At the movie theater he put his arm around her. At dinner he insisted she get the filet mignon since she was in a steak mood. He would have told her to get the lobster had the mood been scented with the sea.

She didn't talk much. He kept up a rousing chatter of high-minded topical commentary interspersed with jokes of good taste. She smiled appreciatively and furrowed her brow in exaggerated concentration when she listened to him opine.

And several times during his opining the chandeliers brightened and dimmed.