Chapter 1

"I just can't stand him!"

"Now Heather, he IS your father. Have a little respect. Things are hard for him right now; just try to keep the peace," her mother replied from 1100 miles away.

"When are you coming home?" Heather whined.

"Not until the end of the month. It's a great opportunity for me and we need the money right now. And to be brutally honest, young lady, I don't need the added stress."

"He won't let me do ANYTHING!"

"Then stop screwing up and get in his good graces. I don't have time for this right now, honey. Just listen to your father for once, and try to be good..."

Heather hung up on her mother, and screamed in frustration as she ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her. If she expected that to somehow make things better, she was sorely mistaken.

Ever since her mother had accepted the short-term project in Manhattan for most of the summer, life had been miserable.

Under the best of circumstances, Heather and her father barely communicated. Her mother was the glue that held the family together, such as it was. Now that her father had been laid off after 22 years at the same job, he was even harder to put up with.

Summer was usually a great time. With the parents gone each day she got to sleep in, lie around the pool, hit the mall, gab on the phone, and for the most part do whatever she wanted.

Not this year. Within the first week of summer vacation, she'd lost her cell phone privileges when her grades showed up in the mail. It wasn't her fault the science and history teachers didn't like her. And she had managed to pass both courses. By the skin of her teeth.

Her mother had given her the phone back the night before she left for New York. She understood the importance of having a phone. Then that bastard had turned off the service. She'd pleaded with her mom over the phone to intervene for her, but so far she was still without a cell.

The whole party incident the next week could hardly be blamed on her. She had intended to leave before midnight, as she'd promised, but Derek and Rob had taken her car keys and wouldn't give them back until she joined them in a round of shots. Ok, a few rounds. Fine. And a few games it was probably best her parents never found out about. Figure in another 10 minutes just to find her bra. What? Was she supposed to just leave behind a $40 bra? And it was ridiculous that cops could park outside of a party and try to trap drivers when you're only driving like four blocks away! When her father finally picked her up at the police station at 2:30 a.m., that was the end of car privileges for the summer. On that issue, at least, her mother had gotten the old fart to reduce it to four weeks, if she'd stay out of trouble.

Of course if her stupid friends hadn't pushed the patio furniture into the pool, she wouldn't be stuck at home alone all day, with no visitors allowed. Alright, maybe she shouldn't have dared them, but who would have guessed they would be such idiots to really do it? Or that it would be so damned hard to get the stuff out the next day. Or that they would leave rust stains on the bottom of the pool. That had led to this latest call with her mom, but for once, an exasperated Janice told her she'd have to live with her actions.

Damn! This was supposed to be the best summer of her life. She was finally 18, and would be going off to college in September. If she could somehow get one to let her in, that is. She'd just die if she had to go to DCCC. Community college was for losers.

Heather looked at her svelte form in the mirror. She was looking more like her mother every day. A slow starter, she had starting filling out this last semester. She was already a little taller than her Mom's 5'3" and weighed exactly 108 pounds that very morning. The Nordic look, long blonde hair, fair skin, and big blue eyes were more of her mother's genetic donation. Her father's family did seem to be responsible for the curves which she had in abundance, if she did say so herself. She frowned at herself, and turned, looking at the pooch of her stomach and her too big ears. She ran her hands across the bottom of her rib cage, sucking in her belly. Her left tit was still bigger than her right one, but she was still growing there, maybe they would even out. Eight more pounds and an ear tuck, and she'd have a body most women would kill for. Locked behind these damn walls for her first legal summer. Damn her luck. What a waste.

Harold Payne was pacing his office, oblivious to his daughter's tantrum. He had bigger things on his mind.

Getting laid off after 22 years wasn't that bad. He had a good pension, and he'd worked a lot of overtime in the previous two years, upping his final wages. But collecting on that was still eight years away. He'd received a decent severance package as well, two weeks pay per year of service, and he had immediately applied for unemployment. At the moment, money was not the issue, no matter how gloomy his wife made it sound.

For once in his life he had the time and the means to do what he wanted to do. He didn't need to look for a new job yet; he could wait until the end of the summer.

Harold had always wanted to get involved in local politics, and with things the way they were it was more important to do that now than ever before. He'd been active in the union leadership, and people had always told him he was a convincing speaker. Completing his education on the company's dime seemed ready to pay off.

He stopped and admired his physique in the mirror. At 42 years old, he could easily pass for mid 30's. Barely a hint of gray hair, hardly a wrinkle on his face. At 5'7" he was average in height, but his running and yoga kept him lean, and his clean diet kept him healthy. Harold smiled at his reflection. His wife Janice had nothing to complain about.

Thinking of Janice brought a frown to his face. Twenty-three years they'd been together, and except for a few rocky months back when Heather was still in her terrible two's, they'd had a pretty good thing going. He'd always been proud to go anywhere with Janice beside him. At any event they were among the best looking people present. He felt enormous pride when his friends and coworkers looked her over. She was a beautiful woman still, even if there was a little more woman there now; she wore it well. Their love life had been good, if not spectacular. He'd always fantasized, what man didn't? But he hadn't strayed more than a couple of times in all those years, and never near home. And why would he? She was loving, attentive, kept a good house, and kept herself looking great. They shared values and dreams, and had been blessed with the most beautiful, perfect daughter in the world.