Summary

In the week following the party, Louise does not hear from Lavinia but eventually receives a text message from Lavinia asking to meet at an expensive restaurant in a hotel. At another party, Lavinia introduces Louise to one of her Yale friends, Beowulf Marmont, and leaves her alone with him. Louise interprets this as a test, to see if Louise can get along well with Lavinia’s friends. Louise lies about her background with him and says she is not a writer, and notices Beowulf becoming more disinterested. Louise spends the party feeling self-conscious and unworthy, and during a story reading sneaks out to an empty room with a book, where she runs into a man named Rex who offers her marijuana. The two begin talking, and Louise appears to be more comfortable with him. They are interrupted by Rex’s friend Hal waxing...