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My eyes drifted back to Mike. “Best kisser in the world?”

Ash burst out laughing. “Oh my God! This is brilliant. This is truly amazing.”

“You told her I was the best kisser in the world?” I looked at Mike. I was harping, I knew that, but it was really all I’d heard.

He looked flushed in the face now. A little embarrassed. He nodded.

“Oh, he tells me everything,” Ash said.

“What?” My eyes widened in shock.

She shrugged. “No, notthatmuch!” she said sarcastically. “But just enough . . . and you are quite the jailbird, aren’t you?” She looked at me with a massive smile. “Wait—your real name isn’t Sam, is it? Don’t you have a strange name, like Pebble or—”

“Pebecca,” I cut her off.

“That’s right!” She snapped her fingers. “So, let me get this straight . . . you broke into that weird eco place, Mike arrested you and ran you out of town, and then you . . . what? Snuck back, chose a fake name and checked into this place . . .by accident?”

I started nodding my head.

“Wow. You really aren’t a very good criminal, are you?” Ash sat down and crossed her legs. She leaned back on the couch and watched us for a while. “My God, this story is insane. I love it. I can’t wait to tell Emelia.” She burst out laughing again and then stood up and started walking towards the door. She was almost in hysterics now.

“Wait! Where are you going?” I asked, as she started to exit.

“Uh . . . I’m leaving. I think you guys can manage to keep each other awake all night . . . Besides, a little black-crested night budgie told me you might have some unfinished business.” She laughed even harder and then disappeared out the room and closed the door behind her. I heard her laughing all the way to the other end of the house. Suddenly, Mike and I felt very, very alone.