Brooklyn
Monday, February 18,1985

Dear Andy, It's 2:30 a.m. so I guess it's really Tuesday. This is the third version of this letter and it is to be read very quickly.

Look, I know that you really don't know me from Adam. But if you think this was easy for me to ask, then you're crazy. But you wouldn't really know, would you? See, I don't usually write so much to someone I've only met once, so I had this idea. You are free to say no. It won't kill me. Uh... here goes...

Well, see... if I invited you to, next week, meet me in Florida, where I have to be for a couple of days, but I haven't decided exactly when I'm going, because my grandmother has decided she wants to see her grandchildren "one last time" before she goes, in West Palm Beach and I must say hello to my other set of grand-rents in Fort Lauderdale but my father has agreed to pay for a rental car so I could drive it to the west coast of Florida and, see, I've never been to Florida or anywhere south of Washington, DC, except my mother says I was there when I was a baby but I don't remember, would you come and meet me? And if you would, could you?

I know it's a strange request and a lot to ask but I thought it might be fun. And I thought if you were interested you could call me to make some plans because I have to make arrangements. If the answer is definitely no then don't call, just write like usual. I'll send you a postcard from Florida, which, I looked it up, is just a Gulf away from New Orleans.

If you can't or don't want to come, that's okay. Just thought I'd ask. No harm in asking.

I'd better seal this in an envelope before I lose my nerve and chuck it in the circular file.

Juliet

P.S. And if you don't think this was such a big deal, let me ask you, buddy, when was the last time you asked a stranger to meet you in Florida? Huh??
 

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