Vivian, who hadn’t become one iota less stunning in the last three minutes, held out a hand to her. Shiny things dangled from her fingertips: two earrings. They were made of hammered gold and shaped like leaves. “Wear these,” Vivian said. “They’ll complement your hairstyle.”

“Thanks, Vivian.” Jules reached out with miraculously steady hands to take them. They’d look perfect with her outfit.

Vivian looked at Jules’s shoes and moved upward until they were locking eyes. Jesus. Her eyes were so blue. Jules prayed not to pass out.

“Not bad,” Vivian said neutrally.

Really? At least Jules had been too stunned to feel self-conscious during the inspection. “Thanks,” she said again like an idiot.

Vivian hummed in response, then led the way to the hall closet while Jules concentrated on walking. Had her Jacquemus heels grown by a couple of inches? She hadn’t tottered this much in them before.

Vivian pulled out a fur wrap and an embroidered shawl from the closet. “Now,” she said in the tone of one giving a test, “which should I wear?”

Jules thought about it. “The shawl.”

Vivian looked displeased. “I would have said the fur.”

“I know.”

Vivian blinked.

“Challenge everyone?” Jules dared to add. Well, once you realized you were dying to have sex with Vivian Carlisle, nothing else could scare you anymore.

Vivian rolled her eyes, but she put the fur back and donned the shawl. Then she reached into the closet, removed Jules’s coat from a hanger, and tossed it at her. “Well?”

Jules snapped back into reality. Right. She could get through this. It was just one night, and there was no need to freak out about anything until she was safely in bed and had a few seconds to think.

Tonight was going to be utterly, completely, totally fine.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

No, it was pretty much the worst night of Jules’s life.

Worse than the time she’d caught her junior high boyfriend making out with her best friend at a school dance. Worse than the time her dad had discovered her sneaking back home smelling of beer at twelve thirty on a school night. Worse than the communications honors thesis competition at Penn when she’d come in second to a frat bro with questionable opinions about everything. Worse than all that.

Sitting next to Vivian in the car was awful, for starters. Jules had to pay attention, or pretend to, while Vivian talked about the candidates Simon had put forward to replace Lucia and how almost all of them were completely unsuitable and the rest were mostly unsuitable.