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I sipthe news After ten hly depressed and shut the laptop down I stand fronore my puzzle, which is what I really want to do, and head into my kitchen for another cup of coffee Halfway there, I'm frozen by a knock on my door

Without knowing for sure, I just know it's Reed I've got no close friends here ould just stop by, and I know none of the other neighbors Unless it's soated community, so there are no unwanted solicitors

I setarea My town ho and narrow Theinto a kitchen with a powder room to the side Upstairs there are two bedrooms, one on the front and one on the back Downstairs is a bonus rooo down there I prefer to sit at my kitchen table or my couch with my laptop if I have to catch up on reports or respond to emails

Going toin, I put my eye to the peephole

Yup Hot, char hockey player on the other side

So da fireworks available to saw puzzle, which orked on for about half an hour before large yawns caused him to chase me out of his house

After a deep breath, I open the door and give hihbor"

"Morning," he says with an answering sht past me into my house

"Come on in," I mutter, but secretly I have to say this is a nice surprise

Reed chuckles as he walks right throughroom and into the kitchen I watch be and pours himself a cup of coffee

"Creae," I say as I walk in behind hi

"Just black," he says, and blows over the top of the liquid He takes a srunt of what I think is appreciation

I take ainst the counter and take a tiny sip ofbetter to do than bug me?"

Reed grins "Well, I had a date with Porn Star Barbie today, but just wasn't feeling it"

My nose wrinkles "E"

"Just kidding," he says with a laugh "It was actually Catholic School Girl Barbie, but frankly, knee socks and those dorky little black shoes really aren't "

I s about all of it Clearly, this Barbie thing is going to be a running joke between ususfriends? Buds? Neighbors?

I give a small mental shake of my head

Friends We are definitely friends Night before last we ate pizza and joked around while working on a puzzle We did what people typically do when getting to know each other Talked about our farounds were very similar

Both of us are from fairly affluent families My dad's a doctor, his is a lawyer I have a sister, he has a brother, but our extended faalore

It was an easygoing night, and as I alking back home, exhausted and ready for a shower and bed, I realized that it had all been so natural and easy There was no aardness, and conversation wasn't stilted Perhaps because there was no expectation that it was anything more than pizza, fireworks, and puzzles, but I spent maybe a little over an hour there with hi time

It's a solid basis for a friendship, I decide, and that's good enough for me Besides, what else would it be? As much as we joke about it, Reed definitely has a type, and I'm not it And let's be real, he's not o for the intellectual type, although that's not to say Reed is dumb I found him to be very smart, but I'm not sure he'll ever be the kind to discuss whether or not e perceive is reality or just a construct of our minds

"You ready to go?" Reed asks, and I start blinking rapidly to focus in on him

"Huh?"

"We got places to go," he says nonchalantly "I see you're already dressed and ready, so let's go"

I shake ain "I'ot about?"

"It's called spontaneity, Doc," he replies with a grin "It's your day off, so let's go do so spontaneous"

"Like what?" I ask suspiciously

"Like whatever ant," he replies as if that was the dumbest question in the world "But I do have one place I need to stop by first You're not allergic to dogs, are you?"

"No," I say hesitantly, wondering what I'saw puzzle before looking back to Reed

"Good That will make it infinitely more enjoyable to you"

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