and that being a size six does not put me in the plus…size category。
So I guess the short answer is； not much。
“Well； Mr。 Tomlinson； not too much。 I work a lot。 And I guess when
I’m not working I hang out with my best friend； or my boyfriend。 Try
to see my family。”I used to read a lot； I wanted to say；but I’m too
tired now。 And sports have always been a pretty big part of my life；
but there wasn’t time anymore。
“So； you’re twenty…five； right？” He non…sequitured。 I couldn’t even
imagine where he was going with this one。
“Uh； no； I’m twenty…three。 I only graduated last May。”
“Ah…hah！ Twenty…three； huh？” He looked like he was trying to decide
whether to say something or not。 I braced myself。 “So tell Mr。 T。；
what do twenty…three…year…olds do in this city for fun？ Restaurants？
Clubs？ That sort of thing？” He smiled again； and I wondered if he
really needed the attention as much as he appeared to： there was
nothing sinister behind his interest； just a seemingly driving need
totalk 。
“Um； well； all sorts of things； I guess。 I don’t really go to clubs；
but bars and lounges and places like that。 Go out for dinner； see
movies。”
“Well； that sounds like a lot of fun。 Used to do that kind of stuff；
too； when I was your age。 Now it’s just a lot of work events and
fund…raisers。 Enjoy it while you can； Andy。” He winked like a dorky
father would。
“Yeah； well； I’m trying；” I managed。Please leave； please leave；
please leave； I willed； staring longingly at the bagel that was just
calling my name。 I get three minutes of peace and quiet a day； and
this man was stealing all of it。
He opened his mouth to say something； but the doors swung open and
Emily stomped in。 She was wearing her headphones and moving to the
music。 I watched her mouth drop open when she saw him standing
there。
“Mr。 Tomlinson！” she exclaimed； yanking off her headphones and
tossing her iPod in her Gucci tote。 “Is everything OK？ Nothing’s
wrong with Miranda； is it？” She looked and sounded genuinely
concerned。 An A…plus performance： always the perfectly attentive；
unfailingly polite assistant。
“Hello there； Emily。 Nothing wrong at all。 Miranda will be here
shortly。 Mr。 T。 just came by to drop off her things。 How are you
doing today？”
Emily beamed。 I wondered if she actually enjoyed his presence。 “Just
fine。 Thanks so much for asking。 And you？ Did Andrea help you with
everything？”
“Oh； she sure did；” he said； throwing smile number 6；000 in my
direction。 “I wanted to go over a few things about my brother’s
engagement party； but I realize that it’s probably a little early
for that； right？”
For a moment I thought he meant too early in the morning and I
almost shouted “Yes！” but then I realized that he meant it was too
early in the planning to discuss details。
He turned back to Emily and said； “You’ve got yourself a great
junior assistant here； don’t you think？”
“Absolutely；” Emily managed through clenched teeth。 “She’s the
best。” She grinned。
I grinned。
Mr。 Tomlinson grinned with extra wattage； and I wondered if he had a
chemical imbalance； perhaps hypomania。
“Well； Mr。 T。 had better be on his way。 It’s always lovely chatting
with you girls。 Have a nice morning； both of you。 Good…bye now。”
“’Bye； Mr。 Tomlinson！” Emily called as he rounded the corner in the
hallway on his way to reception。
“Why were you so rude to him？” she asked as she pulled the flimsy
leather blazer off； only to reveal a flimsier chiffon scoop…neck
that was laced all the way up the front like a corset。
“So rude？ I helped him unload her stuff and I talked to him before
you got here。 How is that rude？”
“Well； you didn’t say good…bye； for one thing。 And you have that
look on your face。”
“That look？”
“Yes； that look of yours。 The one that tells everyone just how far
above this you are； just how much you hate it here。 That may fly
with me； but it won’t with Mr。 Tomlinson。 He’s Miranda’shusband ；
and you just can’t treat him like that。”
“Em； don’t you think he’s a little； I don’t know 。 。 。 weird？ He
never stops talking。 How can he be so nice when she’s such a 。 。 。
so not as nice？” I watched as she glanced inside Miranda’s office to
make sure that I’d set the newspapers correctly。
“Weird？ Hardly； Andrea。 He’s one of the most prominent tax attorneys
in Manhattan。”
It wasn’t worth it。 “Never mind； I don’t even know what I’m saying。
What’s going on with you？ How was your night？”
“Oh； it was good。 I went shopping with Jessica for gifts for her
bridesmaids。 Everywhere—Scoop； Bergdorf’s； Infinity； everywhere。 And
I tried on a bunch of stuff to get some idea for Paris； but it’s
still really too early。”
“For Paris？ You’re going to Paris？ Does that mean you’ll leave me
alone with her？” I hadn’t meant to say the last part out loud； but
it had slipped。
Again； a look like I was crazy。 “Yes； I’ll be going to Paris with
Miranda in October； for the spring ready…to…wear shows。 Each year
she takes her senior assistant to the spring shows so she can see
what it’s really like。 I mean； I’ve been to； like； a million at
Bryant Park； but the European shows are just different。”
I did a quick calculation。 “In October； as in seven months from now？
You were trying on clothes for a trip seven months from now？” I
hadn’t meant for it to sound as harsh as it did； and Emily
immediately got defensive。
“Well； yes。 I mean； obviously I wasn’t going to buy anything—so many
of the styles will have changed by then。 But I just wanted to start
thinking about it。 It’s a really huge deal； you know。 Stay in
five…star hotels； go to the craziest parties ever。 And my god； you
get to go to the hottest； most exclusive fashion shows in
existence。”
Emily had already told me that Miranda went to Europe three or four
times a year for the fashion shows。 She always skipped London； like
everyone did； but she went to Milan and Paris in October for spring
ready…to…wear； in July for winter couture； and in March for fall
ready…to…wear。 Sometimes she’d hit resort； but not always。 We’d been
working like crazy to get Miranda prepared for the shows ing up
at the end of the month。 I’d wondered briefly why she wasn’t
planning on bringing an assistant。
“So why doesn’t she take you to all of them？” I decided to just go
for it； even though the answer was sure to entail a lengthy
explanation。 I was excited enough that Miranda would be out of the
office for two whole weeks （she spent one in Milan and one in Paris）
and was giddy at the thought of getting rid of Emily