I heard ahalf-hearted cry of protest from Cecile, that he had picked some foodoff a plate. I smiled indulgently. He was a growing boy and had a good,e...ven ravenous, appetite.It was just getting dark when I heard Yann and Jean at the door. I tookoff my apron and brushed back the hair from my face, giving myself aquick check in the mirror and straightened my clothing. I liked what Isaw. I was just fortyfive, but my face was almost unlined and, althoughmy dark hair might have an occasional silver. The night after, Saturday, it was a 1930s art film marathon til five AM. We slept together and had sex for breakfast. She could not cook any better than I could.It's easiest to describe Roni was a stereotypical redhead Irish New Yorker, with the temper to match. She was Dutch, brunette with no freckles, from Providence, but her attitude was so familiar my New Jersey roots felt at home. For two months, Roni led me around. I even let her put a ring in my nose. Actually, it was three rings, but. Enjoy your night,” he said with a wink. We dived out of the taxi, eager to get inside and explore each other’s bodies some more, when I realised we weren’t at Lily’s, we were at mine. I stood there panicking slightly, but then remembered the text Ryan had sent me - he was staying at Lee’s! I dragged Lily up the narrow stairs to my flat, and removed the spare key from the fake stone that we’d bought from some cheap magazine, since I’d left mine at Lily’s, hoping for an excuse to go back. Looked. He dropped and the others in the group growled and reached for knives or daggers. I grinned, “come gentleman. For each one I take I make two silvers and you get twenty lashes.”They looked at each other and moved back and I pointed the staff at Mort Clemins, “you will come with us or I will break your arms and legs and toss you into a canal.”His face whitened and his hands moved away from his weapons, “it was a fair fight and...”I moved to him, “we are not here to judge you. Tell the magister.”I.