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She hustled past the panting dogs and their owners, ere seely oblivious to the serious weirdness of the st the on?”

“Vito’s having a birthday party”

“We were invited to a dog party?”

“No, I didn’t knoas happening, but when I showed up as Donna was closing up she said we could stay,” he said, before taking a bite of an extra salty fry “The thing is, we have to share a booth with Vito”

She stole one of his fries and had it halfway to herhad its own plate of fries in front of it Wait She looked closer Nope They were fry-shaped dog biscuits Vito didn’t seeh as he watched her purloined fry as if she’d snagged it from his dish

“I’ve never been to a dog’s birthday party before,” she said

“What?” Sawyer asked in mock surprise “The wo as pedestrian as a canine celebration?”

“Srowl from Vito, she popped the fry into her mouth “I don’t think he likes me”

“Maybe because he is a she” Sawyer slung his arm over the back of the booth and twisted a strand of her hair around his fingers

Without thinking about it she relaxed back into his eed there in a way she didn’t want to delve too deeply into In a feeeks she’d be on her way to Australia to help the endangered Rock Wallabies and he’d be off changing Singapore’s skyline Their paths couldn’t be any more different This was a fun diversion, ait instead of just enjoying the ood

Vito picked that rowl

“A girl, huh? That would explain it,” Clover said

“What?” he asked

“Even Vito is a candidate to be the next Mrs Carlyle” She stole another fry “God help you if your mom finds out”

“If I buy you an extra-large pineapple shake and an order of your own fries, will you keep yourher a fry