The chapter opens with the narrator's declaration that he will marry late in the year. He tells us that he's not worried about the fact that he won't be able to spend Christmas with his girlfriend. He's happy that they've made plans to get together for the holidays, but he doesn't want to spend the day with his boss, who's going to be out on his holiday. He asks if there's anything he can do to help, since he hasn't made a dinner reservation. He also asks if he can take a picture of the two of them together, since they're going to have dinner together. The narrator is happy that he finally has a chance to show off his cooking skills.