Jay stood behind me with his belt raised as I anticipated the first blow, unable to do anything but think of its impeding arrival. The solid rock bene...th me gave me a tangible link to the earth and I gripped it tightly as I heard the sweeping swoosh of the leather cutting through the air, a short sound drawn out in my mind as if I were at the epicentre of the spinning world slowed by my consciousness. The burning fiery line of pain bit across my back and I gasped, sucking in a taste of the age. Choi."Mr. Choi and I both know that if only one plane goes down every five years because of poor maintenance, the financial damages—even after insurance—and the loss of reputation would overwhelm any price difference between my company and the cheapest one he could find. So the only encouragement I received that we might get the contract was that after I told that story, I finally got Mr. Choi to laugh."The plane continued to circle, and Jill and I continued to talk. After a couple of hours I. It was a feast for all, breadsticks included, and even a fine salad that I caused to appear for our shared benefit.We ate for what seemed like a glorious eternity, all of us being rather hungry in spite of certain of us being supernatural, but it didn’t stop us from talking at all. In fact, we conversed quite a bit, helped along in no small measure by the wine and beer, or was that beer and wine? The fact that nearly all of us had been physically intimate with each other didn’t hurt, and we all. They stared at one another and then she continued walking with her friends towards the back. Those same green eyes....she wanted to go talk to her. Knew it was a bad idea. The ball was in her court, no pun intended. She knew where she lived, could have come too see her. It obviously wasn't something she wanted, whatever it was that was between them. For the first time in her life, she cared. She sighed. She couldn't do anything about the girl not wanting her. If she didn't, she didn't. So for.