The Lone Gunmen ruled.

KAY

Holland Manners looks like you could trust him with your life. Perfect lawyer face and that attitude they all spend years trying to have...he’s even doing that fingertips-pressed-together thing that bugs me when Ed does it.(Danvers hates what he calls my cop face, so we’re even, I guess.)
To look at him, you’d think “I should be as together as that guy is,” huh? But there’s a weakness around his mouth, and besides I wouldn’t even be here if the guy didn’t like kinky demon action...I hope he won’t be expecting me to work any mojo on him. Besides that stupid hair thing that is, but that’s a lot of guys. And a few girls, too.
“Katrina,” he says and pecks my cheek.(For people so into pain, they sure kiss a lot. Sheesh. It makes me uncomfortable, but in this one instance, I’m on secure ground.When I was in uniform, I worked on some raids of massage parlors.)

“Slave Manners,” I say, “you must desist.” And the whole time I’m thinking “desist”...is that right? But I keep going...”I never kiss my slaves. You are unworthy. I only kiss my...loved ones. Keeps something special.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he says, weaker than I would have believed possible. “Have I offended you? I’m yours to punish.” Here he is, with a desk bigger than my living room...probably flips out if somebody takes his racquetball court(although from the looks of the midsection, he’s missed a few games, huh? A guy like that...it’s the having that matters, not the using, though.) and he’s looking at me like I’m the mean teacher and he’s the eight-year-old with a messy book report. God, what a world...

I think for a few minutes. I really don’t know what to do, but this is about control, right? Thinking back to the academy, I say “Did I tell you to speak?”

“No, no, Mistress. But I have been very bad lately, and I wish to unburden myself.”

Why can’t these guys ever get new material? Katrina earns every dime, just from boredom. Christ.

Why can’t these guys ever get new material? Katrina earns every dime, just from boredom. Christ.

buhWAH!

Poor bored doms. Poor uncomfortable Kay. Poor dopey Holland.

Whenever I think about people like Angela Frandina, I always sort of picture a woman, maybe with a kid, doing her monthly bills...so at the same time as she's going "I'm six feet tall in a viking helmet.." she's also going "Carry the five...wow, that's cutting it close...Ooh, baby, say it like you mean it...maybe I can pick up a shift over the weekend."

there’s a weakness around his mouth

I love this, right here. What an eye your Kay has.

I assume she would...detective, huh? And ML has the greatest "Let's get to the bottom of this," faces...she gets her eyebrows involved and everything. And those sighs, like she's seen everything twice, and it wasn't that interesting the first time, ok, hon? So let's just get real for five minutes. Just for fun, huh? And I think she's had all the best that being working-class can give. -Never cross a picket line. -Always look people in the eye. -If you make a promise and don't keep it, you better at least be bleeding.

I think she's had all the best that being working-class can give. -Never cross a picket line. -Always look people in the eye. -If you make a promise and don't keep it, you better at least be bleeding.

And erika sums up the first 17 years of my life in four neat sentences.

erika, I'm not working-class, but those were basic tenets of my upbringing, as well. And yes, the aristo half of my family was fiercely leftist and pro-union.

And you're so right about Kay.

Thanks, all...I was thinking maybe you'd wonder what I'd been tippling/smoking. Just being emotional though. I guess I've carried some stuff around since Stupid Stepmom didn't know what a scab is at Christmas. And I don't know...Howard's my kind of woman. But I didn't mean to imply you couldn't be that and have a chunk of change. And I'm not really sure where I grew up, class-wise, between working and middle someplace. Close enough to working to correct my Reaganite sixth grade social studies teacher when he said "Lower-class people vote Democratic." And I was very much a Lisa Simpson then.(In both the grade-seeking and crusader senses...that was a hard one for me.) But I still raised my hand and said "I think you mean 'working class', Mr. B."After that he didn't like me.

Are Maryland fisherman union? Aren't her family watermen? I always thought that they were independent contractors? I mean, working class, I suppose, but with their own businesses, like small farmers or shopkeepers.