in her judgment. She worked evenings as a hostess at an upscale Manhattan restaurant, where she regularly watched wealthy customers spend more on a bottle of wine than she earned in an entire week. “I had stopped dating altogether,” Danielle admitted. “I couldn't afford another broken heart, and I definitely couldn't afford another man like my ex.” THE ENCOUNTER — JUST ASK! S&S: Danielle, tell us how it happened. Danielle: “She was sitting alone at one of our best tables. Beautiful woman, very elegant, clearly wealthy, and she had been watching me for a while. When I brought her the bill, she asked whether I was married.” Victoria: “I thought she was absolutely lovely, and I saw no reason to pretend otherwise.” Danielle: “Then she asked whether I had a boyfriend. When I said no, she smiled and said, ‘Wonderful. Would you like to spend tonight with me?’” S&S: Just like that? Danielle: “Just like that! I nearly dropped her bill. I had never been asked anything like that by a woman, especially one old enough to be my mother!” Victoria: “I told her I had a beautiful hotel suite, excellent champagne, and absolutely no intention of making her uncomfortable. I also made it clear that she could say no.” Danielle: “I actually asked her, ‘Are you seriously asking me to sleep with you?’ And she said, ‘Yes, darling. Unless you'd prefer to start with dinner.’” S&S: And your answer? Danielle: “I said, ‘What time do you want me there?’ I still can't believe I said it!” THE NIGHT — AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY S&S: You had never been intimate with a woman before? Danielle: “Never. And certainly not with someone thirty years older than me. I was nervous, but Victoria was wonderful. We ordered room service, talked for hours, laughed, kissed, and eventually forgot about everything outside that hotel suite.” Victoria: “She was worried about the age difference. I was worried she might regret coming. But neither of us had anything to worry about.” Danielle: “What surprised me most was how natural everything felt. She was affectionate, patient, funny, and incredibly attentive. I never imagined spending a night with such a mature woman could be so exciting and so comforting at the same time.” THE MORNING AFTER — THE SECOND QUESTION S&S: Victoria, you apparently had another surprise waiting for Danielle? Victoria: “Oh, absolutely. I woke up with this beautiful young woman curled up beside me and realized I didn't want to go back to waking up alone. So I ordered breakfast, waited until she had finished her coffee, and asked her another question.” S&S: Which was? Victoria: “‘Darling, would you like to have mornings like this for the rest of your life?’” Danielle: “I thought she was joking!” Victoria: “I told her I wanted her to become my girlfriend, travel with me, share my homes, and enjoy everything I had spent a lifetime working for. She could keep working if she wished, study something new, or simply take some time to discover what made her happy. There were no conditions attached to my affection.” Danielle: “I asked, ‘Are you seriously offering me all that after one night?’” Victoria: “And I said, ‘I'm offering you a chance to find out whether we can make each other happy. The rest we can decide together.’” Danielle: “I started crying. Nobody had ever offered to take care of me without wanting something in return. Then I kissed her and said yes.” WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Fourteen months later, Victoria and Danielle are still together. Danielle moved into Victoria's Manhattan penthouse after three months, returned to college to complete the degree she had abandoned, and recently accompanied Victoria on a six-week European vacation. Victoria says her enormous apartment finally feels like a home. Danielle says she has never been happier, although she still occasionally laughs when remembering the outrageous question that started everything. Victoria: “At my age, you learn that life is much too short for missed opportunities.” Danielle: “And sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is a beautiful older woman who doesn't know how to be subtle.” THE DIRECT APPROACH — JUST ASK! Another love story from Silver & Sapphire Magazine — where successful women discover that sometimes the shortest distance between loneliness and happiness is one simple question. Love Younger. Live Larger.