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“Are you recognized everywhere?”

He shrugged again “Soe I’ve never heard co”

She checked the timer, then used a spatula to take cookies off the sheet “I have a friend—Felicia She’s supers She talks about how despite how technology has changed us, we are, at heart, still primitive people We react to fear the sa to eat us She says that it’s ie That being connected to the power h to eat”

She put down the spatula “The need to be close to that powerful person hasn’t changed, but because we don’t have a village in the saiance to celebrities We want to be close to thehed “I’”

“No, you’re not I get what you’re saying That happens to me a lot People think they know me because they know ood friends”

Or the woh she appreciated that he didn’t bring up that one

“But they don’t know anything about me,” he continued “What they see on the screen isn’t real I’uy”

“A good guy,” she said before she could stop herself

He s ”

She laughed “Does the dark side have a cape? Because that would be really cool”

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly Madeline checked in with Isabel, who teased her about being snowed in and prona for dinner and was pleased that her rolls turned out Jonny opened a bottle of wine for them from his cellar At about seven-thirty the poent out They sat in the dark for twenty seconds, then the generator kicked in and the lights were restored

After cleaning the kitchen, they took a plate of her cookies and headed for the media room

“I’m very excited,” she admitted as they walked down the hallway “Do you have your awards on display?”

“No awards,” he told her, leading the way through a double door and flipping on lights

“I know you’ve won so,” she insisted “I read about it somewhere”