Life loves to throw me curve balls. You'd think I'd expect it by now. Whenever things go right, when on the whole I wouldn't change my life for love or money, BAM! Small or big, something happens to change everything.

Today's Incident was admittedly a small one in the big scheme of things. Sandra, the secretary I helped once by... "discouraging" an abusive boyfriend, called. She'd heard about a job and offered for the usual price. Five minutes after I got to the meeting point, Simon Templar showed up.

I've seen him before at party functions. Blonde, blue eyed, he's the Aryan dream and model of an Ares trophy child. Yeah, I admit it. I'm attracted to him. Hell, a woman would have to be gay or in a coma not to - and the gay part is debatable. Not to mention some of the tales floating around the Ladies' Room. According to at least half of the secretarial staff and other female employees, Simon Templar goes between unbelievably in-fragging-credible and superhuman. Even considering the source.....

Ok, so I've got a serious case of lust going on. Won't be the first time I've had it for one of my charges, but these circumstances are unique.

We're shadowrunning.

Leopard only knows how I kept my cool during the meet and strategy session. But to top things off, when I got home there was a message on the machine for Jean Graceson to get her hoop to office 47 at Ares HQ. Since that's my alternate SIN, the one I used for Templar, that wasn't reassuring.

It turned out to be even worse. A VP, Francis Frost, had somehow found out about the situation and decided to take advantage of it. He reassigned me. My sole prerogative is now keeping Simon Templar safe and, when all's said and done, reasonably happy. That covers everything from dealing with former mistresses to actual, physical protection - all without him finding out, of course.

I need a raise. Or at least, more of one than I got today. I got a few hundred extra nuyen under the table added to my paychecks and a modified Doc Wagon bracelet. It's got an extra panic button, guaranteed to bring a Knight Errant Fast Response Team running should the drek ever land. But that's it.

Well. Guess that means I'm due something good in life to balance it out. Hmmm. I wonder just how far this protection thing extends. After all, break ups do such nasty things to one's psyche. An entirely 'recreational relationship' could be very... interesting.....



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