That meant Jules would be lucky if her things didn’t end up in Antarctica, but she couldn’t even bring herself to care about that. She managed a smile for Allie as she headed to the closet to fetch her own coat and bag, maybe—probably—for the last time. “Thanks, Allie. I’ll make that list from home. Feel free to give me a call.”

Allie’s chin wobbled. She needed not to start crying in front of Vivian, who looked about five seconds away from taking out her rage on the nearest available object.

Luckily, Allie managed a weak little wave, and Jules headed for the elevators, glad when she didn’t run into anybody who seemed to know what had happened.

Home. She was heading straight home, eating something indulgent, and opening a bottle of wine. Why not? It was her birthday. Might as well celebrate.

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

First step: put on yoga pants and fuzzy socks. Second step: pour the wine. Third step: flop on the couch.

Jules accomplished all three in short order and turned on the TV, determined to revel in the freedom to be ratty and lazy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done this. Vivian was surprisingly decent about letting her have the odd Saturday or Sunday to herself, but she’d broken that policy often enough that Jules was always mentally ready to jump at a moment’s notice and complete the newest errand.

Not today. Nobody was going to ask her to do anything. Jules could lie here in her yoga pants, slightly buzzed and watching Hulu, because she had no job and nothing to do.

She was going to sit around and be miserable for a day. She’d earned that much. She watched TV until noon, got up, realized she had nothing in the fridge, and ordered Thai.

It was one o’clock by the time she finished lunch and decided that a nap was immediately in order because being unconscious was definitely preferable to the alternative right now. She conked out on the couch with a half-empty container of pad thai on the coffee table.

Jules woke to the insistent ringing of her phone, which she’d left in her bag, which she’d left on the kitchen counter. She banged her shin on the coffee table while trying to get to it but had managed to stop cursing by the time she answered.

Vivian.

Her heart began to pound. “Hello?”

“Are you at home?”

“Well, yeah.” Where else would she be?

“Do you have plans tonight?”

Cocktails with Simon were probably off. “Nope.”

“Fine. I’ll stop by after work.”

Jules’s eyes bugged out. She looked at the wreck of her apartment. It had been ages since she’d cleaned. “You’re coming here?”

“Isn’t that what I said?” Vivian sounded irritable.

“How do you know my address?”