Cally hurried into Jimmy's Diner, hastily greeting several townspeople, including one couple she'd matched the previous month. Within seconds of settling into a booth, she glanced up to see Susie breeze through the door, wave at several friends, and slip into the seat opposite her.

Words gushed forth as soon as Susie sat. "Well? So? Give, girl. When you called and asked me to meet you here, you sounded urgent." Susie bounced up and down on the seat, barely controlling her enthusiasm.

Cally took a deep breath, trying to gain an attitude of quiet confidence. Yet, somehow, Susie's anticipation rattled her nerves, adding to her already frazzled state. How could she explain what had happened with Sloan? Hell, she didn't understand it herself. Speaking with deliberation and hoping she sounded calmer than she felt, she described the encounter while Susie listened, interjecting every so often with a soft gasp or exclamation.

"All of a sudden, he jolts up, yelling his head off like something had attacked him. Which, unfortunately, was exactly what had happened. I think maybe Houdini was jealous or thought I was being hurt or something, because there he was, clinging onto his leg, biting, scratching and hissing away like a small feline Tasmanian devil."

Cally peered at her friend, letting silence fill the void while she waited for a response. A myriad of expressions flitted across Susie's face, some recognizable, some not. At last, breaking out into a nearly hysterical-sounding tone, her voice escalating higher and higher in pitch, Susie exclaimed, "I know, I know. That was the funniest sight I have ever seen." Between laughs, Susie clawed the air with both hands, making hissing sounds in a perfect imitation of Houdini.

Dumbfounded, Cally stared at Susie. "What do you mean, you know? How could you know? Unless.."

Susie, still unable to control her giggles, could only nod while she continued to hiss and scratch in the air. "Hiss! Hiss!"

"Susie Wiggins, you stayed in the kitchen and peeked through the swinging door, didn't you? You never left. Instead, you spied on me the whole time? You sneak!"

Gasping for air, Susie protested in between giggles. "Oh, come on, Cal. What's the big deal? You would've told me everything anyway. In fact, you just did."