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Chapter 15

THE APARTMENT DOOR SWUNG OPEN, AND WE EXCHANGED terrified stares

I recovered first, given that it was in fact e with a knife to her neck, just Mom

She, on the other hand, freaked out She stared at me for a moment, then down at her keys, at the number on the apartment door, and then back at roceries hit the floor, sluotten contents settled She took a few steps forward, taking in my two-thousand-dollar black-tie splendor with her mouth wide open

"Good God, Hunter, is that you? What happened?"

"I decided to go for a new look"

She blinked once in slowinduced mom profanity, I had to chuckle

She took a fewher head, and reached out to touch my platinum hair

"Don&039;t worry, Moood Actually, you look fabulous, but"

My hand went to the bow tie Had it already gone squiggly? "But what?"

"You hardly look like you"

Her voice cracked on the last word, and in one awful o all the way frolistened, her lips trembled, and she actually sniffed

I was appalled

"Mom"

"I&039;m sorry" She rested one hand onher eyes Her shoulders shook

"What&039;s wrong? What did I?"

She looked up atnow, a deep sound that shook her whole body

"I&039;m sorry, Hunter, you just look so damn different"

I took a deep, relieved breath We were back in profanity territory

"Yeah, I&039;ht," I explained "And it&039;s kind of forured it would be fun to you know, dress up"

"Jen did that to your hair?"

"Uh, yeah"

"Well well" She cleared her throat, just slittered "You look incredible When did you learn to tie a bow tie?"

"Recently" I looked at the clock "Sorry, Moet to the party It&039;s way uptown"

"Of course" She nodded, the shock finally releasing its hold on her Then she giggled "I&039;h Can&039;t wait until toot" She reached into her bag "This really nice guy - "

"Yeah, I know all about the nice guy"

My phone eed, and I reached for it The faloriously real "Thanks for getting it back for uy, he didn&039;t ask any weird questions or anything, did he?"

"Uh, no He just said he found it in Chinatown"

"Was he a bald guy?"

Her eyes narrowed "No Why would he be?"

"Or a silver-haired woht here?"

"Hunter, how exactly did you lose your phone?"

I shrugged, pro later "Just dropped it, I guess Thanks I&039;lad you&039;re okay"