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"Hey, Grahaer nearby "Do you have anything going on next Saturday night? I have a thing in New York that I have to go to, and I need a date It’s an open bar"

"What about my needs?" Rikker joked, his ar uys? That’s the night of Skate with Harkness Hockey I have to cover it, because a couple of Bruins players are supposed to show up, too"

"Oh," she said slowly "The charity thing?"

"Yeah"

"Fuck," Bella said "The gaht off"

Rikker frowned "Wait I could coested "I don’t see why they need two dozen players out there" He gave a faux cough into his hand "I think I feel it co on"

Bella shook her head "Yeah, and nobody would notice if the rabbed her hand and stuck it on his forehead "That’s a fever, right? Don’t I feel hot to you?"

She gave hi deal"

"I would totally blow it off, Bells"

Bella stood "Really, I’uys" She trotted over to the conveyor belt to bus her tray

I caught up to her on the rebound "Hey, Bella?"

She looked up, startled "Yeah?"

"I can go to your thing in New York"

Bella hesitated, which buh to be her date "Are you sure?" she asked after a long pause

"Well, I don’t have a gaht So my mother decided that I shouldon SundayI was supposed to take the train down anyway"

"Huh" She raised her eyes to o was because he already knows the story of my crazy family"