VI
oes. She had said the same thing every morning for the past ten years, just
e stepped out of her apartment into the balmy darkness of the ha
her ears and running at top speed, she smiled and nodded at runners as she ran past them.
iliar and cataloging the strange for further study later in the day, while simultaneously notating all exits out of town. She was a mile and half into her run whe
her once they were side by side. " Nope." Evie replied taking off he
ed. " It makes me want to look around to see if Liam
ad of you." " Yeah." Gina agrees. " It gives me the jitters to ju
rward to it, just gotta get used to stop looking behind for my mother-in-law whenever some
ike me." She adds. Evie can't hold in her loud guffaw. " Not in this lifetime girl." She says. " Maybe the next one." " I
enough to be heard by Gina and everyone else in Los Angeles. She smiles instead. " Race you to the cafè." She says b
ottie, their usual waitress, is standing guard by their usual table, a pot of steami
ing coffee into the waiting mugs on the table, while Gina digs into her fanny pack for the organic sweetener and cr
don't know how you put up with her." Gina says to Lottie. " Same way she puts up with you dearie." Evie says
rap to yourself.
re turning to leave. " I'll get your usual." She calls over her shoulder. " I'm not a child." Evie calls after he
try it." Evie says holding out her mug, it's really good. " No thank y
day thank you very much." She adds. " Why?" Evi
plies promptly. "Since I'm never going to have either, I'
front of Gina, a double stack of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup in front of Evie, serves both of them tall glasses of orange juice a
unters. " Veggie omelet." Gina says through gritted teeth. " An
Gina tells her. " Good thing
d if you can't, I donate my c
reminds her. " No I didn't." Gina snarls. The older couple at the table next to them shake their