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“Sounds great,” he said

Oddly enough, as ht look out of place here, he didn’t He really did have the ability of blending in, and yet, he could also stand out like the only man in the room “Yup, two orders of the usual, please,” she called to Jane

She led him to the far corner, thankful no one else was there today She sat in the first beanbag chair, and he dropped down into the other The s, a cat jumped onto his lap

“Looks like you have a friend,” Zoey said

He san to purr “Did you have a lot of pets growing up? Is that where your desire to work in the animal industry comes from?”

“I had as many pets asout to stroke a passing white cat, who didn’t seem interested in Zoey All the aniht in for socialization before finding their forever homes For asspots, too afraid to cos, and a cat, Oscar, who passed away a few years ago Did you have any pets?”

Rhys shook his head “Boarding schools didn’t allow pets”

She had assumed he ell educated “You never went to school here in New York?”

“No,” he explained without any emotion in his voice “That’s just the way enerations”

“I can’t i school?”

“Loved it,” he said with an honest suys I knew from my years there It’s a type of family, I suppose, just different than the one I’ I would consider if I had children ofaze lifted to hers, “and with my wife”

Her heart skipped a little at that The scariest and ine a life with Rhys A happy life A safe and exciting life She thwarted any serious talk and shifted the subject “Can I ask why you got into the whole sex-club thing?” She s you aspired to?”

“Funny,” he said with a snort, scratching the cat under his chin “I assuirlfriend, Katherine”

Zoey cringed “She did I’m sorry I know that’s personal, but—”

“It’s fair,” he interjected “I knew things about you I shouldn’t, because of Archer’s vetting” The cat purred louder now as he stroke its back “Cancer was cruel to Katherine”