“If I get up that way I’ll stop in for a visit,” Herbie said. “Thanks for calling, Parker, and give Dink my best.” He hung up and tried to imagine Dink Brennan as a reformed character. He failed.

PARKER PUT away his cell phone and turned to Carson Cullers, on whose parents’ living room sofa they were sitting, smoking a joint. “Okay,” he said, “that should prime the pump.” He handed Carson a small package wrapped in brown paper. “Now, here’s what Dink wants you to do,” he said. When he had finished he waved away a puff of her smoke. “Now, have you got that? He wants it done exactly that way.”

“Got it,” Carson said. “You know, this could be fun.”

“Okay, I gotta run,” Parker said. “There’s a car waiting, and I’ve got a shipment to get back to New Haven.” He said goodbye and left.

Carson went into her mother’s dressing room and pressed the button that started the moving closet, which resembled the sort of long, electric rack in dry-cleaning establishments. She let it run for a few seconds, then stopped it and removed a sheer, silk minidress. “Perfect,” she said. “He’ll never know what hit him.”

HERBIE WAITED at the bar of the Park Avenue Café, since he knew Allison would be a little late; she was always a little late. She hurried in after a ten-minute wait, gave him a peck on the cheek, and they were seated in the dining room. He ordered her a drink, and they took a look at the menus.

“I’m not staying for dinner,” she said. “You order.”

Herbie closed the menu. “All right,” he said, “tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong,” she replied. “I just have to talk to you.”

She took a swig of her drink, as if she needed it.

“I’m listening,” Herbie said.

“I don’t think we should go on seeing each other,” she said.

“Do you want to tell me why?”

“You’ve been promoted at the firm, and I want to be promoted. I don’t think it would help my chances if we became an item of office gossip.”

“I don’t think anyone knows,” he said.

“Joan knows, and that means Stone knows, and that may mean that Eggers knows.”

“Stone wouldn’t mention it to Eggers.”

“I hope you’re right. I just don’t think it does either of us any good for anyone at the firm to know we’re seeing each other.”

Herbie shrugged. “Well, as far as I know, there’s no rule against it.”

“Still,” she said, “you must see that it’s not good for either of us.”

“I won’t argue with you,” Herbie said gently. “Now, let’s order some dinner.”

“There’s probably somebody from the firm in this restaurant right now,” she said, tossing off the rest of her drink and standing up. She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Herbie,” she said.

“Please don’t be concerned,” he said, and then he watched her leave.

He waved at a waiter and ordered the veal chop. He didn’t have a girlfriend anymore, but it didn’t seem to have hurt his appetite.