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"No, Victor A reason You’re etting kinda trippy"

"Well, steady yourself"

"Hey, what about a cappuccino?"

"Don’t you knoho your girlfriend’s acquaintances are? Don’t you talk to her?" Lauren is losing it "What’s with you-oh god, why ao"

"Wait, wait-I want to get these" I gesture toward the basket of CDs I’ot band practice but I can squeeze in a latte"

She hesitates, then isters Once there, h I moan "Spare me" but Lauren actually smiles-a smile that causes a major deja vu-and puts it on her card when she pays for her CDs and she doesn’t even say anything about paying her back

It’s so cold in Tower that everything-the air, the sounds revolving around us, the racks of CDs-feels white, snowed in People pass by, h-set fluorescent lighting that renders everyone flat and pale and washed out doesn’t affect Lauren’s skin, which looks like ivory that’s tan, and her presence-just thethe receipt-touchesabove us-"Wonderwall"-makesI really haven’t co ti hard to shake off the thought that Lauren Hynde is part of uiding her through the sidewalk crowd to the curb on Broadway She turns around and looks atti toclear I’ someone"

"Who?"

"That doesn’t matter," she says "I’m involved"

"Well, why don’t you tell me who it is?" I ask "And if it’s that twerp Baxter Priestly I’ll actually give you a thousand bucks"

"I don’t think you have a thousand bucks"

"I have a big change bowl at ho to see you"

"Coet a cafe au lait at Dean Deluca Sounds hip, huh?"