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"May I help you?" the lady behind the counter asked

"Ah, no No, I’m fine Thank you--"

The bell on the door chimed, and Danny came in "The boutonnieres are already ordered"

"What?" Anne backed into a valed in her hair "Excuse ht Okay, let’s not"

She pulled the caped bloodsucker off her and yanked her fleece back into place "Right Already ordered Of course Let’s go next door Thank you for your time"

Head up, shoulders set, sheher foot in a tub of roses And then with determination more appropriate to a military crusade, she went over to Mike’s Tuxedo Rental and nailed the entry, walking into the right place

Yup, nothing but racks of suit jackets and slacks in black, white, and red, and displays of pre-knotted satin bow ties withof the place rean furniture ads frohties pulling Zoolanders and sporting perms made her worry that the establishulls era

The ister--like the place would have a computer anyway?--was sixty and pruned like a topiary, his pin-striped suit and jaunty orange-and-black tie a seasonal advertiseuy said as he came around "I’ht your groom"

Anne shook her head "No, we’re not, I’m not, this is not--"

"When’s the special day?" Mike asked

"It’s not, I’m not--"

"This Saturday," Danny said as he put his arm around her shoulders "I’ive us a lot of ti theet to work "But we can take care of you It’s the Mike guarantee--"

"We are not getting married," Anne said as she pushed Danny away

"So you’re eloping" Mike clapped his hands "Exciting Now, let’s see, you’re a thirty-six long--"

"That’s right" Danny sood"

Mike frowned "Haven’t I seen you before?"

"We are not getting married!" Anne cut in

As Mike fell into a shocked silence, she wanted to elbow Danny in the gut

Instead, she announced, "I need a tuxedo for the Miller wedding to roomsmen"

Mike looked at Danny Looked at her "You knoolared at Danny "I know"

All things considered, Danny took it as a good sign that Anne had one into that flower shop first Her detour suggested the conversation in the car otten to her a little, and maybe

Hell, he didn’t know

"You want to rent a tuxedo," Mike repeated

Anne went over to a rack of suit jackets that had satin collars "Yes I mean, you must fit slanced in his direction, Dannythat works?"

"AhI usually only ith men"

"Gimme the tape I’ll do it" As Anne wheeled around, Danny put a hand out to the guy "She and I work together We’re friends"

The truth was, if he had to watch Mike, Jr--or any other s? A hundred thousand Fiber One bars weren’t going to do shit to keep hi the rest of the body where the groper’s family would never find it

Man, he was such a charmer, wasn’t he

"Yes," Mike said "Okay, that would be better"