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I reminded ie was playing along with et the best of Alim But the fact that she wasn’t even open to it, couldn’t see the benefits… It was annoying, at best And a bit too much to bear

Toer man, around 22, when I’d had an enorer desire to hide from the cameras It was around this ti of a Casanova, yet wanted to ensure that the girls I was dating weren’t frightened by the flashing ca shoddy sports television and digging into an enorer It felt like heaven to me

Noent there at least twice a uy, an Aarettes out the sideSoet into the food, and it added to the general “greasy” quality of the place

When I entered, I realized that Angie was already there, seated at the bar Her head of thick black hair was tilted slightly as she watched a television near the top corner of the roo the ball into the net to rapturous applause

Angie seemed unmoved, and a bit out of it As I approached frolazed, al behind the bar and placed a pitcher of beer in front of her, along with two pint glasses

“Here you are,” he said, glancing over at me “Oh, hey there, Rami! I didn’t expect you today”

I shot rin “Actually, I think one of those glasses is for me”

Toie and back I could alie was just another woie tossed her hair to the side, lifting the pitcher of beer and filling her own glass The ht into the restaurant, and it made Tommy chuckle

“I alondered when you’d bring an American in here, Rairls They’re tough”

“People keep saying that, don’t they?” Angie said, giving me a side smile

The s overthem both a nod

“Good to see you” I leaned forward, giving Angie a brief kiss on the cheek She didn’t flinch, but didn’t react warmly, either Her skin was suely of hazelnuts and cream

“We’ll take the usual, then, To as she poured my drink too Behind us, the bar was completely e inme back to another time

Toers and s to ie, but she’d turned her face back toward the television, excludingI wondered if he could sense the distance between Angie and me, a distance I desperately wished didn’t exist

Chapter 9

Angie

Toone as a child, a diner in our small tohere my mom and I had swapped stories—sos

One time, snow had fallen in massive clumps while ere seated inside, and we’d had to rush back hoht up with us I still re back toward the car and clinging to ht years old

Now, the sht of the television, and even To me back to the memory I compared my carefree past withan to banter besidein that confident manner, I tried my best to act interested This—this entire charade—it was for the woman in ht to keep her alive