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Not only had she gone to bed smiling but she'd actually slept. And slept well. Making peace with Brian had relaxed her and filled her dreams with rosy thoughts of a possible future.
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    She'd wanted to phone her friends, but sent text messages, instead. Maybe it was the fear of reality intruding in her amazing little fantasy bubble. Or maybe it had to do with not wanting to jinx things. Regardless, even though she wanted to fill Cat and Serena in on these new developments, she wasn't completely ready to do it.
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    Brian tugged at her heart in a way that she couldn't define. She was so aware of him physically. If he'd wanted to, his words might well have seduced her last night. She wanted to reach out and experience heaven again…but she wanted it all this time. All or nothing. No more being a captive to the memory.
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    Feminine power surged through her. And that surprised her.
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    She felt almost primal.
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    Lost in thought, the clunk of a latch and a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Someone stood at the double doors, surveying the layout of the room. So still. So silent. Waves of malevolent energy emanated from the figure. She watched him for a split second before slouching deeper into her chair. Again, she felt a flash of recognition. Was it the man she'd seen last night in the rain?
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    She stayed slumped down in her chair. Had he seen her? She heard the door open and close. Stealing a quick glance around, she realized the stranger was nowhere to be seen. It was a good thing she'd already been lounging down in her seat before the stranger had even opened the doors.
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    Had he been the man standing out in the rain last night? The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Had he seen her? Luckily, she didn't think he had. Did he realize this was Brian's seminar? She'd caught only a glimpse of him, but that was enough. The sudden chill made her sit up to look uneasily around again. A quick check of the large, shadowed room did nothing to dispel the sense of wrongness.
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    Just then the overhead lights snapped on as Mark strolled in, bringing a calming influence back into her world.
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    Relief and a sense of relaxation swept through her. "Good morning, Mark"
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    Mark started in surprise. "Good Lord! Karina, did you sleep in here? I thought I saw you and Brian go into the bar last night."
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    She flushed. Just how much did he know?
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    "I wanted to spend a few moments alone in the quiet before we start," she said, shrugging. She walked towards him, slowly stretching out her back. "Is it almost time?"
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    "Not quite. I needed to bring in today's worksheets and to check that everything is ready to go." He dropped the stacks of paper onto the table. Different sets went into different piles. "There, that'll do. All the chairs are set out. Good." He nodded, satisfied that the morning could begin. "I'm going to pick up a coffee before we begin. Do you want to come with me?"
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    "Let's go!" She walked out with him, the stranger in the shadows all but forgotten.
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    "Why are you soaked?" Susan asked a little later, as she eyed the raindrops still clinging to Karina's sweater.
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    Karina laughed. "Mark's as mad about coffee as I am. We skipped out to a little specialty coffee shop around the corner. Just look, a real mocha cappuccino to start my day."
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    Susan linked her arm through Karina's, shaking her head. "I'll always remember you for your coffee addiction."
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    "It's not that bad," Karina protested. But after a sidelong look from her friend, she admitted, "Okay, so it's bad. Speaking of which, I'd like to stay in touch after this weekend, if you're interested."
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    "Of course! I want to stay in touch! Maybe we could even get together on a weekend, too."
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    "I'd like that." Karina swiftly hugged her new friend.
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    Later that morning, the women paired up for another exercise geared toward relationship issues.
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    Susan