window, "Thanks. I won't forget this!"

I'll bet you won't Bob thought bitterly. It's a story you can tell the rest of your life.

Don't think, he told himself. Don't even remember.

And all week he remembered.

On Saturday afternoon he went out back and started to dig in the garden.

The door bell rang. He went through the house to answer. He called out rather crossly, "Who is it?"

And it was Walter.

They sat on the steps in the sunshine. Bob was foolishly, deliriously happy. He said, "I can't get over it! I thought it was one of the neighbor kids selling cookies."

Walter said, "I came in to answer another ad, and I thought I'd say hello. I didn't know if you'd be home or not. If I'm breaking into something-" "You're not breaking into anything. If you knew how sick I am of my own company todayHow about some lunch?"

"Have you had yours?" asked Walter.

"No. I was just going to fix myself something," Bob lied.

They had lunch, and Walter said he'd have to go and pound the pavements some more. "I can't pay you back yet, but I will, as soon as I can."

"You don't have to pay me," Bob said.

"Well, I'm going to," said Walter.

He looked pathetic and tired. His hair was long, his collar was frayed. He was no match for the world. He needs me, thought Bob, and he said, "Saturday afternoon isn't much of a time to look for a job. Most of the offices are closed. Why don't you take it easy here and we'll go out to dinner."

"No thanks. I couldn't impose on you," said Walter.

But he stayed on. He took a shower and a nap. They went to an early dinner, then to a movie, then a bar.

They were both warmly, pleasantly drunk when they rode the car home. They walked unsteadily up the stairs together, their shoulders touching. "Me for bed," said Walter. "Same room? Same place?"

"Same room. Same place," said Bob. "You take the high road, and I'll take the low road.'

"And never the twain shall meet," said Walter.

They began to laugh.

Then Bob was crying. "I love you," he said. "I never felt this way before. I'll never feel this way about anyone again."

"Oh, God!" Walter was suddenly sober. "You said you wouldn't-"

"I'm not asking for anything. Only I want to be near you. I want to be your friend. Can we be friends?"

"Sure, Bob," said Walter, “only—”

"Shake hands?"

"Sure."

And Bob held Walter's hand and kissed it, until Walter drew away in embar-

rassment.

Walter stayed on into the next week. He found a job.

He was waiting with the news one evening when Bob got home from work. "Nothing great," he said, "but it'll tide me over. It's in a food market downtown."

"Good. You can stay here with me," said Bob.