They do it on purpose.”I said, “Why? Why in the world?”Vanessa said, “Noise makes you feel hurried; you order faster, eat faster. Those loud r...staurants can turn their tables over more quickly.”“But I go out to have fun, relax, socialize.”“That’s why I want to quiet Euforia down even more.”Gloria said, “What’s your average decibel level?”“It’s 65 to 67 most nights. The average restaurant in America is 78 or 79.”Gertie looked at me, the designated noise-dummy, “And that scale is logarithmic.. First, Mother wasn't as strung out on drugs and alcohol back then. Second, I grew up fast.I have a pretty good memory. I'm not stupid! My earliest memories are of having my own room and a small, single bed where I spent much of my time. If Mother didn't see me, she couldn't hit me. So my training to become, and to remain, invisible started at an early age.So, too, did my training to become a thief. After Mother and whatever man was currently my new 'Uncle' finished making strange noises at. Or give me ten minutes and I’ll come and wear you out.”“Cheeky cow,” I muttered, as I filled the tea kettle from the tap. Kelly just giggled. She had called me while dad drove me home after dinner, asking if it was okay for her to spend the night. Given that she slept at our house half the week and had her own room and front door key that wasn’t strictly necessary, but she would always check. I was a bit surprised, because she usually went out with friends on a Friday and her parents’ house was. "Mine's bigger."I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well real estate is probably cheaper than the Bay Area." True."Amber and I then walked hand-in-hand up the flagstone pavers to the large entryway and rang the doorbell. A second later, I thought about exactly who I was about to introduce Amber to and turned to my girlfriend. "Uh, you let me meet Cameron and shared with me a pretty intense part of your history. I just want to warn you that my own history with Paige is pretty complicated. I mean, I told.