Look, David, um, one of those things is happening -- Mickey and I stopped at the bakery café and some of those Marines came in... No, I'm not going a...nywhere, but Mickey is. David, Honey, she has this idea about Tyler..." There was an extended pause, then Betty said quietly, "I'll let her explain it." She handed Mickey the phone."David?" This is Mickey, right? The lady she does exercise classes with at the gym?" David asked."Yes." Can you tell me what's going on? Betty isn't always...". .Delia...." I said, "I...." I sat down on the bed with a lurch, and started trying notto cry, Bonnie sat down next to me and took both my hands between both ofhers, then placed them firmly in her lap. "That's all right,Alvin," she said. "I know. We all feel a little sad when we firstlose our virginity. But we soon learn there are compensations." She squeezed my hands sympathetically, and pressed them against hercrotch. She seemed not to notice. "I'm sure some of it wasenjoyable for. Even now, you and Marius should decide what days off you will take so one of you is always here to oversee things in case I become tied up the way I was today,” I said.“Do we have to take a day off?” he asked.“No, but I don’t want you or any of the other men exhausted. Let everyone work enough to have a little extra coin in their purse, and then have them take a day off. Stagger their days off so you have enough men working each day. Assure them that their job will still be here as long as I. Her name is Jayden. It says so on her nametag. There’s a little bell that rings when you enter the store.“You really must like it here or you don’t have a home. Which is it?”“Actually I’m thinking of opening a deli across the street and am here to steal your recipes.”“You don’t have to open a new one, dad will sell you this one in a minute. At least that is what he is always saying.”“He wants to sell?”“Are you kidding? Then what would my dad have to complain about.”Her laughter fills the small.