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to put up with his noisy
    shenanigans much longer. She could afford to buy a nicer condo…or a big house where she
    wouldn’t have to share a wall with anyone.
    She could, she realized, have almost anything she wanted.
    Dinner, for instance. She could go to that expensive restaurant in Buckhead that she’d been
    hearing about. But she didn’t want to go out alone. On impulse, she called the restaurant and asked if they delivered. They did, the woman informed her, but there was a hefty delivery
    charge.
    Jane bit into her lip. “How much?”
    “Thirty-five dollars,” was the crisp response.
    Jane winced, then realized that she was going to have to start thinking like a rich woman.
    “That’s fine. I’ll have a lobster tail, a Caesar salad, and a bottle of your best chardonnay.”
    “I’ll need a credit card number, ma’am.”
    Jane swallowed and realized that until her share of the winnings was wired into her bank
    account, she’d have to float expenses on her American Express card. She gave the charge
    information to the woman, but nearly changed her mind when presented with the total of more
    than two hundred dollars. She reminded herself that she could afford it…that it was a first-in-a-lifetime splurge to celebrate a turning point in her life.
    She pulled into the condo parking lot and wheeled into her assigned spot, noticing that
    Perry’s vehicle wasn’t there. Maybe she would get a reprieve this evening from the explicit
    antics next door. Unbidden, snatches of the couple’s lovemaking sounds came back to her,
    sending a tingle to her midsection and warmth to her cheeks. She did not want to have to listen to that again…absolutely not…
    When she unlocked the door to the condo, she walked in and flipped on lights, feeling
    antsy. She set down her bag and paced the length of her condo. Then she shed her work clothes and took a long, hot shower, for once not caring about her water bill, and telling herself she would buy French milled soap as soon as she figured out where to buy it.
    And one of those nice, waffle spa robes, she thought as she shrugged into her pink
    terrycloth standby. And nice towels, she decided as she wrapped her hair turban-style in one of her discount finds. Her phone rang, indicating her food delivery. She buzzed the man into the building and met him at her front door, signing for the largest tip she’d ever given anyone. But the aromas wafting from the foiled box were decadent, and the wine was chilled to perfection.
    This was how the other half lived.
    She spread the feast on her dining room table, thinking only last night she’d been eating
    Chinese food on her couch, with no idea how her life was about to change.
    What a difference a day made.
    She put on a Tristan Prettyman CD, in the mood for the folksy love songs, and trying to be
    proactive about filling her space with noise to help insulate her from any sound coming through the walls. She had just started the Caesar salad and was a glass into the bottle of wine when her doorbell rang. Jane frowned, not expecting anyone. She carried her glass of wine to the door and checked the peep hole. Her stomach did a little flip, then she swung open the door to the smiling face she’d once found very attractive.
    “Hello, James.”
    “Jane…sweetheart.” He leaned forward and hugged her, not noticing her lack of
    participation. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by like this.”
    “What do you want, James?”
    He looked contrite. “I want you to forgive me for being so stupid.”
    Jane pressed her lips together. “Can you be more specific?”
    “I miss you.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes. I’ve been meaning to call you for weeks, but I didn’t think you’d talk to me. Then I
    saw you on TV, heard about the big news.” He held up a bottle of wine. “I thought I’d help you celebrate. I knew you’d be alone.”
    She was trying to decide if that was an insult when footsteps sounded in the hallway. Jane
    looked up to see