When the Messenger Is Hot by Elizabeth Crane Read Free Book Online Page B

subsequent life as a Turkish porn star. Naturally, Josie runs out to buy the book, which she reads with a certain amount of guilt. She feels like she’s cheating. She realizes she is going to have moments when Hyman is going to tell her things that she already knows and that she is going to lie. She does not realize that she probably started lying to Hyman before brunch was over. Josie finishes the book in one evening and identifies with Hyman’s mother on account of her being in love with a brilliant film director to whom she feels intellectually inferior. Josie isn’t really sure if Hyman’s mother feels less inferior at the end of the book or not, it seems like she just feels glad not to be a Turkish porn star anymore.
    Josie receives a letter from Hayes two days after her return to Philly, a letter that says things like it was very nice to meet you and I would be honored if you would agree to dine with me when you return to New York . Josie does not feel attracted to Hayes, but feels that she should. A few days later Hayes calls Josie to follow up the letter and Josie agrees to meet him for lunch but feels like telling him to bring a resume. Josie wishes that Hyman would call her in Philly to use words like honor , but he does not call until she gets back to New York, at which time he invites her to an opera opening, an opening of an innovative production of Carmen . Hyman takes some time to explain about the innovation and about opera in general before Josie, the daughter of a soprano, who has seen quite a few operas in her short life, who has seen quite a few performances of Carmen , politely says, Yes I know the story of Carmen, without any additional information that would possibly convey to Hyman that she knows anything at all. She does not want to be seen as pretentious. She does not want to seem like Hyman. In fact Hyman is certainly not thinking Josie is pretentious. Hyman is thinking about what he can contribute . Josie says she has to go and is a little bit late to meet Hayes, who has been waiting at the restaurant for twenty-five minutes even though Josie is really only about seven minutes late. Hayes is holding a single rose.
    Josie does not normally have two dates in one day. Men like her, but her experience is such that more than one date per day can be confusing. Plus, she just doesn’t like that many guys. So it doesn’t often come up. Josie feels a little guilty about having lunch with Hayes knowing that she likes Hyman. Hayes asks Josie a few questions about the bank but Josie doesn’t have much to say about it that’s interesting to her except that the guys in accounting stumble in hungover a lot. Hayes is looking more for an interest in finance. Josie says her interest in finance is limited to having a little. Hayes laughs very loudly, a ho ho ho kind of fakey laugh. Josie blurts out that she’s not looking for anything serious right now and just wants to concentrate on graduating and getting a good job , which isn’t true. Josie wants to concentrate on Hyman. Hayes says he understands but looks like he doesn’t, asks if he can write her again. Josie says sure.
    Josie picks out a black angora sweater and a long skirt to wear to the opera. Hyman, in rumpled corduroys, takes her out for Thai food for dinner. She has never had Thai food before, not even on a long layover in the Bangkok airport. Again, she leaves out the Bangkok information which might possibly lead to some world-traveling/informed sort of conversation, which Josie is more capable of than she realizes, accepting her underachievement, and Hyman orders a variety of dishes for them to share, happy to educate. Josie has had just about all the education she feels she needs, what with the ninth semester she’s finishing up now, and would just as soon sample the Thai food and then decide whether or not she likes Thai food without so much education, but overall she is highly impressed that Hyman is so