“Not that long. Probably a few weeks, maybe? You’re on location for another month anyway, and you know how lonely I get.”

Brett handed me his empty bowl, curled up in the afghan, and nestled his head on my lap. I stroked his hair and fought against the stirrings in my pelvic region.

“Think you could order us some?” he mumbled into my crotch.

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“Oyster crackers.”

“Please, Brett, this is important.”

He sat up with a groan and leaned back against the pillows. “Okay but, what about privacy?” He coughed several times then hacked into a tissue. “What if she hears or sees something and sells it to the tabloids?”

“Oh my God, Brett, how could you think…” I forced myself to remain calm. It was important that this didn’t turn into a fight. “Look, I realize that she is a stranger to you, but Nicole would never. She’s like a sister to me.”

“You’re sure you can trust her?”

“I would stake my life on it.”

Brett put the back of his hand to his forehead for a moment, then shook his wrist as if he were shaking down a thermometer. “Can you bring me some Tylenol?”

I stalked off to the bathroom, returning with Tylenol, cough syrup, a handful of other medications, and a glass of water.

“Anything else?” I tried to sound patient, but Brett’s baby act was wearing thin.

He swallowed the pills, took both my hands in his, and kissed them. “Thank you for being the world’s best girlfriend,” he said.

“You’re welcome, but—”

“Look, Jackie, if you think it’s okay, then it’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Just keep her out of my new gym.”

“Hey! How did you know?” I slapped his butt playfully.

“They put a hold on my credit card after you charged twenty thousand dollars for exercise equipment. I knew it wasn’t for you.”

The reappearance of my best friend was a gift from above. Just as I was running out of rooms to decorate, here was Nicole, all run down and ready for renovation.

Penny’s receptionist gave me a form for a job résumé.

“I’m pathetic,” Nicole said. “I’m twenty-eight years old and I have no skills.”

We sat by the pool in our pajamas having breakfast. Brett had flown back to Arizona and Nicole was all moved into our downstairs guest room.

“You’re not pathetic,” I chided, stirring my Bloody Mary with an oversized stalk of celery. “You sure you don’t want a drink?”

“It’s a little early, Jax, even by my standards.”

“Make stuff up. Everyone lies on their résumé. Mine says I can horseback ride and speak Spanish. We could say that you’ve been my assistant. That’s not entirely untrue, you know.”

“Yeah, then someone’s going to want me to use a computer.”

“Well, maybe you should go back to school.”