Mondays were big days at the Ol' Pickaxe, so even though she felt a little hungover from Casey's whiskey, Bea awoke promptly, shook off the haze and started filling the tub at 6am. No one used bathtubs anymore. Everyone used showers. Yet the old apartment that Bea and her father shared still had an old claw-footed tub. Years ago it had been retrofitted with a hand-held rubber shower attachment on the spout, but she rarely bothered with it.

She shut off the water and climbed in slowly, easing herself past the shudder-point. Then she relaxed. This was the most peaceful part of her day. She never overdid it though. 5 minutes of absolute stillness. She would not allow her mind to focus on anything for these 5 minutes. No stress, no worry. Whatever problems she had, somehow life had granted her another peaceful time in the tub, so her problems couldn't be that bad.

The 5 minutes was gone in a flash, but she still appreciated it. But now she was back to Bea's life, scrubbing, drying, dressing. A quick breakfast and out the door.

And then she turned around and went back inside to rummage up a jacket and a scarf. It was damn cold out this morning!

When she got to the Pickaxe, she wasn't alone. Germ was sitting at the door.

"First delivery is out back," he said, not looking up from the coffee cup he held.

"Am I late?"

"Na," said the odd bird, "I guess me and the delivery guy are just early."

She unlocked the door, and stepped inside, frankly glad to be out of the wind. Her breath came in clouds even inside though. Germ was looking at her quizzically.

"Go ahead, turn on the heat. Just to 65 mind you, and we'll turn it back off once we get warmed up."

Germ nodded and headed to the back room where the thermostat was while Bea turned on the POS system and ran the weekly log printout. Once it had started printing, she went back to the warehouse and opened the door for the delivery truck.

She recognized the driver. It was her wood supplier, Mr. Hargrove. The truck, however, she did not recognize. It was huge and stacked with lumber. She smiled though. This load for the new house was going to earn her a decent profit for a change.

"All that for me?"

"That's what the order says, Bea. The new Grant house?"

"Yeah. I know the general contractor. I don't suppose you brought any help to get this unloaded?"

"Just me and you, Bea. But no problem. I've got all morning."

"Thanks Mr. Hargrove. Germ's here too."

As if on cue, Germ stepped into the cold warehouse from the front.

"Hey Germ, put the 'ring the bell' sign up and lock the front door. We're going to be unloading for a while."

An hour later the truck was about three-quarters unloaded but all three were exhausted and sitting on the stoop at the warehouse door. The temperature had gone up a little, enough so that the wind felt good now.

The bell rang. Someone was at the front door. Bea got up.

"Ten minutes, then we knock out the rest."

Germ and Mr. Hargrove nodded their assent. As Bea opened the door to the storefront from the warehouse, she glanced at the clock. A little after nine. She needed to get the unloading done quickly, before the customers really started coming in earnest.

A glance at the door and her heart sank. It wasn't a regular. It was Casey.

"God dammit," she thought as she crossed the distance to the door. "I really, really don't need this now."

"Hey Casey," she said as she opened the door. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much. Just thought I would drop in."

"Sorry Case, not a good time. Unloading lumber out back."

"I can help!"

"No, you can't. I can't pay you, and if you hurt yourself my workmen's comp will go ballistic."

"What about Germ? He's helping, and he's not on your payroll."

Internally she smiled. This Casey Hartley wasn't as dumb as he looked.

"Okay. I wouldn't normally, but I could use the help. Don't fuck up, okay? It's just wood. No pay though. Is that alright?"

"Sure."

She locked the door behind him and introduced him to Mr. Hargrove. It turned out the work did go a lot faster though, with four pairs of hands. It was done before the front door bell went off again.

“Germ, go open up while I finish the paperwork out here. I'll be done in just a minute.”

Unlike her father, Bea always did a full inventory on new deliveries and, as she'd practically expected, the shipment was a little short. Not much. Nothing anyone would get too upset over. But it wasn't unusual.

Mr. Hargrove didn't give her any shit though. He adjusted the invoice properly and just protested that he hadn't been the one to load it. Bea gave him a grimace, but thanked him for the help unloading. After all, it wasn't really his job to unload the delivery and he probably really hadn't loaded it.

She shut the warehouse door and entered the shop to see Germ was waiting on a customer. Casey was nowhere to be found. Germ explained that Casey had left shortly after they'd gone back into the storefront. That bothered Bea a little bit. What was he playing at?

"Oh, it's surely my imagination," she decided. "He's just being a friend." Still, it wasn't typical for her to make new friends. But at least he wasn't coming on to her seriously. Maybe it was just that after all.

At lunch, she flipped the Open sign to the Closed clock, indicating she'd be back at 1pm, and paid Germ in cash.

"You won't need me this afternoon then?"

"Na. I called the general contractor but he's going to be bringing some guys along to pick up the lumber tomorrow. I've got it for the rest of the day, but there's a shipment of nails and such tomorrow, so if you want..."

Germ took the cash without counting it.

"I'll be here. Thanks Bea!" he said, and left while she got her bag and verified the files for the band were still there. Then she left for the Video Outpost II.

The day had gotten at least reasonably warm as she went up the street. She saw Casey down an alley and waved at him, but he was with someone else and didn't notice her.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Hi Bea," Angus said, looking up from the counter.

"Hey Angus. I exported those files as .mp3s for you to use on Wednesday. So... no jokes from Casey?"

"Nope. Nothing. I told you he would be cool."

"How's things with you?"

Angus turned a bit moody. "Not too bad. Gregg and I are having a bit of a fight. Nothing serious though. To be honest, I think he misses Mae more than he lets on. I'm... not as fun-loving as she was, he says."

"Crimes?"

"Crimes."

"Well, I'm no psychologist. But I'm sure you'll work it out."

"No doubt. Say, if you want anything, that offer for a free video still stands! Sorry Bea, I know I haven't been very sociable lately with you."

"Don't worry about it. You've got a relationship to sail. As for the video, one day I might have time or interest, but these days..."

"The offer stands. We'll chat tonight. Which reminds me, where were you last night? Got no response."

"Oh. Sorry. I had other stuff to do and I just crashed," Bea said as she headed towards the door. "TTYL."

"TTYL!"

As she headed back to the Pickaxe, it began to bother her that she had intentionally misled Angus. But she didn't want him to start thinking that Casey and her were a thing either. She did glance down the alley where she'd seen Casey, but he was gone.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and she closed the shop shortly after 7 as the sun was going dow, but no one was waiting for her and the rest of the evening passed uneventfully as well.

"So," her dad said as they sat down to a late dinner of hamburger helper.

"So?"

"You wanna tell me about Casey? You got home pretty late last night."

"No, I don't. And there's nothing to tell anyway. He's a pretty good guy though, all things considered."

"You ever think about dating Bea?"

Bea glared at her father.

"Alright. Not my business. How's things at the Pickaxe?"

"Got the lumber shipment in. It was short again."

Her father paused. "You're a good kid, Bea. I wonder how much I was fleeced for over the years?"

"Doesn't matter anymore. They'll be shipping the shortage along with next weeks' delivery. We've got plenty extra for the contractor."

"I could come in tomorrow, if you want."

Bea looked at him for a long time, but her father kept eating, ignoring her stare. They spoke no more on the subject.

After dinner, Bea washed the dishes while her father dried and put them away and spoke of nothing of consequence until they were done.

"Dad, I don't think you're ready for it yet. You know what happened last time. You'll start thinking she's back here in bed and needing her medicine again."

Her dad looked at her with a mournful gaze.

"Maybe next month, Dad. Okay?"

"Okay Beebee. You know best."

"No I don't. I don't know shit, Dad. I'm twenty years old and I don't know shit and I don't know what I'm doing and I can't get us out from under this debt no matter what I do. I need you, Dad. I need you back, but you're not coming back. I'm barely keeping the lights turned on and I need help. This money from the new house will keep us going for another month, but if nothing big comes in during that time, something's gotta go and I don't know what's left to pare down. Our expenses are cut to the bone but we're still not making enough, and I can't advertise to get new business because we don't have any money and our credit's shot to hell...."

She said nothing and just nodded. Then she went to her room, shut the door, and cried silently. Finally, when it was over, she turned on her laptop. There was a new message there from Angus.

"Hey Bea. Casey came by and asked for your IM ID. I told him I'd ask you."

Bea began typing.

"You there?"

"Hi Bea. Did you get my message?"

"Yeah. No problem. You can give it to him. Actually, why don't you give me his, and I'll add him."

"227390"

"Really?

That was available? I didn't know you could pick your own ID number!"

The cursor blinked for an unusually long time and Bea realized Angus hadn't connected it yet.

"CASEY-0. Why hadn't I noticed that?"

"Because I'm smarter than you."

"Seems so. But I knew you could pick your own ID."

"Okay. We're even. How's you and Gregg?"

"Back to normal. In fact, I need to get going. Gregg's feeling frisky tonight."

"Make-up sex?"

"Yeah. Gnight Bea."

"Gnight Angus."

"Wait! Angus? You still there?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy you and Gregg are getting along again."

"Thanks Bea."

She closed Angus' icon and opened the Contacts section and started a New Contact with Casey's ID. She requested permission, but no reply came through, so she shut off the laptop, pulled on her shift and took her clothes to the laundry to wash them. Her dad had gone to bed so she went back, locked the door, opened the window blinds and lit a cigarette. Mr. Applebaum was there to greet her, and she blew him a smoke ring.

An hour later, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. But sometime later she was awakened by a tap at the window. It was followed by another. She looked out and saw a dark form down below , throwing pebbles. Probably Casey. But the window was sealed. She couldn't open it if she'd wanted to. She turned on the light and motioned towards the door, no longer able to see anything from the glare. Then she crept out and downstairs as quietly as she could and opened the door.

The wind whipped her thin shift alarmingly as she saw the figure standing outside the door.

"Casey, what the hell are you doing here at this time of night?"

"Can I come in? It's cold out here."

"Like I don't know that?! Come on in."

"Thanks Bea. They kicked me out."

"Shhh. Can't talk here. Come on up."

She led the way up the stairs and opened the door as quietly as she could. Frankly, if she knew her dad, he wouldn't have any problem with her bringing a guy up to her room at her age. But she really didn't want to have to explain it. She closed her bedroom door behind Casey and locked it, not turning on the light. The light from the open window was enough.

Casey began to tell the story of how his parents had kicked him out of their house in whispered tones, but she wasn't really paying much attention beyond the paraphenalia bit. Instead, she was considering what the hell she was doing with this near-stranger in her room at God-Knows-What hour of the night. The problem was, she knew exactly what she was doing - and it scared her a little. She lit a cigarette.

"Casey, you're an asshole. Do you know that?"

In the gloom, she saw him nod his furry head. She resisted an urge to stroke his ear.

"In the morning I expect you to go back there, get rid of all the bullshit that got you in trouble in the first place, then you apologize to them and ask them if you can come back."

"But Bea! I..."

"No, Casey. It's their house. They found your shit, and they won't have it. When you have your own place, you can do whatever you want. But you're living in their house, and it's their rules. You can do that, or find your own way in the world. Are you ready to do that yet?"

"I could just leave. Hop on a train and go. No one would miss me."

"Why don't you then?"

A long silence followed. Bea pulled a long draw on the cigarette and watched as the end glowed and dimmed before exhaling.

"I'm not ready yet. I've got... unfinished business."

"Then do what I told you. When you're ready, go. Till then, you will do what they ask of you. Casey, your parents are strict, but from what you've told me, they still care about you. They're trying to get you away from the drugs. What they don't understand is that nobody can do that but you, and you don't want to."

"I know me, Bea. I'll just do it somewhere else."

Bea shrugged and snuffed out the cigarette. "You won't be doing it at their house. That's enough at this point, I think."

Casey nodded. "What about tonight?"

In response, Bea tossed the blanket and pillow off her bed and onto the floor.

"The sheet's enough for me. Good night basket-Case."

"Thanks Bea," Casey said.

"Shut up, idiot."

Bea got under her sheet and turned away from Casey as she heard him get undressed quietly. And then the creaking started. The floor joists of the old apartment were terrible, and every time Casey moved, the noise would wake her back up. An hour passed and she wasn't even close to being able to sleep.

"Casey," she said quietly, knowing full well he was still awake.

"Yeah?"

"Get your ass up here."

She felt him crawl under the sheet beside her, felt his arm against her back. The bed was a twin - not possible for two to sleep on without touching. She felt his hand touch her shoulder.

"No," was all she said, and it disappeared. She was satisfied. Actually, she rather liked the feel of another person beside her. His breathing indicated he was wide awake, but she didn't mind that. He didn't have to get up at 6am. She did. She felt herself drifting off at last.

She turned over and put her arm across his chest. Both realizing what she was doing, but also not caring. He held her arm to him and she felt his breathing slow as well. Then she went to sleep. Though she was disturbed to wakefulness a couple of times during the night, it wasn't bad and she got back to sleep again. He never tried anything untoward.

Finally her eyes opened at 5:58 am. Casey was still sleeping soundly, and she realized she had her head upon his chest. It felt good. The steady rise and fall felt comforting. But she had to get up. She tried to climb over him without disturbing him, but it didn't really work and his

bleary eyes opened.

"Morning Bea," he croaked.

She looked back at him. "Morning Casey. You can stay as long as you like. I gotta go into the Pickaxe."

He yawned and she noticed a quite prominent bulge under the blanket, but she didn't comment.

"Na, I'm up. Mind if I nap at the Pickaxe a little this morning?"

"No problem. I'm off to take a bath. Be back in about 20 minutes."

"I... kinda gotta go."

"Oh jeeze. Come on then. Be quiet!"

She led him to the bathroom and started the bath.

"Go ahead. I won't look."

The sound of the running water masked any noise Casey made.

"Okay, now get back to my room. Back in a few."

She watched Casey retreat to her room in his underwear and smiled. "Not a bad looking cat, really," she mused. Then she got in the bath and started her 5 minute relaxation. For the first time in as long as she could remember, it didn't work. She could not clear her mind and she knew why.