Chapter 1
She had asked him not to call here anymore. Her voice had sounded firm, leaving no room for doubt —not even for a second. The decision was final, and these “solid” relationships were not getting a second chance.
As it turned out, an office worker’s favorite day of the week—Friday—didn’t always bring good news. For Julia, everything had gone wrong today. All that was left was to wait for the evening, head to her favorite local bar, and order a Piña Colada or something even stronger.
Her entire family had known for months that Julia worked for one of Phoenix’s most prominent media companies, Banks & Crowe, where she ran her own relationship advice column. It consistently ranked among the publication’s top ten most-read features.
She also wrote surprisingly good daily horoscopes. Their most loyal reader was Julia’s grandmother, Benny—“an old-fashioned fashionista,” as Julia’s grandfather Luke liked to tease. Though no longer young himself, he was still handsome and carried himself with quiet dignity.
“We’ve been together almost fifty years, and you’re still checking the compatibility of Leos and Aries.”
In response, Benny would always smile sweetly and shoot him a look that carried just a hint of danger.
“Darling, if I ever read that these two soulmates aren’t compatible, I’ll eat you alive. Just like fierce wild lions attack innocent little sheep.”
“Okay, okay. I get it.”
They were quite a pair, even in their later years. Younger couples could learn a thing or two from their understanding of one another—and from a relationship as strong and well-aged as a fine glass of whiskey.
Having such a vivid example of love in her life, Julia found it easy to conduct online interviews with men and women about what they wanted in future partners. Together they discussed why people preferred certain qualities and what lay behind their selectiveness. Honestly, Julia didn’t believe some of those expectations could ever lead to a successful relationship. But it was her job. And it paid well—never less than two thousand dollars a month.
After a relationship ends badly—or perhaps “shatters completely” would be more accurate—you start looking suspiciously at everything romantic. Don’t you? Of course, nobody is immune to a broken heart, fried nerves, or the sudden urge to move to the North Pole or disappear into the Alaskan wilderness, but...
You don’t have to sink into depression. Just live your life and enjoy it. Go jogging in the mornings, drink fancy almond milk lattes, buy yourself fresh flowers to brighten your day. Or rent a Porsche and drive through the city at night. Life is full of unexpected turns.
Still, depression only threatened Julia on those rare days when everything seemed to fall apart: her articles felt bland, her latte was unbearably sweet, and the smiling faces of strangers irritated her far more than they should have.
The rest of the time, life seemed to be shouting:
“Julia! Jules…”
“Huh? Oh. Are we still in the office?”
“You actually fell asleep at your desk, sweetheart. Good thing Maddie didn’t see. She left an hour and a half ago.”
“Phew. I don’t know how to thank you, Claire.”
“We editors have to stick together. I mean... stay in the same boat, hmm. Don’t you think? I mean, you and I…”
“Hey, Claire, what kind of terrible pickup line is that? I just woke up. Besides, look at me.”
“You’re charming as always, ma chérie.”
“Run, Claire. Run. And bring me some coffee, or I’m going to use this horribly uncomfortable desk as a pillow again.”
“Okay, darling. I’ll be right back.”
And Claire—mysterious, charismatic, and admittedly rather handsome—disappeared through the glass doors leading into the hallway.
“Julia, what are you thinking?”
She pinched herself to shake off the romantic daydream and returned to writing the horoscope for Taurus. She deliberately took her time, postponing the moment she would have to move on to Gemini—the sign that irritated her more than any other. The sign her “beloved” ex-boyfriend Charlie had been born under.
No sooner had his name crossed her mind than her phone chimed.
You have 1 new message.
And by some cruel twist of fate, it was him. Charlie. Informing her that he had prepared a surprise.
“Aaaah!” Julia groaned.
But the next minute shocked her even more. A courier entered the office carrying a lavish bouquet of lilies.
The very flowers she absolutely adored.
“Miss Julia Blake? A bouquet for you. The sender asked me to let you know there’s a note inside. Have a wonderful day.”
Before she could say a word, the courier was already gone. Her attention landed on a neatly hidden card tucked among the stems. Across it, in unmistakably romantic handwriting, were the words:
For Julia.
The courier disappeared almost immediately. Across the room, a colleague who had witnessed the entire scene winked at her with a sly smile and silently mouthed:
“New admirer?”
At last, Maddie had found an opportunity to satisfy her curiosity.
Julia quickly solved the riddle and mouthed back:
“Nope. Same one.”
She hated it when people took an interest in her personal life—which, by definition, was personal. Boundaries, respect for privacy, the choice to share or not share details with others—those were rights Julia knew by heart and guarded fiercely. So whenever busybodies like Maddie tried crossing into restricted territory, a bright red SOS alarm immediately went off in her head.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of her phone on the desk.
This time it wasn’t Charlie.
She glanced at the screen.
Four missed calls.
Benny.
Judging by the persistence, her grandmother clearly had something important to discuss.
“Yes, Grandma?” Julia answered.
“My goodness, stop calling me Grandma. I’m not that old yet. Just Benny, please remember that.”
Luke’s laughter echoed in the background.
The argument was so familiar to him that he could hardly keep a straight face whenever Benny scolded family members for making her sound older than she wanted to be.
“What happened, Gra—? Benny!”
“That’s better, sweetheart. I’m calling to invite you to Sunday dinner. The weather’s supposed to be beautiful after Saturday’s rain. Sunshine, fresh air... and we can make grilled chicken wings. I still haven’t shown you my yellow roses. They bloomed so beautifully that my neighbor Chloe died of jealousy. Figuratively speaking, of course.”
“Gran— Benny! You know I’m allergic to roses. I can’t stand them.”
“Oh... darling, I forgot. Well then. So, are you coming?”
“Yes. I have absolutely no plans on Sunday. I think... yes, I can definitely spare a few hours in the afternoon or evening. By the way, what time?”
Benny was delighted.
But she also had an important mission.
She wanted Julia to meet the son of her close friend Daisy.
The question had been tormenting her all day. She hesitated.
Then she gathered her courage.
“So... how’s Marley?”
Julia frowned, clearly confused.
“Who? Marley?”
“Well...” Benny hesitated. “What’s his name? That boy. Ah! Marley. Marley...”
“Charlie, maybe?” Julia suggested quietly, rescuing her grandmother from further mental gymnastics.
“That’s it! Charlie!” Benny perked up immediately. “See? I was practically right. So tell me, sweetheart. What’s going on with you two?”
Julia rolled her eyes dramatically and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sure, he sent me flowers an hour ago—the exact ones I love—but that doesn’t matter.”
“Mmm. What a gentleman. Spending a fortune on three poor little flowers just to improve your mood.”
“Benny, they’re just flowers. Don’t look for hidden meaning where there isn’t any.”
“Of course, of course,” Benny drawled. “Flowers from an ex. Easy to forget.”
Julia rolled her eyes again, her tone growing firmer.
“For your information, we broke up.”
“I knew it. Well, suspected it,” Benny replied calmly. “But do you know what else I know, sweetheart?”
“Oh? And what else do you know, Benny, for heaven’s sake?”
A brief silence hung between them.
“In love, an ex is like an all-access pass. Keep him around. You never know when you might need the contact.”
Julia was about to object, but Benny was unstoppable.
“Anyway... I actually wanted to introduce you to someone.”
“What? No. No, absolutely not.”
Julia instantly switched into defensive mode, sitting up straighter as she stared at her phone.
“Why not? He’s a very respectable young man. Polite, has a good job, wonderful family. And, for the record, he’s not a Gemini.”
Benny still believed wholeheartedly in her gift for determining compatibility through horoscopes.
“And another thing—good men don’t just fall from the sky. Don’t be so quick to say no. You can always refuse later.”
Julia froze.
She was surprised by her grandmother’s determination, and somehow the right words refused to come.
Somewhere on her desk, her phone vibrated softly.
Another message from Charlie.
She looked first at the bouquet.
Then at the screen.
And for the first time that evening, she realized one thing:
The adventure was only beginning.
