I managed to get to work on time most days, once I was living with Chet. I took care of all my responsibilities, and Mr Hitchcock put me on salary, so my job was to get everything done each work day, and I always managed to do it, even when I couldn't wait to hear Chet pull up out front. My ears were tuned to his car.

I wasn't going to push at this point. I'd been swept off my feet and I didn't know anything about the boy I fell for. He seemed fine. He seemed way better than fine. I didn't know why I felt as comfortable as I did with Chet, but I did.

I was hungry again as the afternoon wore on. I always appreciated coffee. Chet ground his beans and these beans came from Ethiopia. There was a hint of spice I liked as much as any coffee I drank. We had bacon, sausage, biscuits with jam, and more coffee. I held on while standing behind him at the sink as he washed the dishes and put them in the dish drainer.

"You haven't been to work," I said, remembering he worked weekends.

"Closed. They're remodeling the kitchens. Some new equipment Tevo decided to install to make cooking more efficient. I'll go in Friday night."

"Don't want you losing your job over me," I told him.

"You wouldn't support me if I decided to become a man of leisure?"

"No," I said, knowing my limitations.

Chet laughed.

After polishing off the bacon and sausage and half the biscuits, we ended up back in the bedroom. I wasn't sure what time it was but it was getting later in the afternoon. It was dark by the time I woke up after a couple of hours of sleep. I had energy to spare after eating my share of what Chet fixed, but I was tired.

I'd lived without Chet for twenty years. I didn't know how. As fast as love hit me, I realized nothing I'd experienced was anything like this. I simply wanted to hold on for dear life and never let go.

"I need my phone," I said, once my brain came out of its fog.

"Coming right up," Chet said, reaching for my phone.

"Dad. Yeah, it's me. I'm staying over at Chet's tonight. I'll call in a couple of days. Yes, Sir. I'm fine. Tell Mom goodnight for me. Goodnight, Dad."

I handed the phone back to Chet. He put it back on the nightstand.

"What?" I said, when I saw him smiling.

"Your parents. Mine weren't like yours," he said.

"What were yours like?"

Then, I remembered he lived with Skip. It was Wednesday evening. Skip came for me this morning, and I wasn't home. I could see him leaning to look in the front window, as he hoped to see me coming, but I didn't come."

"They were nothing like yours," he said.

"Sounds ominous," I said. "You didn't have good parents?"

"No. I didn't. If it hadn't been for Skippy, I might not have survived it."

The words were heavy when he spoke them. There was no invitation to explore his childhood or delve into how my parents were different from his. Skip had been on his lips, and I let it pass as though it meant nothing. It was the perfect time to bring him up, but Chet didn't want to talk about it and I'd wait to bring up the boy who taught me to surf.

"I left home when I was sixteen. I lived with a friend. His parents were better to me than mine ever were," he confessed. "It was a long time ago."

We broke off at about three and tried to get some sleep. At seven we were up and dressed and I wore the same clothes to work I wore since Saturday. I needed to stop by the house to get a few changes of clothes, and let my parents see that I was alive and well.

Chet dropped me off in front of Hitchcock's at a little before eight. We hugged and kissed and held hands before I finally got out to go to work.

"See you at six," he said as I closed the door.

On the eleventh day, I felt like I left an arm or leg behind. I felt a loss while I watched him drive away. I'd be busy all day, and I would keep my mind off of Chet, most of the time. At work, time flew. I did think about him while I was between jobs I did, but once I got busy, my mind was on my work.

"Did I hear that sports car driving away?" Mr Hitchcock asked.

"You've heard it for ten days in row, I believe," I said.

"Sounds serious," Mr Hitchcock said. "You're smiling more these days, Z."

"It is. It's very serious," I said.

"Oh, your other friend, Skip? He came by thinking you might be here. I did tell him there was a new friend and you'd been seeing him for over a week. I didn't think you might not want Skip to know. I hope I didn't say too much."

"No, that's fine, Mr Hitchcock. What did Skip say?"

"He smiled. He seemed pleased to hear that you had a new friend."

"Yes, he would be. Skip's a good friend. He wants me to be happy."

"He left right after he heard that news."

I smiled. Skip knew there was someone who had come into my life. Then, I frowned. When he found out who I was with, he wouldn't be smiling. It still bothered me that I hadn't found an opportunity to tell Chet I knew Skip.

"It's a Lamborghini," I said, walking forward as I tied my apron.

"You told me Monday. Those are pricy automobiles. Your boyfriend's rich?"

"He has a good job but no, he isn't rich."

Had I stayed in Massachusetts and graduated high school and I had a job back there. I'd never allow my boss to know I had a boyfriend. Mr Hitchcock didn't give it a second thought. I couldn't be happier to live in California.

How come I was so lucky? I had good parents, a good job, a good lover and a good boss. How did I come by so much good in my life? Chet had rotten parents and so did Free. That's when Ralph came to mind. What was wrong with people who had children and then treated them so poorly?

I became more determined to treat Chet like the wonderful boy he was. He survived hard times. It would be my job to make the rest of his time easy on him. Mr Hitchcock was smiling at me each time I saw him that day. There were deliveries all day Thursday. Friday had even more deliveries to make sure we had enough stock to get us through the weekend. I didn't have much in the way of free time Thursday. By early in the afternoon my breaks were coming more often, because I ran out of gas. The constant love making at night did wear me out, but not enough to make me want to have less sex with Chet. Actually, as addictions went, I was like totally addicted to Chet. I didn't know if I could overdose on him, but I was willing to give it a shot.

My usual Coke at ten picked me up a little, and even an apple juice at two would make me feel better about my healthy choice, but it didn't pick me up or make me want Chet any less.

I was hanging up my apron and heading for the front of the store bout the time I figured Chet would be pulling up out front. I did a lot of smiling until I heard him, and then, I could get my hands on my man.

Being without him during the day Thursday had me remembering our day together on Wednesday. We didn't surf, but maybe we surfed a little in bed. Mr Hitchcock didn't mention that I was no longer surfing with Skip on Wednesday. I saw no reason to change my schedule. It gave me more time with Chet.

As I stood at the front door, as tired as I was, I wanted to see him, touch him, get my arms around him. I wanted my lips on his lips. I'd never been so head over heels before. I felt the feelings, but not with the intense I had for Chet.

As my mind worked overtime, I stood smiling stupidly at the front door of Hitchcock's Market.

"Isn't that who you're waiting for?" Mr Hitchcock asked as I stood with my hand on the door.

"Huh?" I said to complete my mindless look before I looked outside.

There were no alarms, no warning bells, there was Chet, Chet, Chet.

I went out as soon as I saw him.

Did I mention I was tired?

I ran out to the car, jumped in, and I threw my arms around Chet. I began kissing him. When he laughed, I smothered him in more kisses.

He giggled and then he laughed but he didn't tell me to stop it. It was a good thing too, because I wasn't done with him yet. He put his arms around me to make our kisses a more serious affair.

"Miss me, Babe," Chet asked.

"Shut up and kiss me," I said.

He laughed at my amorous side.

"I missed you," he said in between kisses.

I knew Mr Hitchcock would be watching. He'd be happy that I was happy. My boss worried when I wasn't happy-go-lucky.

"I missed you too, Z," he said, holding me close to him. "What did I do without you?"

"Drive your Lamborghini?" I asked.

He laughed and held my hand.

"I need to go home," I said.

"Home," he said with shock in his voice.

"To get some clothes. I've been wearing these for nearly a week," I said.

"Oh, home. Okay, home it is," he said, sounding relieved.

"Go down to the block after Broadway and make a left," I said.

"I know where it is. You think I didn't drive to see where you live?"

I hadn't thought about it. It's what I would have done if I had a car, but I didn't need a car. Chet had a car and we were always going to the same place."

Chet sat in the car and my father came to the door when I was ready to leave. He stood in the door and watched me walk out to and get into the Lamborghini. My father was a banker before he became the chief financial officer at the company where he worked now. If he didn't know the list price on a Lamborghini, he'd soon know, because he'd look it up. I didn't know what one cost, and it didn't matter to me as long as it got me where I was going.

Once I thought about what my father thought when he saw me getting into Chet's car, I thought about what his next line of thought would be. I'm sure Dad wondered how someone I was seeing could afford a car like that. He'd immediately begin working on ways young men made enough money to buy a Lamborghini. Once he got beyond inheriting it, he'd go down a list of drug dealers, highway robbers, and criminal enterprises in general.

"No kiss?" Chet asked.

"Not with my father watching," I said.

Chet turned his head to see my father now standing on the front porch.

"We need to go," I said.

"Is he mad?"

"No, but he saw me getting into this car. I don't know what he thinks. I shouldn't have had you drive me here."

"What do we do?"

"Go home and make love. You'll need to come with me to meet them. This is about as mysterious as I've ever been with my parents. I need to bring you to dinner so they can see that you're a nice boy," I said.

"It's okay with me. I work for the next four nights. Tevo's will be open tomorrow evening."

"I'll talk to them and tell them you work in the evenings and we can come over Tuesday or Wednesday evening. That will cool things off for now. I've never stayed away from home before."

"You're twenty."

"I'm twenty and I have good parents. They treat me well and I need to treat them with respect. We've known each other long enough that they need to meet you. You don't mind, so what are we talking about?"

"Now that you put it that way. Your father isn't watching now," he said, as we stopped for the light at Broadway.

Dad knew me well enough that I wouldn't be involved with a bad boy. He didn't know who I was involved with and that was all the more reason to take Chet home with me.

We didn't embrace and kiss in front of my house, after I left, but as soon as he gave the engine one quick shot of gas, I had my arms around him.