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As he’d told me once, he had been the recipient of many I love yous over the years, but he’d never believed them because they hadn’t been backed up with truth, trust, and honesty

The words meant little to him, which hy he refused to say them to me

I tried not to let hiured that was an adjust, Eva"

I glanced up frohtly crooked smile was always a winner

"Hey

I’m ready to roll when you are"

"Coffee first

You up for a refill?" Grabbingoff my desk, I stood

"You bet"

We headed toward the break roo over atover the weekend

It was good to be lazy and do nothing

Actually, that’s probably one of s to do, period"

"I’

He alants to drag "

"My roo how he runs around"

"Oh, before I forget"

He gestured for et in touch

She’s got concert tickets for some new rock band

I think she wants to see if you’d want theht of the attractive red- haired waitress I’d met the week before

She was Steven’s sister, and Steven was Mark’s longtiether ever since

I really liked Steven

I was pretty sure I’d really like Shawna, too

"Are you okay without to her?" I had to ask, because she was - for all intents and purposes - Mark’s sister-in-law and Mark was my boss"Of course

Don’t worry

It won’t be weird"

"All right"

I sirlfriend to my new life in New York

"Thanks"

"Thankfro it to me

"You make it taste better than I do"

I shot him a look

"My dad uses that line"

"Must be true, then"

"Must be a standard guy finagle," I shot back

"How do you and Steven divvy up coffee rinned

"There’s a Starbucks on the corner by our place"

"I’, but I haven’t had enough caffeine to think of it yet"

I passed over his filledto him

"Which probably means I shouldn’t share the idea that just came to ainst you forever"

"Gee

Thanks"

I heldbetween both hands

"Would it work to market the blueberry coffee like tea instead? You know, the coffee in a chintz teacup and saucer with round? Give it a high-end, midafternoon snack sort of treatlishht about it

"I think I like it

Let’s go run it by the creatives"

"Why didn’t you tell h note of irritated anxiety in rip on my desk phone receiver

I’d barely returned

I suspected if I checked e or two fro, she couldn’t let it go

"Hi, Mo you at lunch and catching up"

"I love Vegas"

"You do?" I thought she hated anything re

"I didn’t know that"