to her office as she upbraided the public events coordinator in
front of everyone。 She was in a wicked mood； and I’d already had
enough for one day。 The girl she was currently abusing had her head
hung in shame； cheeks bright red； and I prayed for her own sake that
she wouldn’t cry。
“Andy！ This is fucking ridiculous。 Just say yes or no！ It’s bad
enough that I have to cut class today and you can’t so much as leave
work to e look at this place； but you can’t even bother to say
yes or no？ What am I—” Lily had reached her breaking point and I
totally understood； but there was nothing I could do except hang up
on her。 She was screaming so loud into the phone that it was
reverberating in the quiet office； and Miranda was standing less
than five feet away。 I was so frustrated； I wanted to grab the PR
coordinator and hit the ladies’ room and cry with her。 Or maybe if
we worked together we could throw Miranda into a toilet stall and
tighten that Hermès scarf that hung loosely around her skinny neck。
Would I hold her down or pull？ Or perhaps it’d be more effective to
just shove the damn thing down her throat and watch her gasp for air
and—
“Ahn…dre…ah！” Her voice was clipped； steely。 “What did I ask you for
a mere five minutes ago？” Shit！ The sundae。 I’d forgotten the
sundae。 “Is there a particular reason why you’re still sitting there
instead of doing your job？ Is this your idea of a joke？ Did I do or
say something to indicate that I wasn’t entirely serious？ Did I？ Did
I？” Her blue eyes were bulging out of her face； and although she
hadn’t fully raised her voice yet； of course； she was ing awfully
close。 I opened my mouth to speak but heard Emily talking instead。
“Miranda； I’m so sorry。 It’s my fault。 I asked Andrea to answer the
phone because I thought it might be Caroline or Cassidy and I was on
the other line ordering that shirt from Prada you wanted。 Andrea was
just on her way out。 I’m sorry； and it won’t happen again。”
Miracle of miracles！ The Perfect One had spoken； and in my defense；
no less。
Miranda looked momentarily mollified。 “Well； all right then。 Get my
sundae now； Andrea。” And with that； she walked in her office and
picked up the phone； where she promptly started cooing to B…DAD。
I looked at Emily； but she was pretending to work。 I shot her a
one…word e…mail。Why？ I wrote。
Because I wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t going to fire you； and I
don’t really feel like training someone new；she wrote back
instantly。 I left to go in search of this perfect sundae and called
Lily from my Cell Phone as soon as the elevator hit the lobby。
“I’m sorry； I really am。 It’s just that—”
“Look； I don’t really have time for this；” Lily said flatly。 “I
think you’re overreacting just a little bit； don’t you？ I mean； you
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 apa