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Of course--because a Lakers cap and Ray-Bans are autoe We’d been lucky on the other two stops--the person at theeach tinized hi Beach, and you’re driving a yellohatever this is"

Pulling into the parking lot, he shakes his head "It’s a Lotus And we’re cruising around So-Cal, not Kansas"

I shrug, suppressing a laugh, wondering if he’s actually this clueless about regular people or if he’s just screith ular Guy"

Once he lowers his , the aroles in protest I haven’t eaten fries since the last time Emily forced half of hers on me in her typical manner: Get your ass back, would ya? It’s practically nonexistent back there Reid orders a burger with three meat patties and no cheese, wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, and a gigantic vanilla shake "Are you sure you don’t want so h irl working the register tells Reid the total as she turns towards hi He hands her a fifty and her hands shake as she pulls bills and coins from the cash drawer She has to start her tally over three tiets to count it back Wide-eyed, her hands still tre, she just shoves the money into his hands all at once

"Thanks," he sht faint

"You’re welco away fro around a corner

Reid stuffs wadded bills into the front pocket of his jeans and tosses the coins into a cup holder as ait for the food

"This is just a guess, h your elaborate Regular Guy disguise"

His mouth twists up on one side "Sirls and one guy, all four of the into the tinyspace, deliver his food, which consists of one sinal cashier hands him the shake as four pairs of eye shift back and forth between us, and the guy hands hiure out st theirl asks, handing out a stack two inches thick without waiting for an answer

"Here’s your straw!" the third girl waves it out the , blinking rapidly as Reid reaches to take it fro else?" the boy asks, bea

"No thanks, this is perfect" Reid turns his shs colasses, not that anyone notices

We park near an exit, n, so he can wolf down the unwieldy beef and lettuce burger He tries to hand ling it back and forth, he turns on the full-wattage Reid Alexander sh to share"

"No"

He takes a sip, peering at lasses, his blue eyes full of aood No?" I shake my head "At least hold it for me while I eat, then"

With the cup holders full of change and e the shake by ood, coupled with the heady aroma of fresh fries fro fro is filled with several hundred calories of evil

"E to hurt you"

By the ti lot in a beat-up sedan, eyeballing not so much the Lotus as who’s in the Lotus, Reid has lured er (which isn’t bad) and sipping enough of the shake that I just told him he’s the devil

He watches the two o" I barely have tiine, reversed out of the end spot and accelerated straight out of the lot with the sedan in pursuit

I look back and they’re right behind us A ht before a large black ca ant to do is lead the paparazzi directly to the hotel I spin forward "They’re right behind us"

Reid glances in his side " We hit the entrance ra ninety before we’re fully on the freeway Gliding around slower- cars--by which Itraffic Reaching for the shake, he curls his hand, still warer, aroundit froood"

I clear my throat and try to slip my hand out from under his, but he transfers his hand back to the wheel, releasing rins "Rule nu a Lotus: don’t attempt it in a Hyundai"