She paced the room before deciding to use the time to get dressed for her night with Ryan. She tied the belt of the black dress she’d purchased the other day.

Stylize.

But also strategize. Because the faux-wrap dress was professional. More so with the blazer she’d bought to pair with it. Yet when she slipped her arms through and looked in the mirror all she thought was total frump—like something her mom would wear. Lucy chose her cropped leather jacket instead and, in case they went walking after, her second-highest heels.

She then opened her jewelry case. Her fingers hovered over her Star of David necklace but landed on a strand of black beads that she thought would make her look older than she was. She hooked them around her neck just as Maddie and Delia entered the room together.

“Formal celebration, is it then?” Maddie said.

Delia unexpectedly tackle-hugged Lucy, and though Maddie hung back, the same excitement shined in her eyes. “We’re going out?” Delia said. “Yes, let’s go out! But, maybe, can I borrow something?”

“Of course,” Lucy said, squeezing Delia’s hand. “Anything you want.”

Delia’s wide smile ignited a deep guilt at what Lucy had to say next. Though this was going to be good—great—for all of them.

“You two go, and I’ll catch you maybe for dessert.” That tightness again spread across Lucy’s chest as she watched not just Delia’s smile fade but the light dull in Maddie’s eyes. “I wanted to wait until Lit was a success—which, of course we knew it would be.” She grinned, but neither of her teammates did. “Right, but, turns out, I’m having dinner with Ryan tonight.”

“Like a date?” Delia said.

“No, furthest from. He asked me because . . .” She took a deep breath and gushed, “He wants to take it to market. Lit. Funding, scaling, everything. And that was before we killed it in the beta test.”

Delia’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah, really?” Maddie said. “Because doesn’t that go against the spirit of ValleyStart?”

“ValleyStart is an incubator,” Lucy said. “Can’t help it if we’re ready to hatch.”

“We’re supposed to be learning, working hard, and making real connections,” Maddie said. “Like I did with my own business. Like Nishi did. This . . . things don’t come this easily.”

“Easily?” Delia said with uncharacteristic irritation in her voice. “This isn’t easy, Maddie, none of it. We’ve all worked hard. We deserve this.” She faced Lucy. “We should come, shouldn’t we? We can help. That way you don’t have to do this all by yourself.”

Contrary to what she would have expected, the idea of not going alone set Lucy at ease. Delia could field the technical questions, and Maddie . . . Lucy thought back on every negative thing Maddie had said about Ryan and about Pulse. She could ruin the deal.