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horrible cook.”
    “Still your compliments, madam,” Lee grumbles. “Lest I perish of the flattery.”
    Jen shoots me a pleading look, like she doesn’t want to be the only one there. My stomach gives a hungry rolling gurgle, and I blush harder. Grace laughs.
    “I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s go.”
    Jen and Grace walk ahead of us on the dark sidewalk, streetlamps dousing them in amber light before they’re swallowed up by darkness again. They laugh and lean on each other, Grace mock-punching Jen when Jen says something sarcastic. I lag behind with Lee, making sure to stay a few steps behind him so he’s in my sight at all times. After that sleep-kiss I can’t rely on him to be anything but sneaky.
    I touch my lips every so often.
    “Afraid they melted off?” Lee asks. I jump. He’s walking backwards to look at me.
    “Don’t be stupid,” I snap.
    “I am. Stupid. And also a pervert. I’ve been told it’s part of my charm.”
    I roll my eyes. He stumbles on a curb and I lunge out instinctively to grab his flailing hand. I hold him up for a split second, his eyes amused and mine wide, and then let go. He hits the road butt-first, groaning. Jen and Grace look behind at us, laugh, and keep walking.
    “What was that? Afraid I might hurt myself?” He winces and stands. “I figured you for the motherly type.”
    “I’m not motherly! I was just trying to –” I splutter, searching for the right words to express the slow-burning rage that’s been boiling in me since we met. “Don’t just jump to conclusions about people before you know them.”
    “I know you.” Lee grins.
    “Funny. But no. You don’t.”
    He leans in, as if to kiss me again. But instead he takes in my face. The gold of his eyes catches in the streetlights.
    “You don’t remember, do you?” He asks.
    “Remember what?”
    He stares at me a moment longer, searching for something, and then pulls away.
    “Nevermind. You’ll figure it out. Or you won’t. And that’ll break my heart again.”
    Again? I frown and jog to catch up with his long strides. “What do you mean, again ?”
    “I’m not saying anything.” He shrugs. “I won’t bind you to me with old memories and should-have-beens.”
    Ahead of us, Grace and Jen wave us over to the front door of Grace’s apartment building. My mouth almost drops open – the lobby is tiny, but has marble floors and shiny elevators. We take one up to the fifth floor. The halls are carpeted in a rich red. It’s almost like a hotel instead of an apartment building. Grace fumbles with her keys and Jen helps her with the right one, opening the door. Grace tells us to take off our shoes and feels around for a light switch.
    “Ow! That was my boob!” Jen growls.
    “Sorry, sorry!” Grace giggles, and flips the lights. Hardwood floors shine up at me, with a few scattered throw rugs. The lights are embedded in the ceiling and shed soft luminance on the marble countertops and white leather furniture. Jen whistles.
    “You’ve done some redecorating since I’ve last been here.”
    “Yup. Had to make room for Lee,” Grace says.
    Lee grunts and heads to the kitchen. He starts stacking dirty plates and brings out a cutting board. Grace flops on the couch and kicks her heels off. Jen ducks into the bathroom. Feeling a little awkward, I settle on a kitchen barstool. Lee pours a glass of water and hands it to me without asking. I frown, but am grateful for it.
    “So, Rose,” Grace sits up. “You model, right?”
    I spit water on the counter. Lee chuckles and throws me the roll of paper towels. I clean the water slowly, painfully embarrassed.
    “Sorry,” I start. “No, I’m not a model. And I never will be.”
    “You could be, if you wanted to.” Grace looks me over. “Here, stand up.”
    She walks to me and holds my arms up, uses her fingers to measure the length of my legs. She puts her hands around my waist and nods.
    “You’re just a little bigger than my own measurements. Plus