“I would have pegged you for The Devil Wears Prada or Working Girls,” Lena said as she opened the door and we walked inside. “But You’ve Got Mail is a classic, I guess.”

“I’m not a big movie person,” I said, nodding at my confession. That was a fine thing to say. Vague, but admissive. Not something that would put me in any category Lena wouldn’t approve of.

“Me neither, honestly,” she said. “But I’m always curious. You can tell a lot about a person by their New York Romance.”

“What does You’ve Got Mail say about me?” I asked as we approached the counter.

She looked at me for the first time in this entire conversation, straight into my eyes. It was worse than being read. It felt like I was being analyzed, like she was looking for one crack in my story.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she finally said.

When she looked away from me, she ordered a matcha latte with oat milk, and asked what I wanted as she pulled out her black Amex. “Next round’s on you.”

While we walked back to the office, I realized I never asked what her movie was. I wanted to know what it said about her, as much as she wanted to know what mine said about me.

“Oh.” She laughed after I asked. “I grew up in the city. This place has never been romantic to me. That’s what’s great about New York. We all hate it here, but no one will ever leave.”

I didn’t understand the concept at first. I hadn’t romanticized this place at all; even that wasn’t something I could afford to do. It was hard to think this was the city of dreams when my closest friend was an exterminator and I had to give myself cold-shower facials once a day to counteract the bloating from my salty but cheap ramen noodle diet.

She was right about one thing: I didn’t come here for the job. I came to the job for her.

It was easy for me to learn from Lena. Every item of clothing—from jeans to a wool coat—should be tailored, so I found a woman named Wendy on Avenue A. Never leave the apartment without styling your hair, so I bought a blow-dryer and a straightening iron and a curling iron and some spray Lena uses that smells like perfume and is supposed to protect you from heat. Fresh flowers—on your desk and in your living room—from a bodega where you’re on a first-name basis with the owner and the cat are essential. Wear heels no matter how tall you are. Walk fast whether or not you’re in a rush. Never look up.

That one I actively disobey.