She had no idea how she was supposed to enjoy the party now, much less try to network. But she had to try. She needed to be somebody else for an evening, not the current wreck of herself, before she returned to learn she’d been fired and would never come within sight of Vivian Carlisle again.

Simon had said that she was good at recognizing opportunities. He didn’t know she was even better at fucking them up. Well. He’d find out the truth soon enough.

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The Blind Spot Bar was perfect for the intimate yet glitzy bash that Prabal Gurung was throwing. The lighting was low, the furnishings were elegant, and the bar at the end of the room glowed golden with the promise of alcohol. Small tables were grouped throughout the room so that guests could sit and chat cozily with each other, but there was still plenty of space to maneuver back and forth.

Yeah, it was nice. Maybe Jules could camp out here until morning, when she’d have to call her parents and beg them to buy her a coach-class ticket home.

Until then, she had to get it together. There were important people here, more important people than she’d ever met before without Vivian’s help. And since she would never have her help again—

Because she’d just hurled herself right out of Vivian’s life—

She might as well make the most of it.

Monique Leung’s assistant was nowhere in sight, but the crowd was still building. It was pretty unfashionable of her to have arrived right on time. She should have stopped somewhere else for a drink first.

Time to remedy that, then. She headed straight for the bar and started to open her clutch. “Hi. Just keep a tab running.”

He held up his hand. “Open bar tonight, miss.”

Finally, something nice. Jules rested her elbows on the polished wood bar with an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Open bar?” she said. “They ought to call this the Bright Spot.”

“Never heard that one before,” he said with a straight face. “Long week?”

“The longest.”

“Seems like. What can I get for you?”

Jules shouldn’t order an old fashioned, which was suddenly the only thing she wanted to drink. “I’ll just have a gin and tonic, please.”

“One G&T, coming right up.” He picked up a bottle of Tanqueray, and Jules watched him mix the drink as if it were the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. Then she took it like it was the holy grail. Delicious.

When she finished the drink, she said, “I mouthed off to my boss tonight.”

“Did you?”