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Jack did have a free pass to Albert’s club He had spent part of a day helping Albert set up the sound system—easy work—and had earned a sort of VIP pass So if Brianna was there, and she actually did want hio

He made the decision very suddenly and acted on it very suddenly, in a hurry lest he change his mind He leaped for the door and crushed the door handle in overeager fingers Noouldn’t turn, but it was easy enough to rip the door open There was so major

The club was loud—the sound

syste just fine—and croith tooa line of them at the door

“Sorry, folks, but the maximum occupancy is seventy-five,” Albert said Then he spotted Jack “Jack, how’s it going?”

“What? Oh, fine” Jack was confused as to how to proceed He didn’t want to wait in line if Brianna wasn’t even inside

“You look like a man with a question,” Albert prompted

“Well, I’ You wouldn’t understand”

“Breeze is already inside”

One of the kids in the line said, “Of course she is, she’s a freak They always get in”

A second kid nodded “Yeah, the freaks don’t wait in lines Bet she didn’t have to pay, either”

Albert said, “Hey, she got here a little before you guys did and she waited And she paid” Then to Jack “Go ahead in”

“See?” the first kid crowed “He’s one, too”

“Dude, he set up my sound system,” Albert said “What have you done for me other than stand here and bust on me?”

Jack, embarrassed, slid past Albert and into the roo The rest were ca It took Jack a while to adjust to the lighting and the noise