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"In Fisher studied onlineof curiosity about this man as so private

"The Tenderloin"

An area, she no, that had once been one of the toughest and enerate places in all of San Francisco "Does your mom still live there?"

"No, these days she lives on the coast about an hour south of here"

He didn’t ain Maybe he’d passed away too Or maybe they weren’t close She didn’t want to pry Okay, she totally did want to pry but she didn’t want to open it up in a way that would require her to do the same back She’d told him all she’d planned to In fact, she’d told him more than she’d planned to And in any case, she was here to not think

He atching her "So if there was a Santa Claus, ould you ask him for?" he asked

You, she nearly said She’d want him for Christmas and no take-backs "I’d like my book to write itself," she said instead

He smiled

"And you’d hat?" she asked "Maybe your project to invent itself?"

"That would be high on the list"

When she yawned, they headed back, stopping for dessert at a cupcake shop

"Did you know that once you lick the frosting off a cupcake, it becomes a muffin?" she asked "And muffins are healthy" She leaned in and took a lick of his frosting "You are welcohed and so did she because she loved the sound of his laugh

When a sprinkle got stuck in the stubble of his jaw, she had soet it

"Maybe you should shave," she teased

"You have no idea how lucky girls are that they don’t have to shave every day," he said "You’ve all got it easy"

She choked on a laugh "Says the guy who’s never had to navigate a razor around his kneecaps or" she paused "any other specific areas"

He laughed

"Not funny," she said "It’s a suicide uided her into the cobblestoned courtyard of the Pacific Pier Building It was ht and the place looked like a holiday dreahts and each of the potted trees lining the ay decorated with colorful ornaments

"Elle went overboard this year," he muttered

"So she works for you?"

"More like she allows hed "They say friends and business don’tthat soundedlovely Really lovely "So what are your holiday plans?" she asked "Will you spend Christlanced up at him, startled "No?"

"She went back east to see friends I’ll probably spend it at the pub with Finn, Elle and Archer, and the others We’re a sort offroether by sheer force of will, she envied the whole fa way

"How about you?" he asked

She shrugged "I’ll spend it at hoht, also like always, but old habits die hard"

He cocked his head and studied her "You do know you’re allowed to do whatever you want, right? It’s the only perk to this whole adulting thing"

She let out a sh "Never mind me Christmas soaze "Yes How did you know?"

"Let’s just say I’ve been there"