’ ‘Wow… Amazing.’ Maddi gave Billy’s thigh a pat. ‘So, Ali, are you, like, his friend or—’ ‘I’m his girlfriend,’ I said. ‘Oh.�...� She didn’t even attempt to hide the disappointment in her voice, but she did try to keep up her smile. I actually felt bad for her. Billy was an amazing guy, and any girl would be lucky to have him. I wanted to make her feel better, but I didn’t know what to say. I watched as she subtly took her hand off his thigh. ‘I… I’m sure he treats you well,’ she said. ‘He does,’. The Gaslight Café was a typical urban restaurant with small tables that were too close together. The décor was dark and altogether fake. Even the fern in the vase next to the cash register up front was plastic.Sitting at a table across from the window, Danny could look out over West Allendale Avenue and watch the people go past without them seeing him. He nibbled on a Danish and sipped coffee. After the lunch crowd departed, the waitress left him alone to his solitary thoughts.He had already. Now consider the wild fires burning this summer. They are burning plants whose principal components are Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, albeit in the form of grass or bush. They could be harvested and converted into energy and water. This water is formed from Hydrogen ‘locked into’ the dry plant. I recall some time in the past, the exact year eludes me now, when loggers pressed to harvest timber from the forests in the Pacific Northwest. The government, coddling the tree-huggers, refused them. Jake helped unpack before he headed down, also. He wanted to find out where Corinne lived and maybe get in a visit before supper.Sheila was talking to a couple of older gents when Jake walked into the bar. One of the old men saw Jake and crossed himself.“Saints preserve us!” he exclaimed before he could catch himself.The old man regained his composure and stuck out his hand.“Sorry, Lad, but you are the spitting image of your grandfather. Even if Rory hadn’t told me, I’d know who you are. My.