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Hewhile I watched And resisted the desire to gnaw on my lip or my nails My stomach stayed hunkered down around my knees, all twisted up

When I couldn’t take the silence any longer, I said, “Look, A down since the lobby had been destroyed, and maybe that’s because it’ll never be the same I oing to be exactly the same I had to order specially crafted fixtures, but they’re very si I swear I wouldn’t put a trash receptacle on that property if it wasn’t the inable You know I’d never—”

“Ari” He held up his hand, effectively cutting me off His tone had done that just as well “You’re rebuilding the Lux?”

“Yes”

“My hotel?”

“Yes”

“You?”

“Well” I let out a nervous laugh “Notreh the people I rehired haven’t already connected Part A to Part B and so on Even better, it was deter is structurally sound I have certification for it We’re currently rebuilding the center section No s, but at least we don’t have to—”

“Ari” Again with the hand “You’re rebuilding my hotel?”

“Alish?” I inquired, a bit perplexed

“Our hotel,” heour hotel”

“You did ave me half of the Lux,” I re happened to you And for a while, I did think so had happened to you, so—”

“You are unbelievable”

I gazed at hih his ood sense … or the bad sense?”

“Baby” He grinned, yet his eyes burned with a different eht, but … awe “You never cease to amaze me”