10

called Jill and asked her out. I don't know if she agreed because I helped her get the role, or just because she found dating an up-and-coming mobster exciting. Who knows, maybe she liked me for me. Anyway, she said yes. We started seeing each other a lot from then on. It didn't take long for Jill to learn about Christine. I got a very clear ultimatum.

It was exciting to see Jill in the A Kiss of Sunshine trailers a few years later. I think Freddie did some more work for her, but I never saw her again.

Jill's house party wasn't the only place I saw drugs. Many parties I went to had drugs readily available. I noticed that none of the grown men participated. But I did, a lot. Taylor also enjoyed getting high at every opportunity.

Terrence "Silver Dollar" De Luca, the Don of the Life sketch Family, was a very cautious man. He never spoke to anyone unless they were fully initiated into the Family. The first time I saw him in person was for his daughter's wedding. Janice De Luca was a school teacher who was marrying a plumber. They had no involvement in the family business. Four Fingers Nelson told me that none of Don De Luca's four children had followed in their father's footsteps.

All made men and women would be enjoying the festivities with their spouses, which meant they needed reliable associates to keep things running smoothly. I was asked to help.

It was rainy and miserable on the day of the wedding. I was in a small hallway looking at people passing by on their way to the bathroom. It wasn't very glamorous, but I think it was necessary. Nobody did anything stupid that day. Why would they? Don De Luca was not a man to be trifled with.

(Intimidation +5)

During dinner I was asked to come to the front gates. When I got there, I saw a small delivery truck with three cases of wine from Peru. I also saw a lot of police taking pictures of signs but as they were off property there wasn't much I could do about it. I took the delivery, but I wasn't taking any chances, so I stopped the delivery guy while I checked. I took the packing slip to the wedding and saw Don Don with his wife and family. I found Nelson, who looked very stylish in his black tuxedo, and asked what I should do.

"This is from Don's son Daniel, a wedding present for his sister," Nelson said with a smile. "Come with me."

He took me to Don De Luca and introduced me personally. It was a great honor. Don shook my hand and told me to fill a plate with food. He was a really nice guy. I nodded to the other people I knew at the wedding, filled a plate and went back to the driver to accept the wine. That was it, a two-minute meeting.

I kept busy while helping the men and women in the family. Taylor tried to do some work too, but after showing up drunk to one meeting and being late for another, they stopped calling her. She was very unreliable. I'll admit, Taylor had her issues, but when the crunch came, you couldn't have asked for a better friend.

I had been working as an associate for almost two years when Taylor saved my life. We were having a few drinks at a bar across town when five tattooed Japanese men walked in. I'm sure you've heard of the Yakuza? No, these guys didn't belong in that group, but they were similar. They were members of the Sato Family, one of the Five Families of Nova Daria.

The funny thing is, I'm not even sure what I did to piss them off. All I know is that they picked up some pool cues on the way and started swinging. I thought about my .44 Magnum that I'd stashed in my jacket pocket, but I didn't want to overdo it in a simple bar fight.

it was no small feat, going head-to-head with five guys with pool cues. I felt the man's nose crumple under my fingers as he fell to the floor with blood pouring from both nostrils.

(Fight +5)

We weren't stupid. Though the odds were now four to two, we were outnumbered and they had guns. We ran straight out the door and out into the parking lot. The tattooed men were right behind us as we got into my Mustang.

I didn't even feel the pool cue hit my face as I fell unconscious. Or if I did, I don't remember.

I woke up in the passenger seat of my Mustang. It was still dark and my body ached, but I was still alive. I opened the door and staggered out in time to see an incredible sight. We were on the New Daria Bridge and Taylor was pushing the dead body of one of Sato's men over the side! I saw the tattooed man fall into the darkness as Taylor sat on the sidewalk beside the road with a dazed look in his eyes. I didn't need to ask what happened, the Smith and Wesson hand cannon in his waistband said it all. My connections would probably protect me, especially since I hadn't shot, but I knew Taylor was in a lot of trouble.

(Sato Family Reputation -40)

My words were suddenly cut off when Taylor pressed her lips firmly against mine. It was crazy!

I'd known Taylor my whole life, but I'd never thought of her that way. I don't know if it was the thrill of danger or hidden feelings finally surfacing, but we clung desperately to that bridge for some time.

(Taylor Ratio +10)

I couldn't help thinking of poor, kind Christine. As if reading my mind, she said, "What about your girlfriend?"

Taylor hugged me wildly and kissed me once more. The headlights of cars passing on the bridge illuminated our conversation. Christine was disappointed when I told her, but I couldn't let Taylor go after what we'd been through.

Taylor and I lay down to sleep and reported to Nelson Harcourt at Lucky Lanes the next day. My worst fears came true: the man Taylor had killed was a grown man. I had to give Taylor credit because she kept her chin up and didn't beg for her life. Say what you will about Taylor, but no one can doubt her courage.

(Family Reputation Life Sketch -30)

We stayed at the bowling alley three days straight without leaving. It was a strange place for our romance to blossom, but we were inseparable. Nelson and the other capos had several encounters with Don De Luca.

"We made amends," Nelson said after the third day.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Taylor would not be defeated. It was considered an accident. It has been stated that Taylor did not know that his victim was a grown man until it was too late.

Things eventually got back to normal, though everyone stayed away from the Sato Family whenever possible. Taylor and I continued to date, happy that at least one good thing came out of that terrible night.

While it was nice to hang out with grown men and women, sometimes it was even nice to be with other associates too. We associates were not always treated very well. We were thought of as tools... made to be used. Most associates struggled to get their buttons and it made them work hard to show that they could be big earners. This was why Lisa the Hat and Digger Doug came to me one morning. They had a lucrative job they wanted me to be a part of.

A guy in Lisa's building owned a sports store in a mall. He was going to let us rob the store and then claim the loss through insurance. The plan was simple. The neighbor gave Lisa the alarm code and a time when the other shopkeepers left at night and arrived in the morning. There was a night watchman, but lucky for us, the watchman was old and rarely left the staff room. Doug had a contact willing to buy the high-quality sports equipment at a good price. It was a great opportunity for everyone involved. We stole a van and went to the mall.