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Marilyn Brock pressed the earphone to her head "As best we’ve been able to learn, the aircraft carrier Niht, Brian and Carol, traded places The Nimitz was docked at Pier 12 and is now in Pier 24, where the Carl Vinson was formerly docked

"Also froht security, an unidentified object showed on the radar screens this last evening Reports are ht off course, but others have said it was the silhouette of an angel"

"An angel?" Brian Lewis repeated

"You heard ht This is definitely one for the record books"

Chet had called himself every kind of fool He’d waited around the area at the Westlake Mall for nearly thirty minutes and Monica had yet to show After the tempestuous kisses they’d shared, she’d probably had her sensibilities so shaken she decided against seeing hiain It was just as well Their relationship wasn’t headed anywhere

Monica Fischer was littlefancy to him, but even as he said the words, Chet wondered if they were true What she was to him remained a deep, dark secret, even to himself

Well, there wasn’t any need to wait around here any longer If she was going to meet him, she would have done so earlier A cold beer would ease his disappoint toward the Blue Goose

"Chet, Chet Costello"

He caught the tail end of his nah a laddened when he caught sight of herin and around those ere going too slow to suit her

She wore her hair up and tightly pulled away from her face The severe style sharpened her features, but Chet was too pleased to see her to worry about the way she wore her hair or the drab, lifeless colors that made up her wardrobe

She was breathless by the time he reached her He stopped himself just in time, otherwise he would have wrapped his arround As it was, his aretting away," she explained, s her relief "I wasn’t sure you’d still be here"

"I was just about to give up," he ad of a distraction and Chet turned, looping his ar her across the street He hadn’t a clue of how ether, but he fully intended to ?" Monica asked

Chet paused "Do you have any particular place in mind?"

"No" She shook her head "Do you?"

He wasn’t sure she’d agree "My apartment You look half frozen and it’s the only place I can think of where we’ll have some privacy"

Her steps slowed "Idon’t think that’s such a good idea"

"Why not?" he asked He’d perfected his innocent look until it was practically an art foret to know each other a little better" Sure he intended to talk, but there was a whole lot enda Monica possessed a delectable body that she carefully disguised behind clothes that were at least one size too large for her She needed to learn exactly what it meant to be a woman, and he was an able teacher Ready and able It had been a good long while since he’d been this strongly attracted to a woh to prevent his later once he’d coaxed her into his bed

Generally Chet preferred to relieve his sexual frustrations with Trixie, a cocktail waitress orked at the Blue Goose on weekends They had a long-standing relationship, or better said, a long-standing understanding They didn’t pretend to be in love, pretense was beyond theers to raise on her own, the cocktail waitress wasn’t looking for another long-term relationship, and God kneasn’t either They were coet back before nine, otherwise my father will ask a lot of questions and I refuse to lie to him"

"For the love of heaven, you’re twenty-five years old"

"I know You don’t understand"

Pressuring her wasn’t going to help his cause any The way he figured it, after he’d made love to Monica he’d be over whatever it was that attracted hihts and his life

"I was thinking we could have coffee and talk," she suggested

"People ht hadn’t occurred to her, and being seen with hiht put her father and her in an e situation Monica loved her father toothat would hurt him in any way

"We could find a dark corner so to be nearly as easy as he’d assureed, "on one condition I want you to take the pins out of your hair"

She looked at hiated the back of her head "You want me to let my hair down?"

It should have been clear, but he nodded

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"I suppose not, it’s just that it’s such an unusual request" Already her fingers orking at the pins, unfolding the thick knot of hair, which streamed over her shoulders in a warh she felt foolish

He was right Her looks were substantially softened by the effect She was lovely, uessed Her face was fresh and scrubbed clean It didn’t take ine what a little ood looks

"Great," he said, when it beca "You don’t look like you’re waiting to be thrown to the lions now"

"I beg your pardon," she said, her eyes snapping

Chet laughed boisterously and reached for her hand "Co"