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We started walking again, but ere both sets loose while I’m around, I’ll catch him before he can murder any chickens I pro for a second that he could catch the crazy dog if it got loose

"So a

CHAPTER THREE

We got through my chores in record tiht he was bizarre…and really kind of sweet

Within short hours of h as club scene was so notout Tristan was just…fun, and I was excited for fun The candid conversation that had set us up as friends right off the bat eased any reservations Iout with someone like hie I’d adopted most of Bev’s circle of friends as est of them was thirty-two I felt co around her had just always been so good for me; so safe She was mature, and she kne to be healthy She was stable, and I needed stability I clung to it And people ed in the same sentence with stability I knew that Tristan was no exception, he likely didn’t belong in the same book with stability, but still, he was hard to resist

I was staring at ood five minutes when Bev found me It was a well-stocked closet, thanks to Bev’s frequent hand-me downs Thank God ore the same size, and I couldn’t cohtlife was pretty diverse; I could get aearing jeans, or go fully decked out, but I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to do I didn’t want to look like a slob, but I really didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard

Bev gave a brief knock on my door before she came in--her usual routine She had a black silk halter dress draped over her arnized it as one she’d worn several times before It was one of her favorites It bloused out, and banded at the hips I’d tried it on for fun once, and I kneas flattering, in fact, it was gorgeous, but uy I barely knew

Still, I coveted that dress

I bit ave ive you a free pass at anything you want in ," she told me

Just like that, she had , and way above my pay scale

"Thank you," I told her

She sreement

I showered and didthe steam from the shower smooth out any small wrinkles in the dress The top was pure silk, held at the neck with Swarovski crystals The fitted skirt was a silky looking material, but it had elastic, so it had stretch, and I could still dance in it, which was a , but I did love to dance

I eyed the way out ofit fall straight--a black waterfall down ht out ray eyes My mother was half-Russian, half-Japanese, and I supposed ah, really, since I’d never knohat the other side of that equation consisted of

I lined ray shadow onto my eyelids I was liberal with the mascara, and used a dark maroon lip stain, but that was all My skin tone didn’t need, and couldn’t handle foundation

I was still wearing just a tohen Bev breezed into the bathroom with me She and I hadn’t had privacy boundaries for years, and I only sed in onmy head as soon as I saw the jewelry box in her hand She didn’t own any cheap, costu expensive and then lost it The sad fact was I could never afford to replace even her cheapest piece of bling

She co the box to show e, pear shaped, diaht, Danika There’s no way you’d lose one, and that dress begs for diamonds"

"I can’t, Bev I just can’t And I think Ito wear a T-shirt and jeans, anyway"

"You’re wrong there I saw hi sharp"

I smirked I loved it when she went all old school on me "Sharp? Like a pencil?"

"Sharp, like dressed up, you s?"

"Black slacks and a blazer over a black T-shirt"

"Sounds a little Vegas douchy The T-shirt with a suit, I mean And isn’t it a little hot for that?"

She shrugged "Wait until you see him Call it whatever you want, but he looks edible"

I laughed "I can’t believe you’re encouragingyou about it Hell, she’ll harass us both"

Bev pursed her lips, and I grinned, knowing that she was going to go into Lucy mode She did a spot-on impression of our psychiatrist friend, Lucy

"Juht into another is a symptom of your love addiction, Danika," she said, her voice pitched low

I sighed "He really is just a friend, no funny business at all, but I doubt she’d believe that if she got a look at him"