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I give her a wide-eyed glance.

“You said he was tall with golden-red hair,” she explains. “Our mercenary is an attractive man with those qualities.”

“Yes, it’s him.” There’s no point in lying. She’d see the truth anyway.

“And now you’re stuck together on the road! This is wonderful!”

“And how do you figure that? I thought he was attractivebeforeI met him. He’s rude. Disgusting.” I don’t know if I can ever get the image of him drunk and belching out of my head. “Arrogant to a fault. And for all we know, he doesn’t actually have any skill with that sword.”

“Really, so I didn’t see you ogling his arms just ten minutes ago? Eyeing him like he was a piece of meat?”

I turn away from her. Hoping she won’t see my cheeks redden. “I don’t think he’s a piece of meat.”

“Of course not. But that doesn’t mean he’s not pretty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you ogle anyone. This is fantastic.”

“What?” I nearly shout. Being on the road must be getting to her. She’s clearly gone delusional. “How is this fantastic? He’s horrible, and I wasn’t ogling. I just like his arms, is all.”

“He’s quite tall. Tall enough for you.”

“Now a man has to be tall enough for me?”

“No, I’m just saying he’s the perfect height.”

“For what?” I hedge, dreading the answer.

She raises her eyebrows twice in quick succession.

“I’m not interested in that,” I say.

“Fine. Don’t jump straight to the kissing. Let’s start with something simple. Talking.”

“That’s not simple.”

“I saw you talking to him just now!”

I find a twig on the ground with my fingers and start breaking it in half over and over again. “I was angry. It’s easier when I’m angry. It overpowers the fear.”

“You really shouldn’t judge him based on the first two days on the road with him. He was coming off a nasty night of drinking. That would make anyone unpleasant.”

“I don’t care.”

“So you’ve made your decision, then? You don’t like him.”

“Of course.”

“Well, that’s even better.”

I’ve given up trying to make sense of anything she has to say regarding boys.

“No, listen to me. He’ll be practice for you! And because you don’t like him and don’t care what he thinks about you, it’ll make it easier for you!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Flirting, Ziva. Flirting.”

“We are on the run for our lives!”

“All the more reason to make the time count. You’re so lucky you have me.”