Standing, drinking coffee by the trailer waiting for Helen to show as John told me about a dream he had last night. Helen sat on him and he became a piece of cheddar cheese. John was now Helen's full fledged assistant and he was pondering if he should quit. He was at the house all weekend discussing with Helen the pros and cons of AT&T verses MCI. By the end of the weekend, she decided to stick with AT&T.

He said, "It was cool and all. We watched movies, swam, and ate a bunch of shit, but I mean I want to get ahead, not become some dyke's groupie."

I was sympathetic to John's dilemma, but I had my own agenda. John was at the house all weekend and I wondered if it was just the two of them.

"So you went swimming?" He nodded.

After a silent pause I said, "Was anybody else around?"

"Nope, and Helen seemed kind of lonely. I guessed that's why she wanted me hanging out with her."

"Ahh." I thought.

Helen pulled up in her black Saab and jumped out. She mumbled a hello to us, told John to get some coffee, and told me to get her some sweats.

When I returned, John was leaving. "I'd keep it short and simple if I were you."

She was in the bathroom as I put the sweats on the bed. "John," she yelled.

"No, it's Fran. Do you want me to get him?"

"Just forget it." She came out with her jeans unzipped. "My fucking clothes are too fucking tight." She pulled off her pants and I couldn't help but look at her milk-fed Kansas thighs. Her underwear was silky white. She handed me her jeans and I hung them in the closet as she got in her sweats. Disappointedly, when I turned back she had already ripped off her blouse and replaced it with the blue seat shirt that read "HELEN" across the front.

She moved to the next portion of the trailer and picked up her script. I headed for the door, but before I could open it...

"PJ and I through!" She sat and opened the pages.

I stopped facing the door.

"She called me this morning from Alaska. A last minute vacation with some chick she picked up in a biker bar."

I tried not to laugh. I turned with a look of concern. "Oh, Helen I'm sorry."

"That's it! I'm not going out with anybody. I've had it. Either they want to move in and smother you with bullshit or leave you at the side of the road and watch you squirm, abandoned, and left bone dry."

I supposed this was a hint of what not to become and I listened intently.

She didn't look at me. She didn't want to reveal the extent to which she was hurt. I understood, kept my distance, but inside hoped for the best.

"Helen...?"

She looked up during my pause, "Yeah?"

My mouth opened and my breath stopped...until finally..."Want some breakfast? How about a bagel?"

Her exerted smile couldn't fade her sad eyes. "Sure, that'd be great."