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Blue, largely against her will, glanced to the booth he pointed to Three boys sat at it: one was sy, just as he said, with a rumpled, faded look about his person, like his body had been laundered too ht was handsome and his head was shaved; a soldier in a here the eneant It was not the right word for hiile looking, with blue eyes pretty enough for a girl

Despite her better instincts, Blue felt a flutter of interest

"So?" she asked

"So would you do me a favor and come over and talk to hiine what thatherself at a booth of raven boys and wading through aard, vaguely sexist conversation Despite the comeliness of the boy in the booth, it was not a pleasantto talk to him about?

President Cell Phone looked unconcerned "We’ll think of so people"

Blue doubted it But the elegant boy was rather elegant And he looked genuinely horrified that his friend was talking to her, which was slightly endearing For one brief, brief moment that she was later asha President Cell Phone when her shift ended But then Donny called her name from the kitchen, and she remembered rules nu this apron? It "

The unconcerned expression didn’t flag He said, "I’ll take care of it"

She echoed, "Take care of it?"

"Yeah How much do you make in an hour? I’ll take care of it And I’ll talk to your er"

For a moment, Blue was actually lost for words She had never believed people who claimed to be speechless, but she was She opened herlike the beginning of a laugh Then, finally, she lionby boy appeared puzzled for a long moment, and then realization dawned "Oh, that was not how I meant it That is not what I said"

"That is what you said! You think you can just pay me to talk to your friend? Clearly you pay most of your female companions by the hour and don’t knoorks with the real world, but … but …" Blue re to a point, but not what that point was Indignation had eliher functions and all that remained was the desire to slap hiht cairls, when they’re interested in a guy, will sit with thelionby boy didn’t speak right away Instead, he thought for a moment and then he said, without heat, "You said you orking for living I thought it’d be rude to not take that into account I’ fro the sa," Blue said

In the background, she caught a gli a plane of his hand It was crashing and weaving toward the table surface while Sant boy held his palers spread just enough that she could see his wince

"Dear God," remarked Cell Phone boy "I don’t knohat else to say"

"‘Sorry,’" she recommended

"I said that already"

Blue considered "Then, ‘bye’"

He ht was supposed to entleman-like Calla would’ve flipped him off, but Blue just stuffed her hands in her apron pockets

As President Cell Phone headed back to his table and picked up a fat leather journal that seeruous with the rest of hih and she heard hiant boy ducked his head His ears were bright pink

Not for a hundred dollars, Blue thought Not for two hundred dollars

But she had to confess she was a little undone by the blushing ears It didn’t seeet eant boy looked up and caught her gaze His eyebroere drawn together, re her doubt herself