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“Well?” Pandy said

“It’s a fucky business, okay? A big fat fucky business Where people get burned Where people steal ideas and credit Where they don’t even pay you if they can get aith it”

“Okay I get it,” Pandy said miserably

“Actually, I don’t think you do” Doug looked bummed, as if Pandy had disappointed him “This is the reason why I don’t want to be with an actress I don’t want to deal with this shit day in and day out You’re a writer I thought you were different”

Stunned, Pandy took a step back Her chest felt swollen and achingly heavy, as if her heart were drowning in sorrow

“I’ Please,” she said plaintively “I don’t knohat came over me”

Shesuddenly softened “It’s okay,” he said, holding out his aret about it, okay? I’ soon anyway”

“Shhhh” Pandy put her finger to his lips

Doug slung his arm over her shoulder They strolled slowly down Fifth Avenue, shuffling their feet like the saddest old couple in the world

They reached Rockefeller Center, where they stopped to watch the skaters

“Want to go skating?” Doug asked

“Sure,” Pandy said with false enthusiasm

She stared down at the aard forms bel

ow With a sht of how different they were frourines her family had placed under the Christmas tree when she was a kid The skaters had been part of a traditional Christmas scene that included miniature houses and a church clustered around a reflective piece of old glass that for pond She remembered how she and Hellenor had been fascinated by the “pond” The glass was more than a hundred years old and contained mercury, which their mother claimed could poison them if the mirror broke Every year, she and Hellenor would hold their breath as their ently placed it on its bed of white cotton batting under the tree

Then they would all breathe a sigh of relief