"And then it went 'Boom'!" Randy said. He laughed hysterically.

I sat silently on the barstool knowing that most of the customers in the small nightclub were staring at us. I wished I could shrink away.

I couldn't just go and sit somewhere else. I came with Randy. He invited me to this nightclub, so it was right to hang with him. He was my coworker and I appreciated that he was trying to be my friend, but I discovered he was a very different person than I first thought. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate Randy's effort to get me a social life. His way of going at it just wasn't my way. I hadn't frequented clubs before I arrived in town and so I was already uncomfortable being here. Randy just made it worse.

"You get it?" Randy said boisterously. "It blows up. It surprises the shit out of her."

"I get it," I mumbled.

I would have chalked up his demeanor to drunkenness, but we hadn't been here that long and we were still on our first beers though his glass was a lot closer to the bottom than mine. He was simply a jerk. It was plain and simple.

I was a recent business graduate. A campus headhunter connected me with my company. I was still only 25 and I thought it was my dream job and in many ways it was or possibly eventually would be. The downside was that I now lived away from all my family and friends.

I started my job only two months ago but I was lonelier than I expected. I guess it showed on my face or in my body language because Randy abruptly asked why I looked depressed. I admitted my loneliness. That was a big mistake. It was the reason I was sitting in this club with Randy and he was determined to help me have a good time. This atmosphere just wasn't me.

"Look at that blonde, James" Randy said. "She's eyeing you. Why don't you go after her?"

I was certain the reason she was looking over here was because Randy was being so boorish. I was a lout by association.

"Go for her," he urged.

"She's looking at you," I said.

"No. She's looking at you. She's more your type."

More my type? I liked that the blonde had big tits but the rest of her body looked very used. I couldn't tell if she was twenty or forty. If she was closer to twenty then she was probably the kind of girl who opened her legs to any guy who offered her free peanuts. If she was closer to forty, then she was older than I wanted in a girlfriend. She was definitely not my type.

"Be that way," Randy said. "I'm not going to pass up on some prime meat."

"Go ahead," I said. If she was prime meat then I would hate to know what spoiled meat was.

Randy sat down at her table. He'd already been rejected by four women in the short time we were here. His pick-up lines were not only bad but a couple of lines were offensive. The blonde giggled. If she was amused by what Randy said then it further confirmed that she was not my type.

I slowly sipped my beer and surveyed the crowd. There weren't any women I was interested in. They all looked too trashy. It wasn't that I was a prude but I didn't want women who looked like they started fucking in the first grade.

Randy was still sitting with the blonde. He caught my eye and walked over.

"I'm gonna take off, James," he said. He motioned his head toward the blonde.

"Sure thing, Randy. Have fun."

"Oh, I will. Got me a prize for sure."

"See you Monday."

"Monday? I don't know if I'll be able to walk after this weekend!" he guffawed.

I smiled politely. My work image of Randy was totally shattered. Deep down he was a crude man.

Randy wasn't in the office on Monday. I was glad. I didn't know him very well but I had the feeling he was out just so he could say to me that he fucked the blonde all weekend. The more likely scenario was she went home before the night ended or at the very least Saturday morning. I was grateful for a one day reprieve from hearing about his exploits.

I pulled into my apartment complex after work. There was a rental moving truck blocking my parking spot.

"Shit!" I said under my breath. Couldn't they park the truck somewhere else?

There was one spot left in visitor parking. The residents who had more than one vehicle always abused the visitor parking just so they wouldn't have to pay extra for a second reserved spot. They were supposed to park their second car on the street. I was lucky to get a spot at this time in the evening.

The truck's cargo area was empty as I walked by and the ramp was pushed back in. There was no reason to leave the truck sitting here.

As I ascended the stairs, there was an ugly brown couch blocking the landing. The color was probably formerly beige. A tired looking woman in her late 30s was on the top step of the stairs.

"Can you turn it?" she said, sounding frustrated.

"I'm trying," a younger female voice said, sounding just as frustrated.

The woman noticed me.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's alright."

I looked for a way to slip through but it was impossible.

"Let me help," I said. They were moving into the empty apartment unit next to mine, so I might as well be neighborly. Hopefully they would be good neighbors back.

I lifted the end of the couch.

"There you go, Mom!" the other voice said.

"You help on that side," I said when there was room enough for her to get through.

I bought my couch new and had it delivered but I remembered the challenge the two guys had at putting it inside my unit. The apartment architect had excessively sacrificed function and usability for aesthetics and the aesthetics weren't that great.

"We need to swing it around," I said mentally recalling how the workers were able to get my couch in.

"It will fall," the daughter said.

"No it won't," I said. "You two guide it inside."

I got a glimpse of the daughter. She was a thinner, younger version of her mom and had long brown hair compared to Mom's short brown hair.

The two women followed my instructions.

"There you go," I encouraged. "Keep backing it in."

Finally, we were placing the couch against the wall in her apartment.

"Thank you so much," Mom said.

"You're welcome."

"I'm Kelly and this is my daughter Jenny."

"James," I said.

"Thank you, Jim," Kelly said.

"I go by James."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. Nice meeting you. I'm next door."

I nodded goodbye to Jenny and headed to my place.

There was a knock on the door about a half hour later. It was Kelly.

"Hi," she said. "Do you know where Magnolia Street is? It's where I have to return the truck."

"It's two exits south on the freeway." I passed Magnolia on my way to and from work.

"Could I ask you another favor?"

"What?"

"Could I get a ride home? I can't drive my car and the truck too."

"So you're from out of town?" I asked.

"Yeah, they closed the office where I used to live, so I transferred here. I have to follow where the job is even if it's for less money. I'm 38. I'm too old to look for a new job."

"You're not old."

"Easy for you to say. What are you twenty-two?"

"Twenty-five. I'll get my keys."

"Thanks. I appreciate this."

"Sure."

Kelly followed me in the truck to the rental place. I waited in my car for her to come out of the office. It took long enough that I eventually shut off the engine. She looked frustrated when she sat in my passenger seat.

She said, "I swear that people who can't find any other job end up as truck rental clerks. I thought the people were stupid at where I rented the truck but this was ridiculous."

I chuckled politely. She had a long day, so I was sure her patience with people was at a minimum. I started the car and drove off.

"So how old's your daughter?" I asked.

"Jenny's fifteen. Can you believe it? She's going to be a high school freshman this year."

"Wow," I said courteously.

"Yep. She starts on Monday."

"Monday?" I wasn't that far removed from high school but it seemed too early in the year to start.

"I start my new job on Monday too," said Kelly. "They got me on a swing shift. I work from two to ten thirty at night. I'm hardly going to see my baby at all except in the morning before she goes to school and on the weekends."

"I'm sorry," I sympathized.

"So how long have you lived where you are?" she asked.

"A couple of months. I'm new to town too."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"I guess that makes me feel a little better. You're a stranger here too."

"Glad I could help."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"I didn't take it wrong. I know what you're trying to say. Everybody can use a friend."

I pulled into my reserved spot that I could now park in. We walked up the stairs.

"James?" she said when we got to the top.

"Yes?" I replied

"Could I ask you one more favor?"

I shrugged.

Kelly said, "If Jenny has an emergency or a big problem would it be okay if she came over to you?"

"I don't get home until six," I informed.

"That's okay. I'm more concerned about something happening during the night."

"Sure," I said.

"Thank you. Bless you."

"She was a minx," Randy bragged. "A total minx. She couldn't get enough of Randy. What a minx!"

As many times as Randy told me she was a "minx", it made me think it was more likely he passed out and she left before he came to.

"She wouldn't let me come into work on Monday. She was the full minx package. She didn't leave me until eight o'clock that night."

My translation was Randy was too hung over to come to work.

"So when are you seeing her again?" I asked.

"Oh, Randy doesn't get too close to any one woman."

"But if she fucks like a minx... ?" I left it hanging.

"Well, it's not like I wouldn't show her a good time if she wanted to ride my stallion again. How about you and me out again this weekend? You're my good luck charm."

"No, thanks," I said.

"Why not?"

"Uh ... I met someone," I lied.

"You did? Good for you!" He slapped me on the arm.

I rubbed it.

The doorbell rang Monday evening as I cooked my dinner. It was Jenny. She was already over on the first day she went to school and Kelly went to work. It was a bad sign.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I'm bored," she said. "I saw you come home."

I thought a moment and said, "Why don't you come in? We can talk."

Jenny plopped down on the couch.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. When I cooked, I always made enough so I would have leftovers for future easy lunches and dinners.

"Yes. Can I watch TV?"

"Sure," I said.

I pulled out a second TV tray and placed her meal on it.

"Thanks," she said.

I sat on the opposite end of the couch and ate. I watched whatever she watched on TV.

She stayed until almost nine. She didn't talk much and she responded to my questions with short answers. Essentially, she watched TV in my apartment when she could have just as easily done the same in her place. I was here but I doubted you could say I was company though I had to admit that I did like having someone over. I guess my presence helped her loneliness and the same could be said about her presence helping mine.

"Thanks for letting me come over," she said.

"Sure thing."

Jenny left with a big smile on her face. She was a pretty girl.

I saw the curtain move in Kelly and Jenny's apartment as I came to the top of the stairs. As I put the key in my door, Jenny popped outside.

"Hi!" she said happily.

"Hi," I greeted.

"You just get home?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

"Always," I said. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"No homework yet?"

"No."

"That's good."

"Can I come over again?" she asked.

So that was what this was about.

"Sure," I said.

"Thanks!"

Jenny closed her front door. She had the key to her apartment in her hand. She was ready to come over.

I ended up cooking for Jenny again. Once more we ate in front of the TV and once more she didn't say much.

It was the same scenario for the rest of the week. It was fixing dinner for Jenny then watching TV without talking to each other. I did try to make conversation, but she often ignored me if it wasn't during the commercials and when she did respond it was always a short answer.

For next Monday, I decided I would require more from Jenny.

"Are you done with your homework?" I asked the instant she popped out of her front door.

"I'll do it later."

"You stay pretty late at my place to have time to do it. Go get your homework and bring it over."

She frowned as if she couldn't understand why I would say such a thing.

"If you want to come over, you have to prove you finished your homework. If you're not done then you can finish it at my place. I'll help you if you need it."

"You're not my mother," she gently challenged.

"This is my apartment. I can make any rule I want and one rule is that all high school freshmen named Jenny must show they have finished their homework or bring their homework over to finish before she can keep me company and watch TV."

The look on her face was undoubtedly, "That's not fair!"

Jenny went back into her apartment. I shrugged. I wasn't doing her any favors by letting her sit in front of my TV doing nothing. Most TV shows probably sucked intelligence out of her brain and made it harder to study.

There was a knock on my door ten minutes later.

"Can I come in?" Jenny said. She had her book bag over her shoulder.

"Is that your homework?"

"Yes," she said with an overly dramatic sigh. It made me smile.

"You're just in time. I'm making dinner."

"I'm hungry."

"Then come on."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to help make it."

"Oh." She didn't look too happy about that. "I need to do my homework."

"After dinner. If you are going to eat my food then you should help make it," I said.

"Do you have like a frozen pizza or something frozen we could heat up?"

"I'd rather eat the box they come in," I replied. I wasn't one for frozen food. Yes, they were very convenient since I was single but I didn't mind cooking.

"So what are you making?"

"We," I corrected. "We're making stir fry. I need you to cut up the vegetables."

I pulled out of the crisper the veggies and put her to work. I cut up into thin strips a flank steak. I had her stir the pan while I set the table.

"We're going to eat at the table today?" she asked.

"You're not done with your homework yet so no TV."

"I'm fifteen! I'm not a child."

"I know, but I thought it might be nice to talk to each other this time."

I would appreciate her company a lot more if she was willing to be company.

"About what?"

"I don't know but it's amazing how much you can talk about when you try."

She didn't like that either. I wasn't trying to drive her away but if she got to the point where she was fed up with my new rules then so be it.

Jenny sat to my left. We ate silently but I wasn't going to let her get away with it.

"So how was your day at school?" I asked. I felt foolish asking but I had to start somewhere.

"Okay."

"No. How was your day?"

"It was okay."

"Nothing happened? Did you learn anything?"

"No."

"Nothing?"

"No."

She took a big bite that made me think she was trying to create an excuse not to answer my questions.

"So did you meet any cute boys?" I asked.

Jenny choked. I kept an eye on her until I knew for sure she was okay and then I let myself smile at her overreaction.

"No!" she insisted.

"So there are no cute guys at your school?"

"I didn't go meet them!"

"Why not?"

She glared at me. "Why are you asking?"

"Because you won't talk to me about anything."

"Boys at school won't talk to me," she said.

"How do you know?"

"Because no one talks to me except you," she said. "I'm all alone."

"I know how you feel," I sighed softy but not softly enough because I could tell Jenny heard.

"So what about you?" she asked.

"Me?" I responded. For a split second I didn't realize what she was asking then I figured it out. "I'm not into cute guys."

"Cute girls," she said exasperated with a 'What an idiot!" expression on her face. "Aren't there cute girls at your work?"

"No," I said. The only two women who were cute to my eyes were already married and one of them was pregnant.

"So we're both starting new," she said. "I guess we need each other."

I fell silent by her statement. It was profound. I did need someone and that was why I was trying to get her to talk. She needed someone too but it was sufficient for her to just have someone in the room. We finished the meal without saying another word.

"Go work on your homework," I said. "I'll clean up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jenny brought her bag over to the table that I had quickly cleared of dishes. She came into the kitchen and started to help put things away.

"I got it," I said. "Finish your homework."

"I want to help," she said. "If I'm going to make dinner, I should help clean up."

Jenny was not to be deterred. I shook my head. One moment she was a lazy girl who only wanted to watch TV and now she wanted to help and seemed to not care about TV or at least not as much about TV.

Jenny started her homework.

"How is it going?" I asked later. I looked over her shoulder at her papers. I wanted to turn on the TV, but I didn't want it to be a distraction.

"I hate geometry," she said, sounding frustrated.

"Maybe I can help?" I pulled a chair up. I didn't like geometry any better when I was a high school freshman but I was good at it.

After about a half hour, she was pretty good at plotting coordinates. Hopefully, she would still remember it by tomorrow.

"So you done with all your homework?" I asked when she finished the last problem.

"Yes. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She put everything back in her bag and we sat on the couch. I picked up the TV remote.

"Could we just talk?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. I wanted to watch Monday Night Football, but I think she wanted to talk about something.

Jenny had nothing specific to talk about. I think she just found that I was someone safe to talk with. Tonight she asked a lot of questions about my background and why I was in this city.

Over the next several weeks, we rarely watched TV at all. She was eager to help cook dinner and clean up. She often had her homework completed before I came home from work. She still brought it over to prove she did it. She made sure she showed me every good grade she got in math. I was thrilled for her.

Only one month since I first let her into my apartment, I honestly could say I had a very good friend in Jenny. I wouldn't have thought my best friend would be a high school freshman girl. There were times she would do something or say something that would remind me that she was still very much a girl short on life experiences, but it didn't deter my friendship. We spent so much time together that we now knew each other very well. We were two lonely people in a vast city who found a connection.

It was strange but over the next couple of months, I started to notice everything about Jenny. I noticed if she made the slightest change in her hair style or if she wore something I hadn't seen before. I noticed her legs when she curled them under or she pulled them up to her chest or however she moved them. I noticed when I could see her stomach when her shirt rode up. She was a fascinating girl.

It was also strange that weekends felt extra lonely now. I rarely saw Jenny on the weekends. She was busy with her mom because it was the only time they had to do things. I would feel so aimless in my apartment. I only had a one-bedroom apartment, but it felt huge and empty when Jenny couldn't come over.