“So?” Katie Lenard sighed dramatically. “So, everyone will get either roses or candy or a diamond. Everyone but me. Again.” Her best friend, Jessica, snorted. “Well, boohoo for you. You have got to get over this obsession with Valentine’s Day, Katie. It depresses you every year. Even when you have a boyfriend.” Katie tried to contain her gasp at her friend’s harsh-sounding words, but couldn’t quite manage it. In her defense, Katie knew Jessica hadn’t meant to sound so mean. “Oh geeze, sweetie, I’m sorry.” The other woman squeezed her hand, a look of contrition on her pretty face. Katie hadn’t had a date for Valentine’s Day in the last three years—nor had she had a serious boyfriend or even a casual relationship in that time. Her last so-called romance had been the result of leftover Christmas blues when she’d accepted a date in desperation with a man in the audit department, hoping against hope the relationship would still be going strong when the hearts-and-flowers day rolled around.
