"Malfie, you comin'?"

Malfie indicated no with the slightest motion, not taking his eyes from the antennaed skyline.

"I guess I'll go, make sure the kid doesn't have a breakdown." Head down, Stony broke into a light trot across the littered concrete floor.

The men had congregated on the twenty-first level, sitting on upended cables or on a hip-high green metal trash bin.

Stony leaned against the bin, his back to them. Phillip trudged up the stairs, his milky face blotched with red. The legs of his chinos were matted to his skin with spilled coffee.

"Where was you guys?" Phillip puffed and panted. "I thought you..."

"Vinny, what time is it?" Eddie scowled. Vinny looked at his watch, cursed and showed the time to the men. Stony chuckled in spite of his contempt.

"You know how much money you just cost the contractor, kid?" Tommy folded his arms across his chest.

"What!" Phillip looked like he was going to cry. Just like Stony had the first day.

"You know how much money and time you just wasted?"

"Don't even fuckin' bother." Blackie waved in disgust. "The fuckin' kid's a jerk-off, I knew it the minute I saw him with that fuckin' belt."

"Yeah," Stony added almost inaudibly. He had walked around the bin and was standing next to his father.

"I ran!" Phillip's Adam's apple was going like a bubble in boiling water. He stooped to set down the box, splashing out half the coffee.

"Now the little prick's washin' the floor with our breakfast!" Vinny slapped his leg in exasperation.

"Wait! Artie didn't complain! Iran!" Phillip scratched his face nervously.

"Artie didn't complain!" Tommy mimicked nastily. "The fuckin' kid's an ass-kisser, sure! Artie's the boss. I can see it now, this kid's gonna be another Carlos."

"You think so?" Blackie squinted.

"Sure! Two days from now we'll find the kid behind the trailer with his pants down his ankles playin' drop the keys with Artie."

"Yeah! How you think he got the job to begin with?" Jimmy O'Day pouted.

"My father got me the job!" Phillip's voice was starting to crack.

"Uh-uh."

"Right."

"Sure."

They each picked up a coffee cup and in fifteen seconds all the cups had been dashed to the ground, the men cursing and bitching. Stony found himself pouring out a cup on the floor.

"This kid's got to go." Vinny smirked.

"I got fuckin' hunger cramps," Augie whined.

"Christ," Stony complained.

"Where's my fuckin' wrench?" Tommy glared at Phillip, clenching his teeth.

Phillip looked desperate. After ten seconds of painful silence, Stony stepped forward, his heart pounding. "Hey, kid?"

Sensing all eyes on him, he put a hand on Phillip's sweaty shoulder. A charge of power and excitement ran through him like alcohol. Phillip looked at him for help. Another kid. "When you left the Greek's, you feel a tap on the back a your head?"

***

"Those fuckin' guys." Stony was giddy as he returned to Malfie, confused yet turned on. Malfie snorted. They began pulling cable. For an hour and a half Stony worked in silence, chewing over what had happened. He had felt a sense of brotherhood that morning. It was mean, yeah, but... He didn't know if he felt like a jerk or a man. But he knew he felt good. One of the guys. Tommy pounded down the stairs. Stony's back was to him, and he watched the sweat shimmering on Stony's straining muscles. He watched his son work. Finally, Stony turned around and saw Tommy staring at him. They looked at each other blankly, then simultaneously grinned.