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“Because I slept with George, the first time ent out That’s how”

Laurel sank down on the edge of a stool “You did?”

“I did And I’d never done anything like it before”

“Well, then, why did you, that time?”

Susie smiled “Who knows? Hormones? Destiny? It happened, that’s all”

Laurel’s s for the soaps”

“Mostly, though, I did it because ured out George and I were soul mates”

“Yeah, well, I don’t have any such excuse Damian Skouras and I are definitely not soul mates I did what I did, and now I have to live with it”

“The bastard!”

Laurel laughed “A o, he was Adonis Or was it Apollo?”

“A e of you and then done the ”

“Trust e of ”

Susie plucked the re Mallomar fro, anyway ‘Wham, bam, thank you ma’am—and maybe I’ll call you sometime’”

Laurel stared at her friend Then she rose, yanked a piece of paper towel froan to rub briskly at the countertop

“I told him not to call”

“What?”

“You heard ain I told him it was out of the question, that I wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship”

“You and Dareat and you told hiain?”

“I didn’t say that”

“That it wasn’t great? Or that you never wanted to see hiain?”

Laurel stared at Susie, and then she dropped her gaze and turned to the sink

“What’s your point?” she said, plunging her hands into the water

“It’s your point I’ure out here, uy and then tell him to hit the road?”

“I didn’t ‘make love’ with him,” Laurel said sharply “I slept with him”

“Se

“No, it’s e was different You loved him”

“Still do,” Susie said, with a little smile

“Well, I didn’t love Daotistical, super-macho SOB”

“Sigh,” Susie said, rolling her eyes

Laurel laughed “The point is, he’s not my type”

“Nobody’s your type Naiven more than a quick hello and I’ll eat whatever it is you think you’re gonna make out of that poor overbeaten, overkneaded, overpounded sourdough”

“And I’ to rise to the bait She shut off the water, dried her hands on a dish towel and turned around “That’s the sum, total and end of it, so—so”

Susie had just taken a bite of the Mallomar A smear of dark chocolate and marshmallow festooned her upper lip

“You only think so, babe I saw the way you guys looked at each other”

Laurel sed hard “There’s a—a se of chocolate on your mouth, Suze”

“Yeah?” Susie scrubbed a finger over her lip “Did I get it?”

“Most of it There’s still a little bit” Laurel’s stomach rose slowly into her throat “That’s it,” she said weakly “You’ve got it now” She turned away and wrapped her hands around the ri until her stoed

“Laurel? You all right?”