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A ny nor little smile and that would be the end of it Normal workplaces didnt pry in-depth into sex lives, but Chloe had set the tone, always asking for every rouerite and Gen on anything Karive it a try Fine, she said, faking a smile Gen raised a brow

That bad? He seeuerite, preparing the napkins with a coami fold, raised a sli

Chloe shrugged, stared at the teacups she was s Nohe She set the teacup doith a thud, in hindsight glad that it was one of the heavier styles A ll right, fine It was incredible, wonderful, transcending and then the shoas cancelled A pparently for reasons the network doesnt care to share, because hes too busy guarding s froave me kisses that went on forever, that rolled over me like surf Theres this part of me that wants to tie hi its like I hi ups are aze up, she saw her reflection in the glasswork of Marguerites display cabinets Her eyes looked like the bloodshot uys are, we all know it Iet that extra teakettle You know the ae and too high as she got to the end of her diatribe, but she escaped before either woman could point out they didnt really need the extra kettle They didnt say anything to stop her, though Maybe they were as sick of dealing with her shit as Brendan was

Breathing fast, she slid out the back and cut through Marguerites private garden, practically running to the s inside One breath, two breaths, three The quiet storeroo fro, had becoether She was never bothered there Which meant they knehy she came here

She squatted on her heels in a shaft of early ht and closed her eyes Maybe she was just as sick of her own shit She refused to have a panic attack thisThe last time shed had one at Tea Leaves, it had occurred when she riting the specials list For awhile after that, Gen had quietly taken it over until Chloe could handle it again

Writing the specials list had been a daily ritual shed loved, peaceful and normal Shed used the different colored whiteboard pens to create pictures of tea cups and herbs, things to jazz it up A dded wise and thoughtful sayings for the day, sometimes from famous people, sometimes ones shed made up

Natalie had come up with the one for that horrible day It had been as perfect and siood

A few minutes later, hed come up behind them

No This shed was a true sacred place, baptized daily by Marguerites lovely rituals of preparing tea leaves, working on different ant, beautiful hands Chloe wouldnt allow that ined a white, protective light over the place, keeping such a stain out But what if she was the stain?

Stop it, Chloe Go into work mode You can do that Leave all this outside the door, and if you can look nice and noruerite wont look at you in that way that strips you bare naked, and Gen wont touch you a hundred ti a wounded aniht fly apart as well

Of course she was in danger of that either way

I have so had enough of this She banged out of the shed, intending to march back to the tea rooarden path to the drying shed and storerooarden had an occupant If Marguerite stayed overnight at her rooa, she usually left Tyler finishing his coffee and reading the paper at the bistro set, placed near one of Marguerites reen ferns and jas tailored slacks, he had his coffee cup in hand, one ankle resting coods, he hadnt yet buttoned his dress shirt, because his broad chest, the soft mat of hair over it that arrowed down to a hard abdo at her as she came out of the shed She found herself drawn by those serious amber eyes, pulled in his direction by a need thatwhen she voiced itshocked herself

Will you teach un?

Tyler considered her He didnt seem surprised by the request, but then Tyler always see There was a self-possession to hiuessed he was a for about his current profession of erotic cinema screenplay writer and sometime producer But even that wasnt his ers in lots of pies, probably because he had thefactory

Chloe His voice had a rich tiia drawl You take flies out of Tea Leaves in a cup You apologize when you killblood out of your skin

I know But I thought She sighed,afraid, and I dont kno to stop A nd I dont knohat to do about it I to some idiot shrink because all they do these days is put you on drugs But hey, what else is there? He cant convince ht?

Rat toes, she was blinking back more of the hated tears But at least she was back to her normal creative expletives, instead of the more common, crass ones