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"What is all this, Hol?"

"Well, let’s see You and Adairls, so it must be middle school recess!"

He ser, softer than the hardened soldier he’d turned hi him smile made her smile, too

Her office door opened and Kate strode in carrying two lunch boxes--one Star Wars, the other Transfor coffees "I’ve only got a half hour," she said, not looking up, concentrating on keeping the drinks balanced "Kyle Wu dunked E, taking her froot a parent conference at one thirty to get yelled at by Elanced over at Holly’s opened laptop, caught sight of Grif, and juether and spilled down her front She sucked in a breath and dropped everything "Oh, shit Shit, shit, shit" She pulled her blouse away from her skin "And ow"

Holly rushed forward "Are you burned?"

Sucking in air through her teeth, Kate did the hot-coffee-on-her-chest dance, and then ripped her blouse off She sighed in relief for the briefest of seconds before re in embarrassment, she covered her boobs with her hands and ducked behind Holly’s desk

Frorimaced up at Holly and mouthed, Oh My God Did he see me?

Holly shook her head no A little white mercy lie between best friends, because of course Grif had seen her, fro from the seams

They were hard to miss

"Hey, Kate," Grif said from the desk

Kate dropped her head to her knees "Hey, Grif"

Grif stretched his neck and tried to look down "You okay?"

"Uh-huh"

"Sure? Because all I can see are your ears, which are twitching"

"Only one-third of the population can twitch their ears," she muttered, face still averted "And only one-third of those people can twitch one ear at a tiht of Grif, she shed softly, amused by the stats Kate always spouted when she was nervous "Good to know"

Kate ducked even lower and shot Holly a pleading save-lad you called," Holly said to Grif "It was good to talk to you Be careful out there, it’s a full ht"

"And because of the earth’s rotation, we’re even closer to theher head "Also, Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise" Then she covered her own mouth with her hand, closed her eyes, and shook her head

Grif grinned "Maybe you should stand up and let me look at you And ood-bye, Grif"

"No, really, I’m a trained medic I should check out--"

"Uh-huh Love you" Holly shut her laptop

Kate slowly rose, her very pretty brsts quivering "Oh er the invisible high school geek, you know You’re all grown-up and pretty"

"Pretty uy, I’d totally want to do you"

Kate beamed "Really?"

"Really! Honey, you’re the swan nohy do you still get so nervous around guys?"

"I’m only hot without my clothes, and no one ever sees yn, and now Griffin Reid"

Holly handed her a wad of napkins, which Kate used toto uy"

"Yeah, a really, really good-looking guy"

Holly grimaced "Nice bra, by the way And what happened with that online dating service you joined?" She pulled her sweater from the back of her chair and handed it to Kate to put on

"All the guys I’d want to date live in Coeur d’Alene" She slipped into the sweater, looking far better in it than Holly had "I don’t have time to drive hours for my nookie"

"Seriously Is that all you think about lately?"

"You don’t get to ask ot lucky this week"

"I…what?" Holly went still, the proverbial deer in the headlights "How did you know? Who told you?"

"You Just now"

Holly dropped into her chair "That’s a good trick"

"I’et myself some nookie" She picked up the lunch boxes and handed Holly one "And I can’t believe you were going to try to keep such vital information from me"

Holly searched for a different topic "So how is it your fault that Kyle ruined Eh school beauty queen and she pays big hter’s a natural, and they’d just had their hair blown out and done up Green wasn’t in the cards Nice change of subject, by the way"

"Daood"

"Don’t you know it" Kate opened her lunch box

The two of the theup, usually from the deli

When it was Kate’s turn, she cooked Today’s lunch was carefully and lovingly packed chicken enchiladas, and Holly’s oddess" She sank her teeth into her first bite and moaned as pleasure exploded across her taste buds

"Yeah?" Kate asked

"Oh my God, yeah Now be quiet My food and I need a moment"