The girl turned to look at Caddie. She was pretty, with short dark hair and skin that, early in the summer, still looked as if she’d spent months in the sun. Caddie envied her.

“Caddie,” Nick said. “This is Nicole. My girlfriend.”

Caddie, who had started to smile at the girl, found her mouth freezing in what she was sure was a grimace. Had she heard Nick correctly? Had he said Nicole was his girlfriend?

“Hi,” Nicole said, apparently oblivious to the emotional upheaval taking place in Caddie’s mind.

“Caddie’s visiting her dad for the summer,” Nick said, talking quickly and shooting glances at Caddie.

“Cool,” said Nicole. “Are you having fun?”

Caddie, for whom time had slowed immeasurably, stared at her for a moment while she processed the question. Then she nodded. “Yeah,” she said. She looked at Nick. “I’ve met some really great people.”

Nick’s eyes widened, as if he was begging Caddie not to say anything. Caddie turned away from him and faced Nicole, who said, “People here are really friendly.”

“Caddie came in last night,” Nick said, although Nicole had asked for no explanation of their acquaintance. “You know, while you were visiting your sister in Salinas,” he added, as if maybe she’d forgotten.

That’s why he was able to have me over, Caddie thought. “Nick was nice enough to show me around town,” she added.

“Isn’t it pretty?” said Nicole. “Where are you from?”

“L.A.,” Caddie answered.

“Then this probably seems like practically the country to you,” Nicole remarked. “I grew up here, so I don’t know anywhere else, really.”

Nick said nothing, wiping the counter needlessly with a towel while Caddie tried to decide in which direction to take the conversation. Before she could make up her mind, Nicole said, “Are you getting anything? I was just about to have some lunch.”

Caddie didn’t even have to look at Nick to feel him begging her to say no. “That would be great,” she said.

A few minutes later, seated at a table while Nick watched them anxiously from the kitchen, Caddie continued her conversation with his girlfriend. She found herself fascinated by Nicole’s apparent inability to sense the tension in the room. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to know, she thought. She could understand that.

“How long have you and Nick been together?” she asked between bites of pizza.

“God,” replied Nicole. “Forever. Since seventh or eighth grade.”

“You’re kidding,” Caddie said.

Nicole shook her head. “We broke up a few times. You know, like you do when you’re a kid. But we’ve pretty much been together for seven years now.”

“Unbelievable,” said Caddie. “I didn’t think anybody still did that.” She thought about it. Seven years. That was about how long her parents had been married. Nick and Nicole (how way too cute was that?) had already bested them.

“Want to know something else?” said Nicole, smiling. She leaned closer to Caddie. “We’re the only ones each other have done it with.”