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“You know something.” “I know a lot of things, Harry.” “What is it you’re hiding?” “Hiding?! Nothing. Other than your birthday present. But you’ll never get me to reveal what that is or where I’ve hidden it.” “Never?” “Never…. Until your birthday, of course. Then I’ll give it to you, obviously.” “You know what I really want for my birthday, Ruth?” “I… um… No. Not really, but I think you’ll like what I got for you because, you remember that time when-” “Ruth?” “Yes?” “You’re babbling again.” “Sorry.” “Don’t be.” “Don’t be what?” “Sorry.” “Oh.” “I like it.” “My babbling?” “Yes. It gives me hope.” “Hope?” “Yes.” “Hope of what?” “That I might, one day, get what I want.” “What you want?… That makes absolutely no sense, Harry. How does my rambling give you what you want?” “It gives me hope that you are not entirely unaffected by me.” “Unaffected? Why would I- Oh!… Right… I… I don’t know what to say.” “Say you’ll have dinner with me on my birthday.” “Dinner?” “Yes. If you’d like to, of course.” “I… That would be… lovely, actually.”

“Took you long enough.” “Sorry. Dimitri got us lost.” “Not the best spot for a mini-break, is it though?” “Appearances can be deceptive. Wait till we get inside, Ruth.” “Alright, but… why exactly did they tag along?” “Our cover. We’re meant to be working.” “So they’re not staying?” “No. It’s just you and I, Ruth, for the entire weekend.” “That’s more like it.”

“What do you mean, no cake? Are you mad? Ruth…. it’s your birthday. You can’t have a birthday without a cake.” “But I don’t like cake, Harry.” “….?!!!!” “What? I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. The only dessert I like, really, is cheesecake and then only when it’s home made. They put too much sugar in the commercial ones.” “Right. Cheesecake it is. Eight ‘o clock. My place.” “Looking for excuses to have me over, eh?” “I don’t need an excuse, Ruth. Do I?” “No. No, you don’t.” “Good. So… Eight?” “Eight… And I’ll bring an overnight bag.”