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Under her eyes, he ca Except

"Brie?" His voice was deeper than I’d heard it before, scratchy and thick

Natalie just nodded He wrapped up a wedge, leaned over to set it in front of her, and moved on to the next customer

Spell broken, Natalie flew over to the cashier, paid for her cheese, and continued her flight away froed on her arm "What the hell was that?"

"What?" she asked, all cal her hair over her shoulder and stood straight and tall, beautiful and in control oncetoward us with coffees, and Natalie’s eyes asked me to drop it

"We’ll revisit this," I said, and she nodded The only way anyone would know she had a killer crush on Oscar the Grouch was the bloom of color still on her cheeks, and the tiny secret s out of his stall to take in the ht of Natalie’s backside as she strutted away

Chapter 24

We walked ho her usual lide on air, and rees well before noon, and would soar into the midnineties Which in a city made of steel and concrete was borderline ovenlike

In spite of the heat however, people were out in droves, walking fast and purposefully I seeht when they did, and as a result was bobbing and weaving like a boxer I caught three purses in the chest before I finally started walking behind Natalie, who at almost six feet in her heels acted as a natural crowd breaker

The city felt like a physical being, wrapping around me warm and thick like a wool blanket Not exactly what you want in the dog days of sue day, and thousands and thousands of plastic bags were piled onto the sidewalk’s curb, three to four feet high in some places, since the city had been constructed essentially without alleys And in the heat of summer, the smell could be unbearable

How much of this could be coer stacks How much of this could be donated and worked into a nutrient-rich ardens and winter fields?

Leo could figure this out, he wouldthunk! Dodging yet another person as intent on getting soot shouldered into the wall of garbage, pinwheeling ross

"Oh my God, Roxie! Are you okay?" Clara pulled uy with the shoulder, who didn’t even pause, didn’t check to make sure I was okay

I was hot, I was sticky with hue, and I could feeldick," I repeated to myself "I’m fine--thanks"

"Want htly on the balls of her feet

"No no," I said, pulling atseemed too close: the air, my clothes, the people, even htened, and a curious lureat whoosh that I washoood country air, for nosey gossiph the trees For hills covered in funny little chicken coops on wheels, for brown sugar strawberries, and ohthat co to be sick" Natalie swept my hair back from my face