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"Cool," Suzette agreed

"But she’s sexy and wears a short skirt, right?" Drew asked

Stephanie sreat skirt, but sos

We’ll all see the costuuy You’re president of the club, but most of your adventures are eous lines of your stories at any tilasses?"

"You bet Coke-bottle lenses," Stephanie assured him

"Lena, you’re Drew’s cohort in the area of creativity--the only reason you’re back in Southern Italy is a family connection, but you like to pretend that you’ve been to the farthest reaches of the earth You’re the one down on everyone else’s antics, dying for a little more sex in your own life"

"Wow! It’s hed She reement and sympathy, because she quickly added, "Hey, my family is in the Milano area, and I’ just swily, okay? And hey, be nice to me I’m the only one in this croho does speak fluent Italian"

"I’ll be as nice as you can iine! And you can ask me for help anyti offered

"So I can feel that it’s really hit rock bottom?" Lena teased

"Ouch! I feel like… well, likeat Stephanie dryly

"That’s right Poor Doug is to be known as Poindexter A brilliant scholar, but a nerd in the worst degree The others can’t iot into the club They’re jealous as well, though, because your exploits are all real When Gema shows up, she’s the vamp She really has been everywhere, and what she misses is a real home Her efforts for an actual love life have basically sucked, and the rest of you try to help her retain dignity Literally, at tiuys in the audience she uses for her little schticks"

She stopped speaking, looking up as Arturo returned to the back of the café She arched a brow to him

He shook his head

"Well, so far, Gema is a no-show," she

"He’ll be here soon--we know that," Stephanie said "Let’s go ahead and read through the outlines, see how they sound, bounce ideas back and forth with one another"

The four were a good group; Stephanie acted as both still- Gema and just-not-present Clay, and she was more pleased as the minutes ticked by Her cast appeared to be excellent natural comedians, quick to see how to milk any idea She reminded them several times that they were to play with their audience, and, as they moved into the fifth scenario, they reminded her

"So," Drew said when they had finished with the next to the last scene, "Clay Barton gets to have all the real fun, huh?"

"Yes, and no," Stephanie agreed, idly drawing a line with her pencil and serer He has been around, but he hasn’t really got any money, and when his conquests don’t work out, he tries to pretend that they have"

"So… he is supposed to be the good-looking one, huh?" Doug said with a sigh

"Hopefully, a tea, we’ll switch roles around as well as scenarios," Stephanie told hiets stale, and anyone can fill in for anyone else Normally, we’d have a fewout with this, we’re for the coroup" Arturo had been sitting at the back of the café She looked over, and didn’t see hiain

As she stared toward the table, the outside door opened

There was a man there For a moment, he seemed to block out the sun Despite herself, Stephanie felt a sense of unease streak down her spine It was as if he were there, a presence that all but swept away daylight Then, he ht

She blinked, and he alking through the aisle of tables to reach the individual Tall--six-three, maybe--a shade shorter than Drew His hair was very dark, and, as he drew closer, she saw that he had very unusual eyes--e shade of such colors, see and classical He definitely had a continental look, smooth and sleek, and wore jeans and a polo shirt as if he were in a tux He s a leather backpack around and setting it on the table, ready to reach in for his copy of the "bible" and notes "I’ these days I’m Clay Barton"

They all just stared at him

His smiled deepened "Clay Barton I’m expected I was bounced off a plane yesterday I’"

Lena looked across the table at Stephanie "Type-casting, or what?"

"I hope not," Clay said, grinning ever more deeply as he pulled up a chair "My character is supposed to be soart and a jerk"

Stephanie reached out a hand to hiers caused a jerk in her own She tried to hide the feeling "Stephanie Cahill, and hi, I’ha Wharton is there…"

Clay leaned forward, shaking hands around the table