Since MoMA was being renovated and was temporarily located in Queens, Clarice mentioned to Judy the idea of holding the gala downtown to give the party a little more zip. The development office ran with the downtown plan and so did the rest of the benefit cochairs. Samantha Acton’s indie film event in Bedford-Stuyvesant set the precedent for benefits finding new urban venues to celebrate the rebounding city.

Having looked at the Puck Building, the Singer Building, Trinity Church, and the Stock Exchange, and even at placing a tent on the Brooklyn Bridge, the events coordinator settled on an old nylon factory where the first Lycra panty hose in Manhattan had been manufactured.

Eyeing the vast open space of the hosiery factory for the first time, the museum development director got increasingly excited. “We can get Melissa Meyer in here to do a mural we’ll auction off, and there’s even space for an Ann Armstrong installation during the benefit.” He smiled while looking at the high ceiling.

“I like it. It’s so New York!” Clarice, who had asked to come along, got very excited. Judy put her arm around Clarice. “I told you, this is going to be so fun.”

The benefit became a symbol of the city and the arts community pulling together. At least twenty artists, from Frank Stella, Elizabeth Peyton, and Susan Rothenberg to Santiago Cucullu donated new works to be auctioned off for families of artists who had suffered from 9/11. Among the scheduled entertainment was the chorus of 42nd Street, Bernadette Peters, Renée Fleming, and the entire cast of Sex and the City. The evening itself would be hosted by Wynton Marsalis, and David Rockefeller would pay tribute to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

In the week leading up to the gala, Judy was mentioned in columns in the New York Post, the Daily News, the New York Observer, and W. She hired a publicist, and the “peppy” Mrs. Tremont was seen absolutely everywhere.

“Do you know if Clarice is still seeing Barry?” Samantha asked Judy at lunch at La Goulue after they had gone shopping for Judy’s gala shoes. Judy had noticed a few dark circles under her great friend’s eyes.

“Why? Did he say he was still seeing her?” Judy asked. “Everyone saw that picture in the paper months ago, but you know that means nothing.”

“I wonder how that picture got in there?”

“I think all our handbags are wiretapped. I swear I think my Birkin is connected directly to PageSix.”

Judy didn’t mention that when Grey Navez saw Barry and Clarice she called Judy shortly after. Coincidentally, Judy just happened to be having a few friends over, including a Post columnist.

“You know Clarice is seeing Barry again. They’re having dinner tonight at Vico,” Judy whispered to the columnist.

“You really are the red-hot center, aren’t you,” he said teasingly.