Just as Wednesday afternoons were their standing weekly lunch date, Friday nights were their weekly girls’ night in. Dick pics aside, Saturdays were for dates, but Fridays were reserved for the three of them and the three Cs: carbs, cocktails, and comedies. They’d eat and drink and watch rom-coms, a tradition begun back when they were all sharing an apartment together, just starting out as grown-ups in the big city.

Well, almost grown-ups. The apartment was an off-campus place that Andie’s parents owned. The three of them had moved in when they were juniors. Now, several years later, the only one still living there was Andie. Kat had left first, taking the condo above the posh flower shop she managed. Julia had moved out a few months after scoring the TrendList job, to a matchbook-size loft space downtown. It was tiny but boasted a great view. And was super close to her office.

A perk that wouldn’t matter anymore if she didn’t come up with an amazing pitch.

Back burner, Julia reminded herself as she unlocked the door. Fun now, worry later.

“Hey,” she called out, dumping her purse on the couch.

“Hey.” Kat didn’t look up from her spot behind the island. Since they both still had keys, Julia wasn’t surprised to see Kat at home in the kitchen, cutting triangles of pita bread and spreading them on a plate around a bowl of hummus.

Julia washed her hands in the sink, then reached for a piece of pita and moaned, “Ooh, it’s warm.”

“I know. I just toasted it.” Kat shooed her away from the hummus. “Wait for Andie.”

“Where is she?”

“At the store, grabbing some fancy liquor for this new cocktail recipe she wants to try.”

Julia made a face. A wannabe mixologist, Andie’s creations were hit or miss. She checked the fridge, relieved to see a bottle of white wine chilling. If the latest experiment ended up being a miss, at least they had backup booze.

Kat opened a bag of pretzels and dumped them into a bowl. “What are we watching tonight?”

Swiping a handful of pretzels before Kat could stop her, Julia popped a few in her mouth and walked over to the entertainment center. Grabbing the remote, she clicked to access the streaming service and scrolled until the movie she wanted appeared on the screen.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary, huh? Going with a classic?”

“I was in the mood for it.” Julia polished off the rest of the pretzels in her fist.

“I’m always in the mood for that one.” Kat winked, tossing her honey blond braid over her shoulder.

“You’re always in the mood for Colin Firth,” Julia corrected, tugging on Kat’s braid as she walked by.

“Facts,” Kat agreed, flopping onto the couch.

“The man has serious BDE.”

“Who, Firth?” Julia asked as she inched back toward the kitchen island.