Cheesecake Recipes & More From Cheesecakes To Go

Jeff’s obsession with Susanna began on their first day in the First Grade. He was skinny and gangly. She reminded him of the elfin princesses who flitted across the pages of picture books; she was delicate, graceful. By high school, Susanna was the poster child for dewy, ethereal beauty. Now all the boys worshiped her. Sometimes in the hallways, when Jeff said, “Hello, Susanna,” she responded with a casualness Jeff interpreted as, “Oh, it’s only Jeff.” He was resigned to being just another face in Susanna’s gallery of admirers and so he dated girls who were pretty but not gorgeous, girls who giggled and ran across fields, who dove into the lake and raced him to the raft, who ping-ponged ideas with him, exuding a charm that fostered friendship and occasionally lingering goodnight kisses. But, he yearned for Susanna.

At the Senior Prom, when the chaperones decided the dancing had become too dangerously romantic, they insisted everyone change partners, “Now!” Fate had positioned Jeff and his date next to Susanna and her date. Suddenly Jeff’s arms were around a creature with gossamer wings who floated across the dance floor, who swayed with him, who seemed to become one with him and the music. The chaperones signaled the orchestra to stop. “Change partners!” the chaperones shouted. Jeff never slowed down. He whirled Susanna around the room. She tilted back her head and looked at the person to whom she had yielded control. “Why,” she marveled, “it’s Jeff from the First Grade!” The orchestra resumed playing. The chaperones shrugged. Jeff danced as if he had channeled Fred Astaire. When the music ended, Susanna said, “Hi, Jeff.” They kissed. The chaperones were apoplectic. Jeff returned Susanna to her partner, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Susanna..” Then he turned, found his date, swept her into his arms, and created the evening’s second belle of the ball.

Jeff heard that Susanna was engaged two or three times while in college and after graduating, she landed an entry level job in retail merchandising. Jeff went directly into graduate school, earned an MBA, and was hired by a major airline. He was dating Amy and had fallen in like with her but the ghost of Susanna, the possibility of her, blocked him from falling in love.

Seven years after the Senior Prom, he swung into a gas station and pulled into the self-serve line behind a blue convertible where a knockout in a pale blue sweater and white slacks stood pumping her own gas. Jeff said, “Susanna, hello.”

Within seconds she exclaimed, “Jeff! My favorite dancing partner!”

His innards lurched.

They spent the next two hours in a deli where they ordered cheesecake and coffee. “Ummm,” Susannah said, “This cheesecake is delicious,” and she took her second bite. They talked about their jobs (Susannah was a buyer; Jeff was a division comptroller), their interests (Susanna’s was fashion; Jeff’s ran the gamut from A (art) to Y (yoga). “This is the best cheesecake I ever tasted,” Susanna said, after eating less than half during the previous hour, one small nibble at a time. Into the second hour and third coffee refill, Jeff’s interest in Susanna was replaced by his fascination with how long she took to finish eating one piece of cheesecake. He marveled that anyone deliberately created ultra-small pieces and then ate a mere morsel so slowly and talked about only one subject – clothes. Back at their cars, Susannah and Jeff exchanged cards. “I’d love to hear from you,” she cooed.

“All these years,” Jeff thought, “I was smitten by Susannah’s beauty because what else was there? Not much!” He stifled a laugh. “I’m glad I saw you, Susannah.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to run,” he said, and so avoided lying that he’d call her soon because now there was only one girl he wanted to call. He sped away and touched speed dial on his cell phone.

“Hello? Amy?”

– Scarlet O’Cheesecake