Birthday Present

Pat Archibald is a teacher friend. We worked together for several years, but I retired while she continued to work. She became an administrator in an elementary school where she was incredibly successful. Pat and I belonged to a mutual admiration society and, while we didn't see each other as often as we used to when we were both working in the same office, we maintained contact via e-mail and occasional phone calls. I certainly never intended to miss her birthday, but I realized one morning that her birthday was that day, and I had not remembered to buy a card and get it in the mail. So, I did the next best thing: I called her office at school. Her secretary answered: "Ms. Archibald's office, who may I say is calling?" I responded, "Just tell her it's Tom." I had hardly finished that sentence when the secretary screamed, "Really!" I was left on the line wondering what all the excitement was about when Pat came to the phone. I immediately questioned her as to why her secretary had gone ballistic. She said, "You won't believe the coincidence. Just before you called, she asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I said Tom Selleck." No further explanation needed.