Naomi Neale - I Went to Vassar for This?

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RAVE REVIEWS FORNAOMI NEALE!

"Naomi Neale is a fresh voice for the modern singlewoman."

Romance Reviews Today

THE MILE-HIGH HAIR CLUB

"Biting, witty, and so Southern you'll drawl!" USAToday bestselling author Katie MacAlister

"Surprisingly realistic characters and lots of saucy Southerncharm create a story of family, friendship, and love that isdeliciously funand simply irresistible!"

Booklist

"Neale writes a charming North meets South story, with alittle Miss Congeniality thrown in."

RT BOOKclub

"You'll laugh a lot, cry a little and definitelyexaggerateyour drawl A delightful Southern romance."

Fresh Fiction

"Liberally sprinkled with colorful secondarycharacters andbiting wit I highly recommend it!"

Romance Reviews Today

"This book is the perfect example of why chick-lit is sopopular. Bailey is a strong, intelligent heroine. Taylor is an excitingloveinterest and very engaging The universal themes will appealto all readersof contemporary fiction."

Romance Junkies

MORE HIGH PRAISE FOR NAOMI NEALE!

CALENDAR GIRL

"Hip, sassy, and filled with offbeat characters who willsteal your heart."

USA Todaybestselling author KatieMacAlister

"Neale's addictively acerbic writing style and endearingheroine make for a deliciously humorous book that is a naturalfor BridgetJones fans. Yet Nan's realistically complicated relationships with herfamilyand friends add emotional depth, granting Neale's novel an appeal that reaches beyond the chick-litcrowd."

Booklist

"Beneath the laugh-out-loud antics of assorted characters lies a simple fairy tale with a happily-ever-after ending Get this one for the keeper shelfto read scene after scene for a good laugh on a cold winter night."

RT BOOKdub

"Chick lit and contemporary romance readers will laugh withNaomi Neale's naughty and nice tale."

The MidwestBook Review

"Naomi Neale deftly combines chick lit with laugh-out-loudcontemporary romance If you enjoy romance sprinkled withchuckles, CalendarGirl is a delightful way to spend your reading time."

Curled Up witha Good Book

Other books by Naomi Neale:

CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM THE EDGE (Anthology)

THE MILE-HIGH HAIR CLUB

CALENDAR GIRL

SHOP 'TIL YULE DROP (Anthology)

I WENT TO VASSAR FOR THIS?

A Novel by

NAOMI NEALE

MAKING IT June 2006 Published by

Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc. 200Madison Avenue New York, NY

If you purchased this book without acover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It wasreported as"unsold and destroyed" to the publisher and neither the author northe publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."

Copyright 2006 by Vance Briceland

All rights reserved. No part of thisbook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronicormechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by anyinformationstorage and retrieval system, without the written permission of thepublisher,except where permitted by law.

ISBN 0-505-52686

The name "Making It" andits logo are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.

Printed in the United States ofAmerica.

Visit us on the web at www.dorchesterpub.com.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Kate Seaver originally approached me with the idea for thisbook'ssetting. Without her encouragement, it never would have beenwritten. I'm alsodeeply indebted to Joe Cherry and Tom Franklin for their manycontributions.You guys are the best! To Patty Woodwell, many thanks as well. My lifewould beinfinitely poorer without our vicious online games of canasta and yourexpertise on exploding kitchen appliances.

An eye for trends. That's whatthe boys at Motive had said when they'd plucked me from my sedatebusinessschool and tossed me into the pandemonium of the advertising world. She'sgot a good eye for trends, that Cathy Voorhees. She'll work hard forherpaycheck, too. I'd taken the hint and conceived myself asthe industry'sfamed girl native guide, leading hapless Lewises and Clarkstoward rich andprosperous territory. For five years I'd been a rising star in acompany withmore glass ceilings than a Coney Island funhouse maze. At long last Isawmyself as minutes away from the one thing I'd desired more thananything: anelectronic swipe card to a new office in the executive suite.

For all the good it did me, I shouldhave exchanged that eye for trends and gotten myself an eye for thebloodyobvious.

"There's extra wine." ThuyPhan's head popped up from behind the buffet where she crouched, herhandsbrandishing two bottles of merlot. The ends of her short hair, apparently trimmed witha laser level, were in perfect parallel with the table. "Let's gethammered and celebrate!"

After my triumphant product pitch Ifelt too jubilant for a mere girls' night out. Fireworks. Myname in lights! Aticker-tape parade, whatever ticker tape was! I wanted to revel in themoment,but I couldn't until I'd received one final phone call. "You know Ican'tleave."

"So we won't go out on thetown! We'll hit your place. Us and the wine. We can invite themysterious newguy across your hall." Thuy added two more bottles to thetable."Seen him yet? Is he cute? Single? Gay? Single? Employed? Single?"

We were discussing my neighbor why,exactly? "All I know about the guy is that he plays his music too loud,and he listens to more oldies radio than should be allowable by law.How you'veconvinced yourself my reclusive new neighbor is your last shot at arelationshipis beyond me."

"You aren't in the least bitcurious? Come on." Trust Thuy to have already dismissed the campaignwe'dfinished promoting not fifteen minutes earlier. For her, it had beenjustanother long day at work. For me, though, the pitch had been mymake-or-breakmoment. I felt like Mary Tyler Moore, throwing her hat high into theairhappy,independent, and free. I wanted somehow to commemorate the evening, butI couldsee it would have to be in my own quiet way. "Fine. But you'll have tomeet him tonight when you pick up the flowers I sent."

My giddy feeling vanished. It was asif Mary's hat had plopped into the gutter. "Excuse me?"

Thuy tried to hide her impishexpression by tidying the messy remains on the buffettable. "Yes, I got you flowers. For the congratulations you know yourichly deserve. You're welcome. Martha Stewart says that when herexecutivesclose a deal, she"

Martha Stewart was, for somemysterious reason, Thuy's business idol. I really didn't care if thewoman'sphilosophy of congratulations was a Good Thing or not. "You left themwithKurt?"

"Sure. I suggested he mightstash them with the mysterious gentleman in 440 so you could pick themup whenyou got home. Clever, right?" Kurt, my building's doorman, would haveallowed the Manson family to move into my apartment for a two-dollarbribe."I'll want all the details tomorrow, naturally."

"Mmmm." There was one FTDbouquet I'd never pick-me-up. No worries, though. I was still on top oftheworld. Or, if you want to get technical about it, forty-four storiesup,leaning back in the chair at the head of the long conference table, thekittenheels of my Ferragamos resting on the solid cherry table as I gazed outon thetwinkling lights of the nighttime skyline. Our decorators hadpainted on theroom's walls great quotations appropriate for the advertising world,presumablyto buck us up when inspiration flagged.