CentaursandLovers06

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later, a service, station. fast, a adrenaline.

9 |% Y0 i5 F$ z% Q5 W6 \"Slow down," said. up.

) j6 U! t$ a4 O! G2 `; ?- p6 O"Service over. You're restocking, serving. pace." a second. a breath. hadn't she'd it. wasn't people. a floor, required, it. touching. A ear. it. didn't away. hands.
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"How it?" said, up.

/ }7 t/ `$ s& F: ~+ u"Do what?"

% Q# ^5 M/ \# n2 Y"All it." required, occupied. "Stay level. " stopped. again, tightened, go.

"I I " didn't either. quiet, a it. hall, bussed, it, closer, Nichole's breathing. Angela's face.

4 ~) i3 \1 k! w; L2 o* g4 L"Does easier?" didn't immediately. a Nichole's floor, swallowed.
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* A5 D$ F/ x- ~  P2 Q# S4 F"You it," finally. "That's thing." laughed, tired, inch. "That's helpful. Somehow."

8 K4 s4 f1 a5 P! R* W+ k"Good." out. it. anyway, briefly, linen. first.

. C) C: n4 a2 Y7 I/ j* `"Fold these," said, shelf, start.

) N: ?% {! N2 Q6 K*** a service, competence. her. didn't so. a a said: I coming, I it, you're welcome, respond. months. corridor.
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"Thank you," said. shrugged. "You it."

# \( O1 k. A( k$ O7 D: J"That's point." a recognition. "Okay," said. "You're welcome."

***

: L: n+ Q7 R; _; z4 {. y+ E# s! JOnce, December, out. night, coats, a midnight. said: "Can I something?"
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"Yes."
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2 a/ \- c, O; S"How here? Alderton."

"Long enough."
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* l! j8 D0 r9 a! H9 {: M"Is " paused. "Is enough? you?" street. a question, agenda.
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"I don't yet," said. slowly. "You be," said. "Enough, I mean. manageable." her. smiled, it. "Sorry. shift."

"Don't apologize," said. it. didn't meant. wasn't car.

*** seven. unhurried, evening. woman's attention. that, time. up. outside, a her. service, station. her, weren't linen. a said, "There a earlier. service. I " stopped. napkin, it, palm.

, e4 q/ g0 |5 P+ S* P"I didn't it." shakers. Didn't yet. "What do?"
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% J  I. y. ]3 }* H0 O"I away."

$ p- P* M7 W! {2 x8 W"Then knew." this, consideration happen.
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9 n+ V1 c3 X% T" S# v* J4 Y"I I wanted," said. "I didn't meant." salt. A answered, why.
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2 n8 E7 `( |! o* O"Those thing," said. "His response." twice, she'd it. "Can I something?"

3 }, ]5 e4 I1 E4 ~"You ask."
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"Why kiss?" Angela, tell. "I what's it? getting?" a required.

2 V+ N/ E0 r7 {: s' B"That's question," said. waited. She'd now.

"When I I " she'd intended. "It's I'm getting. that. A first. small." over, to, Nichole's night, spot. "Your shoulder. arm. Here." didn't yet. "And watch." didn't back. changed. Angela's fingers, quick.
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  t$ Z: d# J6 f" T2 O"If back," said, "that's answer." didn't hand.

6 n% G# a9 w9 U0 f# O* j) r"If don't " there, unfinished, unfinished, a all. hall. first. counter, wouldn't spill.
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"That's a answer," said, hadn't it. "You closer."
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Nichole's voice, came, before. "And then?"

"And you're you're getting." again, hand. "You're you're sharing. it's you." down. "The reciprocity. That's point." a moment. up, weren't steady, needed.
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"And isn't," said. her.
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"You like," said.

"Yes," said. "From direction." a moment. a hadn't before.

"Angela." name. it, it, it. was. months, moment. Renard's up. them, wrote, she'd April. it, clearly, a a half, forward, distance, direction. kiss, happened, wasn't was. Nicole's Angela's chest, person. surprised, hadn't a work, anywhere. didn't long. apart, Nichole's Angela's a second, they'd heavy.
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"That's a answer," quietly, them. "Is it?"
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0 r+ _% a+ o; v) I/ s9 E"No," said. "That's one." again. hall, a scraped, loud. first. she'd twice.

! ^$ `8 ?3 j+ r; v2 F# Z# x! x2 }! w"Go home," said. felt, was, thought, a a habit, a difference. didn't away. coat.

! N$ p" s$ ]4 X; i3 D7 P"Angela."

+ e9 s+ b: R7 A6 i( w$ r"Don't," said. "Not tonight. home." second, couldn't read. left. a after, hand, anything.

*** didn't her. arranged, promised't a a conversation. week, arranging, it, fewer. noticed. back, a Angela, to, easily, it. something. spoke, a didn't yet.

2 \+ x  o& U" O; b% I"Hey," said.

"Hey." exchange. went. Thursday, reasons. section, well, , "excuse me" a all, didn't know. best. her, a write, a file, a didn't this. didn't didn't again. looked, didn't closely, professionalism.

Friday, service, time, together, a anyway, didn't restocking, happened, wasn't herself. didn't come. hadn't a ago, else's dark, wasn't. A time. a she'd else's own. A "oh, that's nice", delighted, a remembering, happening, a distance, watching, take. end. anyway. surprised, afterward, away, concluded, a satisfied, a once. didn't way. a folded, wait. instead, hall, easy, unguarded, a it, hadn't hadn't she'd was, else. again. herself, again, best, home, her. Saturday, yesterday's blouse.

*** 8:14 Alderton's lounge, happened. she'd yesterday. yesterday. a up, entrance. was, always, beautiful. a visible, recognizable, a it. seconds.

"Is " began.

1 J+ r0 Y4 y% L" G$ N/ I4 w3 ~"It is," Cara.

"Nichole." Marcus, hotel's year. "Big night?" shifted. it. Marcus, there. she'd before. room. tablecloth. happened. to, afterward, fine. locker. seven, she'd for. nothing. worse. Nichole's waiting. a else. stop. section. shift. it. service, way. morning. morning. , kind, both, reasons, alone. said: "She's good, know. Nichole."

"I know," said.
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"Going good."
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"Yes." then, briefly. evening, couldn't read, didn't about. left. a moment. she'd man. it. didn't way, asked, now. light.

- Q9 n0 \/ j8 H* ^+ \9 v*** corridor.
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- W! S& g2 q; a- q% n' w4 f( L"You right?"

"I'm fine." Flat. fine, before, moments, a a Friday.

"I didn't yesterday. lounge." ahead. "I worse. true." quiet. "What part?"

"I didn't me." corridor. footsteps. to. said: "At that." wasn't wasn't bitterness. either. so.

$ y, o( Y- ]% C! _"Doesn't better," said.

7 D7 G. x( I6 n* O1 O" E4 e. R"No," agreed. "But it's something." it. way. acknowledgment, excess, her. directly. months, everything, a it. afterward. been, Nichole, clearly, room, flinching. safe. Angela's protection. discovered, 8:14 morning, wasn't. entirely, other, here. didn't this. was, always, it.
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, i  x9 U* C4 V- G  c5 r& ]+ x*** a times, cordial, handled. hadn't genuinely, alone. she'd service. who'd on. recalibrating. a she'd thought, it. honest. She'd honest. didn't later. then. phone, down. unrelated. wasn't unrelated. pocket. desk.
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