A couple of weeks ago, Julia had tentatively offered to set her up with a friend of Nathan’s so that she wouldn’t have to attend the Christmas party alone, but Tessa had gently but adamantly refused.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m just not ready to start dating yet,” she’d admitted.

Julia had nodded. “I get it. When Nathan was still with his ex, I knew I should have forced myself to get out there and meet other guys, but I just didn’t have the heart. Besides,” she had added with a wink, “the few remaining single friends Nathan has are just about the biggest guy sluts I’ve ever met. And, my God, can those guys drink! You’d probably never speak to me again if I set you up with one of them.”

During the cab ride, Tessa gave Julia’s hand an impulsive little squeeze. At her friend’s inquiring gaze, Tessa told her, “Thank you. For all of this. Helping me get ready, encouraging me to go, sharing the cab.”

“It’s nothing,” assured Julia. “I had fun getting you all girly. I hardly ever get to do stuff like that to my other friends. You’ve just met Angela – the last thing on her mind these days is making herself look pretty. And my sister – let’s just say it takes a lot of arm twisting to convince her to dress up. I don’t really have any other close girlfriends – just the people I work with and now the wives and girlfriends of Nathan’s buddies. And you, of course.”

Tessa felt immensely pleased that Julia included her on the surprisingly short list of her friends. Julia was so beautiful, smart and accomplished that Tessa was more than a little in awe of her – and almost pathetically grateful for her friendship.

“You’re sure you won’t change your mind about the holidays?” asked Julia in concern. “I feel awful about you being alone on Christmas. It just isn’t right, you know?”

“I’m sure,” Tessa assured her gently. “But thank you again for thinking of me. And I’ll be fine. I’ve already got a stack of movies to watch, and plan to eat a ton of junk food. And those mimosas were so good at brunch that I might just make myself a pitcher on Christmas morning.”

Julia grinned in delight. “That’s the spirit! And I’ll make sure to give you a huge plate of homemade cookies. Nathan offered to help me bake tomorrow, but I have a feeling most of that so-called help will involve taste testing and not much else.”

When the cab pulled up to the grand porte-cochere of the hotel, Tessa tried to hand Julia some cash for her share of the fare only to have it firmly refused.

“No. I told you this was my treat. God, when you mentioned you were going to take the bus or the metro here tonight I thought I’d faint.” Julia shook her head. “And you’d better take a taxi home, too. Are you okay for that?”

Tessa understood that Julia was really asking if she had enough money, and nodded, trying to conceal her embarrassment. “Yes, thanks. Especially since you won’t let me pay half of this fare.”

Julia smirked. “I have a rich boss. Who also happens to be my rich boyfriend. I can afford a twenty dollar cab fare. Besides, it’s something like the third – or is it the fourth – night of Hanukkah, so consider this a little gift.”

Tessa laughed. “But neither of us is Jewish.”

“Doesn’t matter. Now, you go have yourself a fabulous time, all right? I wish I was going with you instead of to this overgrown frat boy party of Nathan’s.”

As Tessa walked inside the hotel, she wished Julia was accompanying her, too. She felt awkward and uneasy attending this fancy party alone, especially when all of her co-workers were bringing a date or their spouse. There would be very few people in attendance tonight who were here by themselves, and she fought off the feeling of being a pathetic wallflower.

‘It’s not like it’s a high school dance, silly,’ she chastised herself. ‘Nobody’s going to be gossiping about what a loser you are during first period English class on Monday.’

But as she checked her well-worn raincoat at the coat check just outside of the enormous ballroom, Tessa couldn’t help feeling once again like the new girl in school – the outsider who had no friends, who was too shy to speak to anyone, who was always alone and lonely. Some things, she thought sadly, never seemed to change.

Fortunately, some of her unease began to fade as she spotted Kevin and Shelby nearby with their respective companions. It was very obvious from all of the disparaging, almost insulting comments that Kevin frequently made about his current lover Terence that he was merely using him for his money. But for tonight at least Kevin preened over the older man, touching his arm, and laughing at whatever he said.

Shelby, who was wearing a skintight pink bandage dress that clashed oddly with her strawberry blonde hair, was already doing her chirpy bird laugh when Tessa reached her side. Tessa had met Shelby’s date – a slightly overweight, prematurely balding young man named Grant – when he’d taken Shelby out to lunch a couple of weeks ago. Tessa chose to ignore how Grant’s close-set eyes lingered a little too long on her boobs as he greeted her this evening.

“Sweetie pie, you look a-maz-ing!” exclaimed Kevin. “Wow! If there was any woman in the world who might have a shot at turning me straight, it would definitely be you!”

Tessa couldn’t help laughing in delight at his praise, and let him envelop her in a hug, not even caring that his new cologne was even more pungent than his old one.

“Thanks,” she answered demurely. “Um, a friend of mine helped me get ready.”

She intentionally didn’t mention Julia’s name, fairly certain that no one at the office would mind her friendship with the interior designer, but thought it prudent not to advertise the news, either.

“Well, she did a fabulous job on you, sugar, just fabulous,” gushed Kevin. “Now, aren’t you glad we all talked you into coming tonight? Much better than sitting home all by your lonesome.”

After learning about her breakup with Peter, the whole group had ganged up on her until she’d reluctantly agreed to attend the office Christmas party. And even though the round tables were really only set for ten, they were squeezing in an extra chair so that Tessa could sit with everyone else.

It had touched Tessa to have the support of her team, who had acted like real friends to her, helping to lift her spirits and give her encouragement. And, so far as she knew, they had kept the news of her impending divorce to themselves as she’d requested. At least, no one else in the office had said a word to her about it.