"So, Graham," Anna started, stirring me from my inner turmoil, "what's your story?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBsPFy4tnA
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"What do you mean?" I responded, much to Vance's amusement.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡra6qff7Hwt
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"Well, we've been meeting like this for a over a month, the same bar every Friday night. Vance and I have talked, but you've barely told me anything about you!" She leaned forward in her chair, a mischievous smile on her face.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rTJhzcakf
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I averted my gaze, knowing I would crumble under her infectious smile, and sighed dramatically. "Do I have to?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDprbhsN8UD
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Vance let out a chuckle and she leaned across the table. Before I could react, Anna grabbed my hand that was idly sitting beside my drink and held it. "Please?" she pleaded, cupping it gently, but I was drawn away from the conversation with the mere touch of her skin against mine. Her first kiss was when she was fourteen, and it was absolutely terrible. When she was young, she took piano lessons but refused to practice. She hates how thick her hair is.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyKM9vFzis
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Barely any time had passed before I tore my hand away, much to Anna's surprise. Vance laughed again and took a giant swig of his drink, obviously enjoying the exchange more than he should have. Anna looked hurt, the sides of her mouth drooping into a sort of pout with her lips slightly parted. If it wasn't an expression born of sadness, it would have been cute.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABXqISy7df
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Using my hand to run my fingers through my hair, using the movement as an excuse for my sudden actions, I sighed deeply. "Alright, you win," I conceded, and the pout turned into a genuine smile on Anna's face. "What do you want to know?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDEh4NSYrj
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Anna grinned evilly and I noticed even Vance looked perplexed, leaning forward in his sit eyeing me. Only then did I realize that although I'd been hanging out with Vance for years, I had barely told him anything about myself. I felt a moment of panic rising in me as I witnessed their predatory movements, all but physically cornering me.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDjeVZcYmd
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"Well, well, well," Vance said, "this is interesting. What should we start with, Anna?"8964 copyright protection441ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRpzpA3waw 維尼
Anna stroked her chin in mock deep thought. "Hmmm, I don't know, Vance. Too many places to start..."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXxujwI61U
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My eyes darted between them both, panic rising. What if they found out about my gift - my curse?445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUxTxWGJAg
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Seeing my panic, the two broke into hearty laughter. I joined in nervously, still concerned.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI9sgfS665
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"Relax, buddy!" Vance said, punching my sleeve lightly, "we're just curious!"8964 copyright protection441ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1J3C7nf1D 維尼
Anna nodded. "I just don't know anything about you!"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbmR0UzUL0
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I nodded, quelling the panic and accepting her silent request, relieved they weren't planning to ask specific questions. "My name is Graham Hayes. I'm 27. I work for OTIS."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnBBf2ZM4t
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"The elevator company?" she asked, confused.8964 copyright protection441ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf5CedQ6ur 維尼
I looked at her curiously. "Yeah, why?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiROi0yOZG
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She shrugged. "Don't know, just didn't expect you to work for a big company."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa4JlukKp6
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It was my turn to shrug. "It pays the bills."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1qldo9K1q
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"So what do you do? Office work?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9ALPSXbdK
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"I'm a mechanic," I explained, as Vance finished off his third beer of the night in one swig. "They send me out to fix the elevators when they break down."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7i6hQVdmI
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"That's pretty cool," Anna said, smiling sweetly at me and making my heart flutter.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMPWhqCjxp
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I must have been blushing, because she giggled. "Awwwww," she cooed, "did I embarrass you?"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRikLGKAyk
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Getting increasingly uncomfortable, I looked away and said nothing.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzfCiQHAa9
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Vance went to take another drink and forgot he had finished it off moments before. Cursing, he stood up. "I'm gonna go get another one," he mumbled, walking off to the bar and leaving Anna and I alone at the table.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka6VPWo0hM
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She moved over to the seat suddenly vacant beside me and sat down in it, leaning my way and catching my eyes. "Why are you embarrassed?" she asked with the innocence of a child, genuine concern in her voice.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszH2gKH9Ko
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I forced a cough to give myself a minute to recover before grumbling a response. "I'm not embarrassed..."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OWUfGlfPw
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She giggled and leaned forward suddenly, kissing my cheek. A flurry of emotions assaulted my senses, combined with the inevitable intake of knowledge. Her favourite Disney Princess as a kid was Cinderella. Her birthday was in late October. Her sister and her once got lost in the Rideau Center when they were young.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB765QKZPe
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Although her lips didn't linger long on my cheek, I could have sworn I felt her hesitation as she pulled away. "I'm sorry." She said simply, making me melt. Her full lips curled into a sweet smile as she looked at me with eyes full of caring concern. "I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sozbqekrE
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"Really, it's fine..." I said, my voice trailing off. Our eyes locked for a minute that seemed to last forever, and I wished I could hold her hand and read her thoughts at that exact moment to know if she felt the same as I did. I could have sworn she leaned in closer to me, or was it me leaning in towards her?445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4wA8rEL2T
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Vance came back and sat down in Anna's empty chair, the noise breaking the spell and forcing both of us to look at our friend in shock.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtMUXMOAoG
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He looked back and forth between our wide eyes for a moment, and gave a mischievous smile. "Did I interrupt something? Or were you just getting to know each other better?" he joked, winking at us.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFJo4sbXqg
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Now it was Anna's turn to blush as she got way more offended than she should have. "Shut up, Vance! We were just talking!"445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafKlC550KT
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Vance nodded slowly. "Sure you were," he responded, his voice dripping sarcasm.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBYUqrvQrS
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As Vance continued to tease her, I could not bring myself to focus on the conversation. The rush of euphoria I got from that small kiss - barely more than a peck on the cheek! - was greater than anything I'd ever felt. I had gained information from her as I always do, but it was more... intoxicating than ever before. I found myself craving her touch. I imagined those soft lips pressed against mine, the elation the flood of information brings me melding with the pleasure of the kiss.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8jsvGsop6
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No sooner had the thoughts entered my mind, I felt dirty. I was appalled I could think such things, of tainting her innocence and kindness with my cursed touch. I was not only taking information from her unknowingly and unwillingly, learning about her darkest secrets of her mind and her past, but I was taking pleasure from it!8964 copyright protection441ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHhetB03Ov 維尼
But every time she glanced over at me and smiled, her eyes lighting up in blissful innocence, I found I could do nothing but hope for more of her.445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZpOGAY0tq
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