........... Not daring to turn my head again all I hear is Master’s voice - the same tone he used on me. "Go and stand in the middle of the room, no... My slut." She must have opened her mouth to say something to Master, as I hear His sharp reply, "I did not ask you to speak slut, I told you to go and stand in the middle of the room, don’t make me tell you twice." I hear my sister walk behind me; I know she’ll be standing in the same spot that I had been just moments before. Master speaks again,. Sometimes they couldn’t. The school didn’t have a baseball team and my parents paid for Terri to get gymnastics lessons in town.Coach Budd had drawn the short straw for running the school cross-country team. An older man, nearing the end of his career, he nevertheless put in a good shift and had earned my respect.With the race on Sunday, Tuesday evening was for practice and selection. Cross-country teams consisted of six runners, with only the top four counting towards the team score. Coach. She kept looking at me with inquisitiveeyes. I tried my best to read her, but wasn’t sure whatit was she wanted to know. Finally she turned towardMark on her stool and her knees bumped his leg. Then shelaid her hand on his forearm as she laughed at a commenthe made. That signal was pretty clear to me and when shelooked at me again I just smiled at her.“Are you sure you’re not a lifeguard?” Kate asked.“Yeah I’m sure,” he said.“Then tell me you. “I haven’t met him yet,” she replied. “Do you know him?”“I’ve met him a time or two,” I replied. “He seems like a good guy, but I hear he is a ladies’ man.”“Yeah,” she replied. “I’ve heard the same thing.”“Really?” I replied. “From who?”“Just office talk amongst the ladies,” she replied.My curiosity was now peaked. I had admired several ladies in the office pool, but never dared to hit on any of them.“So is this boss, like, approachable?” I asked.“I don’t know,” she replied, still typing away.