Candace Bushnell: Summer and the City

My heart sinks. Here we go again. Another old geezer who wants to get into my pants.

“I kept musing about our oh-so-amusing conversation. Pun intended.”

“Is that so?” I ask, trying to recall what I might have said that could be so memorable.

“And since I’m always on the lookout for something new, I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to try to get some younger readers to The New Review ? And who better to capture them than a young woman herself? In a sort of column, if you will. New York through the eyes of an ingenue.”

“I don’t know how good it would be. Given how badly my play went over.”

“Goodness gracious,” he exclaims. “But that’s the whole point. If it had been a swimming success, I wouldn’t be calling you. Because the whole idea behind this enterprise is that Carrie Bradshaw never wins.”

“Excuse me?” I gasp.

“Carrie never wins. That’s the fun of it, don’t you see? It’s what keeps her going.”

“But what about love? Does she ever win at love?”

“Especially not at love.”

I hesitate. “That sounds like a curse, Cholly.”

He laughs loud and long. “You know what they say: One man’s curse is another man’s opportunity. So what do you say? Can we meet in my office this afternoon at three?”

“In New York?”

“Where else?” he says.

Whoo-hooo, I think, swaying through the first-class cabin on the train headed back to the city. The seats are enormous and covered in red velvet and there’s a paper napkin on each headrest. There’s even a special compartment where you can stash your suitcase. It’s a heck of a lot nicer than coach.

“Always go first-class.” I hear Samantha’s voice in my head.

“But only if you can pay for it yourself,” Miranda counters.

Well, I am paying for it myself. Via Bernard and his lovely gift. But what the hell? I deserve it.

Maybe I’m not a failure after all.

I don’t know how long I’ll stay in New York, or what my father will do when I tell him. But I’ll worry about that later. For the moment, all I care about is one simple fact: I’m going back.

I teeter up the aisle, looking for a place to sit and someone decent to sit next to. I pass a balding man, and a lady who’s knitting. Then I spot a pretty girl with a luxurious mane of hair, flipping through a copy of Brides magazine.

Brides. She’s got to be kidding. I take the seat next to her.

“Oh hi!” she says eagerly, moving her bag. I smile. She’s just as sweet as I thought she’d be, given that gorgeous hair.

“I’m so glad to get you as a seatmate,” she whispers intimately, looking around. “The last time I took the train to New York, this creepy guy sat right next to me. He actually tried to put his hand on my leg. Can you believe it? I had to move my seat three times.”

“That’s terrible,” I say.

“I know.” She nods, wide-eyed.

I smile. “Getting married?” I ask, indicating her magazine.

She blushes. “Not exactly. I mean, not yet. But I hope to be engaged in a couple of years. My boyfriend works in New York. On Wall Street.” She ducks her head prettily. “My name’s Charlotte, by the way.”

“Carrie,” I say, holding out my hand.

“What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

I burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” she says, confused. “They say Paris is romantic, but I think New York is romantic too. And the men-”

I laugh even harder.

“Well, really,” she says primly. “If you’re going to laugh the whole way to New York… I don’t see what’s so funny about going to New York to find love.”

I howl.

“Well?” she demands.

I wipe away my tears. I sit back and cross my arms. “Do you really want to know about love in New York?”

“Yes, I do.” Her tone is curious and a little bit cautious.

The train toots its horn as I lean forward in my seat.

“Sweetie,” I say, with a smile. “Have I got a story for you .”

CANDACE BUSHNELL is the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of THE CARRIE DIARIES, SEX AND THE CITY, LIPSTICK JUNGLE, ONE FIFTH AVENUE, 4 BLONDES, and TRADING UP, which have sold millions of copies. SEX AND THE CITY was the basis for the HBO hit show and films of the same name. LIPSTICK JUNGLE became a popular television series on NBC. Candace lives in New York City.

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