won’t be a problem。” She clasped her hands back together。
“It says here that you studied at Brown？”
“Yes； I； uh； I was an English major； concentrating on creative
writing。 writing has always been a passion。”So cheesy！ I reprimanded
myself。Did I really have to use the word “passion”？
“So； does your affinity for writing mean that you’re not
particularly interested in fashion？” She took a sip of sparkling
liquid from a glass and set it down quietly。 One quick glance at the
glass showed that she was the kind of woman who could drink without
leaving one of those disgusting lipstick marks。 She would always
have perfectly lined and filled…in lips regardless of the hour。
“Oh no； of course not。 I adore fashion；” I lied rather smoothly。
“I’m looking forward to learning even more about it； since I think
it would be wonderful to write about fashion one day。” Where the
hell had I e up with that one？ This was being an out…of…body
experience。
Things progressed with the same relative ease until she asked her
final question： Which magazines did I read regularly？ I leaned
forward eagerly and began to speak： “Well； I only subscribe toThe
New Yorker andNewsweek； but I regularly readThe Buzz 。
SometimesTime； but it’s dry； andU。S。 News is way too conservative。
Of course； as a guilty pleasure； I’ll skimChic； and since I just
returned from traveling； I read all of the travel magazines and 。 。
。”
“And do you readRunway； Ahn…dre…ah？” she interrupted； leaning over
the desk and peering at me even more intently than before。
It had e so quickly； so unexpectedly； that for the first time
that day I was caught off…guard。 I didn’t lie； and I didn’t
elaborate or even attempt to explain。
“No。”
After perhaps ten seconds of stony silence； she beckoned for Emily
to escort me out。 I knew I had the job。
3
“It sure doesn’t sound like you have the job；” Alex； my boyfriend；
said softly； playing with my hair as I rested my throbbing head in
his lap after the grueling day。 I’d gone straight from the interview
to his apartment in Brooklyn； not wanting to sleep on Lily’s couch
for another night and needing to tell him about everything that had
just happened。 I’d thought about staying there all the time； but I
didn’t want Alex to feel suffocated。 “I don’t even know why you’d
want it。” After a moment or two； he reconsidered。 “Actually； it does
sound like a pretty phenomenal opportunity。 I mean； if this girl
Allison started out as Miranda’s assistant and is now an editor at
the magazine； well； that’d be good enough for me。 Just go for it。”
He was trying so hard to sound really excited for me。 We’d been
dating since our junior year at Brown； and I knew every inflection
of his voice； every look； every signal。 He’d just started a few
weeks earlier at PS 277 in the Bronx and was so worn down he could
barely speak。 Even though his kids were only nine years old； he’d
been disappointed to see how jaded and cynical they already were。 He
was disgusted that they all spoke freely about blow jobs； knew ten
different slang words for pot； and loved to brag about the stuff
they stole or whose cousin was currently residing in a tougher jail。
“Prison connoisseurs；” Alex had taken to calling them。 “They could
write a book on the subtle advantages of Sing Sing over Rikers； but
they can’t read a word of the English language。” He was trying to
figure out how he could make a difference。
I slid my hand under his T…shirt and started to scratch his back。
Poor thing looked so miserable that I felt guilty bothering him with
the details of the interview； but I just had to talk about it with
someone。 “I know。 I understand that there wouldn’t be anything
editorial about the job whatsoever； but I’m sure I’ll be able to do
some writing after a few months；” I said。 “You don’t think it’s
pletely selling out to work at afashion magazine； do you？”
He squeezed my arm and lay down next to me。 “Baby； you’re a
brilliant； wonderful writer； and I know you’ll be fantastic
anywhere。 And of course it’s not selling out。 It’s paying your dues。
You’re saying that if you put in a year atRunway you’ll save
yourself three more years of bullshit assistant work somewhere
else？”
I nodded。 “That’s what Emily and Allison said； that it was an
automatic quid pro quo。 Work a year for Miranda and don’t get fired；
and she’ll make a call and get you a job anywhere you want。”
“Then how could you not？ Seriously； Andy； you’ll work your year and
you’ll get a job atThe New Yorker 。 It’s what you’ve always wanted！
And it sure sounds like you’ll get there a whole lot faster doing
this than anything else。”
“You’re right； you’re totally right。”
“And besides； it would guarantee that you’re moving to New York；
which； I have to say； is very appealing to me right now。” He kissed
me； one of those long； lazy kisses it seemed we had personally
invented。 “But stop worrying so much。 Like you said yourself； you’re
still not sure you have the job。 Let’s wait and see。”
We cooked a simple dinner and fell asleep watching Letterman。 I was
dreaming about obnoxious little nine…year…olds having sex on the
playground while they swigged forties of Olde English and screamed
at my sweet； loving boyfriend when the phone rang。
Alex picked it up and pressed it to his ear but didn’t bother to
open his eyes or say hello。 He quickly dropped it next to me。 I
wasn’t sure I could muster the energy to pick it up。
“Hello？” I mumbled； glancing at the clock and seeing that it was
7：15A 。M。 Who the hell would call at such an hour？
“It’s me；” barked a very angry…sounding Lily。
“Hi； is everything OK？”
“Do you think I’d be calling you if everything was OK？ I’m so
hungover I could die； and I finally stop puking long enough to fall
asleep； and I’m awakened by a scarily perky woman who says she works
in HR at Elias…Clark。 And she’s looking for you。 Atseven…fifteen in
the freakin’ morning。 So call her back。 And tell her to lose my
number。”
“Sorry； Lil。 I gave them your number because I don’t have a cell
yet。 I can’t believe she called so early！ I wonder if that’s good or
bad？” I took the portable and crept out of the bedroom； quietly
closing the door as I went。
“Whatev。 Good luck。 Let me know how it goes。 Just not in the next
couple hours； OK？”
“Will do。 Thanks。 And sorry。”
I looked at my watch again and couldn’t believe I was about to have
a Business conversation。 I put on a pot of Coffee and waited until
it had finished brewing and brought a cup to the couch。 It was time
to call。 I had no choice。