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“And the sewing machine?”

“I’ll see what I can do”

“Do you know anything about putting on a pageant?” Ben asked, clearly worried about my credentials

“Oh, honey, what don’t I know about pageants?”

Ethan

Kristen was in the cramped office, the books Mom always kept so meticulously spread out all over the top of the desk There was thesnown of Dad

And no sign of Lexie

I closed the door behind

“I thought you took the batteries out of that thing,” I said

“Dad put them back”

“You haven’t seen—”

“Your wife?” Kristen asked, turning to me like a cat with a mouth full of canary

I sighed and internally prepared ation, which sometimes, no matter how I answered, ended with a nipple twist “How did you find out?”

“She told irl ho you must have married…when?”

“Last Christ the United Earth deal”

“Was it a dare?” Kristen asked “Or a joke? Like, I’ets irl—”

“You don’t have to keep saying that”

“Oh, I do, Ethan I really think I do Youher a secret all this time?”

“I don’t re her,” I said

“What?” she cried “You’ve beenwith you?”

“There was tequila involved”

“Oh, well that explains soht on tequila”

“Do I need to reraduation?”

“Fine” She lifted her hand “Point taken But what are you going to do with her?”

“Do with her?” I knehat I’d like to do with her, but she’dto know her”

“Getting to know your one-night stand wife To what end?”

Oh, typical Kristen “I wouldn’t havebetween us”

“Yeah, her boobs Which are—” she lifted her eyebrows “—fabulous”