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off,” says Julia. “Or is that just my fantasy?”
    â€œI already did that,” I say. “Kind of. I mean, I didn’t want to hurt her feelings or anything … Hey, how come you’re out of the office before nine?”
    Julia grins. “You know that deal I was working on until, like, three A.M . every night this week? It died. Hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain.”
    â€œOh, shit.”
    â€œAre you kidding? Best news ever. I thought my boss was going to have an aneurysm. He’s such a dick. And I’m not even tired anymore. I just want to get hammered.”
    Julie turns to Angie and Pia.
    â€œI want a full makeover for the gig tonight, I want a montage to cheesy music, and I want to pregame. It’s the weekend. Fivies!”
    â€œParty Julia is here!” shouts Angie happily. “You can start with this.”
    She hands over her martini, and Julia takes a slug and chokes.
    â€œThat is disgusting. I’ll have a beer.”
    â€œI’m not drinking. I have to rest my voice,” says Madeleine. “Yes. It’s a thing.”
    Pia reaches out, takes Angie’s martini, and tips all of it back into her mouth. She hands back the empty glass and smiles. “Okay, ladybitches. Let’s have some goddamn fun.”

 
    CHAPTER 6
    As you might expect from a group of twenty-something girls, we spend the early part of the evening on an extended makeover session in Angie’s room, with alcohol. I mostly watch until Angie suddenly grabs me and puts bright red Chanel lipstick on my lips.
    â€œIt looks amazing on you,” Angie says when I protest. “You have perfect skin and teeth, and the best lips I have ever seen. Red lipstick should be part of your signature look.”
    â€œWhat’s my signature look?” asks Julia.
    â€œCorporate whore,” says Angie.
    â€œBetter than fashion victim,” Julia shoots back.
    â€œI am many things, sweetie, but I am never a victim.” Angie smiles.
    â€œWould you two stop flirting?” Madeleine rolls her eyes.
    â€œHoly shit.” Julia looks at herself in the mirror. “I would totally bang me, if I was a dude. Do you think I should wax my—”
    â€œWhatever the end of that sentence is, the answer is almost certainly no,” says Angie. “There is nothing wrong with a little grass on the playing field, understand?”
    â€œSince when do you like pubic hair?” asks Pia.
    â€œSince I realized it’s fucking weird to make my vagina look like it did when I was eight.”
    Everyone ruminates on this for a moment. It is weird, when you think about it like that. But I just waxed myself in the bathroom with one of those home kits I bought ages ago. I don’t even know why I did it, it’s just … that’s what you do. You know?
    â€œIsn’t it … cleaner?” Pia speaks up tentatively.
    â€œIf you think it’s dirty, then you have issues, ladybitch. Vaginas are perfect. Dudes don’t wax their balls, and yet they ask us to nuzzle up to them at the drop of a damn hat.”
    Everyone pauses again, I guess to think about nuzzling hairy balls. Retch.
    â€œFine.” Pia sighs. “I’ll stop waxing. There’s no one to notice anyway, since my boyfriend lives in another time zone and I never get laid.”
    â€œYou know, I never get laid either,” Julia points out. “Sex is not like water, you won’t, like, die without it.”
    â€œI am so sick of talking about how much sex everyone is getting or not getting,” says Madeleine. “Come on. I need to get to Potstill so I can set up with the band.”
    As we walk to the bar, the girls talk on and on about Aidan and Sam and sex, and my mind turns to my big Ethan plan for this evening. I feel my stomach lurch with nerves. Maybe I’ll secretly text Ethan and cancel. I don’t think I can go through with it, I really