"I'm sure he'll be glad to meet you."

"I'll have to pick up one of his books and get an autograph."

"That'll make his day."

"And maybe we can firm up the date he'll be coming in."

"Yeah. He said any time after the first."

"Well, maybe we can make it more definite."

Lane nodded. "Have a nice weekend, Mr. Kramer."

"You, too. Try to stay out of trouble." He winked.

"What would be the fun of that?" she said, blushing.

As he laughed, Lane waved good-bye and left the room.

The hallway was crowded with kids, noisy with slamming lockers, shouts, and laughter. She leaned against a wall and waited for Jim. A few minutes later he came along.

"I have to drop some stuff off at my locker," Lane said. They started up the hall together.

"When are you leaving for Los Angeles?" he asked.

"As soon as I get home."

"What a drag."

"There's always next weekend. Next Friday, anyway. I have to go to a play Saturday night with Mr. Kramer."

"Yeah?" He glanced at her, lifting an eyebrow. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

"Get real. It's a school function. He's taking four of us from his sixth-period class."

"Great."

"Oh now, don't start pouting. I've got nothing on Friday night."

"Nothing on, huh? I'd like to see that."

"I just bet you would." She felt a hand slide over the seat of her skirt. "Quit it." "Sorry. Just trying to refresh my memory. It's been two whole weeks, you know, and now it'll be another."

"I'm not overjoyed about it myself. Nothing I can do, though." She arrived at her locker and started spinning the combination dial.

"Maybe you could pretend to be sick," he suggested. "What if you did that, and they let you stay home by yourself? I could come over to your house tomorrow night and-"

"Dream on, MacDuff."

She opened the locker and switched books, taking out those she would need for homework. Then she shut the metal door. "Even if I did stay home, boys aren't allowed in the house when my parents are gone."

"Who would ever know?"

"I would. Anyway, you might as well forget it. Ain't gonna happen."

They started down the hallway. "If you promise to behave," Lane said, "I'll give you a ride home."

"What about your goofball friends, Fat and Ugly."

Lane frowned at him. "I don't know who you mean."

"You know, all right. Betty and Henry."

"Why don't you refer to them that way, okay? They are my friends."

"God knows why."

"Are you trying to start something?"

"No, no. Just kidding. They're wonderful people, the salt of the earth."

"You could stand to be a little more like Henry."

"Uh, duh." He put a dopey smile on his face and started bobbing his head.

"Very funny," she said, but couldn't hold back a smile. "Stop it.

That's not nice."

"Duh, okay."

"Anyway, Betty's mom was picking them up after school and talcing them to violin lessons."

"So it'll just be you and me, huh?"

"If you can fit your big head into the car."

"I can try."

At the end of the hallway Jim held the door open for her. She stepped out and looked toward the student parking lot. She spotted her red Mustang.

No sign of Riley Benson.

After Monday, she'd expected each afternoon to find him perched on the hood. So far he hadn't tried it again. Though they crossed paths several times a day, he'd done no more than give her tough-guy looks.

He must've given up on his big plan for revenge, she decided.

Maybe Jessica had talked him out of it. Pays to be nice to people, she thought. Especially if they're buddy- buddy with someone who wants to wipe up the floor with you.

When Lane opened the car door, hot air poured out. They cranked down all the windows. She took a beach towel from the trunk and spread it over the driver's seat so she wouldn't burn her legs on the upholstery.

"You don't have one for me?" Jim asked.

"You're not wearing a skirt."

"You sure are," he said, and bent forward as if trying for a glimpse of her panties when she climbed in. "Pink," he announced.

"Wrong."

She started the engine. She twisted around to look out the rear window as she backed out of the space. She could feel her blouse pull tight against her breasts. Jim, of course, was staring at them.

"If they match your bra, they're white," he said.

"Don't you ever think about anything but sex?" she asked, grinning at him.

"Sure. Instead sometimes I think about sex."

She shook her head, faced forward again and steered for the parking lot exit.

"Must be hot, wearing a bra all the time."

"What makes you think I wear one all the time?"

"Every time I've seen you."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you kidding? I can tell a mile away if a babe's got one on."

"That's impressive... How long is your car going to be out of commission?" Lane asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I'll have it off the blocks tomorrow. I wanted it ready so we could go out tomorrow night."

"Sorry about that."

"Maybe I'll give Candi a call."

"I know, just kidding."

Jim said nothing. Lane got a tight, sickish feeling deep inside. She kept her eyes on the road.

"You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Be my guest."

She knew that Jim was teasing. He had no intention of taking out Candi. He'd dumped Candi in order to start going out with her. The threat of taking up with Candi again was nothing more than a form of punishment.

"You know what they say about a bird in the hand," Jim said.

"A good way to get a dirty hand."

"Also, she's a lot more cooperative than some people I might mention." "And probably has the diseases to prove it."

"Oooh. Mean."

"But feel free to take her out. It's your life."

He reached over and put a hand on Lane's leg. "You know I wouldn't do that."

"I only know what you tell me."

"I miss you, that's all."

"I miss you, too. But there's nothing I can do about this weekend."

"Yeah, I know." He squeezed her knee, and his hand moved slowly up her bare leg to the hem of her skirt. He caressed her thigh. It felt good.

"Just don't go throwing Candi at me every time you get upset."

"Jealous?"

"Suppose I was always threatening to dump you for Cliff Ryker?"

"That shithead?"

"You think you'd enjoy it?"

"You wouldn't. Not if you went ahead with it."

"He's cute."

"Not as cute as me." Jim's hand crept under her skirt. She pushed it away. "He's no gentleman, either."

"And you are?"

"I'm not like Cliff. He isn't the kind of guy who takes no for an answer. First time out with him, and he'd bang you till you couldn't see straight. If that's what you want, I'll be glad to take care of it for you."

"You go out with Candi, and you'll never get the chance."

"Hrnmmm. I like the sound of that. You mean, if I don't, I do?"

"Where there's life, there's hope."

She pulled the Mustang over to the curb in front of Jim's house.

Checking the windows and rearview mirror, she saw nobody nearby. She turned to Jim. She slipped a hand around the back of his neck. "No funny stuff," she said. "Just a quick kiss."

"How about coming in for a Pepsi, or something?"