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finally in the hallway。 The entire thing had taken less than a
minute； but I felt like I’d just swum the entire length of an
Olympic…size pool without ing up for air。
I slumped onto the bench and took long； controlled breaths。 That
bitch！ The first time she called me Emily could’ve been a mistake；
but the second was undoubtedly deliberate。 What better way to
belittle and marginalize someone than to insist on calling them the
wrong name； after you’ve refused to so much as acknowledge their
presence in your own Home？ I knew I was the lowest…ranking life…form
at the magazine already—as Emily hadn’t yet lost an opportunity to
impress upon me—but was it really so necessary for Miranda to make
sure I was aware of it； too？
It wouldn’t have been outside the realm of reality to sit there all
night and shoot mental bullets at the PH A doors； but I heard a
throat clearing and looked up to find the sad little elevator man
watching the floor and patiently waiting for me to join him。
“Sorry；” I said as I shuffled aboard。
“No problem；” he near…whispered； intently studying the wood…paneled
floor。 “It’ll get easier。”
“What？ I’m sorry； I didn’t hear what you—”
“Nothing； nothing。 Here you are； miss。 Have a nice evening。” The
door opened to the lobby； where Emily was loudly chattering on her
Cell Phone。 She clicked it closed when she saw me。
“How’d it go？ No problem； right？”
I thought about telling her what had transpired； wished fervently
that she could be a sympathetic coworker； that we could be a team；
but I knew I’d just be setting myself up for another verbal
lashing。So not interested right now。
“It was totally fine。 No problems at all。 They were eating dinner
and I just left everything exactly where you said。”
“Good。 Well； that’s what you’ll do every night。 Then just take the
car Home and you’re done。 Anyway； have fun at Marshall’s party
tonight。 I’d definitely go； but I have a bikini wax appointment I
just can’t cancel—do you believe they’re booked for the next two
months？ And it’s the middle of winter； too。 It must be all the
people who are going on winter vacations。 Right？ I just can’t
understand why every woman in New York needs a bikini wax right now。
It’s just so strange； but hey； what can you do？”
My head pounded to the tempo of her voice； and it seemed that no
matter what I did or how I responded； I was sentenced to forever
listen to her talk about bikini waxes。 It may have been better to
have her scream at me about interrupting Miranda’s dinner。
“Yeah； what can you do？ Well； I’d better get going； I told James I’d
meet him at nine and it’s already ten after。 See you tomorrow？”
“Yep。 Will do。 Oh； just so you know； now that you’re pretty much
trained； you’ll still get in at seven； but I don’t e in until
eight。 Miranda knows—it’s understood that the senior assistant es
in later since she works so much harder。” I almost lunged at her
throat。 “So just go through the morning routine like I taught you。
Call me if you have to； but you should know the drill by now。 ’Bye！”
She hopped into the backseat of the second car that was waiting in
front of the building。
“’Bye！” I trilled； a giant fake smile plastered on my face。 The
driver made a move to get out of the car and open the door for me；
but I told him I was fine to let myself into the backseat。 “The
Plaza； please。”
James had been waiting for me on the stairs outside even though it
couldn’t have been more than twenty degrees。 He’d gone Home to
change and looked very； very skinny in black suede pants and a white
ribbed tank top； which showed off his expertly applied midwinter
bottle tan。 I still looked appropriately amateurish in my Gap
miniskirt。
“Hey； Andy； how’d the Book dropping…off go？” We waited in line to
check our coats and I had immediately spotted Brad Pitt。
“Ohmigod； you’re joking。 Brad Pitt’s here？”
“Yeah； well； Marshall does Jennifer’s hair； natch。 So she must be
here also。 Really； Andy； maybe next time you’ll believe me when I
tell you to stick with me。 Let’s get a drink。”
The Reese and Johnny spottings had e back to back； and by the
time oneA 。M。 rolled around； I’d had four drinks and was happily
gabbing away with a fashion assistant fromVogue 。 We were discussing
bikini waxes。 Passionately。 And it didn’t even bother me。Christ； I
thought； as I weaved through the crowd looking for James； flashing a
giant kiss…ass smile in the general direction of Jennifer Aniston
when I passed by—this isn’t a half…bad party。 But I was tipsy； I had
to be at work again in less than six hours； and I hadn’t been Home
in nearly twenty…four； so when I spotted James making out with one
of the colorists from Marshall’s salon； I was just about to duck out
when I felt a hand in the small of my back。
“Hey；” said the gorgeous guy I’d spotted earlier lurking in the
corner。 I waited for him to realize that he’d approached the wrong
girl； that I must’ve looked the same as his girlfriend from behind；
but he just smiled even wider。 “Not so talkative； are you？”
“Oh； and saying ‘hey’ makes you articulate； I guess？”Andy！ Shut your
mouth！ I berated silently。Some absolutely beautiful man approaches
you out of the blue at a party full of celebrities and you tell him
off right away？ But he didn’t seem offended； and even though it
didn’t seem possible； his smile increased in size to an all…out
grin。
“Sorry；” I muttered while examining my nearly empty drink。 “My
name’s Andrea。 There。 I think that’s a much better way of
beginning。” I stuck out my hand and wondered what he wanted。
“Actually； I liked your way just fine。 Name’s Christian。 A pleasure
to meet you； Andy。” He pushed a brown curl out of his left eye and
took a swig from a bottle of Budweiser。 He looked vaguely familiar；
I decided； but I couldn’t place him。
“Bud； huh？” I asked； pointing to his hand。 “I didn’t think they
served something so lowbrow at a party like this。”
He laughed； a deep； hearty laugh instead of the chuckle I’d
expected。 “You sure do say what you think； don’t you？” I must’ve
looked mortified； because he smiled again and said； “No； no； that’s
a good thing。 And a rare thing； especially in this industry。 I
couldn’t bring myself to drink champagne from a straw out of a
minibottle； you know？ Something fairly emasculating about that。 So
the bartender dug one of these out of the kitchen somewhere。”
Another curl push； but it fell back in his eye the moment he took
his hand away。 He pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his
black sport coat and offered it to me。 I took one and proceeded to
drop it immediately； seizing the opportunity to examine him while I
reached down to retrieve it。
It landed a few inches from his shiny； square…toed loafers that
sported the irrefutable Gucci tassel； and on the way up I noticed
that his Diesel jeans were the perfect parts faded； long； and wide
enough at the bottom that they dragged a little behind the shiny
loafers； the ends frayed from repeated interaction with the soles。 A
black belt； probably Gucci but thankfully not recognizable； kept the
jeans riding in the perfect low spot below his waist； where he had
tucked in a plain white cotton T…shirt—one that even though it
easily could have been a Hanes was definitely an Armani or a Hugo
Boss and was put in place only to offset his beautiful plexion。
His black blazer looked just as expensive and well cut； perhaps even
custom…made to fit his average…size but inexplicably sexy frame； and
it was his green eyes that manded the most attention。 Seafoam； I
thought； remembering the old J。Crew colors we’d loved so much in
high school； or perhaps just a straightforward teal。 The height； the
build； the whole package looked vaguely like Alex； just with a whole
lot more Euro style and a whole lot less Abercrombie。 Slightly
cooler； slightly better looking。 Definitely older； right around
thirty。 And probably much too slick。
He immediately produced a flame and leaned in close to make sure my
cigarette had caught。 “So what brings you to a party like this；
Andrea？ Are you one of the lucky few who can call Marshall Madden
her own？”
“No； I’m afraid not。 At least not yet； although he wasn’t all that
subtle in telling me that I probably should be。” I laughed； noticing
for a brief moment that I wasdesperate to impress this stranger。 “I
work atRunway 。 One of the beauty guys dragged me here。”
“Ah；Runway magazine； huh？ Cool place to work； if you’re into S&M and
that sort of thing。 How do you like it？”
I wasn’t sure if he meant S&M or the job itself； but I considered
the possibility that he got it； that he was enough of an insider to
know that it wasn’t exactly how it appeared to those on the outside。
Perhaps I should charm him with the nightmare involved in dropping
off the Book earlier that night？ No； no； I had no idea who this guy
was 。 。 。 for all I knew he also worked atRunway in some far…flung
department I hadn’t even seen yet； or maybe for another Elias…Clark
magazine。 Or maybe； just maybe； he was one of those sneakyPage Six
reporters that Emily had so carefully warned me against。 “They just
appear；” she’d said ominously。 “They just appear and try to trick
you into saying something juicy about Miranda orRunway 。 Just be
aware。” Between that and the tracking ID cards； I was quite sure
thatRunway ’s surveillance put the mob to shame。 TheRunway Paranoid
Turnaround was back。
“Yeah；” I said； trying to sound casual and nonmittal。 “It’s a
strange place。 I’m not so into fashion—I’d actually rather be
writing； but I guess it’s not a bad start。 What do you do？”
“I’m a writer。”
“Oh； you are？ That must be nice。” I hoped I didn’t sound quite as
condescending as I felt； but it got to be really annoying when
anyone and everyone in New York anointed himself or herself a writer
or actor or poet or artist。I used to write for the paper in college；
I thought to myself；and hell； I even had an essay published in a
monthly magazine once in high school。 Did that make me a writer？
“What do you write？”
“Mostly literary fiction so far； but I’m actually working on my
first historical novel。” He took another swig and swatted yet again
at that pesky but adorable curl。
“First historical” implied that there other were nonhistorical
novels。 Interesting。 “What’s it about？”
He thought for a moment and then said； “It’s a story told from the
perspective of a young woman； about what it was like to live in this
country during World War Two。 I’m still finishing my research；
transcribing interviews and things like that； but the little writing
I’ve done so far has e along。 I think 。 。 。”
He continued talking； but I’d already tuned him out。 Holy shit。 I
recognized the book description immediately from aNew Yorker article
I’d just read。 It seemed the entire book world was eagerly
anticipating his next contribution and couldn’t shut up about the
realism with which he depicts his female heroine。 I was standing at
a party； casually chatting with Christian Collinsworth； the boy
genius who’d first been published at the ripe old age of twenty from
a Yale library cubicle。 The critics had gone crazy over his first
book； hailing it as one of the most significant literary
achievements of the twentieth century； and he’d followed it up with
two more since then； each spending more time on the bestseller list
than the one before it。The New Yorker piece had included an
interview in which the author had called Christian “not only a force
for years to e” in the book industry； but one with “a hell of a
look； a killer style； and enough natural charm that would ensure—in
the unlikely event that his literary success did not—a lifetime of
success with the ladies。”
“Wow； that’s really great；” I said； all of a sudden feeling too
tired to be witty or funny or cute。 This guy was some big…time
author—what the hell did he want with me； anyway？ Probably just
killing time before his girlfriend finished up her 10；000 per day
modeling assignment and made her way over。And what does it matter
either way； Andrea？ I asked myself harshly。In case you conveniently
forgot； you do happen to have an incredibly k