“Not a one.” Jules didn’t pretend to sound disappointed. After the year-round whirl, she couldn’t think of anything more heavenly than sitting on her sofa in sweatpants, watching the ball drop down in Times Square on TV. “What about you? You and Shelley having a night out?”

“Actually, Shelley and I broke up last week.”

“Oh no!” Breaking up was shitty. Breaking up before the holidays seemed even worse. “I’m sorry, Ben.”

“Yeah, well, it was the same old thing. Long hours, she never saw me. You know.”

“Do I ever.” Jules could just imagine Aaron’s smirk right now.

“Yeah,” he said, then added casually, “so I’ve been thinking, maybe if you’re not doing anything—”

At that moment, Vivian rapped sharply on the window of her car door. The two of them jumped. Ben hopped immediately back into the driver’s seat while Jules opened the door, took the pizza box from Vivian’s hands (she’d eaten half the slices), and tossed it in the nearest trash can.

“We’re late.” Vivian glowered at the back of Ben’s head like it was his fault. Her face was a little flushed, though, and her eyes actually seemed to glow with satisfaction.

Jules had seen herself looking like that a couple of times in the mirror. Usually after she’d just had good sex.

She looked out the window before Vivian could catch her staring. Well, heck, if Vivian could get some postcoital bliss from eating a pizza once in a while, good for her. It’d be good for everybody else around her too.

But the memory of Vivian’s glow and the huskiness of her voice bothered Jules all day. For some damn reason.

* * *

Jules had the sinking feeling that Ben had been leading up to asking her out before Vivian interrupted him. That didn’t have to be a bad thing. He was nice and not much older than she was. Thirty or thereabouts. He’d never be able to complain about her long hours. And she had a feeling he’d actually be a lot of fun to hang out with outside of work.

But dipping into company ink was a bad idea. Honestly, he ought to know that, and she was kind of pissed he’d put her into the position of having to turn him down—if he had asked her.

Which he hadn’t. And might not. So she ought to get over herself, all things considered.

Besides, after her breakup with Aaron, she wasn’t really feeling men. It might not hurt to explore the other side of the fence again. It had been a while since she had enjoyed what a woman had to offer. Why not now?

Because she was too busy to breathe, that’s why not.