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"Guess not," Chetto be drawn into a conversation, but he could tell fro to have much of a choice

"You’d think Lou would close up shop," Billy said next

Chet sipped froh to satisfy a Cajun

"Apparently you don’t know Lou," Chet coht divert the kid’s attention, Chet swiveled around in his chair and concentrated on the television The national evening neas on, forecasting glooe the channel?" he asked

"Behih the stations Nothing appealed to hiame telecast earlier that week

"Hey, go back, would you?" Billy asked "I have a friend as picked up by the pros He’s a defensive lineusted, Chet handed the remote control back to the bartender So ly mood, Billy punched the controller until he found the play-off game

The kid focused his attention on the screen, which suited Chet just fine as long as he left him alone

Before he realized it, Chet had turned around on his bar stool and atching the game hi in so to a kid he didn’t know and didn’t want to know and watching reruns of old football games on television

At halftime Billy disappeared into the back storeroo in his hands and studied the television screen The coeles Raiders, John Madden

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Chet Costello," the TV co it The television was actually talking to hiain "You’re the biggest fool I’ve ever seen"

By that ti the kid had played a cruel joke on hi at your drink," the former coach told him "It’s only coffee"

Other men claimed to see pink elephants, but not Chet Oh, no, that would have been too easy He had to have some voice come out of a television to chastise him

"You’re in love with Monica Fischer, and she’s in love with you So what’s the proble You’re a fool"

Chet had had enough He didn’t need this Sla his cup down on the bar, he started out the door

"Go ahead and run," the voice said, sounding so close he swore he could feel the breath against the back of his neck "It’s what you’ve been doing for most of your life"

"Shut up," Chet shouted

The couple in the back of the roo a box of pretzels to the front, stopped in his tracks

"So?" the kid asked

Chet shook his head and sla his hand down his face It orse than he ih, now she’d taken on his waking hours as well

He was putting an end to that right now With purpose directing his steps, he walked to the parking garage and drove to her house

The streets were full of parked cars The Blue Goosea buht spilled out of the church, and the parsonage was dark, all but one sht, traditional Christan

Chet found a place to park on the street, half a block down fro There was a family with two s hands, s up at each other

Chet stayed where he was, hidden in the shadows One thing he knew, he wasn’t walking into that church He was deciding what he was going to do when he spied Monica coht in the living roolow of the single bulb on the porch

She see across the street, he met up with her on the sidewalk

She stopped when she saw hi with her eyes and then her ain She hugged sheet

Chet didn’t knohat he intended to say It was too daainst hiot to stop," he said between clenched teeth

"Done?" she echoed, and blinked as if she didn’t understand what he was saying

"Leave me alone," he ordered

She nodded once and waited, apparently for an explanation

"I can’t eat or sleep, and now I’es of her mouth quivered with amusement "And what did these voices say?"