AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN

by Beane, Douglas Carter

Evan Wyler has just finished a photo session with his shirt off. No, he’s not a supermodel; he’s a twenty-something New York writer savoring the success of his debut novel. Defined by the media as the “hot-young” thing-of-the-moment, Evan captures the attention of Alexa Vere de Vere, a black-clad woman of mystery who’s made the world of celebrity her home. In fact, it’s her religion. Maybe she’s a record producer, maybe she’s a film agent; what is clear is that she wants Evan to write the screenplay of her life story. Just spend time with me, she says, and you’ll learn all you need to know. To Evan, who is gay, it’s like an invitation into the world of Auntie Mame, Sally Bowles and Holly Golightly all rolled into one. But once Evan fools himself into believing he loves Alexa, she vanishes, leaving him to foot the bill for all the dinners and Armani suits they’ve gone through. Trying to find Alexa, Evan discovers a chain of people who have fallen under her spell and acted as her meal ticket. For Alexa has no money, no job, no life of her own—only the one she’s created for herself. As Alexa puts it: “You’re not the person you were born—who wonderful is?”