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Jared stopped in his tracks so suddenly, she went two steps past hi

"You want to eat here?"

Surprised, Kara turned to look at him "You said I could choose If you don’t like sushi, they have other things You can have a steak, or--"

"It’s not that"

The man looked decidedly nervous; she wondered as up Jared seeer, but ill at ease when confronted with the prospect of a Japanese restaurant

"What’s wrong?"

He was looking through the front , shading his eyes and squinting "It’s okay," he said at last "I don’t think he’s working right now We can go in"

He pulled open the door to Ish , a trendy sushi restaurant with a terrible na food He held the door for her and, with a wary look inside, she went in The interior, like every Japanese restaurant she had ever been in, was understated and co this restaurant was gray cereen awning

Inside, however, the carpet was pearl gray and immaculate, plain ink prints decorated the walls, the tables were low and the wood had been rubbed to a low Mutedbeautiful kimonos shuffled quietly to and fro and the air smelled of soup and delicate Japanese spices

Kara took an appreciative breath while they waited for a table She loved the way the Japanese did things, their understated efficiency, the beauty of their food presentation, their droll humor and could have eaten sushi three times daily Too bad Jared looked ready to juer to him here, but resolved to keep her eyes open

The hostess stepped toward them, dressed in a sapphire blue kireeting, then asked the or non

"Non," they said in unison, then followed her to a table by the

"Excuse me," Kara said, "but we’d prefer a table at the back of the rooized and led theone, while they iping their faces with the hot, damp washcloths she had left the by the , huh?"

Kara shrugged "Force of habit Listen, you’reme nervous What’s the problem? Why don’t you like this place?"

"I love this place," he assured her "The food is fabulous, the service is great"

"Then why--"

"It’s a long story Never ?"

Before she could answer, a voice boohed

"Busted," he ed JapaneseHis head was so bald and shiny Kara itched to touch it, to see if it felt as sain and you’ve brought a lovely lady friend, too, hoonderful"

"Ishiguro, this is Kara Kara, this is the owner, Ishiguro Listen, pal," Jared said to the beaed closer to the edge of the booth, ready to pound the er Jared pro her way

Ishiguro quit sers and a waitress appeared, bowing to him and then to Jared and Kara "These arethey want Bring appetizers Dr Dean is partial to seafood"

The waitress bowed again and practically sprinted to the kitchen

"Ishiguro," Jared said warningly

Thesharp in Japanese and Jared shut up Ishiguro turned to Kara and said, "Do you know the story of how the wonderful Dr Dean saved my only son froh it up on his own," Jared mumbled

"Please tella deal," Jared protested

Ishiguro ignored hi blue and staggering and we pounded on his back and prayed an ambulance would come, when Dr Dean leaped from his chair, over the table--"

"I did not "

"--and with a squeeze of hisfish from my son’s throat Ah! He breathed, he lived, he is first in his class at Harvard Business, he is randchild" Ishiguro stopped and looked at Jared adly "All because of Dr Dean So"