Clouds scudding across the sky. Head down, collar up, I headed for home. Tap tap, tap tap, my heels ticked along the pavement. Only when I was a few f...et from the door did I realise I was back outside the shop. The shop. Anyone watching would have seen a hesitation in my walk; but only momentary, until I was well passed the shop. Then I stopped. I can’t explain why I stopped, but I did. I looked back up the road behind me, back passed the shop; there was no one around. I took a few hesitant. “I don’t EVEN want to think about it. But you sure got Dante’s attention.”“I know.”“You are a smug bastard, you know that, right?”“Yes.”Jamie laughed and shook his head, while Deborah did her best to fight the smirk that kept threatening to break out on her face.We returned to the room and Mr. Ball had the reporter read back the question.“I met with several Alderman, including Bloom, Roti, Medrano, and others who I can’t recall now, as part of business development.”“And you have contracts with. ’ And with a wink, he was gone, his dark figure silhouetted by a thin ray of moonlight as he disappeared amongst the trees. I hesitantly followed as my hands touched my cheeks, feeling my burning skin, and realized that I would give up everything if it meant I could stay here, alone with him, for just a few more minutes. ‘Okay, everyone,’ Aunt Carolyn announced, clapping her delicate hands together, ‘Lizzie here brought her nicest blindfold, and has been kind enough to allow us to borrow it!’. There’s no way around it that I can see. Now I’dbetter hurry and get dressed or I’ll miss the firstmeeting of the conference.”“How about if Jerry moves out and I really get a girl roommate?” Crystal askedquickly as Gail made a move to leave the table. “Would you tell then?”“Well, I’d have to think about that,” Gail sighed, frowning thoughtfully. “That might beacceptable, Crystal . . . I just don’t know. Let’s talk about it again tonight, after mymeetings are over.”As soon as Gail closed the.