" Brody laughed. "How'd you ever survive?" "Sheer luck." They ate in silence for a while and then she helped him clear the table. "Do you know, the la...t time I was in Nate's apartment, I don’t think he had a single clean plate. The ones by the sink looked like a science experiment." She pretended to shudder. "One had tentacles, I swear." "And you solve that by never eating off of plates, right? Just out of bags and boxes?" "No, that's not true." She gave him a fake glare. "I have those plastic. To most Mena was nothing to look at but little did her employers know she was a diamond in the rough. Dave was upstairs snuggling up with the comforter when he heard the back door shut. It startled him at first, then he remembered Mena was in the house. He figured she was probably shaking the rugs or taking out the trash. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to gather his thoughts. Soon he could hear the sweet sound of a beautiful song coming from the backyard. He rose up and made his way to. The U.S. anthem was played next. The Danubians stood quietly at attention while their hosts sang. The exchange of anthems was followed by several welcoming speeches by the university president, the state governor, and the director of Burnside's economic foundation. Dukov then stepped forward and thanked his hosts in accented, but very correct English. He introduced the members of his cabinet who had accompanied him. His Minister of Finance and his Minister of Foreign Relations stood behind him,. They had no secrets from each other and this tight bond allowed Christy to seek her mother's advice on everything. When in high school Christy began telling her mother about how boys were coming on to her and her feelings toward some of them, Carly promptly put Christy on the pill. She took her and had her fitted for a diaphragm and then gave her advice on how to handle the boys. When Christy gave up her virginity at sixteen she told Carly about it and when Carly didn't react the way other.