help, Vico,” Annie said. “You’re a fugitive from the police. They’re looking for you, and eventually they’ll find
you. And when they do and you’re in jail awaiting trial, what’s going to happen to the mother of your unborn child?”
Ignoring her, he turned abruptly, and Paolina turned with him. She was bound to him as if by invisible cords.
“You want to be a man, Vico. You want the respect of a man. But until you learn to accept responsibility for your actions,
you are still a boy, and a selfish one at that.”
“Fuck you, Mistress Project Manager,” Vico retorted. “You see nothing, you know nothing, and the people you work for are slime.”
The door slammed behind them as he swept Paolina out of the youth center.
Annie sighed.
It was difficult to be judgmental. Vico reminded her too vividly of her younger self.
Chapter Seven
“Trouble?” a velvety voice inquired.
Annie turned. Barbara Rae Acker had entered the room. “Did you hear that?”
“The tail end of it,” Barbara Rae said. “A very passionate young man.”
“We fired him from his construction job at the cathedral.”
“Annie, you had no choice. He’s on the run from the police.”
“He claims he wasn’t selling drugs, Barbara Rae.”
The minister shrugged. “I’ve heard that too, from some of the other kids on the street. They’re saying the police have him
confused with a pusher who looks a lot like Vico. It could be true. On the other hand, Vico has been in various kinds of trouble
for years, and I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“I was getting through to Paolina, I think,” Annie said. “But when she found out who I was, she felt betrayed. We’ve lost
her now.”
Barbara Rae came up behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders. “We can’t save all of them, Annie. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know that,” she agreed, but still she shook her head, wishing she could.
“Listen to me, honey. What you need is a nice big piece of girdlebuster pie.”
“Please! I’ve been trying to lose five pounds for months!”
“Nonsense. You need to
gain
at least that much. Now, you come home with me tonight for a proper home-cooked supper. Gotta get some meat on your bones,
girl!”
Annie smiled. “What exactly
is
girdlebuster pie?”
“Well, I’ll tell you the ingredients, but don’t ask me how many grams of fat it has, honey, or we’ll both be too frightened
to eat a bite!”
“I’d love to come, Barbara Rae,” Annie said. “But I’ve really got to get back to the office tonight.”
Barbara Rae sighed. “They sure keep you busy over at Brody Associates.”
“No, it’s me. I’ve turned into a workaholic.”
Again, Barbara Rae squeezed her shoulders. Her back massages were heavenly. “You’ve had a lot of losses, honey. That’ll do
it to anyone. You need your security, and no one can blame you for that. I just worry about you, that’s all. You’re still
young, and you’re missing out on life’s pleasures. A man, some leisure time, a piece of girdlebuster pie…”
Impulsively Annie stood and gave her a hug. Despite the ravages of age and a fondness for rich foods, Barbara Rae had a slim,
sturdy body. At fifty-five, the indefatigable minister and shining light of the United Path Church congregationwas vigorous and energetic, and she was rapidly becoming something of a legend in San Francisco.
Barbara Rae had a gift for reaching out to people and touching their hearts and minds. Her work among the poor, the sick,
and the disadvantaged citizens of San Francisco had earned her the reputation of an American Mother Teresa, but she could
be pragmatic and hardheaded when dealing with the wealthy and the sophisticated folks whom she approached for funds. Barbara
Rae was one of those rare people who are charismatic in every stratum of society, projecting herself in a manner that made
people blind to her sex, her religion, her race, and her class.
Annie had met her in
you. And when they do and you’re in jail awaiting trial, what’s going to happen to the mother of your unborn child?”
Ignoring her, he turned abruptly, and Paolina turned with him. She was bound to him as if by invisible cords.
“You want to be a man, Vico. You want the respect of a man. But until you learn to accept responsibility for your actions,
you are still a boy, and a selfish one at that.”
“Fuck you, Mistress Project Manager,” Vico retorted. “You see nothing, you know nothing, and the people you work for are slime.”
The door slammed behind them as he swept Paolina out of the youth center.
Annie sighed.
It was difficult to be judgmental. Vico reminded her too vividly of her younger self.
Chapter Seven
“Trouble?” a velvety voice inquired.
Annie turned. Barbara Rae Acker had entered the room. “Did you hear that?”
“The tail end of it,” Barbara Rae said. “A very passionate young man.”
“We fired him from his construction job at the cathedral.”
“Annie, you had no choice. He’s on the run from the police.”
“He claims he wasn’t selling drugs, Barbara Rae.”
The minister shrugged. “I’ve heard that too, from some of the other kids on the street. They’re saying the police have him
confused with a pusher who looks a lot like Vico. It could be true. On the other hand, Vico has been in various kinds of trouble
for years, and I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“I was getting through to Paolina, I think,” Annie said. “But when she found out who I was, she felt betrayed. We’ve lost
her now.”
Barbara Rae came up behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders. “We can’t save all of them, Annie. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know that,” she agreed, but still she shook her head, wishing she could.
“Listen to me, honey. What you need is a nice big piece of girdlebuster pie.”
“Please! I’ve been trying to lose five pounds for months!”
“Nonsense. You need to
gain
at least that much. Now, you come home with me tonight for a proper home-cooked supper. Gotta get some meat on your bones,
girl!”
Annie smiled. “What exactly
is
girdlebuster pie?”
“Well, I’ll tell you the ingredients, but don’t ask me how many grams of fat it has, honey, or we’ll both be too frightened
to eat a bite!”
“I’d love to come, Barbara Rae,” Annie said. “But I’ve really got to get back to the office tonight.”
Barbara Rae sighed. “They sure keep you busy over at Brody Associates.”
“No, it’s me. I’ve turned into a workaholic.”
Again, Barbara Rae squeezed her shoulders. Her back massages were heavenly. “You’ve had a lot of losses, honey. That’ll do
it to anyone. You need your security, and no one can blame you for that. I just worry about you, that’s all. You’re still
young, and you’re missing out on life’s pleasures. A man, some leisure time, a piece of girdlebuster pie…”
Impulsively Annie stood and gave her a hug. Despite the ravages of age and a fondness for rich foods, Barbara Rae had a slim,
sturdy body. At fifty-five, the indefatigable minister and shining light of the United Path Church congregationwas vigorous and energetic, and she was rapidly becoming something of a legend in San Francisco.
Barbara Rae had a gift for reaching out to people and touching their hearts and minds. Her work among the poor, the sick,
and the disadvantaged citizens of San Francisco had earned her the reputation of an American Mother Teresa, but she could
be pragmatic and hardheaded when dealing with the wealthy and the sophisticated folks whom she approached for funds. Barbara
Rae was one of those rare people who are charismatic in every stratum of society, projecting herself in a manner that made
people blind to her sex, her religion, her race, and her class.
Annie had met her in
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