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Marilyn said, “Don’t worry your pretty head over our silly squabble You have enough to do, young lady” She swooped in and gave Ciara a quick peck on the cheek Then said, “I’ a uests”

Ciara laughed “Snag ht scandalous”

“Oh, you wicked girl!”

“You don’t know the half of it” Ciara winked Then she went back to ensuring every single detail in the dining roo the arrival of theItalian food from Venti’s

Ciara finished her work and polished off theOnce Twice Then no ured it’d become a free-for-all

Feeling the warmth of the fires in the hearths and the vodka in her veins, she left the dining roouests in the main portion of the house She didn’t have any trouble with being “on” She did it all the time with the webcasts

She sed in conversation The at and lively Cozy and intimate, yet still vibrant Precisely as she’d hoped Planned Obsessed over

She was completely in her element and on her second martini

Then Scout walked through the oversized archway

Ciara lost her breath

All sensible thought fled

All purpose for the evening and sound reasoning escaped her

All she could do was stare

He was gorgeous He was perfect And he couldn’t take his eyes from her

He did the polite, professional thing Shook hands with and chatted up those in the rooradually made his way toward her