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"Thank you," I mumble

A waiter appears, and Michael orders two

"All I can tell you is, people aren’t du to hold it against you"

"They already have," I say, staring at the table "My screen test for HLBC was called off"

"Ah," says Michael after a pause "I’m sorry to hear that"

"No one wants to know o another way’ or they ‘feel I don’t really suit the American market’ and… you know Basically just, ‘Go away’ "

As I talk, I can feelup with hot tears I so wanted to tell all this to Luke I wanted to pour out allTell me it was their loss, not mine, like my parents would, or Suze would But instead, he ht -- I’ve thrown everything away, haven’t I? I had opportunities people would kill for, and I wasted theravely

"That happens," he says "I’ets spooked, they all get spooked"

"I just feel like I’ve wrecked everything," I say, feelingjob, and Luke was going to be this huge success It was all going to be perfect And I’ve just chucked it all in the bin It’s allout of e sob Oh, this is so e

"I’m sorry," I whisper "I’m just a complete disaster"

I bury my hot face in my hands and hope that Michael Ellis will tactfully slip away and leave me alone Instead, I feel a hand on ers I wipe ratefully with the cool cotton and eventually raise ulp "Sorry about that"

"That’s quite all right," says Michael calht," I mutter

"You should see me when I lose a contract I bawl my eyes out My secretary has to run out for Kleenex every half hour" He sounds so co a little set a few things straight Did you invite The Daily World to take pictures of you with a long-range lens?"

"No"

"Did you call theesting a choice of offensive headlines?"

"No" I can’t help giving a half-giggle