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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