One man was explaining to another why he fired his secretary.

“Two weeks ago, it was my 45th birthday. I wasn’t feeling too hot when I got up that morning, you know, another year older, and everything. Anyway, I went down to breakfast knowing that my wife would be pleasant and say ‘Happy Birthday’ and probably have a present for me, but she didn’t even say ‘Good Morning’.” I thought, “Well, that’s great, certainly the children will remember.” The children came into breakfast and didn’t say a word.

By the time I got to the office, I was feeling very low and despondent. As I walked in my secretary, Janet said, “Good Morning! … Happy Birthday!” Then I felt a little better that someone remembered.

About noon she knocked at the door and said,”You know, it’s such a beautiful day outside, and it’s your birthday. Let’s go out to lunch, just you and me.”

So I said, “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. Let’s go.”

We went to lunch. But we didn’t go to the place we usually went to. Instead we went to a little place in the country, which was more private. We had two drinks, and lunch was tremendous. I enjoyed it a lot. On the way back to the office, she said,”You know, it’s such a beautiful day. Do we have to go back to the office?”

I said, “No, I guess not.”

She said, “Good, my apartment isn’t too far from here. Let’s go over and I’ll fix you another drink.”

So we went to her apartment and had another drink. She said, “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go into the bedroom and change into something more comfortable.”

I said, “OK” as I didn’t mind a bit.

She went into the bedroom, and in about five minutes she came out of the bedroom carrying a large birthday cake, followed by my wife and children, and they were all singing “Happy Birthday.”

And there I sat with nothing on but my socks!