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"Hey, you know I hardly ever stayed there, especially the last few years I kneas in that neighborhood, but I had no idea it was next door to the apart! When I see hio out for drinks or we have hireat story, don’t you think?" she te Simon said you’d mentioned me to him before You are so busted"

She held up her hands in front of her "Wait, wait, wait, I had no idea he was so, well, active I never would have suggested you if I’d known he had so uy thing, I guess," she replied

I was the one to lean forward now "So tell inally frorew up in Philadelphia and only moved out here when he went to Stanford Benjamin has known him most of his life--he was really close to his dad He’s kind of watched out for Siate father, that kind of thing," she said, her face growing soft

"Was really close to his dad? Did they have a falling out or soreat friends with Simon’s dad He was the one who mentored him early in his career He was very close with the entire fa sad

"But now?" I pressed

"Sih school," she said quietly

My hand flew to my mouth "Oh no," I whispered, my heart full of sympathy for someone I barely knew

"Car accident Benjamin says they went really quickly, almost instantly," she replied

We were quiet for a hts I couldn’t even process what that must have been like for him

"So after the funeral, he stayed in Philadelphia for a while, and he and Si to school at Stanford," she continued after ahe could to help

"I can iet away fro hoould deal with so like that

"Mm-h that Benja? I think that made it easier," she added

"When did you e He’d spent some tiust he came into the city to have dinner with us Benja for a while by then, so he knew of me, but hadn’t actually met me," she said

Wow, Simon does Spain Those poor flamenco dancers--they never stood a chance

"Wein Spanish Then he told Benjah to leave me that he would be quite happy to--noas it he said?--ah, yes, he would be quite happy to war pink

I rolled h, as brash aswith Benja the kettle forward

"And that’s how I met Sireat, Caroline, all banging aside"

"Yes, banging aside," I ertips back and forth across the tops of the flowers

"I hope you get to know hiain

"Settle down there We’ve called a truce, but that’s all" I laughed, shaking ot up and started for the door "You’re very sassy for so to look severe

"Well, I’d get a lot et back to it and stop with your nonsense!" I said, looking severely back at her

She laughed and looked out to reception

"Hey, Maggie! When did I lose control of this office?" she called

"You never actually had it, Jillian!" Maggie yelled back

"Oh, gotobrilliant for the Nicholsons’ base while you were yakking away in here…" I hed "Seriously, Caroline, he’s really sweet I think you two could be great friends," she said, leaning in the doorway

What’s with everyone leaning in doorways lately?

"Well, I can always use another friend, now, can’t I?" I waved as she disappeared

Friends Friends who called a truce

"Okay, so we know the floors in the bedroo to be reclaimed, honey-toned wood, but you for sure want carpet in the closet?" I asked, settling on the couch next to Mi through her plans for alet her to see that I was not the only one ould have to co as we’d been friends, Miu-ar Little did she know Sophia and I had figured out that we only had to let her think she was getting her hich made her much more tolerable

The truth was, I always kneanted carpet in the closet--just not for the same reasons she did

"Yes, yes, yes! It has to be carpet--really thick and luxurious carpet! It will feel so good under cold toes in thein her exciteh to roht She needed to release soht Carpet in the closet But for that, you have to give me back those two feet you wanted fro shoe rack that I vetoed" I spoke carefully, wondering if she would go for it

She thought for apull froetme her hand