Josie O'Leary, twenty-eight years old, beautiful and Pilates-toned, intends to assume her rightful place in the Hollywood pantheon, as president of a major movie studio. She plots her ascent with a commando's ruthlessness, and nothing—not an inconvenient husband, her bitchy boss, or even her complete ignorance of how movies are actually made—will stop her. When Josie stumbles across a can't-miss screenplay she recognizes it as her big chance to became a producer. Not a working-with-writers producer, or a dealing-with-boring-details producer, but an above-the-credits, seven-figure-fee producer. Someone who makes heads turn at the Ivy, who can get a call through to anyone instantly, who reads about her own life in Variety and Vanity Fair. Neurotic New Yorker Carla Trousse moves to L.A. after everything in her life (including her living room ceiling) collapses around her. Overeducated and underemployed, Carla has no idea what to do next; she suspects she has only one real talent, for criticizing. Fortunately, that gift comes in handy at her new job as a script reader, or development girl. She's the oldest "D-girl" in her office at the absolute bottom of the movie-industry food chain, yet for the first time in years, she feels a glimmer of optimism. When Josie's script attracts the attention of Henry Antonelli, a legendary leading man and Hollywood powerhouse, a startling revelation results in an uneasy alliance between Josie and Carla. Mutual loathing turns to grudging respect, then real friendship, as the two women discover the limits of ambition and the boundless rewards of human connection. The Difference Between You and Me is a modern-day comedy of manners, an insider's take on Hollywood protocol and prestige. With her sly yet generous wit, DeMarco illuminates everyday annoyances and disasters that every woman will recognize—office-backstabbing, why-won't-he-call frustrations, and the unsettling vacuum that can open up in the middle of the busiest life.