I was lifting the lid on the saucepan when the door swung wide open. It was Betty. I put my fork down, smiling, and stood up. “Betty!” I said. “Jesus… you know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in broad daylight…”

She sort of struck a pose, one hand in her hair, her curls tumbling down on all sides.

“So what do you think?” she asked.

I sat back down and looked at her, acting detached, one arm slung over the back of the chair.

“Well, the hips aren’t bad, and the legs aren’t bad either… yeah, turn around…”

She turned around. I stood up and pressed myself into her back. I stroked her chest and kissed her neck.

“But this…” I whispered. “This is perfect.”

I wondered what she was doing here at this time of day. I stepped inside, then spotted the two canvas suitcases sitting on the doorstep. I didn’t say anything.

“It smells good in here,” she said.

She leaned over the table to look in the saucepan.

“Oh God, I don’t believe it!”

“What are you talking a-”

“It’s chili! Don’t tell me you were going to eat all this chili by yourself.”

While she was dipping two fingers into the pot I got two beers out of the fridge. I thought about all the hours we had ahead of us-it was like swallowing opium.

“Oh Lord, it’s fabulous. And you made it yourself! I love it, it’s incredible! But in this heat-you must be nuts…”

“I can eat chili in any weather, even with the sweat running onto the plate. Me and chili-we’re like two pieces of bread in a sandwich.”

“Me too. Anyway, I’m so hungry I could…”

The second she’d walked through the door the house had changed. I couldn’t find anything anymore. I walked around in circles looking for silverware, opening up cabinets and smiling. She came and put her arms around my neck. I loved it. I could smell her hair.