Zero History

sense of what she didn’t like than what she did, if that makes any sense. And she was
very good. Very. But what I got from it, really, was that I was on the right track, with
what I was designing, my shoes. On a track, anyway.”
“What was your track?”
“Things that weren’t tied to the present moment. Not to any moment, really, so not retro
either.”
“What happened to your line?” Hollis asked.
“Business happened. Business as usual. We weren’t able to invent a new business
model. Our backing wasn’t sufficient to carry us through that routine dysfunction. We
crashed and burned. There might be a warehouse full of our last season in Seattle. If I
could find it, get my hands on it, the eBay sales would be worth more money than we
ever saw from the line.”
George held open a battered Galeries Lafayette bag and Mere thrust the security cables
into it.
“Can I offer you dinner?” Hollis asked.
“Where are you staying?” George asked her.
“St. Germain. By the Odéon Métro.”
“I know a place,” said George. “I’ll make reservations for eight.”
“Meredith?”
Meredith considered Hollis. Then nodded.
“For four, please,” Hollis said.