Trading Up by Candace Bushnell

be asked to spend time with Mimi alone. Indeed, she was so consumed with her own triumph, that when she looked up and caught Patty’s eye, she was actually expecting her to share in her moment of glory.

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    But the expression on Patty’s face quickly brought her back to earth. Patty’s look seemed to be implying that somehow Janey had betrayed her, and Janey was reminded once again that even though Patty was married to a rock star, she actually wasn’t very worldly. Last year, Patty had enjoyed a small flurry of media attention when she’d married Digger, but she hadn’t really enjoyed it, and had withdrawn as soon as she could, claiming that she thought the whole thing was “fake.” And for a second, Janey saw herself and Mimi as Patty might have—as two glamorous, silly, superficial women flinging compliments at each other that they didn’t really mean—and realized Patty was half right. But ultimately, Patty’s perception was too simple: Patty was too immature to understand the value of hyperbole, and how it might smooth the waters for more interesting sights below.
    “Now Patty,” she began, but Patty cut her off.
    “How could you do that?” she asked.
    “Do what?” Janey asked, all innocence.
    “In the first place, you’ve never even been on a horse . . .”
    “Oh that,” Janey said dismissively. “All we’re going to do is walk . . . I mean, really, Patty. How hard can it be to sit on a horse?” Janey’s eyes had narrowed to the point where her irises appeared to be cold blue stones, and Patty knew that Janey hated nothing more than to have her motives questioned.
    “But you lied,” Patty whispered.
    “Really, Patty.” Janey put down her fork in resignation. “You have to stop taking everything so . . . literally . Why shouldn’t I go riding with Mimi Kilroy? Am I really so awful that I shouldn’t have a new friend?” Patty’s mouth turned down and her shoulders drooped in defeat. Once again, it seemed, Janey had somehow gotten to the emotional heart of the situation, and even though Patty knew that something wasn’t right, she couldn’t argue with Janey’s logic—after all, who was she to tell her sister who she should or shouldn’t be friends with? But still, why did that friend have to be Mimi Kilroy? Why couldn’t it be a normal person?
    “Come on, Patty,” Janey said firmly. “Mimi is nice. And besides, you’re probably just upset about that comment she made about Digger. How is she supposed to know that you can’t get . . . ?”
    “Janey!”
    And Janey, remembering the admiration in Mimi’s voice when she mentioned Digger, was reminded once again of how potentially fruitful Patty and Digger’s alliance was, and what a shame it would be if something happened to destroy it.
    “Now Patty,” she said, reaching across the table to squeeze Patty’s hand. “You have to be calm about this. I’m sure there’s a simple answer. Have you ever considered the fact that maybe Digger smokes too much pot?”

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    A look of realization and relief passed across Patty’s face and Janey smiled in acknowledgment, pleased that she’d been able to help Patty.
    And in the back corner of Nick & Toni’s, Mauve Binchely’s eyes kept wandering back to Janey. And Mauve thought, Janey Wilcox is beautiful, one has to grant her that, but she comforted herself with the fact that it was a cheap kind of beauty.
    “Really, Mimi,” Mauve said. “How can you even speak to her? She’s so common, and she has that reputation. They say she’s slept with everyone. Including Peter Cannon.”
    “Who?” Mimi demanded. And following Mauve’s eyes, she exclaimed, “Janey Wilcox?” And then she laughed. “You know I don’t care about reputations, Mauve.
    If I did, the first person I wouldn’t speak to would be Comstock Dibble!”
    . . .
    New Yorkers sliced