CHAPTER SIX

knock at the door signaled the anchorwoman that it was time for Aher appearance. Kate reached out a hand to Jay, who remained sitting. “Come with me?” she questioned. “You can stand behind the camera and make faces at me if you want. I imagine that kind of torture might appeal to you.”

“Why, Ms. Kyle, whatever would make you think I was that kind of girl?” Her friend smiled wickedly.

The two women accompanied a program assistant to the set, standing silently just beyond the fake living room and out of sight of the cameras until the next commercial break. As the red light on the television camera clicked off, a woman easily recognizable to both Kate and Jay got up off the couch on the set and walked towards them. She extended her hand as she reached them. “Ms. Kyle, I’m Wanda Nelson, I’m guest hosting today.”

As if she needed an introduction, Jay thought. She’s only one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood, and she has a fabulous mind.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nelson,” Kate responded. Turning to her companion, she added, “This is a very dear friend of mine, Ms.

Jamison Parker. I hope you don’t mind her standing in the wings?”

“No, that’s just fine. It’s nice to meet you Ms. Parker. Haven’t I read your byline in Time magazine? My husband Ted and I love your writing.”

The writer was floored. Wanda Nelson and Ted Graham, the famous presidential biographer, read her stories? “I’m flattered, Ms. Nelson.

Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”

A disembodied voice called out, “Thirty seconds, people.” Wanda did not appear even to have heard, though Jay knew she must have.

“Clint,” she called to an assistant, “please get Ms. Parker a cup of fresh coffee and show her where to stand to get the best view, will you?”

To the anchorwoman, she said, “Won’t you come with me?” As Kate 57

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followed alongside her, the Today Show guest co-host said, “That was fantastic work you did yesterday. Very courageous.”

“Thank you, Ms. Nelson.”

“Please, call me Wanda.”

They sat down and yet another assistant attached a lavaliere microphone to the inside of Kate’s jacket lapel. The disembodied voice called out, “Five, four, three, two, one, and cue the music.” The Today Show theme music played and the camera panned in on Wanda.

“Good morning, and welcome back to Today on NBC. With us this morning is journalist Katherine Kyle of NBC affiliate WCAP-TV in Albany, New York. Many of you will recognize Ms. Kyle’s face if you were paying any attention whatsoever to the news yesterday...” The co-host went on to recap Kate’s role in the incident at the capitol, replaying taped footage of her first report, followed by images of her running back into the building after the second explosion and shots of her helping to rescue and comfort the wounded.

When the studio camera went live again, the shot had been widened to include both the show’s co-host and her guest: a classic two shot.

Wanda asked Kate, “What was going through your mind when you turned around and ran toward the capitol building after the second explosion? Everyone else was running in the opposite direction.”

The anchorwoman looked at her interviewer, managing to face directly into the camera at the same time. “I was thinking that there was human suffering.” She leaned forward slightly. “I believe strongly that there’s a time when it’s more vital to be a human being than it is to be a journalist.” Kate’s eyes conveyed her earnestness.

“Weren’t you concerned about compromising your objectivity?”

“It was important first of all to be a human being. Second, I would hope that viewers didn’t feel that they had gotten cheated, that they didn’t get the story they should have gotten. To me the real story here was that in a world where such cruel and senseless violence exists, there is also compassion and the triumph of the human spirit over terror. I tried very hard to capture that essence in my coverage. And if I helped a few people and eased a little suffering along the way, so much the better.” Kate smiled an ironic smile at Wanda. “Did I break the rules of professional distance? Perhaps. I would hope the viewers didn’t mind too much.” She winked.

Several more minutes of gentle questions ensued, then the segment was over, guest and interviewer standing and shaking hands. “Thank you for what you did yesterday, Ms. Kyle. In my opinion you gave all journalists a good name.”

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executive reading ‘Q’ numbers on a sheet of paper,” Kate said, referring to the polling data rating a celebrity’s popularity with the viewers.

“It might surprise you to know, Ms. Kyle, that I’ve already seen yesterday’s numbers. You outscored the president of the United States and me and my husband combined.” She smiled. “Congratulations and good luck.”

“Thanks,” Kate answered, turning and heading from the set.

When she and Jay were settled in the limousine once again, Kate turned to her friend. “How did I do?”

Looking at her with something akin to awe Jay said, “First of all, the camera and you are clearly having a love affair.”

The tall woman blushed.

“Secondly, today you made me exceedingly proud to wear the title of journalist. You were phenomenal.”

“Thanks, Jay.” Kate was plainly embarrassed by the compliment.

The interviews by the other two networks were equally smooth, and, as they walked down the corridor at ABC’s Good Morning America headquarters near Lincoln Center, Kate reached in her pocket for her watch. She had been unable to wear it because of the stitches and the bandages, but she hated to be without one. It was not even 8:30 in the morning yet.

She looked over at the small blonde, who appeared to be fairly wide awake, considering that neither of them had gotten more than two and a half hours sleep in the last twenty-four. “I can’t tell you what it’s meant to me to have you here with me through all of this, Jay. You’ve really been a trouper.”

The writer’s eyes danced. “I would hardly classify the past eight hours as a hardship, Kate. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m so glad I found you.”

“You must be exhausted. I’d love to take you out to breakfast, but I don’t want to monopolize your time or keep you from a well-deserved nap.”

“Kate, I’ve never turned down a good meal in my life,” she laughed lightly, “and I’m not about to start now, especially with such enjoyable company,” she added shyly. “I’d love to have breakfast with you. I know a great place in midtown that makes the most incredible waffles.”

“Is it a casual place? I’m dying to get out of this suit and back into my jeans.”

“You bet.”

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“I’ll just change here then. I won’t be a sec.”

True to her word, the older woman was back in very short order. She had gone out to the limousine, retrieved her jeans and t-shirt, and told the driver that they would be going to midtown.

Kate and Jay sat across from each other in a corner booth, enjoying their first real opportunity to spend time together without any distractions. There were so many things they each wanted to know about the other.

At the same time, they both began, “So, tell me...” They laughed.

Kate gestured to her companion. “You go first.”

“Okay. Where do you come from? What was your major when we were at school? How did you end up in Albany as a news anchor? How many kids are there in your family? What’s your favorite pastime? And who’s your favorite author?”

Kate, whose eyes had gone round, laughed. “Is that all you want to know?”

“Nope, but I figure it’s a good place to start,” Jay answered playfully.

Her curiosity about the beautiful woman was very real. Heaven knew she’d been thinking about her long enough.

“Okay, let’s see. One: I come from a suburb about 25 miles north of where we’re sitting right now.”

Jay jumped in. “This is your hometown?!”

“Close enough, and I thought I was going to answer all of your questions just the way you asked them—in rapid succession.”

The younger woman covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. But you don’t have an accent.”

“Thank God,” Kate rolled her eyes. “Can I keep going now?”

Afraid to open her mouth again, Jay just nodded.

Her companion smiled triumphantly. “Two: I was an American History major with a Psychology minor. Three: Like most great things in life, it was an accident. Four:...”

Jay started to ask exactly what that meant, but her jaw clicked shut at the raised eyebrow she received.

“Four,” Kate continued with a smirk, “I’m an only child. Five: That’s a tough one. There are many things I enjoy doing, depending on my mood or the weather or the amount of time I have. Let’s see...sitting in front of the fireplace in my library on a snowy night with a great book and Fred by my side; hiking in the mountains with Fred on a beautiful, clear day; playing tennis against a quality player; exercise; traveling to explore new places or to visit favorite ones; sitting quietly by the ocean 60

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or a peaceful lake. And six: Charles Dickens and Edith Wharton. Sorry, that one’s a toss-up.”

Jay was soaking in all of the information like a sponge. She was amazed at how much they had in common.

“Now you know everything there is to know about me.”

“Hardly,” Jay blurted without thought. She was fascinated by Kate and doubted that she could ever know enough.

“Your turn,” the anchorwoman perked up. “Only I’m going to ask my questions one at a time and reserve the right to follow up.”

Jay rolled her eyes. “Were you a lawyer in your last life or something?”

“Ahem,” her friend continued, undeterred. “Where are you from originally? I know you’re not from around here.”

“What makes you so sure?” Jay’s eyes narrowed.

Kate just gave her a look that said, “What, do you think I’m stupid?”

“Okay, okay,” the blonde relented. “I’m from Phoenix. Scottsdale, really.”

“Hmm, I love that part of the country; Sedona in particular, but I’ve climbed Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale many times and had more than my share of ice cream at the Sugar Bowl.”

Jay was surprised that her companion knew the area so well.

“Does your family still live there?” The dark-haired woman noticed her friend tense minutely. Interesting.

Jay did not meet Kate’s eyes, although she knew the older woman was looking at her. “No. They moved a little further south to Tucson a few years back.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“I had a younger sister, but she was killed in a car crash when I was eight.”

“I’m sorry, Jay.” Reaching out, Kate touched the back of her hand.

“It’s okay. It happened a very long time ago.”

Changing the subject, Kate ventured, “I know that you wrote for the college newspaper, and that you played lacrosse...”

Jay’s head jerked up in surprise. “You do?”

“Yes. Geez, what kind of reporter would I be if I couldn’t at least find out the basics?”

Well, she has a point there, Jay thought. Unless you were Jay and you had wanted to keep someone a mystery. She knew she could have found out her companion’s name in college if she had wanted to, but she didn’t figure she would ever really get a chance to know her, the mysterious stranger was so far out of her league, and she preferred to use her imagination to fill in her heroine’s life story. Now there she was sitting across from her, completely entranced, and finding the truth far more 61

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interesting than anything she had dreamed up. She never would have thought this moment possible.

Kate’s voice startled her out of her reverie. “What was your major?”

“Uh, American Literature with a minor in Political Science.”

“What did you think you wanted to do with your life?”

Jay didn’t hesitate. “I wanted to be an author.”

“What kind of books did you want to write and do you write now?

Other than magazine articles, I mean.”

“I wanted to chronicle the human condition. You know, write the next great American novel.” The younger woman shook her head self-deprecatingly. “And yes, I still write for pleasure from time to time. I haven’t had anything published yet, though.”

“You will.”

It was said with such confidence, Jay wondered how she could know that. The question must have shown in her face, because Kate went on, “I have a really good feeling about that. And besides, I’ve read all of your articles.” She looked down at the table, embarrassed by her admission.

The writer’s face turned beet red. “You have? You didn’t say anything.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was some sort of deranged fan or something. Your work is really excellent; I love your writing style, the humanity just shines through.”

Jay was at a complete loss. She didn’t know what to say and didn’t trust her voice just then, anyway. After a moment to compose herself, she said, “I think that writing is a product of one’s own life experience,”

surprising herself with the admission. She hadn’t meant to reveal that much.

Kate gathered as much and proceeded carefully, feeling her way.

“Jamison is an interesting name. Where did it come from?”

Squirming in her seat, Jay began picking at a napkin and watching the shredding process with seeming fascination. “My father wanted a boy.

He got me.” When her companion didn’t say anything, she grudgingly added, “Just one of many disappointments, I guess. We don’t keep in touch much.”

Kate thought back to their first verbal encounter on the ski slope. The young co-ed had said there was no one to notify when she had asked her about her parents. The older woman knew that there had to be much more to the story, and she hoped beyond hope that her new friend would share it with her. But she wanted it to be Jay’s choice, not because she pushed. So she tried a different tactic and addressed something that had been bothering her for five years.

“You know, Jay,” she started softly, “I really wanted to come and see you after that incident on campus. I was terribly worried about you.”

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Reaching out, she grasped the blonde’s hand and held it in her larger ones. “But I wasn’t sure that seeing me would have been such a great idea for you. I was afraid I would just be a reminder of what had happened, and I didn’t want to make things worse for you. I hope you never thought I didn’t care, because I did. Very much.” She let her friend’s hand go. She hadn’t been able to bear the thought that Jay would think her well-being didn’t matter to her.

Jay could hear the self-recrimination in her companion’s voice and was surprised to look up and see unshed tears in those beautiful blue eyes.

In fact, Kate had kept very close tabs on Jay ever since that night. At first, she had prevailed upon Jen, the EMT, to find out Jay’s condition that night and the next day after she had left her at the hospital. Jen had told her that the rape counselor who had been with the small blonde that night had recommended a therapist who specialized in sexual abuse issues. Ethically, the counselor couldn’t reveal more than that.

Having seen Jay’s byline in the school newspaper, Kate knew that her good friend Janet, the paper’s managing editor, would be able to give her some information. And so she had bugged Janet repeatedly to tell her everything she knew. She didn’t want to pry into Jay’s private life, but she wanted to be sure that she was doing okay. Janet had been a year behind Kate at school, providing an extra year’s worth of intelligence on Jay’s status.

In her senior year, Jay had begun writing articles for the alumni magazine, which Kate received quarterly. The supervising faculty member for the magazine was a favorite English professor of Kate’s, so she kept tabs on Jay that way until the young woman graduated. The professor had been both proud and happy to report to her that the petite co-ed was one of the best writers he had ever known. He had gotten her a lower-level position with Time, knowing that, if given a chance, Jay would advance quickly through the ranks. Kate had taken out a subscription to Time immediately, watching with interest as the writer had rapidly become a rising star at the magazine. Now she was penning cover stories on some of the most important political figures in the country; Kate was inordinately proud of her.

Thinking about what Kate had just said about the night of the attack and the way she felt, Jay was having a colossal debate in her head. “Can we take a walk?” she asked her companion suddenly.

“Sure,” Kate responded. “We’re not far from Central Park, how about if we walk there?” She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she could tell that Jay was working something out in her head and that it was important. She threw some bills on the table and led the way out of the restaurant. Leaning in to the window of the limo, Kate told the driver that 63

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they would be a while. Thinking about the area, she arranged to have him wait for them near the Plaza Hotel. She looked at her watch; it was just after 10:30 a.m. She was shocked to see that they had spent two hours over breakfast; it hadn’t seemed that long at all. She set the meeting time with the limo driver for noon.

Walking side by side in silence for several blocks, the two women entered the park and took the footpath that skirted the reservoir. Jay chewed her bottom lip, kicking at a few stones on the path, her companion waiting for her to start the conversation.

Looking up at the amazing woman walking next to her, Jay thought about Kate’s compassion and genuine caring; first on the ski slope and then during the attack on campus. She had been so gentle, yet so protective at the same time. She remembered Kate holding her hand, never letting it go until she fell asleep in the hospital, and covering her body with her sweatshirt. And she thought about all the many times after that night when she had longed to feel the comfort and safety of Kate’s arms around her again to chase away the demons.

There really was no decision to make.

“Um, I’m not really sure where to begin.” Jay’s voice quivered a little, her nerves apparent.

“Tell me about your parents,” Kate said softly. After a moment’s hesitation, she followed her instincts. “Did he hurt you?”

Jay’s head snapped up. “I...” She swallowed hard, wanting to bolt.

Kate put a gentle hand on her arm at the expression of sheer terror on her face. “I’ve never told anyone,” she faltered, “except for the therapist I saw for a year after the attack on campus. I guess that night brought back a lot of bad memories for me.”

They stopped walking, Kate taking Jay’s hands in hers. When sea green eyes gazed into crystal clear blue, nothing but a mixture of fierce protectiveness and heartbreaking compassion shown there. “It’s okay, Jay. He can’t hurt you now.”

At that, the smaller woman began to cry, great, gulping sobs issuing forth from her soul, where she had hidden the awful reality of her childhood for so very long. Taking Jay into her arms, Kate held her close until all of the tears had been shed. She rocked her and rubbed her back and soothed her, willing away all that hurt and misplaced shame.

“It started when I was four. When my sister died four years later, I wished it had been me instead.” Her voice broke. “I thought she was the lucky one.”

“Oh, Jay,” Kate whispered, “I’m so glad it wasn’t.” And Jay knew she meant it; it warmed her to her very core.

“Um, he told me if I told anyone about what he was doing to me, he would kill my mother and the family dog. I...I believed him.” Jay looked 64

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up at Kate with tears on her lashes, shrugging one shoulder. “I look back on it now and I’m pretty sure they were just idle threats, but then, I didn’t know that.” She took a ragged breath. “He would come into my room in the middle of the night. I would be lying there and I’d see the doorknob turning, and I’d pray to anyone who would listen that it would be my mother checking on me and not him...but it never was.”

Kate stroked the backs of Jay’s hands in mute comfort.

“He...he would rape me and tell me how lucky I was to have him...that nobody else would ever care about me or want me.”

“He was so wrong, Jay. So very, very wrong.” The emotion was evident in Kate’s voice.

“Thanks. I always wanted to believe that. Anyway, it got so I wouldn’t sleep at night because I was terrified of the middle-of-the-night visits. I know my mother knew on some level what was going on, but she just seemed incapable of action. I suppose she did the best she could; who knows, maybe she had her own issues to deal with.

“So I tried to be invisible, just be the most perfect child, and then maybe no one would notice me and he’d leave me alone.” She looked up again into blue eyes gone soft with compassion. “He didn’t. No matter what I did or didn’t do. I started writing as a way to disappear. As he would be raping my body, my mind would be off somewhere creating the most wonderful stories with happy endings.” Her tone turned wistful. “So I guess something good did come out of it, finally. I learned to use my imagination and write fiction, because Heaven knows it sure beat the heck out of reality for me.

“Eventually, when I started getting my period, he left me alone.” She glanced up, a somewhat chagrined expression on her tear-stained face.

“So now you know.”

Kate lifted Jay’s chin gently with her fingers. “I’m so sorry for what happened to you. None of it was your fault, and it wasn’t anything a child could prevent. I know it’s hard to accept that, but it’s the truth.” She looked directly into the emerald eyes before her still shimmering with tears.

“You are an extraordinary woman, Jay, full of compassion, wonder, humor and beauty. And you were an amazingly resourceful little girl who did what she needed to do to survive and become a lovely, talented, incredibly remarkable woman. I count myself exceptionally blessed to know you and I feel privileged beyond words that you trusted me enough to share your story. I want you to know that I will always be here for you.

Always.”

Jay knew somehow that she would.

They started walking again, Kate keeping hold of one of Jay’s hands.

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connection to her and to offer all of the strength and comfort she had to give.

After a few minutes had passed, she decided lightening the mood was in order. “I’ve got an idea. Will you humor me?” Her tone had turned childishly pleading, and Jay had to smile. “Puh-lease? Please, please, please?”

“Oh, okay,” Jay relented. “Boy, I can just imagine what you were like as a kid.”

Kate began to jog, Jay struggling to keep up. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” she said mysteriously.

After several blocks, Kate pulled Jay out of the park and onto the street. When the petite woman looked up, she laughed.

“What?” Kate asked in an innocent tone.

“I might have guessed that you had a carefully hidden juvenile streak in you.” Jay shook her head. They were standing in front of FAO

Schwarz, the world’s largest toy store, on Fifth Avenue at Fifty-Eighth Street.

“So,” the tall woman said, practically jumping up and down. “Can we go inside?”

“C’mon, ya goofball,” Jay sighed as she pulled Kate across the street by the hand.

They spent half an hour romping through the store, trying out the toys, jumping from key to key on the gigantic toy piano that took up a good portion of the floor, playing with the train sets, and generally being kids. Jay was delighted with Kate’s ability to have unfettered fun, and the dark-haired woman knew she had found the perfect playmate.

When they were both totally exhausted, Kate called a time-out. “As much as I can’t believe I’m going to say this, we’ve got to go, Jay. The limo will be waiting and I’ve got to get you back to your place so that you can get ready for your interview with the governor.”

“Spoilsport,” Jay joked, sticking out her tongue.

Kate was glad she had been able to help her friend have some fun after the seriousness of their earlier conversation. She wished with all her heart that she could give the beautiful young woman back the childhood she’d never had. And she knew for sure that if she ever saw Jay’s father, she would probably rip his heart out of his chest with her bare hands for hurting her.

She told Jay she needed to go make a quick phone call at the pay phone upstairs and that she would be right back.

When she returned several minutes later, they made their way to the Plaza Hotel and the waiting limo. Jay gave the driver her address in Greenwich Village on Christopher Street, where they arrived within 66

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fifteen minutes. Kate asked him to wait in the car for her so that he could take her to the airport for her flight.

After walking Jay to the door of her apartment, she stood back as her companion fitted her key in the lock, opened the door, and threw her garment bag and briefcase onto a nearby sofa. The writer looked back at her friend as she took a step inside. “Can you come in?”

“I’d love to, but the limo is double-parked and your neighbors might not take too kindly to having their street blocked.”

“Yeah,” Jay sighed heavily, “I guess you’re right.”

Hearing the note of dejection in her friend’s voice, and not really wanting their time together to end either, Kate ventured, “Some other time?”

Jay smiled brightly. “You’re on.” Impulsively she leaned forward and, on her tiptoes, gave Kate a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for everything. You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Stepping back, she gazed up shyly into her friend’s eyes.

Looking into those emerald green depths, Kate knew she couldn’t just walk away this time. Reaching out, she gently pulled the pretty blonde to her. Still maintaining eye contact, she inclined her head and softly touched her lips to Jay’s. Then she straightened up again, smiling.

“I thought you said there was no kissing on the first date.”

A mischievous gleam appeared in the deep blue eyes. “Number one, those were Fred’s rules; he’s just a teenager, after all. And number two, I wasn’t aware that this counted as an official date. But, if that’s the way you feel...”

“Me and my big mouth,” Jay mumbled under her breath with an aggrieved expression.

Fighting hard to keep the smile off her face, Kate pushed the door open a little wider and took a predatory step forward. Once inside the doorway, she slowly extended her arm and, staring hungrily at the blonde’s mouth, ran her thumb lightly across Jay’s lips. “I happen to think you have a perfect mouth.”

Jay swallowed hard. Her lips parting slightly, she leaned into the touch, her teeth just grazing Kate’s thumb.

The dark-haired woman thought she had never seen anything so sexy.

She dragged her eyes away from Jay’s mouth and up to her eyes, shutting the door behind her with her foot and bending her head in one smooth motion to capture Jay’s mouth in a heart-stopping kiss.

Several long, languorous moments later, Kate pulled back slowly and smiled. “I,” she began, but had to clear her throat before she could go on.

“I hate to kiss and run, but I really do have to get going.” The note of regret in her voice was unmistakable.

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“Mmm,” Jay hummed, her eyes still closed. It took a few more seconds before the words penetrated her happy fog. “Oh.” Her eyes flew open. “Yep. Right.”

As Kate turned to go, her hand on the doorknob, Jay reached out and grasped her forearm, forgetting for a moment about her injuries. “Um, could...could I maybe call you tonight? You know,” she went on in a rush, embarrassed, “just to make sure you got home all right?”

“Absolutely.” Kate grinned.

When Jay didn’t release her arm and began shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Kate looked at her questioningly.

“Um, I don’t know how to reach you,” she said bashfully.

Pulling out a business card and a pen, Kate wrote her home number and address on the back in bold strokes. “Now you do,” she said, handing over the card.

“Okay then, are you sure it’s all right? I mean, I don’t want to disturb you or anything.”

“Jay,” she laughed, “I’ve been disturbed for years.” With that, Kate opened the door and stepped into the hallway, turning around to wink at her friend before she disappeared.

Closing the door slowly, the sound of the tall woman’s sexy laughter resonating pleasantly in her ears, Jay sighed dreamily, “If the world stopped spinning right now, I’d die a very happy woman.”

Kate ducked inside the back of the limo as the driver held the door for her. Once inside and alone, she leaned back into the leather interior and closed her eyes, a goofy grin splitting her face. “Oh no, Fred isn’t getting to kiss you, Jay. You’re already taken and I will not suffer the competition lightly.”

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