can’t　so　much　as　say　yes　or　no　on　the　phone？”
  “It’s　hard　to　explain；　Lil；　it’s　just　that—”
  “Forget　it。　I’ve　got　to　run。　I’ll　call　you　if　we　get　it。　Not　that
  you　really　care　either　way。”
  I　tried　to　protest；　but　she’d　hung　up。　Dammit！　It　wasn’t　fair　to
  expect　Lily　to　understand　when　I　would’ve　thought　I　was　ridiculous　a
  mere　four　months　earlier。　It　really　wasn’t　fair　to　send　her　all　over
  Manhattan　in　search　of　an　apartment　we　could　both　share　when　I
  wouldn’t　even　take　her　phone　calls；　but　what　choice　did　I　have？
  When　she　answered　one　of　my　calls　right　after　midnight；　she　told　me
  we　got　the　apartment。
  “That’s　amazing；　Lil。　I　can’t　thank　you　enough。　I　swear　I’ll　make　it
  up　to　you。　I　promise！”　And　then　I　had　a　thought。　Be　spontaneous！
  Call　an　Elias　car　and　get　up　to　Harlem　and　thank　your　best　friend　in
  person。　Yes；　that　was　it！　“Lil；　are　you　Home？　I’m　ing　up　to
  celebrate；　OK？”
  I　thought　she’d　be　thrilled；　but　she　was　quiet。　“Don’t　bother；”　she
  said　quietly。　“I’ve　got　a　bottle　of　So…Co　and　Tongue　Ring　Boy　is
  here。　I’ve　got　everything　I　want。”
  It　stung；　but　I　understood。　Lily　rarely　got　mad；　but　when　she　did；
  no　one　could　talk　her　out　of　it　until　she　was　good　and　ready。　I
  heard　liquid　swishing　into　a　glass　and　ice　clinking；　and　I　heard　her
  take　a　deep；　long　swig。
  “OK。　But　call　me　if　you　need　anything；　OK？”
  “Why？　So　you　can　sit　in　silence　on　the　other　end？　No　thanks。”
  “Lil—”
  “Don’t　worry　about　me。　I’m　just　fine。”　Another　gulp。　“I’ll　talk　to
  you　later。　And　hey；　congratulations　to　us。”
  “Yeah；　congratulations　to　us；”　I　repeated；　but　she’d　already　hung　up
  once　again。
  I’d　called　Alex　on　his　cell　to　ask　if　I　could　go　over　to　his　place；
  but　he　didn’t　sound　as　delighted　to　hear　from　me　as　I’d　hoped。
  “Andy；　you　know　I’d　love　to　see　you；　but；　well；　I’m　out　with　Max　and
  the　guys。　You’re　never　really　around　during　the　week　anymore；　so　I
  made　plans　to　see　them　tonight。”
  “Oh；　well；　are　you　guys　in　Brooklyn　or　around　here　somewhere？　I
  could　e　meet　you？”　I　asked；　knowing　that　of　course　they　were
  somewhere　on　the　Upper　East　Side；　probably　very　close　to　me；　because
  that’s　where　all　the　other　guys　lived　as　well。
  “Listen；　any　other　night　that’d　be　great；　but　tonight　is　definitely
  just　a　guys’　night。”
  “Oh；　sure；　OK。　I　was　going　to　meet　Lily　to　celebrate　the　new
  apartment；　but　we；　uh；　sort　of　got　in　a　fight。　She　doesn’t
  understand　why　I　can’t　really　talk　from　work。”
  “Well；　Andy；　I　have　to　say；　sometimes　I　don’t　totally　understand；
  either。　I　mean；　I　know　she’s　a　tough　lady—trust　me；　I　do—it　just
  seems　that　you　take　everything　pretty　seriously　when　it　es　to
  her；　you　know？”　He　sounded　like　he　was　trying　very　hard　to　keep　his
  tone　acmodating　and　nonconfrontational。
  “Maybe　that’s　because　I　do！”　I　shot　back　at　him；　pissed　off　at　him
  for　not　wanting　to　see　me　and　not　begging　me　to　go　out　with　his
  friends　and　for　taking　Lily’s　side　even　though　she　had　a　point　and
  so　did　he。　“It　is　my　life；　you　know？　My　career。　Myfuture　。　What　the
  hell　am　I　supposed　to　do？　Treat　it　like　a　joke？”
  “Andy；　you’re　twisting　my　words。　You　know　that’s　not　what　I　meant。”
  But　I　was　already　screaming　back—I　couldn’t　help　myself。　First　Lily
  and　now　Alex？　Both　on　top　of　Miranda；　all　day；　every　day？　It　was　too
  much；　and　I　wanted　to　cry　but　all　I　could　do　was　yell。
  “A　big　fucking　joke；　huh？　That’s　what　my　job　is　to　both　of　you！Oh；
  Andy；　you　work　in　fashion；　how　hard　can　it　be？　”　I　mimicked；　hating
  myself　more　with　every　passing　second。　“Well；　excuse　me　if　we　can’t
  all　be　do…gooders　or　Ph。D。　candidates！　Excuse　me　if—”
  “Call　me　when　you　calm　down；”　he　stated。　“I’m　not　going　to　listen　to
  this　anymore。”　And　he　hung　up。　Hung　up！　I　waited　for　him　to　call
  back；　but　he　never　did；　and　by　the　time　I’d　finally　fallen　asleep；
  close　to　three；　I　hadn’t　heard　from　either　Alex　or　Lily。
  Now　it　was　moving　day—a　full　week　later—and　while　neither　was　still
  visibly　mad；　neither　seemed　exactly　the　same　either。　There　hadn’t
  been　time　to　make　amends　in　person　with　either　one　since　we　were　in
  the　middle　of　closing　an　issue；　but　I　figured　things　would　fall　into
  place　when　Lily　and　I　moved　into　our　new　apartment。　Our　shared
  apartment；　where　everything　would　go　back　to　the　way　it　was　when　we
  were　in　college　and　life　was　much　more　palatable。
  The　movers　finally　came　at　eleven；　and　it　took　them　all　of　nine
  minutes　to　disassemble　my　beloved　bed　and　throw　the　pieces　in　back
  of　their　van。　Mom　and　I　hitched　a　ride　with　them　over　to　my　new
  building；　where　my　dad　and　Alex　were　schmoozing　with　the
  doorman—who；　bizarrely　enough；　was　a　dead　ringer　for　John
  Galliano—with　my　boxes　piled　against　a　wall　in　the　lobby。
  “Andy；　glad　you’re　here。　Mr。　Fisher　here　won’t　open　the　apartment
  unless　there’s　a　tenant　present；”　my　dad　said　with　a　huge　smile　on
  his　face。　“Which　is　very　smart　of　him；”　he　added；　winking　at　the
  doorman。
  “Oh；　is　Lily　not　here　yet？　She　said　she’d　get　here　by　ten；
  ten…thirty。”
  “Nope；　haven’t　seen　her。　Should　I　call　her？”　Alex　asked。
  “Yeah；　I　guess　so。　Why　don’t　I　go　up　with；　er；　Mr。　Fisher　so　we　can
  start　bringing　stuff　up。　Ask　her　if　she　needs　any　help。”
  Mr。　Fisher　smiled　a　way　that　could　only　be　described　as　lecherous。
  “Please；　we’re　like　family　now；”　he　said；　looking　at　my　chest。　“Call
  me　John。”
  I　almost　choked　on　the　now　cold　Coffee　I　was　holding　and　wondered　if
  the　man　revered　the　world　over　for　reviving　the　Dior　brand　had　died
  without　my　knowing　and　been　reincarnated　as　my　doorman。
  Alex　nodded　and　wiped　his　glasses　on　his　T…shirt。　I　loved　it　when　he
  did　that。　“You　go　with　your　parents。　I’ll　call。”
  I　wondered　if　it　was　a　good　or　bad　thing　that　my　father　was　now　best
  friends　with　my　（designer）　doorman；　the　man　who　would　inevitably
  know　every　detail　of　my　life。　The　lobby　looked　nice；　if　a　little
  retro。　It　was　done　in　a　light…colored　stone　of　some　sort；　and　there
  were　a　few　unfortable…looking　benches　in　front　of　the　elevators
  and　behind　the　mailroom。　Our　apartment　was　number　8C；　and　it　faced
  southwest；　which；　from　what　I’d　heard；　was　a　good　thing。　John　opened
  the　door　with　his　master　key　and　stood　back　like　a　proud　papa。
  “Here　she　is；”　he　announced　grandly。
  I　walked　in　first；　expecting　to　be　hit　with　an　overpowering　smell　of
  sulfur　or　perhaps　see　a　few　bats　winging　their　way　around　our
  ceiling；　but　it　was　surprisingly　clean　and　bright。　The　kitchen　was
  on　the　right；　a　narrow；　one…person…wide　strip　with　white　tile　floors
  and　reasonably　white　Formica　cabinets。　The　countertops　were　some
  sort　of　flecked　granite　imitation；　and　there　was　a　microwave　built
  in　above　the　stove。
  “This　is　great；”　my　mom　said；　pulling　open　the　refrigerator。　“It’s
  already　got　ice　trays。”　The　movers　pushed　past　us；　grunting　while
  they　lugged　my　bed。
  The　kitchen　opened　to　the　living　room；　which　had　already　been
  divided　in　two　by　a　temporary　wall　to　create　a　second　bedroom。　Of
  course；　that　meant　that　all　the　windows　had　been　cut　out　of　the
  living　room　entirely；　but　that　was　OK。　The　bedroom　was　a　decent
  size—definitely　bigger　than　the　one　I’d　just　left—and　the　sliding
  glass　door　leading　to　the　balcony　made　up　one　whole　wall。　The
  bathroom　was　between　the　living　room　and　the　real　bedroom　and　was
  done　in　Pepto　pink　tiling　and　pink　paint。　Oh　well。　Could　be　kitschy。
  I　walked　into　the　real　bedroom；　which　was　significantly　bigger　than
  the　living　room　one　and　looked　around。　A　tiny　closet；　a　ceiling　fan；
  and　a　small；　dirty　window　that　looked　directly　into　an　apartment　in
  the　building　next　door。　Lily　had　wanted　this　one　and　I’d　happily
  agreed。　She　preferred　having　the　extra　space　since　she　spent　so　much
  time　in　her　bedroom　studying；　but　I’d　rather　have　the　light　and　the
  balcony　entrance。
  “Thanks；　Lil；”　I　whispered　to　myself；　knowing　that　Lily　couldn’t
  possibly　hear　me。
  “What’d　you　say；　honey？”　my　mom　asked；　ing　up　behind　me。
  “Oh；　nothing。　Just　that　Lily　did　really；　really　well。　I　had　no　idea
  what　to　expect；　but　this　is　great；　don’t　you　think？”
  She　looked　like　she　was　trying　to　find　the　most　tactful　way　of
  saying　something。　“Yes；　for　New　York；　it’s　a　great　apartment。　It’s
  just　hard　to　imagine　paying　so　much　and　getting　so　little。　You　know
  your　sister　and　Kyle　only　pay　fourteen　hundred　a　month　total　for
  their　condo；　and　they　have　central　air；　marble　bathrooms；　brand…new
  dishwasher　and　washer…dryer；　and　three　bedrooms　and　two　bathrooms？”
  she　pointed　out；　as