“I paused for a moment, debating whether to turn and look what was happening. My senses told me Obo’s presence was still at my side, and turning my face into the barrel of a gun seemed like an ill-advised way to cap off this day of monumentally stupid decisions.”

“My right hand was sort of casually near my gun, without looking like I was reaching for my gun. It wasn't easy. Reaching for a gun usually looks like reaching for a gun. No one seemed to notice though. Goody for our side.”

“I happened to look up and there it was. All over and done with, at last. I sat on for a few moments with the ball in my hand and the dog yelping and pawing at me. (Pause.) Moments. Her moments, my moments (Pause.) The dog's moments.”

“I cannot control my feelings of disappointment, rage, or sadness. When I am confused, I look confused. I’d be a hopeless spy. The other side of the coin is that when I’m happy I laugh my head off, I smile at strangers; when I’m content I radiate calmness. There is a third side of the coin: my brick-wall face. That is reserved only for when heady emotions are turned my way. I don’t like that at all.”

“I say that I'm not into you like that, Camryn, because..," he pauses, searching my face, looking at my lips for a moment as if deciding whether or not he should kiss them again, "...because you're not the girl I could only sleep with once.”

“No, no, no. No way!” I shook my head and looked at the offending black motorcycle. “I am not getting on that thing!”“Sophie, it’s a motorcycle, it doesn’t bite.”I turned my head to look at the beast. “Really? It looks like it could bite, to me.”“Please, Sophie,” he held out a helmet.I crossed my arms over my chest. “What if I fall off?”“You’re supposed to hang on to me, Soph. What happened to my mighty little she-wolf?”“She packed her bags and left,” I said.”