Who wouldn't? But the captain would not permit it." Abruptly we were distracted by a loud cry from the forecastle. "Ship, ho!" came the shout again a...d everyone was scurrying wildly. I saw the Red Devil appear on deck almost instantly and begin shouting orders and calling questions to the lookout. The pirate ship began to turn and head in the direction of the doomed ship. All around me the pirates were arming themselves. Swords, daggers, pistols, and knives were everywhere. The captain was. “The tech industry out there -- Google and Oracle -- have wrecked the real estate market. It’s a million for a nine-hundred square foot loft.”“Yeah, I know...”“What about us?” I asked. “I told you I can’t do a long-distance relationship. I want my partner under my roof ... and if not under my roof, the closer to my roof the better. Same street beats same city, same city beats same county, same county beats same state.”“Same state beats same country?” she added.“If it’s not at least same state,. *** I was shaking as I left work. Gary arrived to pick me up, and said nothing as I got in the car with him. He lit a cigarette, passed it to me, and I took it with twitching fingers. Twenty-five thousand dollars, I thought. The amount was ridiculous. That much money? Just to have sex with a virgin? There has to be more to it than that. What does Mr. Ian Holloway want from me? A sex slave? A mistress? Use me to blackmail Gary’s company? What? I instantly had the feeling that I was involved in. “I will after breakfast. I promise,” she said giving mea peck on my cheek. After breakfast when the coach attendant had removed the breakfast trays, I said, “I’ll go out for a smoke. You can in the meanwhile get ready.” “No need to leave, you have seen and fucked all what I have,” she giggled. “You know it, I know it but the coach attendant doesn’t know it,” I said. “Sorry, my mind doesn’t work without a fuck,” she said pouting. I looked at her and shaking my head went out.After I got the green.