"Damn right, you are! Uh…" the man hesitated. "Where's your mother?

Did she come, too?"

He glanced nervously at a tall, lithe woman idly leaning against the bar. The woman pushed a vagrant strand of black hair out of her eyes, not missing a single thing going on.

"No. She and her new boyfriend decided to go on a Caribbean cruise!

Jamaica and that whole bit."

Susan's father was obviously relieved. "How come you aren't milking this high-roller for a trip through the Caribbean yourself? He'd probably have sprung for you, too, if you'd kicked up a big enough fuss. And do I ever remember how big a fuss you can kick up when you want something."

She chastely kissed him on the cheek, then said, "I hate that bastard's guts. I don't see what Mom sees in him. Besides, the Caribbean sounded pretty icky to me. I decided I'd come stay with you for the summer."

"It's great to see you, doll, really!"

The woman at the bar straightened one leg as if stretching, then said in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the pool hall, "Why don't you introduce me to the competition, Don? At least let me know who I'm having to steal you away from."

"Cat, dearest, it's not possible for you to ever come between me and Sue. This is my daughter. Susan, Cat. She's my, uh, helper."

"Helper, my ass. I'm your girlfriend, mistress, call it what you like.

Does that bother you, sweetie?" She looked squarely into Susan's eyes, hoping the young girl would show some brief discomfort.

It didn't come. The girl was used to such things.

"No. Why should it? After all, I watch the steady stream of my mother's boyfriends. The only thing that would shock me is finding out my father had a steady stream of boyfriends, too."

The men in the room laughed.

Cat smiled broadly. "I like your style, kid. And let me tell you, your old man's no fag. He can screw like a stallion and he's hung like a bull. Why, just a couple nights ago, he…"