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The clattering sound startled Kate She realized shed been staring at the clock again "Yeah, well, your singing sucks "

Tully laughed at that "Everyone has so they cant do " She put her pal to the Backstage tonight Junior Cadillac is playing You want to come?"

"Not tonight "

Tully eyed her "What in the hell is wrong with you? Youve been —I hear you up walking around in thewith the Elephant Man "

Kate couldnt help glancing at Johnnys door and then up at her friend Longing welled up inside her, sharp and strong; if only she could tell Tully the truth: that shed accidentally fallen in love with Johnny and now she orried about him It would take such a load off of her In ten years, this was the first thing shed ever hidden from Tully and it physically hurt to conceal it

But her feelings for Johnny were so fragile; she knew that Tropical Storm Tully would rain all over them, ruin them

"I is hard work Thats all "

"But you love it, dont you?"

"Sure Its great Now go on, ered in the dark, quiet office The strange thing was, she liked being here; she felt close to him

"Youre an idiot," she said aloud Truthfully, she said it to herself at least twice a day lately She was acting like—felt like—a left-behind lover, but it was all in her iotten that

She went home by herself The bus dropped her off at the corner of Pike and Pine Amid the colorful crowd of tourists and weirdos and hippies, she picked up some food for dinner Back in her apartment, she curled up on the couch, ate her dinner out of white cardboard containers, and watched the nightly news Afterward, she made some notes on story ideas, called her mom, then turned the channel to NBC for Dynasty and St Elsewhere

Halfway through the

Frowning, she went to the door "Who is it?"

"Johnny Ryan "

The jolt Kate felt almost knocked her off her feet Relief Joy Fear She experienced all three emotions in a heartbeat of time