only…in…an…emergency clause？but Dan had always lived by the rule that rules were made to be
broken。
？What is it？？ Greg asked excitedly； stepping over the low； wooden bench that was screwed to the
floor。
？Ta…da！？ Dan waved the book in the air above his head。 ？Just guess； first。Take a guess； please。？
？I can？t！？ Greg reached out playfully and tried to grab the book from him。
？No you don？t。？ Dan tucked the volume behind his back。
Greg reached around him； still trying for the book。 ？Let me see； e on。？
Dan brought the book in front of him； holding it faceup on his palms。 ？I hold in my hand an
out…of…print masterpiece 。 。 。 by one of the most important midcentury American novelists 。 。 。
published by a seminal San Francisco publishing house 。。。in 1952。。。。？
？Shut。？ Greg sat down on the bench； as though he might faint。 ？Up。？
？I？m serious；？ Dan confirmed。 ？The Poet？s Wake！By Sherman fucking Anderson fucking
Hartman。？
？That？s； like； the Holy Grail or something；？ Greg muttered in awe。 ？Can I see it？？ he asked； his
voice wavering。
？Just be careful。 Some of the pages are pretty moth…eaten； which is really tragic； but I guess we
can？t plain； I mean； given how hard it is to find a copy of this anywhere。 I？ve heard stories
about people unearthing them in old used bookshops in Midwest college towns； but right here in
New York City？ What are the odds？？
Greg placed his hands over Dan？s； enveloping both Dan？s fingers and the book within his grasp。
Hey； grabby。
？I？ve got a better idea actually； Dan；？ Greg whispered seriously； knitting together his fine； blond
eyebrows。 ？Why don？t you read me a passage？？
Dan shrugged。 Hedid have a pretty good reading voice。 He glanced at his watch。 He was
supposed to be upstairs； shelving books； but no one ever came into the employee lounge？he could
afford to spend a few minutes。 Besides； some things were just more important than work。
Clearing his throat； Dan flipped through the book to a random point and then began reading：
？Emily arrived some time after midnight。 She？d taken the train。 She looked the way he had
always pictured her； in his late…night fever dreams； when he？d thrown down his pen and pushed
his paper off of his desk； unable to write； unable to concentrate； unable to think about anything
other than her graceful neck； the curve of her hip。 She looked like the very idea of a woman； and
wasn？t that better； he wondered； than the reality of the situation？ Weren？t ideas； when all is said
and done； so superior to reality？？
Dan stood in silence； still cradling the tattered volume reverentially； and Greg just sat there；
staring up at Dan the way you？d stare up at a plicated stained…glass window； or at someone
undressing in front of an apartment window； high above。
？It？s a crime；？ Dan muttered darkly。 ？How could this be out of print？？
？It is a crime；？ Greg agreed； standing and placing his hands on top of the book。 Dan looked at his
wide…open brilliant green eyes behind the lenses of his chunky glasses。 ？Thank goodness there are
people like us to keep things like this alive。？
？You？re right。？ Dan nodded solemnly。
？Dan；？ Greg whispered huskily； ？I？m really glad we met。？
？Me too；？ Dan agreed； checking his watch again？he didn？t want to be away from work for too
long； but before he could even figure out what the numbers on the face of his Casio
calculator…watch were telling him； he felt Greg？s long arms wrap around him。
？This is such a good omen for our first meeting tomorrow。？ Greg？s hot breath tickled Dan？s neck
as he hugged him。 ？We？ll have so much to talk about。？
？Y…y…y…yeah；？ Dan stammered。 Wow； Greg was sort of a geek； but he really did genuinely
appreciate how cool the book was。 ？Here； why don？t you hold on to this for me？？ he offered；
handing Greg the book。
Greg hugged him again； even harder this time。 ？Wow；？ he gasped。 ？I？m overwhelmed。？
Dan grinned at him and headed upstairs。 Why did he always attract the geeks？
Um； maybe because he was kind of a geek himself？
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ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated
hey people！
Just when you thought it couldn？t get any hotter； the thermometer rises another ten degrees。 Or
maybe that？s just my puter？it？s practically overheating from your steamy e…mails！ It seems
people are responding to the temperature by shedding clothes and getting wet 。 。 。 and giving the
whole neighborhood a show。
What in tarnation am I talking about now？ Well； we all know that in the Hamptons； you can？t
throw a stone without hitting someone you know （like it？s any different in Manhattan？！） Here；
though； we have actual yards and fences。 Crazy concept； huh？ Rows upon rows of hedges
separating the fabulous and beautiful from the fabulous and beautiful。 They say good fences make
good neigh…bors； so we should all stay strictly within our own property； I suppose。 But what if
your neighbor is hot and occasionally naked？ This is all a hypothetical； of course。 。 。 。 I don？t
actually know of anyone who skinny…dips in their pool and then invites the neighbors for a visit。
But I？ve been hearing rumors about and doing just that； and you know those girls are always
setting trends。 You heard it here first： time for that fence to e down； people。 Screw fences。
Good neighbors make good fun。
So hello neighbor boys； e and find me。 I？m lying out by my pool； enjoying my own form of
A/C： alcohol/college boys。 Yawn。 Just another day at the office。
Q：？
Dear GG；
？
I know I should be out there at the beach with the rest of civilized society； but I？m unfortunately
trapped in the city forsummer school。 Who knew they were really so serious aboutthat whole
attendance policy thing？ Anyway； I？m freaking dyingover here； it？s so hot。 Help！
？
？Sweltering in the City
A：？
Dear SITC；
？
Poor thing。 Sounds like you could use your own doppelganger right now！ But if that？s not an
option； here are some quick fixes to stay cool in the city：
？
1） Find your nearest rooftop pool。 If you don？t have a friend withher own （or if she？s out of town
too）； try Soho House or theHotel Gansevoort。 If you？re really desperate； buy yourself a kiddie
pool； bring it up to your roof； and don？t forget the hundredbottles of Evian。 Now that？s what I call
a private party。
？
2） The A/C at Barneys is to die for。 I suppose it isn？t terriblysunny； but if you？re trying on bikinis；
it？s almost like being at thebeach。
？
3） Three words： Tasti D…Lite。 （Or is that a two…word hyphenate？）Okay； so Tasti D is totally five
years ago； but you know you wantsomething cool and sweet。 And if you？re really not going
tomake it to the beach this summer； do me the favor of forgettingabout the calories and slurping up
some hazelnut gelato fromCones。 Yum。
？
4） You did say you were in summer school； right？ Um； hello；isn？t it airconditioned？ If you don？t
know the answer； you bettercheck the attendance policy again！
？GG
beach blanket bingo rules and regulations
For you lucky ones staying cool at the beach； don？t worry； I haven？t for…gotten about you either。
The most important thing to remember this summer？and this is for your own good； as well as
everyone else？s？ is that when New Yorkers transport their social scene from the chic Manhattan
bars to the sandy Hamptons beaches； we transport our social rules as well。 After all； we have to
have some kind of order in place。 So for those not in the know； the unspoken rules of beach
etiquette that you absolutely must obey are：
1） Wear big sunglasses if you？re going to stare。 And you know you？re going to。
2） Leave at least four feet between your towel and that of your neighbor （and that is the bare
minimum； only in the direst of situations。） If you think being packed like sardines in a hot subway
car is bad； imagine feeling that way for four hours straight with hardly any clothes on。 Nobody
needs to be that up close and personal。
3） I don？t care if you？re Ricky Martin？no Speedos； please！ Actually； especially if you？re Ricky
Martin。 Ick。
4） Same goes for scary amounts of chest or back hair。 Wax it off； cover it up； or stay at home！
It？s that simple； gorilla boys。
5） When rubbing sunblock on a friend or significant other； don？t get too frisky。 We？ve all seen
ladies do the girl…on…girl thing in bars to get attention； and we？ve all seen couples making out in
dark corners； and both those acts are even tackier in broad daylight。 Trust me； there are other ways
to get people to notice you。 I should know。
some burning questions
Running the gossip mill isn？t all parties and pi？a coladas； you know？ it？s a round…the…clock job。
Okay； fine； it？s a lot of parties and pi？a coladas。 Maybe I？m not saving lives in the ER； but I？m
saving your social lives； people； and that？s every bit as important。 For those non…believers； I？ll
share just a few of the questions that keep me up late into the night （when I don？t have a party；
that is）：
Could it be true thatN has fallen for an older