"Hey, mah man." Chili Mac laid a hand on Stony's shoulder. Stony violently shook it off, still staring at Butler. Chili knew when to give slack and didn't get pissed.

"You know you're a big fuckin' help, Butler."

"Hey, Stones." Butler managed a smile. "Look, I didn't mean nothin' by that." He tentatively put an arm around Stony's shoulder, and when Stony didn't resist, gently turned him toward the bar.

"Two seventy-sevens, straight up." Butler still had his arm around Stony's hunched shoulders, and when he reached into his pocket for money, Stony's body started trembling. He fell against Butler's damp chest and cried like a baby. Chili Mac was almost relieved when a fight broke out on the floor and he had to split. Butler patted Stony's back awkwardly. Stony straightened up, wiping his eyes.

"Ah bullshit." He wiped away some tears. "I feel like a jerk. I need this, right?"

Butler took a napkin off the counter and dabbed at Stony's face. Stony grabbed the napkin from him and laughed. "C'mon, what're you... my mother?"

"Not yours." Butler shivered.

Stony blew his nose in the napkin and dropped it on the floor. "Hey lissen, gimme the keys to the short, I wanna drive over to the Camelot, check out Annette."

"I'll go witcha."

"Nah, I wanna go myself."

"You ain't gonna go over to Cheri's?" Butler looked skeptical.

"Whatta' you crazy?" Stony smirked.

Butler held out his car keys to Stony, then pulled them back. "You sure?"

"Gimme the fuckin' keys." Stony grabbed them from Butler's hand. "I'll be back in an hour. I gots to cop me some haid, bawh!" He winked.

As he left D'Artagnan's, La Belle belted out "Lady Marmalade." "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" He drove directly to Cheri's house.

At Cheri's, Mott was shitting a brick. He was caught between his lust for Cheri and his fear of what Stony might do to him. Not that he couldn't take care of himself—he was over 200 pounds of mean meat, but you could never tell what a guy would do if you fucked around with his woman.

Sitting next to Mott, Cheri was silent. If his cock was as big as his gut it might be a bit all right. Stony was such a putz sometimes. He was the only guy she ever balled with. Every time he went down on her she would come a river, but she would never come from fucking. Inez used to date Mott and she came all the time. Cheri was pushing seventeen and she didn't want to see life pass her by. Stony would sulk for a while, but whatever. It was funny. As much as a yo-yo as Stony could be, there was something about him that really had her hung up on the boards. She just needed more experience. Romance-wise Mott was nowhere city. This was for science. Maybe if Stony checked out Three-Finger Annette tonight tomorrow would be less of a hassle.

Stony drove along White Plains Road under the el tracks. His heart was pumping Kool-Aid. He imagined Cheri nude except for knee socks, blue ones, going down on Mott. Mott coming all over her face. Mott hoisting her up, her knees wrapped around his rib cage, lowering her on his cock. Mott standing spread-legged, her arms wrapped around his neck. Mott's hands lifting and lowering her ass on his dong. Cheri biting his neck. The moans, the squeals, the oohs, the ahhs. Stony's boner gave him a hard time with the clutch.