My residency took up most of my time, and even if I wasn’t so busy, my desire for a long-term girlfriend hovered somewhere south of zero. I wasn’t made for the commitment game. I always got bored after a few weeks, and the whole couple thing sounded exhausting. Constant dates, phone calls, checking in with the other person…
I shuddered at the thought.
Good for the people who were happy and in love, but I wasn’t one of them and I never would be.
“I’m talking about Alex.” Jules received her drink from the bartender with a flirty smile before turning back to me. “I remember when you two were practically joined at the hip.”
A stone fist squeezed my chest, but I kept my tone light. “Didn’t realize you were so interested in my personal life, JR.”
“I’m not, unless it happens to affect my personal quality of life.” Jules took a delicate sip of her cocktail. “And since we’re all going on an overnight trip together, this stupid grudge you hold against Alex directly impacts me and Ava.”
I tightened my grip around my glass and imagined it was Jules’s throat. “Stupid?” A sharp edge bled through and colored the word with venom. “Stupid is a fight over which movie to watch. Stupid describes whatever poor schmuck ends up marrying you. But I assure you, it does not apply to what happened with Alex. Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.”
Jules didn’t back down from my glare. “I may not have been personally involved in your…situation,” she said with more tact than I thought her capable of. “But I am best friends with Ava. I know what happened, and it happened almost two years ago. She’s forgiven Alex. He’s apologized. It’s time to grow up and move on.”
For once, I didn’t detect any snark, just straightforward advice, but that didn’t stop my muscles from bunching with tension. “Easy for you to say.” God, I needed another drink. “Come back to me when you’ve been betrayed by someone close to you.”
Something dark flickered in Jules’s eyes. “How do you know I haven’t already?”
I stilled.
How do you know I haven’t already?
I didn’t know much about Jules’s past. Hell, I didn’t know much about her at all beyond what she showed people—the brash attitude, the brazen flirtatiousness, the strange mix of ruthless ambition and reckless partying.
But I did know that one sentence she’d just uttered rang truer than anything else I’d heard in years.
My gaze locked onto Jules, whose wide eyes and slightly parted lips revealed her surprise at the words that’d just left her mouth.
I swallowed the urge to ask her what happened while the air between us thickened with…not camaraderie, exactly, but a hint of understanding that eased some of the pressure in my chest.
We didn’t have the type of relationship where we discussed our problems with each other. Even if we did, I doubted Jules would answer my question. It wasn’t in her nature to display vulnerability.
She straightened, a shutter falling over her face and erasing all traces of her previous softness. “Whether you forgive Alex or not is up to you. Just don’t ruin everyone else’s fun with your sulking…though your mere presence may be enough to achieve that goal.”
With that, she swanned off, her hips swaying and her head held high.
A low growl rose in my throat before I caught myself. There was no use wasting energy fuming over her. I needed to save every ounce for ensuring I didn’t kill her in Vermont. As satisfying as it would be, I wasn’t throwing away my future for a moment of extreme satisfaction.
I shifted my attention back to the bartender, eager to order another shot, only to find him staring at a certain spot on the dance floor with a besotted expression.
No, not spot. Person.
Jules raised her arms over her head and rolled her hips to the music in a way that had every man around her drooling. She looked over her shoulder and winked at the bartender before shooting me a smug stare.
I did the most mature thing I could think of: I flipped her off.
She laughed, her expression growing smugger, before she turned her back on me.
“She’s so hot.” The bartender’s eyes glinted in a way that sharpened my already raised hackles. “Please tell me she’s single.”
I masked my irritation with a tight smile. “You know what a succubus is?”
He scratched his chin. The group from earlier had rejoined the party, leaving just us at the bar. “Are those the little plants? My sister loves those things. Got a whole windowsill full of ‘em.”
“No, man. Those are succulents.” I lowered my voice. “A succubus is a demon that appears in the form of a beautiful woman to seduce men and suck the life force out of them. They’re supposed to be mythical, but…” I gestured in Jules’s direction. “She’s a real-life succubus. Don’t fall for her trap. There’s a vicious demon lurking beneath that pretty face.”
It was impossible for an actual human being to have hair that red, eyes that fierce, and curves that lush. Supernatural hijinks were the only thing that made sense.
“Oh.” The bartender’s eyes widened. “Does that mean she’ll sleep with me?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“You’ll have to ask her.” I leaned closer like I was telling him a secret. “Here’s a tip. She loves when people compare her to Jessica Rabbit. Tell her how much you’ve always wanted to bang a real-life JR and you’re in. Bonus points if you call her JR. It’s her favorite nickname.”
He frowned. “Really?”
“Trust me.” I rubbed a hand over my mouth to hide my shit-eating grin. This was like taking candy from a baby. “I’ve known her for years. The comparison really gets her going.”
“Sweet.” The bartender’s skeptical expression cleared, replaced with a delighted smile. “Thanks, man.” He clapped me on the shoulder and poured me another shot. “On the house.”
It was a free open bar so all the drinks were technically on the house, but I didn’t point that out. Instead, I lifted my glass in thanks and grinned harder when I pictured Jules’s reaction to being called JR by the bartender.
She was so predictable. She might as well mark all the buttons I could push with giant, glowing X’s.
And yet…
How do you know I haven’t already?
My glass paused at my lips for a fraction of a second before I shook my head and welcomed the fiery burn of tequila down my throat.
Still, her words echoed in my mind and drove me crazy with their ambiguity.
Who could’ve betrayed Jules? She’d never had a big fallout with Ava, Bridget, or Stella, nor had she had a real boyfriend in the years I’ve known her. Our aversion to committed relationships was one of the few things we had in common.
Was it a high school boyfriend who broke her heart? A family member who fucked her over?
My eyes drifted to the dance floor again. Jules was still dancing with abandon to a remix of the latest pop hit. Ava said something to her, and she threw her head back, her throaty laugh carrying over the music.
Sparkling dress. Sparkling eyes. Looking for all the world like any beautiful, carefree girl with the world at her feet.
How do you know I haven’t already?
I wondered what secrets Jules was hiding beneath that party girl exterior.
And, more importantly, I wondered why I cared.
7
JULES
Ava’s birthdaymarked a reversal in fortune, because after several shitty weeks, everything ran smoothly again. A more superstitious person might have said too smoothly, but I never looked a gift horse in the mouth. I was going to milk every second of perfect weather, professor’s praises, and random good luck while they lasted.
Case in point: my apartment search, which might finally yield results thanks to Rhys.
The weekend after Ava’s party, I found myself in the lobby of The Mirage, the luxury apartment building Rhys’s friend owned. Rhys had secured a coveted showing for me and Stella, and I’d arrived early not only because I was paranoid about running late—D.C.’s metro was notoriously unreliable—but also because I needed a quiet spot to take my interview with the Legal Health Alliance Clinic (LHAC).
Although I’d received a job offer from Silver & Klein last summer, I couldn’t join as a practicing attorney until I passed the bar exam. Most firms allowed graduates to join before results were out, but not Silver & Klein.
I needed a short-term job to tide me over between graduation and the release of the results in October. The temporary research associate position at LHAC, a medical-legal partnership where doctors and lawyers worked together to provide care to underserved communities, was perfect.
“That’s all the questions I have today,” I said after Lisa, the clinic’s legal director, finished describing what a typical workday looked like. I sank deeper into the lobby’s velvet couch, glad no one else was around except for the receptionist. I didn’t want to be one of those people who took obnoxious business calls in public. Unfortunately, I had nowhere else to take the interview without risking missing the showing. “Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.”
“Of course,” Lisa said, her voice warm. “I’ll be honest since you’re the last candidate we’re interviewing. You’re the best candidate I’ve spoken to. Great work experience, great grades, and I think you’ll fit in wonderfully with the rest of the staff.” She hesitated for two beats before adding, “I don’t usually do this right after an interview, but I’d like to extend an unofficial offer for you to join the clinic. I’m happy to send an official email later, and you can think it—”
“I accept!” My cheeks flushed at my eagerness, but fuck it. Getting the job would be a huge burden off my shoulders. I could stop the job search and focus on bar prep, which was going to take up all my free time.
Lisa laughed. “Great! Any chance you can start Monday? Eight a.m.?”
“Absolutely.” I’d stacked my classes so they were all on Tuesday and Thursday, and I had the rest of the week free.
“Perfect. I’ll send an email with details later. I look forward to working with you, Jules.”
“I look forward to working with you too.” I hung up with a grin. It was all I could do not to break out into a little dance in the middle of the lobby.