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She cackled on the other end “Oh my God, NO I DO have standards, you know”

This was the first I’d heard of them

Actually, that’s not fair Most of Shanna’s conquests tended to be fairly good-looking They just usually lacked eence, and any sort of future

“Look, I know you’re pissed, but… meet me at the Forum for a drink and let me explain”

“Explain what?” I seethed “Sellingwith?”

“No, trying to help jumpstart your career – which, by the sound of it, YOU’RE not even willing to do”

Ouch

“Fuck you”

“Come on… what do you say? The Forum, 8 o’clock? Let me buy you a drink”

I grumbled and mumbled, then said, “You can buy me two”

She laughed “And to think, this is the thanks I get for hooking you up with Rolling Stone What are you going to do if I get you a gig at Neeek?”

“Probably kill you,” I conceded,a little

“Probably The Forum, 8 o’clock, okay?”

“You’re buying”

“First round only After that, we’ll see,” she laughed

“…okay,” Iup

It was a little bit ridiculous to be angry at so Stone

For a cover article, no less

But I was bound and deter as I could

No ical it was

14

Four Years Ago

Shanna was cold as ice to aveready, though she didn’t say anything

Finally I turned around and blurted out, “I didn’t sleep with him”

“What a coincidence,” she sneered “Neither did I”

I hustled out of there as fast as possible and went to lish class

I know Shanna was pissed, and she had every right to be – but it’s not like I’d wangled a hot new boyfriend out of the deal

In fact, I was absolutely sure I would never see hiain

Not like ‘see’ as in ‘go out on a date with,’ either

‘See’ as in ‘run into around town’

I had resigned myself to that fact for many reasons

He was an incredibly good-looking guy (incredibly good-looking), in a band, cool, charis up woht