"I promise."

"Good. If you do something stupid, I’ll—“

"You'll make me do twenty, right?"

"At least," Carey said.

"I'll miss you."

"But we talk every week."

"It's not the same."

"I know."

Grace undid the top two buttons, finding the juice bar to be abnormally hot. She ordered a tall soda instead of her usual coffee, then headed back to the pinball machines to use up the quarters weighing down her pocket. She no sooner put a quarter in the machine than she was bumped from the side.

"Hey, good looking, what's up?"

It took only a second to recognize her friend. "Jan!" She gave Jan a hug. "It's great to see you."

"You too. How've you been?"

"Great, how about you?" The pinball game forgotten, Grace leaned against the machine. "You still working up at the mall?"

"Yeah," Jan said. "But I might get a promotion to the new store they're building out at the strip mall near the airport."

"Wow, that's great, I hope you get it."

Jan smiled. "You really look great," she said as her eyes swept over Grace's body. "But then I always thought you were hot. You have no idea how many times I came close to kissing you when we were alone."

"Jan, that was a long time ago."

Jan shrugged. "I know. I've got a girlfriend now and she gets really pissed when I screw around on her, so I'll behave. You got someone?"

Grace reached for her drink. "I'm working on it," she said. "You up for a game?" she asked, gesturing at the pinball machine.

"Sure."

Grace tossed another quarter in and hit the start button. "You can go first." She stepped out of the way.

"So how come I haven't seen you in here before?" Jan asked, her eyes on the silver ball pinging off the bumpers.

"I don't come here much," Grace said. "I just needed to get out tonight."

"I try to get out two or three times a week," Jan said. "Sondra and I fight if we're around each other too much." She smacked the machine as the ball went down the side. "Damn."

As Grace moved to take her turn, she felt Jan brush firmly against her backside. "So are you going to school, or just working?" she asked, hoping Jan would get the hint if she ignored the touch.

"Just working," Jan said, standing just behind Grace's left shoulder. "I make enough money. I don't need school. How about you?"

"Still at ICC," Grace said. "Working at the Waterhouse right now."

She smiled as the lights began flashing. "Ha! Multi-ball."

"Lucky you," Jan said. "So you see anyone from the hill?"

Grace tapped the flippers repeatedly, fighting to keep all three balls in play. "No, not really," she said. "I talk to Carey a lot, but none of the other girls that were there. I heard Latisha was moving to New York City to live with one of her aunts."

"You still talk to Scary Carey?"

"Come on, Jan. She wasn't that bad. She's really a nice person once you get to know her."

"And how well did you get to know her?" Jan asked.

"Not like that," Grace said, though she did allow herself a smile at the thought. "But not for a lack of trying."

"You were interested in Scary? The same woman you told me you


wished would get run over by a bus?"

"That was when I first got there," Grace said. "You know we were getting along really well by graduation."

"Yeah, but Scary?"

"Don't call her that," Grace said. "I really care about her. She's the one for me."

"Grace, don't waste your time," Jan said. "She's not right for you."

"How do you know?"

"Oh come on, you mean you're gonna be able to light up a joint in front of her or have a few beers? So-Carey's so straight-laced she'd never allow that."

"Once I turn twenty-one she has no say in whether I drink or not, and I'd rather have her than pot."

Jan shook her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You're only asking for heartbreak going after that one."

"It's my heart to break," Grace said.

"So, did you hear about that bitch Grenner?"

One of the balls slipped past the flippers. "Shit. No, what'd she do?"

"Tried to knock off a convenience store over in Iroquois. She was still on probation and just turned eighteen so they threw the book at her. She's serving a nickel at Irwin."

In quick succession Grace lost the other two balls, ending her turn. "Guess Sapling Hill didn't help her at all, did it?" She moved out of the way, careful not to brush up against Jan.

"Not a damn bit," Jan said as she pulled back the plunger. "Look at your score. I'll never catch up."

"Good thing we didn't bet on it, hmm?"

Jan gave her a rakish look. "Depends on the bet."

Grace smiled and shook her head. "What would Sondra say?"

Jan turned and leaned on the machine, ignoring the ball as it rolled down the center and between the flippers. "She'd say she's leaving me...again." She shrugged. "No biggie. I get a two-day vacation and then she's back."

"My turn," Grace said. "Doesn't sound like you two are very happy."

"Ah, we do okay," Jan said, draining her glass. "Buy you a drink?"

Holding the plunger to keep the ball from going into play, Grace jutted her chin in the direction of her drink. "I'm good for now."

"I know the bouncer at Kitty's. Twenty bucks and I can get you in."

Grace tapped the flippers. "And get caught underage in a bar? I'm happy being off probation."

"You wouldn't get caught unless the cops raided the place," Jan said.

"I'm not taking the chance," Grace said. "I'd hate for my dad to come down from Alaska just to bail me out of jail."

Jan shrugged. "Suit yourself. Wanna go out on the deck?"

“I don't have anything," Grace said, losing one of the balls down the side.

“I do."

"Maybe later. Hah! Sixty million."

"Twenty more and you get a free game," Jan said.

"I've done it a couple of times," Grace said. "Get a hundred million and Joey gives a free drink." She lost another ball. "Christian doesn't, so I'm glad he's not working the bar tonight." She smacked the flippers repeatedly, saving the last ball by sheer luck. "Whew, that was close. Hey, you up for a game of pool after this?"

"I'd rather dance," Jan said.

"You gonna behave?"

"Do I have to?" Jan asked as Grace finally ended her turn.

"Yes," Grace said. "I told you, I want Carey and I don't want to do anything to screw it up."

“She doesn't have to know," Jan said, pulling the plunger, then walking away from the game. "There, you won."

Grace reached for her drink. "Jan, I'm not interested."

"All right, I get the picture. She must be pretty special for you to turn down a chance to get laid."

"She is," Grace said.

"So do I get a dance or not?"

"Behave?"

Jan gave an exaggerated bow. "I'll be a perfect gentledyke."

"You busy?"

Carey looked up from her paperwork. "Come on in, Sue. What's up?”

“Just checking on you. You almost took Kosnowski's head off.”

"She shouldn't have tied McCafferty's laces together," Carey said.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with Grace going to Alaska for two weeks to go fishing with her father, would it?"

"I think it's great she's spending time with her father," Carey said. "She wants to show off her new fishing skills. She really was pretty good once she got the hang of it."

"But she won't be anywhere near a phone. How are you going to survive?"

"Don't start, Sue," Carey said. “I can survive two weeks without talking to Grace."

"Are you sure?" Gage asked. "You haven't had to do it since she left."

"She said if she saw a pay phone that she'd give me a call," Carey said.

"Why don't you just admit you have something for her?"

"We've talked about this before," Carey said. "It would never work out."

"And what crystal ball did you get that information from?"

"I don't need this today, Sue."

"Because you miss Grace," the petite woman said. "Admit it." She set her hip on the comer of the desk. "You have to dig through the photo album to show me a picture of your mother but..." She tapped the framed photo of Carey and Grace on graduation day. “Do you want me to start on your refrigerator?"

"She's too young."

"Joanna Carey, you are a great big coward," Sue said. "You'll use any excuse in the book to avoid admitting what's right under your nose."

Carey sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sue, she's going to wake up one day and realize that I'm not right for her."

"Better to keep her at a distance no matter what you feel so she doesn't break your heart, right?" Sue shook her head. "You're not doing a good job. Weekly phone calls, letters, visits, presents." She tapped the photo again. "Mixed messages, Carey."

"So what'd you think of that COBOL final?"

"Hey, Michelle," Grace said. "I think Professor Smith is a sadist. A hundred questions and write code?" She shook her head. "I'm glad I'm done with that. What are you up to?"

"June and I were going to head over to the Coffee Bean for a little while. You wanna tag along?"

Grace looked at her watch. "I have Spinnaker's final first thing tomorrow morning. I'd better go home and study."

"Grace Waters, you never take a break, do you?" Michelle made a clucking sound with her tongue. "I can get Linda to come along." She elbowed Grace. "You know she's dying to go out with you."

"I know and I'm not interested," Grace said. "I'd love to get a cappuccino but I can't be late getting back. I need to get a few more hours of studying in for Spinnaker's final."