Page 70 (1/2)

"All you have to do is act like you belong That’s really the whole point Of s, actually"

Away frohtly different: more philosophical, even a little world-weary I sensed that this was closer to the truth of her

"I forgot to ot somebody I’d like you to ht of this

"We’re cousins," she went on "Well, second cousins She goes to BU"

The offer was disorienting I had to remind myself that what had transpired upstairs had been an innocent flirtation, nothing irlfriend

"Okay"

"Try not to sound too excited"

"What makes you think we’d hit it off?"

The remark came off too blunt, even a little resentful But if she took offense, she didn’t show it "Just don’t let her drink too ed "Steph can be a bit of a party girl, if you knohat I ht up with us, all grins and apologies We made our way to the party, which was just three blocks away Previously, he had pointed out the Spee Club building to arden I had passed a thousand ti out a wide perimeter of sound, but not this one There was no evidence that anything was going on inside, and for a second I thought JonasHe stepped up to the door and withdrew a single key on a fob fro on his bureau, but had not connected it to anything until now The fob was in the form of a bear’s head, the symbol of the Spee

We followed him inside We were in an e black and white squares, like a chessboard I did not feel as if I were going to a party--parachuting at night into an alien country was more like it The spaces I could see were dark and e students, re pool On a pedestal in the corner stood a large stuffed bear--not a teddy bear, an actual bear It was rearing up on its hind legs, clawed hands reaching forward as if it were going to maul some invisible attacker (That, or play the piano) From overhead came a swell of liquor-loosened voices

"Coht of stairs Seen fro had appeared deceptively modest in its dimensions, but not inside We ascended toward the noise and heat of the crohich had spilled fro

"Jo-man!"