“Okay…what do I do?” Chrissie asked me. I sighed.

 “You take this stack of flyers and you pass them out, you also put them up anywhere you can!” I instructed her. “Watch.” I said snapping some tape off my roll and slapping a bright yellow flyer to the wall. The picture had turned out terrifically.

 “What if no one takes them?” Chrissie asked.

 “You force the flyer on them…watch me…” I knew had to show Chrissie. Veronica was already at work with her stack further down the sidewalk.

 “Hey! Hey, hey, hey….hey! You there…here…come see Queen Friday night. Here!” I shoved a flyer into some guy’s hand. I did the same to the girl that was with him. “No cover charge and the drummer’s gorgeous!” I watched them walk away. “Okay! See you Friday night, then.”I called after the two. Chrissie looked at me as if I had lost my mind. She shook her head frantically.

 “No, Lydia…I can’t do this. I can’t just shove these things on people!’ Chrissie fought me.

 “Watch again…” I told her.

 “HEY! You! Hey, hey, hey! Queen…Friday night, 9:00! Come see! You won’t be disappointed!” I shoved a flyer into someone else’s hand.

 “Cool, thanks!” the guy said to me.

 “See? Do if for Brian, Chrissie.” I told her. She blushed. “Go! Force that flyer on someone!”  told her before slapping her on the back. She smiled and took a deep breath, walking down the sidewalk a bit from me.

 “Umm…ex...excuse me…excuse me. I would like to invite you to see the band Queen. 9:00 this Friday and thank you.” Chrissie said softly. The girls refused their flyer. I rolled my eyes and moaned.

 “No, Chrissie! Watch again…” I liked my finger and grabbed another flyer. It was windy today and that wasn’t helping keep the stack together.

 “ S’cuse me! S’cuse me! Yes, hi. This Friday, Queen. 9:00. Tell your friends! They’re a rock band, you’ll love their sound.” I forced another couple flyers out.  I returned to Chrissie. “Try again. Remember….this is for Briiiiiian.” I taunted her. Chrissie took another breath.

 “Whoa! Whoa! Where you goin’!? Here! Come see Queen this Friday…um…OH! The guitar player has unbelievable hair!” Chrissie’s face radiated with excitement. I was so proud of ‘er. She turned around and looked at me. “Oh, Lydia…that was fun!” I laughed at her.

 “Come on, we need to go to the student union. We’ll really get rid of these fast there. I imagine Veronica has plowed through hers by now.”

 “Okay, but remember! I’m meeting Brian after his class in an hour. I need to be finished by then.” Chrissie reminded me.

 “I know, I know. I wouldn’t dare make you late for dinner with your boyfriend.” I said, rolling my eyes again.

 “He’s not my boyfriend!” Chrissie’s voice cracked.

 “You’re still on that, huh? I asked as I held on to the stack of flyers to keep them from getting caught in the wind.

 “But…I need to ask you somethin’.” Chrissie asked me.

 “Alright.” I answered, not slowing my pace any.

 “I uh…I got a little present…if you want to call it that, for Brian. I just…I saw it and I thought of him. So, do you think that would be inappropriate if I gave it to him?” Chrissie asked me reluctantly.

 “Of course not, he’s your boyfriend.” I said flatly.

 “Oh good, I’m glad you think….wait!” What!? Lydia!” Chrissie’s voice was cracking again a little bit.

 “It’s nothing much. See, it’s getting colder and everything and so yesterday I was out shoppin’ at the square and I…you know…I found somethin’ I think he would like.”

 “Yes, yes Chrissie. He will love condoms. You’re very thoughtful.” I said sarcastically.

 “LYDIA!” she partially laughed at me…so I knew what she was thinkin’. “It’s a scarf! It’s dark gray!”  Chrissie said excitedly.  “Do you think he will like it?”

 “Did you wrap the condoms inside it?” I winked at her. Chrissie gave me one of those ‘I know you’re kidding but it kind of turns me on when you even suggest that because I won’t lie, I’ve thought about it’ looks. I loved it.  “Yes…I’m sure he will like it. He’ll like it just because it’s from you.” I answered her.  “…because you’re his girlfriend.” I added as I opened the door to the student union. Chrissie sighed heavily…but at least she didn’t dispute me this time.

 An hour later, Chrissie was sitting on a bench outside the science building waiting on Brian’s class to finish up. She, Lydia and Veronica had parted ways. Lydia was headed to Roger’s flat to get his laundry done. Veronica had gone home to get dinner started. The boys were rehearsing tonight at 7:00. Chrissie knew Brian would be coming out of the building at any moment. That day, Chrissie, Veronica and Lydia had successfully handed out or hung every flyer that was printed. Chrissie smiled and waved when she saw Brian. He waved to her and pulled his coat around him.

 “Hi. Have you been waitin’ here long?” he asked her.

 “Not at all.” Chrissie answered him. She was so excited she couldn’t contain herself. “Sit down with me a minute.” She patted the bench beside her. It was getting late and the October sun was fading. There were a couple trees behind the bench near the science building, both nearly barren. Chrissie watched as Brian’s curly hair blew sideways. “How was your class?” Brian shrugged his shoulders.

 “It was kind of boring tonight actually. Either that, or maybe I was distracted.” He admitted. Chrissie shook her head and smiled.

 “I…” she stopped a moment and opened up her handbag and looked over at him. “I…have something for you…” she didn’t make eye contact to see the look on Brian’s face at the moment. She dug around a minute. “Here…I found it yesterday. I thought of you.” Chrissie smiled all over and handed Brian a wad of gray woolen fabric. He was so very surprised. He actually didn’t quite know how to react. “Here, ya’ go.” Chrissie turned a little pink. Brian smiled all over and stared down. He then looked up at Chrissie and back to what was lying in his hands. He was still smiling.

 “It’s a scarf…you know…since it’s getting cold outside.”

 “Chrissie! You’re too kind.” She hadn’t see Brian’s face light up like that. He was completely tickled.

 “Here…” Chrissie smiled a bit nervously and reached out clammy hands to Brian’s shoulders pushing his long, curly dark hair away from his shoulders. She unrolled the scarf and slung it around him, making one side longer than the other. Chrissie loosely wrapped the longer end around his neck and then pulled his hair out from underneath the soft woolen blend. She ran her hands down each side of his newly wrapped scarf. “There, you go.” She said a little softly and nervously. She leaned back to her original seated position. The leaves rustled on the concrete around them. Chrissie sighed. “You…you look good, Brian.” She bravely told him. Brian’s smile made Chrissie drip into that bench as if she were a puddle.

 Brian still had his hands on the scarf. “Thank you. I don’t really know what to say. You’re so thoughtful. Brian very hesitantly put his hand on Chrissie’s. He just left it there. Chrissie’s eyes were glued to his hand lying over her own. Brian had such pretty hands. “You ready to go have somethin’ to eat? I gotta’ rehearse in a while. And you’re gonna’ get cold soon.” He said with kind eyes. “Thank you…for helpin’ out with all the flyers. I just…” Brian shook his head. “I just love bein’ with you. Maybe I should be with you more often.” He paused, his hand still over Chrissie’s. She was hanging on any and every word Brian said. “Chrissie…” he paused. She looked at him with anticipatory eyes. “…could I hold your hand?” She grinned like a jack-o-lantern. “Oh, course…of course you can.”

 I had two sets of windows open in Roger’s flat and a record on the record player. I washed his blankets and had them hanging out the window to try because they were too bulky for the dryer. I had a cigarette in my mouth and was foldin’ his shirt. I propped the door of his flat open with another bag of laundry and a bottle of detergent. I had just completed the second load. In the bathroom, I had seven bras flung over the shower curtain rod drying out. In fact, I realized I had accumulated a lot of clothes here at Roger’s. However, I couldn’t figure out why we had so much to wash. It seemed we had just done laundry. I normally did his laundry at my flat because the use of the washers and dryers were free of charge but the facility was currently undergoing some re-model and was out of service. So, I was running up and down the stairs to the basement of Roger’s building. I had another load in the washer at this time. I would need to check it in a half hour. There were three piles I had created thus far: shirts, socks, underwear. I hadn’t washed any pants or any of my skirts or jeans yet.

 I had my back to the door, foldin’ away and hummin’ a bit to the record I had on the record player. I paused to puff my cigarette and ash it in the tray nearby. I felt a poke on either side of my stomach. I screamed a little and nearly dropped my cigarette. “Oh! Oh, god! I didn’t hear you come in!” I smiled and spun around.

 “Look! Look, I got everythin’ on the list!” Roger was so excited. He was good at getting groceries when I gave him a list. If I didn’t give him a list…it’s hard telling what he would come back from the grocer with. “Onion! Peppers! A tomato! Chicken! Cheese! Sour cream! Hot sauce! These seasonin’s! Tortillas! I got everythin’ they had for fajitas babe!” Roger had gone back over to the counter to unload the grocery bag. I hadn’t heard him set the bag down either. It was a good thing he hadn’t been a murderer or something. “Make mine really hot!” he said, smiling at me. I put my arms around him.

 “Don’t worry. I will. I won’t disappoint you.” While Roger was rehearsin’ tonight, I was going to make fajitas and have them ready for when rehearsal was over. “You’re gonna’ have to get goin’.” I said, my arms still around him. He put his nose on my shoulder.

 “You smell like dryer sheets. ‘Ey, Lyd…I got somethin’ for ya. I know this wasn’t on the list..buuuuut.” I watched Roger reach into the grocery bag. “Look!” he was so proud of himself. I laughed and covered my face at what I saw.

 “It’s glue!” Roger stated the obvious. “See! I told ya’…I’d never let you break. Now you won’t…’cause you got glue!” Roger got a hold of me again. I couldn’t help but laugh. That was the sweetest thing. I kissed him, wrapping Roger in the scent of dryer sheets.

 Across town, John was sitting at the kitchen table working on an assignment from one of his classes. He was writing away in a composition book. Veronica had been downstairs talking to her mum. John could hear her hang up the phone and she started up the stairs. “What are you workin’ on?” she asked walking over to the sink to rinse the teakettle.

 “Just a short speech for this communication class. We’re supposed to give speeches next week about somethin’. I’m going to present steps to tuning a bass.” John explained, continuing to write. Veronica filled the teakettle and put it on the stove, turning the burner on. She had a sink full of dishes from their dinner. The smell of rolls and cooked beef still loomed in the air.

 “Oh okay. How long you rehearsin’ tonight?” she asked. John shook his head.

 “Not sure, maybe a couple hours.” He answered her. “You want me to get anything on my way back?”

 “No, that’s okay. I can’t think of anythin’ really.” Veronica stood behind John and put her arm around him, pulling his hair back from his face. “John, you look tired tonight. Don’t work too hard, okay?” she leaned down and kissed him on the top of the head. He looked up at her.

 “I’m alright. Maybe a little tired.” Veronica smiled.

 “I’ll have the bed turned down for you when you get back, okay?” John grinned at her and reached his hand up to her cheek, pulling Veronica’s face toward him. He kissed her briefly and returned to the communication class assignment.

"I love you." he told her.

"I love ya' too, John. You want some tea before you leave?" Veronica could hear the water begin to boil on the stove.

"Yeah, yeah I'll have some with you." John reached an arm around Veronica's back before letting her go to the stove.