Oh God, she’d quit! Really quit!

Three days had passed, but each time she thought about it, the news felt brand-new—and just as horrible. She had a little money saved—she could pay the rent this month and next, and her car payment—but she needed another job fast.

Now, she sat in a park not far from the Blue Night offices—Kelly was picking up sandwiches and meeting her there for lunch. While she waited, she cautiously reopened her old book, You Don’t Need a Man to Be Happy.

Because it was high time she convinced herself of that, once and for all. Damon, of course, had put a big dent in that belief, but at the same time, after Damon, she couldn’t imagine finding another man who could really make her happy. He’d taken her places she’d never gone before and would likely never go again without him—and any normal guy just wouldn’t compare.

Scanning the area around the park bench, she found she was alone, so figured it was safe to start her affirmations. “I don’t need a man, I don’t need a man, I don’t need a man.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ, not that again.”

She looked up to find Kelly—today in a striking suit of dark fuchsia that only she could pull off. She handed Brenna a large Styrofoam container, which she presumed held her lunch.

“Well, I’ll tell you what you do need,” Kelly said, taking a seat next to her, her own white container perched in her lap. “You need a vacation.”

Brenna simply sighed. “I just took one. Remember? Sin City? Lots of sex? Broken heart? Ring any bells?”

Kelly shrugged. “That was work. Kind of.”

“Speaking of which, that was also paid for by Blue Night. And girls without jobs have no business taking vacations.”

“Maybe not, but you’re in a funk, and I intend to get you out of it. And if you ask me, you need a little hair of the dog that bit you.”

Brenna just blinked. “What?”

“Let’s go to Vegas. Just for the weekend. I’ll drive, and I’ll even spring for the room.”

“Vegas? You want me to go to Vegas? After what just happened to me there? Are you crazy?”

“That’s the hair of the dog part, dummy. You need to go back to Vegas, have a good time, and quit associating it with him. Otherwise, the place will be ruined for you forever, and Vegas is far too fun and far too nearby to mark off your list of weekend getaway destinations.”

Brenna shook her head. “No.”

“I insist.”

“The last time you insisted upon something, I ended up with a tattered heart.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “I told you to fuck him, not fall for him. Big difference, girlfriend.” She opened her sandwich box and popped the top on the soda can she’d tucked inside with the food. “Now I’m not taking no for an answer. We’re going to Vegas for a girls’ weekend. I’m picking you up at five thirty on Friday.”