The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Part 3, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

New York City. March 15, 2014. Addie thought she’d long since made peace with time. But the hours between Thursday and 5:00 on Saturday, when she will next see Henry, seem to drag on and on. As she waits, she realizes how nervous she is. This is alien to her, since nervousness is for people with futures, and “all she’s had are presents.”

Addie finally arrives at The Last Word. Henry smiles when he sees Addie and introduces her to Bea. Bea says “déjà vu,” remarking on how familiar Addie seems. Then Bea observes that Addie looks very Baroque or Neoclassical. Bea is an art post-grad, Henry explains, and she thinks that every face belongs to a different era. Henry’s face is romantic, but Addie’s is oddly “timeless.” Then Henry and Addie leave for their date.

Addie asks Henry where they’re going. Henry says it’s a surprise. They take the train to what looks like a laundromat, and Henry explains that it’s actually a speakeasy. Addie is worried, remembering the darkened room she visited a century ago in Chicago, where “the darkness” danced with her. She holds her breath as Henry opens a door at the back of the laundromat. But the place they enter is hardly a speakeasy; it’s just a room with neon lights, arcade games, and a wooden bar. Addie exhales, relieved. Henry procures a bag of coins for the arcade games.