" Do you have any food?" I asked.Merritt grinned and nodded, pulling me into the lounge. "Come and grab a snack."I picked up a coffee and a pastry. Me...ritt linked her arm into mine, guiding us back into the corridor and out into the reception area. No one was at the reception desk, which surprised me, and we turned and walked down a couple of side hallways until we saw a crowd exiting a conference room. I gulped the rest of my coffee and finished my snack, feeling eager to find Kate. The male. “Xiomara was, is,” I admitted, “I wanted to be with a friend I had known forever, I guess.”“We’ve known each other since we were five,” Suzi retorted.“We didn’t speak to each other before we were eleven,” I replied, “And we never were friends.” “OK, yeah, Xiomara,” Suzi took a deep breath and turned to face me. She was standing tall. Since Pat had left us, Suzi now was the shortest member of our box. Water from the many showerheads steamed or ran rivulets down her skin. She was fair, not like. That only lasted until I told her I'd be going over to Mama's house to spend the evening with my parents."Kenny, they all want to see you again. How long are you planning on avoiding everybody?" Joyce, we've been getting along pretty good lately, because you've been staying inside my comfort zone. I don't feel like dealing with this now. You can hold your meeting here, if you want to, but, I won't be taking part in any of it." Kenny, that's just silly. You're the main reason everyone wants to. I suggested – nothing more strongly – that a stocktaking exercise might be worthwhile for the Education Department. The person I talked with said she liked the suggestion and would take it up with her superior.What I think is happening is that the superior strongly suspects that stock is going to be missing if such an operation takes place, and is attacking this company rather than implementing what might be a dangerous – to her – stock check."Trevor had his eyes wide open at this information,.