Summary

The novella is broken into 22 short sections that alternate between the perspective or Margot and Quin. Margot begins the story with an anecdote about Quin. He had told her years ago, just before he was about to get married, that he had met a sad, lonely-looking middle-aged woman in Central Park. He had engaged her in a conversation and flirted with her, then exchanged numbers with her. He had no intention of starting any sort of relationship with her, but he thought it was funny to toy with her a bit. Margot and her husband thought it was hilarious because the whole thing was “vaguely sadistic—so vaguely that it was ridiculous” (7). The woman eventually called Quin, and he told her that he was engaged and that he would be her guardian angel, psychically looking out for her. Margot and her husband...