"I'm not stupid, you know," Mr. Big said. They were sitting in first class. Going back. "I know," Carrie said.
Mr. Big took a sip of his bloody mary. He took out his paperback book. "You know, I'm actually very perceptive." "Uh huh," Carrie said. "How's the book?" "Not much gets by me."
"Of course not," Carrie said. "That's why you make so much money."
"I'm aware of all kinds of things going on under the surface," Mr. Big said. "And I know you hked that guy."
Carrie took a sip of her drink. "Mmmmm," she said. "What guy?"
"You know exactly who I mean. Tyler."
" Tyler?" Carrie said. She took out her book. Opened it. "I thought he was nice. And, you know. Interesting. But so what."
"You liked him," Mr. Big said casually. He opened his book.
Carrie pretended to read. "I hked him as a friend."
"I was there. I saw everything. It would be better if you didn't he," he said.
"O-kay," Carrie said. "I was attracted to him. A little bit," and as soon as she said it she reahzed it was a mistake, she hadn't been attracted to him at all.
"I'm a grownup," Mr. Big said. He put down his book and crossed his legs. He took out a magazine from the pocket in front of him. "I can take it. It doesn't hurt me. Go back. Go back to him and live with him in his fort. You can live in a fort and shoot bows and arrows all day."
"But I don't want to live in a fort," Carrie said. She started crying. She cried into her hand with her head turned toward the window. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "You're trying to get rid of me. You're making all this stuff up in your head so you can get rid of me."
"You said you were attracted to him."
"A little bit" Carrie hissed. "And only because you made me say it. I knew this was going to happen. I knew it." She sobbed. "As soon as we saw him, I knew you were going to think that I liked him and I never would have even thought of liking him if you didn't act like you thought I did. So then I have to spend the whole time acting like I don't like him so you don't get upset and the stupid thing is that I don't even like him to begin with. At all."
"I don't believe you," Mr. Big said.
"It's the truth. Oh Jesus," Carrie said. She turned away and cried a little more, and then she leaned over and whispered loudly in his ear, "I'm totally crazy about you and you know it. I would never want to be with anyone else. And it isn't fair. It isn't fair, you acting like this." She opened up her book.
Mr. Big patted her hand. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Now
Vm mad," she said.
They'd been back in New York two days when Carrie got a call from Samantha Jones. "Soooooo," she said. "So what?" Carrie asked.
"Anything big happen in Aspen?" she asked, in this creepy, cooing voice.
"Like what?" Carrie asked.
"I was convinced you were going to come back engaged."
"Nooooo," Carrie said. She leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the desk.
"Why on earth would you think that?"