PROLOGUE

Emma Roberson was the "How To" girl of Los Angeles' women's magazine called The Tranquility. Although it wasn't what she wanted to be known for--after all, making pieces about how to dress up for a date or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches weren't exactly exciting--she was grateful that her name was known in the big city. And she was glad she had a job to pay for her extraordinarily tiny apartment in the bustling city filled with celebrities and rich elites. 

Emma's dream was to be a true journalist. To write about real-life stories. No, not TMZ--they had offered her a job before, but she declined. She'd rather write about how to repair a hole in your low rise jeans than about some stuck up, asshole celebrity that just got a new puppy. Her passion was with intriguing, serious and thought-provoking stories such as politics, economics or poverty. But, no one wanted to hire her. Especially now that her work only consisted of how-to pieces that didn't stimulate any intellect. 

Emma had asked her boss if she could change up her piece for a week a while ago, but she declined. Saying that Emma wasn't "ready to write such a thing. Anyway, why would" she "want to write such a thing, when" her "how-to pieces are so popular?"

Unfortunately, she was stuck writing how to sow, how to cook vegetarian gnocchi and more boring columns. Well... until now. When her best friend, Andrea, came into work with tear-stained cheeks and mascara running horribly down her face. "Andy, what's wrong?" Emma comforted her friend, leading her to her cubicle before anyone else could see what a mess she was in. 

"Jack broke up with me!" She exclaimed, sobbing into her friend's shoulder, soaking Emma's button-up.

Thank god. Emma thought to herself, Jack was such an asshole. Although Andrea could be a handful, he didn't want anything to do with her from the start. He just wanted to fool around and toy with Andy's feelings. This was the third boyfriend that had broke up with Andy that month, and she was devastated. 

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Em. Maybe I'm just ugly." She burst out into more ugly tears. 

Maybe it's the consistent calling, obnoxious voices you make when talking to them or the extreme clinginess... Emma chuckled at her own thoughts, causing Andrea to shoot a sad look at Emma. Emma dropped her smile instantly, hoping she hadn't offended her friend. "You're not ugly, babe. I promise you that. Maybe he was just not the one for you." Emma consoled her.

"Three boyfriends, in one month! I'm never going to find love. You wouldn't understand," Andy scoffed through her pouty lip and hot tears, "look at you! I might vomit at how beautiful you are!" 

Emma shook her head at her friend. She was very single. No one ever approached her, too afraid to ask a hot girl out. Or they assumed she was already taken. It was frustrating. Suddenly, Emma and Andrea's boss--Victoria--walked out of her office and into the general area where the cubicles were. "Meeting in my office in five, girls!" She shouted as she walked by the cubicles, not having the decency to even look in their general direction as she was on her way to grab her coffee. It looks like her assistant isn't here today. Emma rolled her eyes to the back of her head. She wasn't particularly fond of Victoria, especially after she rejected her proposal to write something more serious for the Tranquility. 

"Come on, Andy. Clean yourself up, or else Victoria might have a fit." She patted her friend's shoulder and shuffled back to her desk to gather her papers for their meeting.