Jerry’s senior by twenty years, he was a little shorter than his youthful partner but was built more solidly. Swarthy, with black hair, Ron had a thick, carefully trimmed mustache and piercing brown eyes with a golden tint in them. He was a demon in human form, and Robert had chosen him to mentor Jerry. It was quite a job at times.

      “Look, pal!” Ron twirled his mustache, shaking his head with reproach. “Behaving like that will get you in big trouble one day!”

      “Where are we going?” Jerry wanted to change the subject.

      “Did you hear me, Jerry? I said you will get in the shit with the boss if you don’t get more respectful of people around here. We are all on the same side, get it? You fuck up outsiders who cause us trouble, and you do not, I repeat, do not fuck, or fuck over your own. If you want it any clearer, I will write the rules on the chambermaid’s ass.” He winked at his colleague, lesson over.

      “I’m cool, Ron. Thanks. I know I tend to fly off the deep end when things don’t go my way, but I’m getting better. Anyway, where are we heading?”

      Ron smiled at the empty words of an optimistic but immature and headstrong nineteen-year-old walking time bomb. He said quietly through his thick black moustache; “We are going wherever the Master sends us.”

      “Yes? And?” quizzed Jerry.

      “He’s going on a date.”

      “Not with that little nun chick, Mary, or whatever her name is?” Jerry giggled. “I can picture such a girl.” He put his hands together, as for prayer, and rolled his eyes.

      ***

      To Jerry’s disbelief, Mary was wearing tight fitting shorts and a rather plunging sports top.

      Look how small she is! he thought surprised. I bet she isn’t even five feet tall.

      He leered at her legs as was his habit. No, too muscular, he adjudged. Now her waist, that isn’t bad… But looky here. Mmmmm, what great tits, lady! What a lucky guy My Master is, Jerry thought.

      “Nice to meet you!” the girl said to him, shaking his hand, and he finally looked at her face.

      Her succulent lips and golden fluffy hair instantly made Jerry crazy. The world around him disappeared. To him, she was a goddess, the deity of all things carnal, and he was rewriting the rulebooks to favor his lust for her particularly heavenly body. The intimate thoughts he had for Mary froze his tongue. Mute, Jerry just gaped at the girl, not noticing that Robert was observing him intensely.

      “Are you okay?” Mary asked, amazed, thinking; Why is this teen moron staring at me like this?

      Mary didn’t understand what was going on with Jerry, and she got angry. She never did like blonde guys or athletic men either, added to which his perplexing look and awkward silence annoyed her.

      She looked at Robert, but misunderstood why his sensual, refined lips curved into a self-confident smile.

      Is something wrong with my makeup? she thought irritated. Am I still sweating from the workout at the gym? Gosh, I know I didn’t have time to change into anything fancy, but I look okay don’t I? Maybe I have got some dirt on my skin?

      She carefully tried to free her hand from Jerry’s grasp, but nothing doing.

      She raised her left hand. Enchanted, Jerry watched her tiny fingers wandering across her chest and throat.

      Thumbelina! Jerry was unable to compel himself to let go of her hand. Is it a human being or just a sun streak?

      Come on, you dumb angel face, at least say something! Mary barely fought off her desire to yank her hand away with all her might. She felt trapped. Can this socially challenged thing talk at all? Mary thought. She hated the embarrassment of the situation she found herself in, and despised the teenager who was causing it. Is he just a little slow, perhaps? There must be some logical explanation! I’ve read somewhere that, when men use steroids, it affects their brains. Well, here’s the living proof holding my hand like a twit.

      Mary couldn’t even imagine how she lucky was living under Robert’s protection. She would have been in grave danger, had the volatile Jerry met her alone just one week earlier.

      But for all his tongue-tied handshaking under the influence of lust and puppy love, Jerry knew perfectly well that as the girlfriend of his boss, the desirable Mary was now taboo.

      Robert understood that Jerry knew that too, and when he saw Mary’s less than stellar reaction to Jerry’s introduction he had been unable to contain that sly and content grin playing on his own thin lips.

      Ron spotted the awkward silence immediately and gently poked his young partner in the back.

      Jarred into action, Jerry mechanically said, “Sorry, Miss Jablonsky! Too much sun today. I’m at your service!” He flashed her his best smile and hoped he had made amends. What a roller coaster day it was turning into with the girlies!

      ***

      Mary and Robert sat on the bench in the alley. Ron and Jerry placed themselves a short distance away from them in order to watch all the approaches.

      “That’s not fair!” Jerry was talking as if he was in a delirium. “I have been living in this damn city for the last four months. I could have met her first!”

      “Stop it, Jerry!” Horrified that the conversation was even happening, Ron chewed a corner of his moustache. Golden lighting flashed into his dark brown eyes, swiveling quickly around before he continued. “She’s His girl! Remember what I said back at the suite? Well, this is the ultimate example of what I was telling you about. Don’t even think about messing where your nose definitely does not belong. Unless of course you like the idea of crossing the Master.”

      “I know…” Jerry moaned. “But if she was even the President’s girlfriend, it wouldn’t stop me! But she’s His girl… I know what you are saying, Ron, but me wanting her won’t affect how I deal with things for Mister Noirson. If he ordered me to, I’d kill her, and I wouldn’t hesitate one second to execute her, I swear! But nobody can forbid me to dream or wait. How long have they been dating?”

      “Just a few days!” Ron sensed he had a lot more pep talks to give Jerry before he saw sense and grew up where women were concerned. He ran his fingers over his black thick moustache, and asked casually; “See the game last night?”

      “Yeah,” Jerry answered. His huge expressive blue eyes shone with an almost insane