Pete nods as if this means something to him.

“I came from there. Only I stopped at the Bridgton Pharmacy for some aspirin because I always get a headache before a big presentation… it’s the stress, and oh boy, it’s pounding like a hammer now…” Pete nods sympathetically. He knows about headaches. Of course most of his are caused by beer rather than stress, but he knows about them, all right. “I had some time to kill, so I also went into the little store next to the pharmacy for a coffee… the caffeine, you know, when you have a headache the caffeine can help…”

Pete nods again. Henry’s the head shrinker, but as Pete has told him more than once, you have to know a fair amount about how the human mind works in order to succeed at selling. Now he’s pleased to see that his new friend is calming down a little. That’s good. He has an idea he can help her, if she’ll let him. He can feel that little click wanting to happen. He likes that little click. It’s no big deal, it’ll never make his fortune, but he likes it.

“And I also went across the street to Penny’s. I bought a scarf… because of the rain, you know… “She touches her hair. “Then I went back to my car… and my son-of-a-damn-bitch keys were gone! I retraced my steps… went backward from Renny’s to the store to the pharmacy, and they’re not anywhere! And now I’m going to miss my appointment!”

Distress is creeping back into her voice. Her eyes go to the clock again. Creeping for him; racing for her. That’s the difference between people, Pete reflects. One of them, anyway. “Calm down,” he says. “Calm down just a few seconds and listen to me. We’re going to walk back to the drugstore, you and I, and look for your car-keys.” “They’re not there! I checked all the aisles, I looked on the shelf where I got the aspirin, I asked the girl at the counter-”

“It won’t hurt to check again,” he says. He’s walking her toward the door now, his hand pressed lightly against the small of her back, getting her to walk with him. He likes the smell of her perfume and he likes her hair even more, yes he does. And if it looks this pretty on a rainy day, how might it look when the sun is out?