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would you, like, give up part of your life to sleep with me? Er, but I mean...not actually sleep... "

He laughed out loud, the laughter underscored with a wry edge. "Thetis, I'd give up part of my life to do any number of things with you."

My interest flared. "Like what?"

"Well...isn't it obvious?"

I leaned toward him. Maybe I was still high and suffering from weed-induced horniness - and hey, in another reality, shouldn't we have been entitled to make-up sex? - but I suddenly and desperately wanted to hear him articulate what he wanted to do to me. "Tell me."

He shook his head. "I can't. You know how I am." His eyes narrowed intently. "I could maybe...I could maybe write it for you, though."

"Really? Not in published story form this time?"

"Yes, not in published story form."

"I'd like that."

I must have looked expectant because he laughed. "Not tonight, Thetis. Not tonight. I think we both need some sleep."

I was disappointed but could see the wisdom here. Having more time would ensure some good writing, I guessed. Furthermore, it was hard to be too sad when the tension from last night's mishap appeared to be gone. Our rapport and affection had returned, and watching him, I felt my feelings for him practically increase by the second. We chatted a bit more, and then he kissed me lightly on the mouth and rose. I wistfully watched him go, wishing he were staying.

Drifting off to sleep, I finally contented myself by thinking about all the things I wanted to do to him. It was a long list, and I was out before even getting through a fraction of it.

CHAPTER 8

"Georgina?"

I looked up from a baffling return Tammi had asked me to help her with. A customer without a receipt was attempting a refund on a stack of books with dog-eared pages and broken spines, claiming all of them were duplicates someone had just given him for his birthday.

"Just a sec," I told her. "I've got to finish this."

"Okay," Beth said. "I just thought you should check out Casey."

"Casey?"

"Yeah. She's up in the cafe."

That snagged my attention. I finished up with the customer, telling him nicely that we couldn't accept books in this condition. Maybe if the alleged other books were in better shape, he could bring those in. He pouted and argued a bit before finally skulking off. I rolled my eyes once he was gone. One thing that never changed among humans: there were always those who wanted to get something for nothing. It was what kept hell in business.

I found Casey sitting in the cafe, drinking a glass of water. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she didn't display her usual care in makeup and hairstyling. She stared bleakly at the table, eyes dull and glazed over.

"Hey," I said gently, pulling up a chair across from her. "How's it going?"

After a moment's delay, she looked up, not really focusing on me. "Okay."

"You sure? You don't look so okay."

"Dunno." Her tone was flat, distracted. "I just had a late night, that's all. Sorry. Sorry I came in like this."

"No problem. I've had my share of crazy nights." The thing was, Casey didn't exactly look hung over. I mean, she definitely looked like she was recovering from something...but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was weird. "What'd you get into? A party?"

"Yeah. Doug's band had another one."

"Really." News to me. "Must have been pretty good."

"Dunno."

"What do you mean? You were there."

Her brow furrowed, confusion glinting in her brown eyes. "I don't...really remember. Stupid, huh? I must have really been trashed. I remember...being with Alec. Then we left. We went somewhere. "

"You don't know?"

She looked upset and closed her eyes. "There was this big house, and...I don't know. I just...I just can't remember. I'm sorry, Georgina. I shouldn't have come in today, okay? Sorry."

"It's okay. So you have no idea what you did with him? Nothing at all?"

She shook her head. I shouldn't have kept pushing for details of an employee's personal life, but something here bothered me. It was more than my bias against Alec too. I remembered him pushing alcohol on women, his invitation to go somewhere "more intense." Casey's inability to remember what had happened with him smacked of date-rape drugs.

"Did Alec give you anything?"

For the first time in this conversation, her dull expression sharpened and looked alert. "I...no. No."

But she was lying. I could tell. Why? Fear of him? Embarrassment? I couldn't bring myself to question her