hours earlier。 I couldn’t help a quick conceptualization of forty
grand： two full years’ college tuition； a down payment on a new
Home； an averageyearly salary for a typical American family of four。
Or； at the very least； one hell of a lot of Prada bags。 But one
dress？ I thought I’d seen it all at that point； but I was due
another zinger when the dress came back from the couture dry cleaner
with a calligraphic envelope that readMs。 Miranda Priestly 。 Inside
was a hand…printed invoice on cream…colored cardstock that read：
Garment type：Evening gown。 Designer：Chanel。 Length：Ankle。
Colour：Red。 Size：Zero。 Description：Hand…beaded； sleeveless with
slight scoop neckline； invisible side zipper； heavy silk lining。
Service：Basic； first…time cleaning。 Fee：670。
There was an additional note underneath the actual bill part from
the shop’s owner； a woman I was sure paid both the rent for her
store and her Home with the money she received from Elias on behalf
of Miranda’s extensive dry…cleaning addiction。
We were delighted to work on such a gorgeous gown and we hope you
enjoy wearing it to your party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art。 As
directed； we will pick up the gown on Monday； May 24； for its
postparty cleaning。 Please let us know if we may be of any
additional service。 All the best； Colette。
Either way； it was only Thursday and Miranda had a brand…new and
newly cleaned gown resting gently in her closet； and Emily had
located the exact silver Jimmy Choo sandals she’d requested。 The
hair stylist was due at her house at five…thirtyP 。M。 on Friday； the
makeup artist at five forty…five； and Uri was on call for exactly
six…fifteen to take Miranda and Mr。 Tomlinson to the museum。
Miranda had already left for the day to watch Cassidy’s gymnastics
meet； and I was hoping to duck out early to surprise Lily。 She’d
just finished her last exam of the year and I wanted to take her out
for a celebration。
“Hey； Em； do you think I could leave by six…thirty or seven today？
Miranda said she didn’t need the Book because there really wasn’t
anything new；” I added quickly； irritated that I had to beg my
equal； my peer for permission to leave work after only twelve hours
instead of the usual fourteen。
“Um； sure。 Yeah； whatever。 I’m leaving now。” She checked her
puter screen and saw that it was a little after five。 “Stay for
another couple hours and then head out。 She’s with the twins
tonight； so I don’t think she should be calling much。” She had a
date that night with the guy she’d met in LA over New Year’s。 He’d
finally made it to New York and； surprise of all surprises； he’d
actually called。 They were headed to Craftbar for drinks； at which
point she would treat him to Nobu if he was behaving himself。 She’d
made the reservations five weeks earlier when he’d e…mailed that he
might be in New York； but Emily still had to use Miranda’s name to
score the time slot。
“Well； what are you going to do when you show up there and you’re
clearly not Miranda Priestly？” I asked stupidly。
As usual； I received an expert eye…roll…deep…sigh bo。 “I’ll
simply tell them that Miranda had to be out of town unexpectedly；
show them a Business card； and tell them she wanted me to have her
reservation。 Hardly a big deal。”
Miranda called only once after Emily left to tell me that she
wouldn’t be in the office until noon tomorrow； but she’d like a copy
of the restaurant review she’d read today “in the paper。” I had the
presence of mind to ask if she recalled the name of the restaurant
or the paper in which she read about it； but this annoyed her
greatly。
“Ahn…dre…ah； I’m already late for the meet。 Don’t grill me。 It was
an Asian fusion restaurant and it was in today’s paper。 That’s all。”
And with that； she snapped her Motorola V60 shut。 I hoped； as I
usually did when she cut me off midsentence； that one day the Cell
Phone would simply clamp down on her perfectly manicured fingers and
swallow them whole； taking special time to shred those flawless red
nails。 No luck yet。
I wrote a quick note to myself to find the restaurant first thing in
the morning in the notebook I kept with Miranda’s myriad and
ever…changing requests and bolted for the car。 I called Lily from my
cell and she picked up just as I was about to get out and go up to
the apartment； and so I waved to John Fisher…Galliano （who had grown
his hair a little longer and adorned his uniform with a few chains
and looked more like the designer each and every day） but didn’t
move。
“Hey； what’s up？ It’s me。”
“Hiiiiiiiiiii；”she sang； happier than I’d heard her in weeks； maybe
months。 “I am so done。 Done！ No early summer session； nothing but a
little； insignificant proposal due for a master’s thesis that I can
change ten times after the fact if I want。 So that leaves nothing
until mid…July。 Do you believe it？” She sounded positively gleeful。
“I know； I’m so excited for you！ You up for a celebratory dinner？
Anywhere you want； it’s onRunway 。”
“Really？ Anywhere？”
“Anywhere。 I’m downstairs and I have a car。 e down； we’ll go
somewhere great。”
She squealed。 “Fun！ I’ve been meaning to tell you all about Freudian
Boy。 He’s beautiful！ Hold on one second。 I’m putting on jeans and
I’ll be right down。”
She bounded out five minutes later looking trendier and happier than
I’d seen her in a very long time。 She wore a pair of tight； faded
boot…cut jeans that hugged her hips； paired with a long…sleeve flowy
white peasant blouse。 A pair of flip…flops I’d never seen
before—brown leather straps with turquoise beads—pleted the look。
She was even wearing makeup； and her curls looked as though they had
seen a blow…dryer at some point in the last twenty…four hours。
“You look great；” I said as she bounded into the backseat。 “What’s
your secret？”
“Freudian Boy； of course。 He’s amazing。 I think I’m in love。 So far；
he’s going strong at nine…tenths。 Do you believe it？”
“First； let’s decide where we’re going。 I didn’t make a reservation
anywhere； but I can call ahead and use Miranda’s name。 Anywhere you
want。”
She was rubbing on some Kiehl’s lip gloss and staring at herself in
the driver’s rearview mirror。 “Anywhere？” she said absentmindedly。
“Anywhere。 Maybe Chicama for those mojitos？” I suggested； knowing
that the way to sell Lily on a restaurant was by advertising its
drinks； not its food。 “Or there are those amazing Cosmos at Meet。 Or
the Hudson Hotel—maybe we can even sit outside？ If you want wine；
though； I’d love to try—”
“Andy； can we go to Benihana？ I’ve been craving it forever。” She