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“Hmm.” Grace found no argument with that.

“So, rather than supporting the cruelties and slaughter that animals are subjected to for food, clothing, entertainment, and testing, I choose to align my actions with my morals and leave needless suffering out of my lifestyle.”

Once again, Grace could not fault her reasoning.

“I like people who prioritize being in conscious alignment with their values over making easier, lazier choices,” she said.

“Cool. So do I.”

“Does it bother you that I’m wearing this?” Grace pointed to her own jacket. “And the leather seats in the Mustang?”

“I don’t let it bother me,” Olivia answered with a smile. “I live in the world, you know? So I share my views when invited and educate when I can. I think until all human beings find peace on the inside, we won’t see it reflected on the outside. I do my part to support the change, and I don’t stress about the rest.”

“Very wise.”

“Yes… I’m pretty sure we’re going in the right direction as a collective. It might just take a bit longer for some to catch up, that’s all.”

“So, it’s a spiritual thing for you as well.”

“Yes.”

“What about the protein issue? Potential B12 deficiency and all that?” As Olivia gave her a brief summary that addressed all this, Grace nodded in approval. “You know your stuff inside and out.”

“Yep. I do when it comes to this topic.”

“I like it. You’ve made me reflect on a few good things, so thank you for that too.”

“No problem.”

“And you are definitely not a hypocrite.”

“True.” This prompted a chuckle. “I do my best. So, what would you like?”

“What?”

“Pizza.” Olivia reminded her by pointing at the menu.

“Oh.” It was surprisingly easy to forget things when talking to the woman, Grace realized. The more she got to know Olivia, the more she appreciated everything about her. Even enough to let her take the lead. “Why don’t you choose for me?”

???

The restaurant offered a taster menu, so they went for it. And finished the bottle of wine between them. Grace’s verdict about vegan pizza, ‘Actually not bad at all’, sounded like high praise considering her standards. Olivia felt a little giddy, and not just from the wine. Listening to Grace relate stories from her time as a professional dancer was a real treat. When she shared about her life in Miami and her current work and talked of what inspired her to create her designs and special places, Olivia recognized a kindred spirit. Grace was an artist. A creative, just like her, who also happened to have an excellent head for business. Olivia laughed in amazement when she described the holographic tool that she had created for herself.

“You can code? Wow, that’s impressive.”

“It’s not hard to learn,” Grace said with a complicit wink at her. “Like handbrake turns.”

It was lovely to feel her so at ease. Even though the hyper-dynamic woman could never be said to appear totally relaxed, at least she seemed to be enjoying herself. Olivia discovered that she had a knack for telling stories and that she was funny in a subtle, very attractive, self-deprecating way. Witnessing this other side of Grace was great.Less guarded.Yes, that was it. Not just more at ease but less reticent. And it was wonderful to feel her start to open up. The storm had eased by the time they left the restaurant. Main Street was covered in about eight inches of fresh snow. It made everything look quite beautiful, with a giant Christmas tree at the far end of the street and more decorations glittering along the sidewalk.

“I think I like Dodger,” Olivia decided. “It’svery—”

She was not paying attention to the zone of shadows on the side, and the two men seemed to appear out of nowhere. Grace must have been a lot more attentive, as there was no delay in her reaction. Before Olivia even realized there might be a problem, she had already grabbed her hand and stepped in front of her. The sheltering move was reminiscent of the night when her brother had come to have a go.

“Heyyyy ladies!” Drunk. Or high on something, judging from his uncertain sway. His buddy did not seem in much better shape. “Whatcha doing out here?”

They stood in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking the way. Grace barely slowed down her pace.

“Move aside,” she ordered.