‘Please don’t tell her, Macca. She don’t have to know, does she? I look so much older than my age, I always have done. All the lads in my class looked like little kids compared to me. I towered above the lot of ’em.’

‘I get what you’re saying, but if my aunt finds out I knew, she’ll sack me an’ all, Vin. She normally wants to see proof of anyone’s age before employing ’em. She didn’t with you, because I vouched for you and told her I knew you were sixteen. You’ve put me in a difficult position, if I’m honest. It also explains why you seem so uncomfortable around the clients.’

Vinny looked Macca in the eyes. ‘Please don’t grass me up, mate. I seriously do need this job. I know I’ve acted a bit mongy about parts of it. But I’ve had time to think now and I’m happy to go with the flow. Within reason, like.’

Macca sighed. ‘I dunno, Vin. I think my aunt will end up guessing unless you man up a bit. I take it you’re still a virgin?’

Vinny felt his face redden. ‘Yeah.’

‘And you can stay a virgin. You haven’t got to have full-blown sex with anybody, Vin. My aunt ain’t running a brothel. All you need to do is bits and bobs, nothing bad. You don’t have to have sex with people to put a smile on their faces. There’s other ways.’

Having never even kissed a girl, Vinny didn’t have a clue what Macca was talking about. ‘What have I got to do then?’

‘It’s probably best I show you rather than tell you. You trust me, don’t you?’

Vinny nodded. He was desperate to bring home his next wage packet.

Macca grinned. ‘I like you, Vinny. You remind me very much of myself at your age. I’m not gonna grass you up to my aunt. You’re my mate, so I’m gonna teach you some tricks of the trade instead. Take your jeans off and get in my bed.’ Macca turned his back as Vinny got undressed and rolled a joint. He lit it up, placed it in an ashtray and then took his own jeans off.

Vinny had never felt more awkward in his lifetime. He was shaking, but he couldn’t lose this job. It paid too much and his mum needed the money.

Macca got into the bed next to Vinny and handed him the ashtray. ‘Smoke some of that.’

Vinny nearly coughed his lungs up with the first puff, but every time he took another he felt calmer and somehow more in control.

Macca waited until they’d finished the joint before putting his hand inside Vinny’s pants. His penis was big for a lad of fourteen and immediately became rock hard. ‘This is all you have to do, mate, to earn fortunes. Not too bad, is it?’ Macca said softly.

Having never felt the urge to masturbate before, Vinny didn’t know if he was coming or going. Until he actually came that was. It felt explosive, awesome, unreal. But so very wrong at the same time.