"It looks that way," she agreed. She'd realized from this conversation that John, like Phil, might be the only person here who could understand what she could do, why she could do it, and why she didn't want to talk about it.

She looked at him levelly. He could make his face show as much or as little as she could, but she knew how to read faces, and she wasn't getting any untruthful vibes here. He wasn't saying everything, but she didn't need or want that. It gave her an idea of something that might be good for both of them.

"So, I have a proposal. Well, two, actually. And you can walk away without hearing it, or turn me down when you do."