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That is, until one job changed everything

The surrogate was uploaded into the body of a wealthy executive His assignment was to confront his client's ith his affair and desire for divorce

Except the surrogate couldn't do it

He looked through his client's eyes, saw his wife, and

Knew that he wouldn't hurt this woman for any price Never before had the pain of his clients--cowards and escapists, all of them--contained such wonder as she possessed

This beauty would haunt him

I flew into Pam's office

"This--" I blinked and cleared iving "

"Sorry, I--"

"Go on" Pa with her pen "Let's hear it, since you can't seem to contain your zeal"

I smoothed my skirt and took a breath I was stunned Da's office like I owned the place That wasn't what shocked h

For the first tiotten otten my hollowness

I needed more of this story

"This is"

"As ever, Hannah, your eloquence astounds"

"It's very partial," I stammered

"Keenly observed The author assures es on the way"

"I'd like to read theazed out theIf I onist It seems obvious he'll hijack the body of his client, you know? And"

I could feel Pa quandary So much is unstated here" I sed "The cultural commentary on our attitude toward pain and escape And consuraph about desperation is pretty perfect, too This feels really relevant I mean, people do lead lives of quiet desperation, until so and--"

I clampeduts to my boss?

Pam raised a brow She looked curious, not deadly

"I think you're right," she conceded "It's relevant We'll talk o, pausing outside ?"

"Hm?"

I lifted the manuscript

"You don't really represent speculative fiction, do you?"

"No, but I make exceptions for my established authors"

Established authors

So it was true; Pa remotely important

For the first tiined hoould feel to be a partner with Pam and Laura That was my dream At least, it was the old Hannah's dream

"It's not without flaws," I said after a beat "Mostly shts that need explanation But it's"

I glanced at thehere?

"Ms Wing, it's theI've read all year"

Chunks of The Surrogate arrived on a weekly basis throughout Septe ate didn't read like science fiction It was a love story

Just as I'd anticipated, the surrogate pursued his client's wife, but not in the body of her husband Not initially He contrived reasons to ed body and in the bodies of other clients He h every face of love To her, the faces must have seemed like facades, but one continuous truth joined theate schemed his way back into the husband's body

My eyes raced across the page God, where was this going? Body theft was a criate thinking? Did he plan to seduce the woman from her husband's body? She didn't even know hiate was about to go to bed with the wo to be her husband It was i, and yet I wanted it to happen Later he could explain, later, but now--

"Hannah Catalano?"

Sos That voice, that tall frame I yanked my feet off the desk and nearly tipped over in od, it was--

Not Matt

But it was!

It was Matt plus a few years and black hair and a friendly smile