But Vanessa shook her head again. “No, not for you,” she said. “Look, I know anything I say about your health and how you’re running yourself into the ground working here and driving DAC every night, though totally valid arguments, won’t work. So I’m not going down that route. Forget that. You need to take the night off for me.”

“For you.”

“Yup. We’re going to a party.” She drew out the last word and leaned forward, shimmying a little as she said this.

I heard a chuckle and turned to see the guy eating eggs looking over at us. I reached over to grab the pitcher of cold water and poured some on top of the tea bag in my mug.

“A party?” I asked. “You mean like those sixteen-year-olds I spend my nights dropping off?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’d ask somebody else, someone who won’t take as much convincing as you’re going to, but then I remember that my only other friend is my teenage daughter, and she doesn’t need to see what I’m about to shell out tonight.”

I almost choked on my water. “I’m not sure I need to either.”

She grinned. “Oh, yes you do.”

“I don’t.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” a voice behind me said, and we both turned to see Eggs staring at us with a smile on his face.

“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Vanessa said without missing a beat before turning her attention back to me. “Anyway, come on! Like I said, do it for me.”

I sighed. “I don’t know,” I said. “We really need the money.”

“I know you do, but one night off from driving DAC isn’t going to make or break the bank,” she said, leaning forward. “Come on, Paula. It’s at that new restaurant, Agave. Tim—met him online, don’t ask, don’t judge—is hosting it. He said he could put us on ‘the list.’ Doesn’t that sound sexy? I think a night out would be good for you.”

“I thought you weren’t going to pretend this is about me.”

“I wasn’t. Then I started feeling desperate,” Vanessa said, and I smiled. She leaned in. “What’s that? Does that smile mean you’re thinking about it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t—”

“Look, you need to go out. We both do. We’re going.”

“Ness—”

But she picked up the water pitcher and hopped off the stool. “Everyone,” she said, turning to face the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but this here is my good friend Paula, and she’s going through a pretty tough time right now. So we’re going out. I’m going to meet cute guys, and she’s going to get drunk. We haven’t been out in over a year. Don’t you think we deserve it?”