my　way；　then　I　look　forward　to　reading　your　work。”　He　dug　around　in
  an　inside　pocket　and　produced　a　leather　case；　from　which　he　drew　out
  a　Business　card。　“I　know　you’re　not　ready　yet；　but　when　it　does　e
  time　to　show　your　stuff　to　someone；　I　hope　you’ll　keep　me　in　mind。”
  It　took　every　ounce　of　willpower　and　strength　to　remain　standing
  upright；　to　make　sure　that　my　mouth　had　not　flopped　open　or　my　knees
  had　not　just　given　out。Hope　you’ll　keep　me　in　mind？　The　man　who
  represented　Christian　Collinsworth；　literary　boy　genius
  extraordinaire；　had　just　asked　if　I　would　keep　him　in　mind。　This　was
  craziness。
  “Why　thank　you；”　I　croaked；　tucking　the　card　into　my　bag；　from　where
  I　knew　I　would　pull　it　out　and　examine　every　inch　of　it　the　first
  chance　I　got。　They　both　smiled　at　me；　and　it　took　a　minute　for　me　to
  recognize　this　as　my　cue　to　leave。　“Well；　Mr。　Brooks；　um；　Gabriel；
  it　was　really　great　meeting　you。　I’ve　got　to　be　getting　Home　now；
  but　hopefully　we’ll　cross　paths　soon。”
  “My　pleasure；　Andrea。　Congratulations　again　on　scoring　such　a
  fantastic　job。　Right　out　of　college　and　working　atRunway　。　Very
  impressive。”
  “I’ll　walk　you　out；”　Christian　said；　placing　a　hand　on　my　elbow　and
  motioning　to　Gabriel　that　he’d　be　right　back。
  We　stopped　at　the　bar　so　I　could　tell　Lily　that　I　was　heading　Home；
  and　she　unnecessarily　told　me—in　between　William’s　nuzzlings—that
  she　wouldn’t　be　joining　me。　At　the　foot　of　the　stairs　that　would
  take　me　back　to　street　level；　Christian　kissed　me　on　the　cheek。
  “Great　running　into　you　tonight。　And　I　have　a　feeling　I’m　going　to
  have　to　hear　Gabriel　talk　about　how　great　you　are　now；　too。”　He
  grinned。
  “We　barely　exchanged　two　words；”　I　pointed　out；　wondering　why
  everyone　was　being　so　plimentary。
  “Yes；　Andy；　but　what　you　don’t　seem　to　realize　is　that　the　writing
  world　is　a　small　one。　Whether　you　write　mysteries　or　feature　stories
  or　newspaper　articles；　everyone　knows　everyone。　Gabriel　doesn’t　have
  to　know　much　about　you　to　know　that　you　have　potential：　you　were
  good　enough　to　get　a　job　atRunway；　you　sound　bright　and　articulate
  when　you　talk；　and　hell；　you’re　a　friend　of　mine。　He’s　got　nothing
  to　lose　by　giving　you　his　card。　What　does　he　know？　He　could　have
  just　discovered　the　next　best…selling　author。　And　trust　me—Gabriel
  Brooks　is　a　good　man　for　you　to　know。”
  “Hmm；　I　guess　you’re　right。　Well；　anyway；　I’ve　got　to　get　Home　since
  I’ve　got　to　be　at　work　again　in　a　few　hours　anyway。　Thanks　for
  everything。　I　really　appreciate　it。”　I　leaned　up　to　kiss　him　on　the
  cheek；　half　expecting　him　to　turn　his　face　forward　and　half　wanting
  him　to；　but　he　just　smiled。
  “More　than　my　pleasure；　Andrea　Sachs。　Have　a　good　night。”　And　before
  I　could　e　up　with　anything　remotely　clever　to　say；　he　was　headed
  back　to　Gabriel。
  I　rolled　my　eyes　at　myself　and　headed　to　the　street　to　hail　a　cab。
  It　had　started　to　rain—nothing　torrential；　just　a　light；　steady
  stream—so　of　course　there　wasn’t　a　single　cab　free　anywhere　in
  Manhattan。　I　called　the　Elias…Clark　car　service；　gave　them　my　VIP
  number；　and　had　a　car　screeching　to　the　curb　exactly　six　minutes
  later。　Alex　had　left　a　voice　mail　asking　me　how　my　day　was　and
  saying　that　he’d　be　Home　all　night　writing　lesson　plans。　It　had　been
  too　long　since　I　surprised　him。　It　was　time　to　make　a　little　effort
  and　be　spontaneous。　The　driver　agreed　to　wait　as　long　as　I　needed；
  so　I　ran　upstairs；　jumped　in　the　shower；　took　a　little　extra　time
  making　my　hair　look　good；　and　threw　together　a　bag　with　stuff　for
  work　the　next　day。　Since　it　was　already　after　eleven；　traffic　was
  tame　and　we　made　it　to　Alex’s　apartment　in　Brooklyn　in　under　fifteen
  minutes。　He　looked　genuinely　happy　to　see　me　when　he　opened　the
  door；　saying　over　and　over　and　over　again　how　he　couldn’t　believe
  that　I’d　e　all　the　way　to　Brooklyn　so　late　on　a　work　night　and　it
  was　the　best　surprise　he　could’ve　hoped　for。　And　as　I　lay　with　my
  head　on　my　favorite　spot　on　his　chest；　watching　Conan　and　listening
  to　the　rhythmic　sound　of　his　breathing　as　he　played　with　my　hair；　I
  barely　thought　about　Christian　at　all。
  “Um；　hi。　May　I　speak　with　your　food　editor　please？　No？　OK；　maybe　an
  editorial　assistant；　or　someone　who　can　tell　me　when　a　restaurant
  review　ran？”　I　asked　an　openly　hostile　receptionist　at　theNew　York
  Times　。　She　had　answered　the　phone　by　barking；　“What！”　and　was
  currently　pretending—or　perhaps　not—that　we　didn’t　speak　a　mon
  language。　Persistence　paid　off；　though；　and　after　asking　her　name
  three　times　（“We　can’t　tell　our　names；　lady”）；　threatening　to　report
  her　to　her　manager　（“What？　You　think　he　cares？　I’ll　put　him　on　right
  now”）；　and　finally　swearing　rather　emphatically　that　I　would
  personally　show　up　at　their　Times　Square　offices　and　do　everything
  in　my　power　to　have　her　fired　on　the　spot　（“Oh；　really？　I’m　not　so
  worried”）；　she　tired　of　me　and　connected　me　to　someone　else。
  “Editorial；”　snapped　another　hassled…sounding　woman。　I　wondered　if
  this　is　what　I　sounded　like　answering　Miranda’s　phone；　and　if　not；
  then　I　aspired　to　it。　It　was　such　an　enormous　turnoff　hearing　a
  voice　that　was　so　incredibly；　undeniably　unhappy　to　hear　from　you
  that　it　almost　made　you　just　want　to　hang　up。
  “Hi；　I　just　had　a　quick　question。”　The　words　tumbled　out　in　a
  desperate　attempt　to　be　heard　before　she　inevitably　slammed　down　the
  phone。　“I’m　wondering　if　you　ran　any　reviews　of　Asian　fusion
  restaurants　yesterday？”
  She　sighed　as　though　I’d　just　asked　her　to　donate　one　of　her　limbs
  to　science　and　then　sighed　again。　“Have　you　looked　online？”　Another
  sigh。
  “Yes；　yes；　of　course；　but　I　can’t—”
  “Because　that’s　where　they　would　be　if　we’d　done　one。　I　can’t　keep
  track　of　every　word　that　goes　in　the　paper；　you　know。”
  I　took　a　deep　breath　myself　and　tried　to　stay　calm。　“Your　charming
  receptionist　connected　me　to　you　since　you　work　in　the　archives
  department。　So　it　does　in　fact　appear　that　it’s　your　job　to　keep
  track　of　every　word。”
  “Listen；　if　I　had　to　try　to　track　down　every　vague　description　that
  everyone　called　me　with　every　day；　I　wouldn’t　be　able　to　do　anything
  else。　You　really　need　to　check　online。”　She　sighed　twice　more；　and　I
  began　to　worry　that　she　might　hyperventilate。
  “No；　no；you　just　listen　for　a　minute；”　I　started；　feeling　primed　and
  ready　to　lay　into　this　lazy　girl　who　had　a　far　better　job　than　my
  own。　“I’m　calling　from　Miranda　Priestly’s　office；　and　it　just　so
  happens　that—”
  “I’m　sorry；　did　you　say　you　were　calling　from　Miranda　Priestly’s
  office？”　she　asked；　and　I　could　feel　her　ears　perk　up　across　the
  phone　line。　“Miranda　Priestly　。　。　。　fromRunway　magazine？”
  “The　one　and　only。　Why？　Heard　of　her？”
  It　was　here　that　she　transformed　from　highly　put…upon　editorial
  assistant　to　gushing　fashion　slave。　“Heard　of　her？　Of　course！　Is
  anybody　not　familiar　with　Miranda　Priestly？　She　is；　like；　the
  ultimate　woman　in　fashion。　What　was　it　you　said　she　was　looking
  for？”
  “A　review。　Yesterday’s　paper。　Asian　fusion　restaurant。　I　didn’t　see
  it　online；　but　I’m　not　sure　I　checked　properly。”　That　was　a　bit　of　a
  lie。　I　had　checked　online　and　was　quite　sure　there　hadn’t　been　any
  reviews　of　Asian　fusion　restaurants　in　theNew　York　Times　any　day　in
  the　past　week；　but　I　wasn’t　telling　her　that。　Maybe　Schizophrenic
  Editorial　Girl　here　would　work　a　miracle。
  So　far　I’d　called　theTimes；　thePost；　and　theDaily　News；　but　nothing
  had　turned　up。　I’d　plugged　in　her　corporate　card　number　to　access
  theWall　Street　Journal　’s　paid　archives　and　had　actually　found　a
  blurb　on　a　new　Thai　restaurant　in　the　Village；　but　I　had　to
  immediately　discount　it　when　I　noticed　that　the　average　entrée　price
  was　only　seven　dollars　andcitysearch　listed　only　a　single　dollar
  sign　next　to　it。
  “Well；　sure；　hold　on　just　a　second　here。　I’m　going　to　check　that
  right　out　for　you。”　And　all　of　a　sudden；　Little　Miss　“I　Can’t　Be
  Expected　to　Remember　Every　Word　That　Goes　in　the　Paper”　was　tapping
  away　on　a　keyboard　and　humming　excitedly　to　both　of　us。
  My　head　ached　from　the　debacle　the　night　before。　It　had　been　fun　to
  surprise　Alex　and　amazingly　relaxing　to　just　laze　around　his
  apartment；　but　for　the　first　time　in　many；　many　months；　I　couldn’t
  fall　asleep。　Over　and　over　and　over　again；　I　had　pangs　of　guilt；
  flashbacks　of　Christian　kissing　my　neck　and　my　then　jumping　in　a　car
  to　see　Alex　but　tell　him　nothing。　Even　though　I　tried　to　push　it　all
  out　of　my　mind；　they　kept　returning；　each　one　more　i