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set their sights on nondemanding jobs, good marriages, and babies, while Kate declared that she was not just going to “sleep-away” college, but also intended to become a doctor of psychology.
    As Bev put it, “She thinks she’s who the fuck she is.” If it hadn’t been for Bina, that would’ve been the end of Kate’s association with the Bitches and everyone else in Brooklyn. But Bina made friends for life. At first Kate had resented what she had considered Bina’s “clinging.” Then she realized that there was no one who knew her the way Bina did. And while she’d prefer to forget much of her other “backlash” from Brooklyn, for Bina’s friendship she was grateful.
    She finished her glass of champagne and was immediately brought another. Bina was still talking about Bunny.
    “. . . so the guy drops her like a rock. You saw him. I mean, Bunny should have known he wasn’t for her, but she took it hard. And now she’s on the rebound. She’s already going out with another guy—Arnie or Barney or something—and she’s telling Barbie they’re getting serious.”
    Big news flash. Bunny picked one inappropriate man after another, always insisting they were “serious” and always being disappointed. Classic repetition compulsion, Kate thought, but what she said was, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
    “What?” Bina paused for a moment. “Oh! I get it!” She paused again, then made her voice falsely casual. “How are things going with this Michael?”
    “All right,” Kate said noncommittally, and shrugged. She liked to keep a low profile on her dating life with Bina and the others, or else the Horowitz family would be sending out engraved announcements. “He’s very smart and seems promising. We’re going over to Elliot and Brice’s tonight for dinner.”
    “Who’s Brice?” Bina asked.
    Kate sighed. When it came to Brooklyn, Bina remembered what day of the month each of her friends had their periods, but outside Brooklyn . . .
    “Elliot’s partner.”
    “Elliot who?”
    “You remember, Elliot Winston. My friend from Brown. The guy I teach with.”
    “Oh, yeah. So if he’s a teacher, how does he have a partner?”
    “His
life
partner, Bina,” Kate said, exasperated.
    Bina paused, then dropped her voice. “Are those guys gay?”
    Yeah, and so is your unmarried uncle Kenny, Kate thought, but all she did was smile tolerantly. So what if Bina’s gender politics were way behind the times. She decided to change the subject. “So what color are you going to go with? Remember, every shade goes with a diamond!”
    “I don’t know. What have
you
picked?”
    Of course the question was completely irrelevant, but Bina was like that. Before she selected anything from a menu, she had to know what you were having.
    “Same old Bina,” Kate said, smiling at her irrepressible friend.
    “Same old Katie,” Bina said, slurring her words a bit. The champagne was clearly starting to get to her, and looking at her friend, ready to take such a big yet inevitable step, Kate shivered. Jack had never been her cup of tea—and he certainly was no glass of champagne—but he seemed loving to Bina, her family liked him, and . . . well, looking across at Bina, Kate had to admit that Jack was probably a good match. She was torn between bursting into tears and laughing out loud. Bina smiled at her, slightly cross-eyed. “I love you, Katie,” she said.
    “I love you, too, Bina,” Kate assured her, and it was true. “But no more drinks for you. You’ve got a big night ahead of you.”
    Bina took a last sip of champagne. Then she leaned over, close to her friend. “Kate,” she whispered. “There’s something I’m dying to ask you.”
    Kate steeled herself. “Yes?”
    “What’s a toe waxing?” Bina inquired.
    Bina’s tone made it sound obscene. Kate laughed. “You know how sometimes there is a little bit of hair on the knuckle of your big toe?” she asked.
    Bina pulled her foot out of the