SATURDAY MID-MORNING

Zach and Summer's first marriage counseling session was drawing to an end. The room was a quaint, smallish office with a desk, a couch, and two formal, office-like chairs. The blinds were drawn shut, giving the pastor's office a sort of dull appearance.

Zach and Summer were sitting on the couch, and the pastor had taken up a seat right opposite them.

Summer had been quite surprised with all the detail and involvement and potential conflicts a marriage can go through. She knew it wasn't plain sailing all the way, especially with her family background, but she wasn't aware that all the little nit-pick things could cause such big problems.

"So, Summer, if Zach were to leave the toilet seat up, how would you react to that?" The pastor questioned.

"I'd kick his ass all the way back to the bathroom and make sure he put it down!" Summer responded strongly.

The pastor just sat back in his chair… a look of shock and horror on his face, as he slowly put his hand up over his mouth. Zach sat next to Summer looking a bit embarrassed. Summer just sat there wondering what she had done, as an uneasy silence filled the room.

She eventually leaned in closer to Zach, and whispered softly, "What… Did I do?"

"You said 'ass'," Zach whispered back softly.

"Oh, oh… um… I'm so sorry… I didn't realize…" Summer tried to apologize.

"Never mind," The pastor said forgivingly, "I'd like to request though that you kindly refrain from using such language during our future sessions."

"Oh, yes… absolutely, your highness… I mean… eminence… I mean… Bishop?" Summer was really feeling quite uncomfortable now.

"Pastor will do," he said gently with a smile. He stood up and walked behind his desk. He opened the top right-hand draw and pulled out an A4 piece of paper.

"I think we're done for today, but before you leave, would you be so kind as to fill in your particulars on this form?" He handed them each a sheet of paper. Zach and Summer quickly scribbled down their details and handed the forms back to him.

The pastor took the forms from them, and Zach and Summer stood up to leave. As they were heading for the door, the pastor spoke up.

"Is this correct? You have both put down the same residential address."

"Yes, we share an apartment just down the street." Zach answered.

"Hmmm, interesting…"

"Why… is there a problem?"

"No, well… I should have probably covered this in the beginning, but I usually warn my congregation that living together before you are married is not ideal. I mean, the temptations, particularly in the sexual area, are insurmountable. Sex outside of marriage is… well… against God."

"Well, no problem with that here…" Summer said under her breath.

"Sorry, miss, what was that?" The pastor questioned.

"No, um, nothing." Summer responded uneasily.

"Oh, no…" Zach said and he puts his arm around Summer shoulders. "We've decided we'd like to remain pure until our wedding day."

Summer wondered when the 'we' part entered that decision.

"Alright then. I'll leave it at that. You both seem like nice, responsible people; I'm sure you'll make the right decisions for yourselves."

"Ok, thanks." Zach said, not so sure though. "We'll see you next week?"

"Thursday evening, 7pm." The pastor responded, and Zach and Summer walked out.

THE BBQ AT SUMMER AND ZACH'S

It was late in the afternoon, around 4pm and most of the people who had been invited to the party were already there. It really was supposed to just be a small gathering of friends to welcome Marissa back, but also a celebration of Summer and Zach's engagement.

Ryan and Marissa had pretty much spent most of the day together, and had come to the party together. Seth came on his own, although he wasn't too sure why he was there – celebrating the union of his dream girl with another guy is not exactly his idea of a celebration.

The older folks had been invited out of courtesy, but had not yet arrived.

Zach and Summer's place was a large apartment with an entertainment room which had a bar and a pool table in it. The room led out on to an open balcony overlooking Newport Harbor.

The guys were standing around the bar area with drinks in hand talking about general stuff.

"So Zach, congrats man, you finally plucked up the courage to pop the question." Ryan said in congratulations.

"Yeah, wasn't easy… Summer can be a bit unforgiving at times…" Zach responded.

"Well, let me be the first to say… good luck!" Seth chirped in.

"Hey thanks man… I may just need that…"

"Why? She's ALREADY trying to control you?"

"Naw, it's just…" Zach started, and was about to explain the disaster at the marriage counseling that morning. "… Nothing we can't work out."

Summer and Marissa were sitting in the living room looking over Vogue magazines.

"So tell me about your NY trip?" Summer asked.

"It was awesome… met some famous people, got a few autographs, but nothing as exciting as getting engaged or anything…" Marissa said jovially. "Tell me about THAT. I leave, and three weeks later come back and find my best friend is getting married!"

"Yeah, well, don't get too happy about that…" Summer said taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, gossip… do tell…" Marissa said eagerly taking a drink of her own.

"Coop! You are so getting like your mom!" Summer said jokingly.

"Oh please… don't remind me… So, what's happening?"

"Well, let's just say I might be living on my own for the next few months…"

Marissa just looked at her and raised her eyebrows.

"We went to a marriage counselor this morning… Zach is in to this whole… 'I wanna do this thing right' crap. Anyway, as we were leaving, the Rabbi, or Bishop or whatever, gave us a lecture about living together and the temptations of 'sex before marriage'."

"Well, that's interesting… and admirable that Zach wants to do it right… I guess."

"That man has not an ounce of desire in him to BE tempted."

"What you saying?"

"Coop! I haven't had any in over 8 years!"

"What!" Marissa exclaimed, almost choking on her drink.

"8 YEARS! Coop… I dunno if any of this even works anymore!" Summer said sort of gesturing towards her female area.

"But you still love him right?" Marissa said questioningly.

"Define 'love'?" Summer said avoiding having to answer the question.

Back at the bar, Zach had started opening up to Seth and Ryan… a little too much maybe.

"So I think Summer is a little upset." Zach finished.

"Well, man… you did kinda say you wanted to move out… that's not exactly sending the right signals 3 months before the weeding date." Seth said sarcastically.

"Well, where do you expect to go?" Ryan asked.

"I was getting to that…" Zach started, "I know you guys… you have like an extra room, right? And…"

Ryan and Seth looked at each other. "Oh, um… don't you think that'll be a little awkward with Seth around and all… you know the past…" Ryan asked uneasily.

"It'll only be for a few months, nothing serious, and I'll really only sleep there… I'll still eat here get my washing done here…" Zach began to convince them.

Ryan and Seth just looked at each other. For once, Seth didn't know what to say.