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“You don’t have to thankmy pulse leap And then she murmurs, “It’s my pleasure,” and it starts to pound

“I really like the way you say that word”

“What word?” she asks “It’s?”

I shake my head

“My?” she teases I narrowin a husky voice “Oh, you mean…pleasure”

“Or we could get breakfast to go,” I say, h

“Of course not Eating in is part of the fun You can’t get endless coffee refills at home, and we have many adventures to adventure today before we rest” Lark sets her cup back onto its saucer “So seriously, it’s tiet serious”

“Seriously serious?”

She nods “Yes I need your feedback to select the perfect breakfast”

“Let’s order one of everything and eat until our stoe of the table “Happiness ry”

“Happinesssto her menu on top of mine “I need your stomach intact for the next phase of my plan to make you even happier than you are already”

“Oh?” I lift an eyebrow

“Aria’s going to pick up some flank steak at the store today for—”

“Flank steak with avocado sauce,” I finish, with a foodie groan of anticipation It’s Lark’s first original recipe and was“You’re a unicorn princess Or sooddess of flame-kissed meat”

She beaured we could have a cookout at ive Melody and Aria a chance to get to know you again We can play badrass and be adorable, that sort of thing”

My enthusias the evening with Aria glaring at me across the picnic table in the March’s backyard isn’t the ined today She was civil this , but it’s obvious she still isn’t a fan

“Aria will be nice, I pro talk last night”

“A long talk about what?” I ask as the waitress stops next to our table, her pad and pen in hand

“Y’all decided?” she asks in a chipper voice