Q.A senior colleague, on discovering that I’m a friend of someone who has become quite famous, engaged with me warmly for the first time. In their youth, she alleged, she and the ‘celebrity’ had been great friends — could I arrange a reunion? My celebrity friend drew a blank, even when I supplied a photograph and CV of my colleague. Although the celebrity is a kind woman, she’s also super busy and I don’t feel I can lean on her to have a reunion with someone she may never have met. I don’t want to insult my colleague by suggesting she must be mistaken. What should I do?
— Name and address withheld
A. Let’s say the colleague’s name is Jane Smith and the celebrity’s Liz Black. Tell Jane you’ve mentioned her name to Liz (don’t mention the CV and photograph) and that Liz was thrilled but asked which Jane Smith it was? Coincidentally she knew two.
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