A few hours after meeting Addie, the bookseller Henry Strauss attends his friend Robbie’s off-off-Broadway play with his other friend Bea. Henry and Robbie dated in college, but now they are friends. Henry bought the tickets months ago, so there is an empty seat next to him where his ex-girlfriend Tabitha would have sat.

At an after-party, an actress stops Henry and kisses him. He asks her if she is sure this is what she wants: “He wants the truth—but there is no truth for him, not anymore” (97). The woman says yes, and the two escape into an empty bedroom.

That same evening, Addie arrives at the actor’s apartment, only to find that he is back from his shoot. Addie walks to the East Village and arrives at the apartment building where a woman named Sam lives. Like Toby, Sam has spent many nights with Addie but never remembers her in the morning.

Addie climbs the stairs to enjoy the relative peace and quiet of the rooftop. A few moments later, Sam and three of her friends burst onto the roof. Sam catches her glance and smiles, and the two share a friendly conversation that they’ve had on at least three other occasions.