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Anger bubbled up inside ofHunter promise

"They shouldn't have made you do that It's none of their business"

"They were afraid you'd

be murdered, Celia Murdered because of me"

I said nothing and watched while he placed the basket on the stu as a dining room table He opened the basket and took out a blanket with ornate red, white, and black stitching

"Is that Russian? It looks Slavic"

"Thanks to George He bought the picnic basket and the blanket at this little Russian store in San Francisco"

"Really? There's a Russian store in San Francisco?"

"There is" Hunter took out dishes and glasses and a bottle of vodka "I wouldn't kno to fix a picnic if my life depended on it" He opened the bottle of vodka and poured two shots into the tiny crystal glasses with delicate lacy etching "Luckily, it doesn't or I'd be dead That's why I have George He, unlike s"

Hunter sat on the stu to feel his body next to mine

"So," I said as I leaned back "Tell e How is he?"

"George?" Hunter fished out a small insulated container from the picnic basket He opened it and revealed a collection of se is the kind ofall out These," he said, "are blini Little Russian pancakes"

I smiled "Yes, I know those You put caviar on them and sour cream"

Hunter glanced up at ood Salty and creamy and savory" He took out a small dish of black caviar and one filled with sour cream He fixed a blini for me and handed it to me on a napkin

"You should be drinking a shot of vodka when you eat this, to be truly Russian"