Page 6 (1/2)

"What happened to Flowers? I mean eleven-thirty at Metro CC?" I yell back up "What happened to ten o’clock at Cafe Tabac?"

A longish pause "She now says nine-thirty at Bowery Bar That’s the end of it, Victor" Then silence

"What horrible thing do you want me to do?" JD pauses "Victor, would this photo-if published-screw up this guy’s relationship with a certain young model named Chloe Byrnes and a certain volatile club owner of oh, let’s just say, hypothetically, this club, whose name is Damien Nutchs Ross?"

"But that isn’t the problem" I pull JD closer and, surprised, he winks and bats his eyes and I have to tell hih, breathe in "The probleossip colu to run this photo, and if we think Princess Cuddles having a heart attack is bad that’s nothing" I keep looking over o downstairs to check the ician Excuse us"

"But what about Matthew Broderick?" Peyton asks "What about the salads?"

"He can have two!" I shout as I whisk JD down the long steep ra di "You know I’m here for you, Victor You know I put the stud back in star-studded You know I’ve helped pack this party to the rafters with desirable celebs You know I’ll do anything, but I can’t help you on this because of-"

"JD Toot a photo shoot, a runway show, an MTV intervieith `House of Style,’ lunch withtux I’ I-have-no-time"

"Victor, as usual I’ll see what I can do" JD ician-"

"Fuck it Why don’t we just hire some clowns on stilts and bus in an elephant or two?"

"He does card tricks He just did Brad Pitt’s birthday at Jones in LA"

"He did?" I ask, suspicious "Who was there?"

"Ed Limato Mike Ovitz Julia Ormond Madonna Models A lot of lawyers and `fun’ people"

It gets even colder as we near the bottom of the staircase

"I mean," JD continues, "I think comparatively it’s pretty in"

"But in is out," I explain, squinting to see where we’re heading It’s so cold our breath steams, and when I touch the banister it feels like ice

"What are you saying, Victor?"

"Out is in Got it?"