OWWWW. Shit." there was a pine tree up my ass."* * "For Tuesday, my role-play assignment, Mistress told me, was centeredaround my social skills. I was... going to interact with my neighborswhether I liked it or not.Those were the eight invitations that Mistress had sent out. They werefour couples who lived on our block. The Adams, who lived to our left.The Johnsons, who lived to our right. The Andersons, who lived acrossthe street. And the Covingtons, who lived down the block.Mistress told me that. I had requested and received a new assignment in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa, expressing my interest in a permanent appointment. I was seeking the role of Assistant Deputy Minister, then if my timing was right, Deputy Minister. My father's good name and my accomplishments in the past ten years had allowed my superiors to look upon my ambitions with favour.Our daughter, Amelia Sophia, was born on March 3, the following year. She was named after my mother and Jocelyn's as well. I. Okay, so I was a little loud there, but every head in the room, probably in the building, turned to look at me in shock. Most seemed confused by the question though two people, Phillipe and the patrolman who had arrived first, reacted differently.Phillipe pushed by a patrolman and got close enough to see the blood. And promptly fainted. Lucky for him the patrolman was a big, muscular fellow or Phillipe might have ended up laying there bleeding as well! Lucky, lucky.The original patrolman must. Turning awaydidn't seem to help me calm down."It's OK, I can help with that if it's what you want." The young manducked below the counter for a moment, put quickly popped back up with ablack leather belt. The silvery buckle reflected in the halogen lights ofthe shop.I looked at the plain thing, then back up. His smile was hypnotizing,and I was having trouble focusing. I shook my head."No, wait!" I said. "Who the hell ARE you!? And what the hell ishappening to me!?"The young man smiled in.