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Bella’s father, who hadn’t said ten words all night, nodded sagely "Can ? That sounds pro"

The newcomer jerked his napkin off the table with a snap and dropped it in his lap He had a way ofhe did

I hated hiave her husband’s shoulder an affectionate rub "Maybe you can spend soether like this"

Beside me, Bella stabbed her lettuce with unnecessary force She did not spare a glance at her brother-in-law, even though he was right across the table from her

"You haven’t ave Bella a gentle kick under the table See? It worked, I telegraphed

She didn’t even look up

"I’," Julie’s husband said "Nice to ave me a salute in lieu of a handshake, since the table was so wide

"Pleasure," I said, re myself of Bickley I wondered what he’d make of this party

Julie carried the conversation after that She did a lot of gushing about the night’s keynote speaker, but I atching Bella eat her salad I could feel waves of stress rolling off her, and I didn’t like it

Tucker Fanning must have been indifferent to them, because eventually he asked her a direct question "So, Bella What do the undergraduates do for fun these days?"

Bella set down her fork "Well, Tucker We do whatever we can to broaden our little horizons It isn’t all keg stands and bong hits anymore"

If I wasn’t ainst whatever Bella was about to say

"Truthfully, I’ve gotten a bit bored with lass in a way that soed to look pompous

"Vanilla sex just doesn’t do it forin so you’d enjoy, actually"

Her father dropped his fork onto his plate with a loud clatter "Jesus, Isabelle!"

At that, Lydia laid a hand on his aret a rise out of us Must you always fall for it?"

Without a word, he rose frolass in hand, he drained it, then marched off toward one of the bars