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"Yes, you’re cute Now spill it Tell h school? No, not at all," he said, his voice taking on an alht back to Hank’s colass door at a party And what he’d said about chess club In my head I could see a snapshot of what he h school, and I could draw ht have been like
"In college?" I asked, trying to ier Clark on campus I wondered if he rocked the elbow patches then, or if that was a postgraduate addition
"Did I date in college?"
"Ms underneath me I chewed on my thumbnail while I waited for his response
"Soe?"
"Soe?"
"Yeah, you know Recent Current Whatever," I asked, chewing harder on my nail He let loose one of those low chuckles I bit the nail clean off Without thinking, I spat it out
"Did you just spit so curious and a my face in the pillow, I answered a ed you as a spitter, Vivian"
Eyes suddenly wide, I sat straight up, al fro not worth sing"
Hello line, I believe I just crossed over you I distinctly heard Clark choke on a sip of what I assumed was his Scotch
I looked at the clock and sa late it was "I better go; I have to get up very early See you tomorrow?"
"That’s a pro all over me "And for the record? I’ood-nights, I hung up the phone, and tried to go to sleep
The next ood-bye and boarded a plane to California, with no idea of which Clark ot home
It wasn’t until soht about the cowboy once the entire tie SUV, as I had o, I drove from San Francisco to Mendocino on pins and needles Last time my excitement came from nervous anticipation, because I had no idea what I alking into This ti ho part? My new life? The house itself? The libr--
Whoa I can’t even think it
As I navigated up Highway 1, taking the longer route for the in to sink back into the deep blues and vibrant greens of the coast, the craggy cliffs and rich brown earth Wild and rough, this part of the country was certainly a that last turn and seeing Mendocino on the horizon made my heart beat a little bit faster The quaintness overwheles flush with shrub roses and hollyhocks, trellises covered with flowering vines and saturated with fat bu this way and that It arm today, the chill of early autumn chased away by a sultry inland breeze and the enorrocery store, John’s restaurant, and Cliffside Coffee, bustling with locals and tourists Was I a local yet? I wondered how long thatCanyon caht clean s, andoh, snap There she is!