Funny You Should Ask

Chani writes that she didn’t sleep in Gabe’s guest room but called a cab home. She confesses that she’s never seen a James Bond movie. But she understands that Bond is an icon, and she thinks Gabe will do a great job playing him.

Chani counts to 100 to be sure Gabe is asleep. Then, she sneaks out of his house and calls a cab. She is sure that sleeping with him would have been the biggest mistake of her life.

Chani wakes to a text on her phone. Her agent has sent her a link to an online article with pictures of Chani having lunch with Gabe. The look on Gabe’s face is the look of a man in love. Chani is upset. She remembers how she was attacked before about being with Gabe: “People were furious that [she] dared to be so unattractive and still get Gabe’s attention” (325). People thought she was the stereotypical reporter, trading sex for an exclusive. If she is with Gabe now, everyone will think she was lying about their first weekend together, and the backlash will be immense.

Chani tells Gabe she can’t be in a relationship with him.