The next morning, I logged on through a secure proxy-server and verified that my funds in Belize were exactly where they were supposed to be, then that the purchase of the property I'd purchased through a shell-company owned by a shell company owned by a shell company went through, and scrubbed all records of those activities. Then I went on line and paid some bills to give the look of normality and permanence, and I started looking for rentals in cities far from my property to leave "normal" tracks on my old PC - because I just couldn't shake the feeling that things were unraveling here.

When I got to the shelter that morning there was a note that Chris had slipped under my door. Chris said she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be seeing me this evening, but would try to come see me tomorrow evening if she felt better. An alarm went off in the back of my mind - one that I wasn't going to ignore. And this gave me time to scoot. OK. I had a free day all to myself. It would look strange if I came in and left so soon. So I figured I'd scoot right after dinner.

I worked the lunch line and saw a couple of the girls I had raced with at the barbecue. I gave them both my very best smile. And was surprised when one of them smiled back and said "Hi" as she came through the line.

I wracked my brain and remembered her name just as she approached me, and I called out in a loud, boisterous voice, "Hey beautiful, I haven't seen you since the picnic. How've you been?"

"You don't even remember my name, do you?"

"Oh course I do - you're Sally. See, I DO remember you! We were a team in the race. And YOU were the prettiest one at the picnic! How could I EVER forget you???"

Sally was 7 - I know because I noticed her at the picnic. We were partners in the 3-legged race. She would look in my direction when she thought I wasn't looking at her. And so I pulled her info in the office. She was 7, and as far as we could tell, she was on her own. No parents or family. No guardian that we could find. Social Services had been called, but with budget cutbacks and a decided lack of caring, hadn't been out yet. Maybe next week. Maybe not. As a result, we had become her surrogate family. She was withdrawn and seemed lost. She was a blank - a null void. And the only time she seemed to come out of her protective shell was at the picnic. For a precious few moments, she seemed to smile.

Sally had pale white skin, stringy brown hair and brown eyes. She was short, thin with bony arms and legs. At 7 she was as flat-chested as a boy, with absolutely no hint of the r breasts or hips that were to come - and no real curves anywhere else except for her little bottom. She was all skin and bone and awkward angles. When she smiled, there was a gap where her front teeth were coming in. She was beautiful.

During the lunch hour I kept glancing over at her, to see if she was looking my way. And whenever I'd catch Sally looking at me, I'd smile and wink. Pretty soon, she was smiling back. And once when I held her gaze, I saw her giggle and blush. She was perfect! I didn't really think anymore about it. It was just a silly thing (that could get me locked away for the rest of my life). Then as I was cleaning up from washing the pots and pans, I felt Sally tap me on my back. What a sweet set-up! I swear, I'll never again complain about having to do dishes!

"Who's there???" I looked "over" Sally, looking all around, pretending to not see her - while making it plain that I knew she was there and was teasing her.

"I'm down here."

I looked Sally up and down and said, "There she is! How's the most beautiful woman in the world??" (What 7 year old girl DOESN'T like to hear how very grown-up and beautiful she is?)

"But I'm just a GIRL!!!"

"OK then. How's my Girlfriend?"

"You ... Your girlfriend? But she said you were married."

"Who told you that?"

"The girl at the picnic. The one you were with."

The klaxon alarm was screaming in my head now. Chris was 'marking her territory.' It wouldn't be much longer before she talked - if she hadn't already. Time to make my escape. And if I played it right .....

"I was - but that was a long time ago. Now there's nobody." Sally smiled and looked visibly relieved when she heard this. "And if you want to be, yes. I'd love you to be my girlfriend". I reached down and gently stroked her cheek. "You're so beautiful and so sexy."

"But I don't know how to ...Wha ... Wait ... You you think I'm SEXY?? " The word "Sexy" came out as a delighted squeal.

"I don't THINK you're sexy. I KNOW you're beautiful and grown up and hot and sexy and if you were my girlfriend, then I'd be the happiest and the luckiest man on earth." I took her little hands in mine, and gently squeezed them. And from the way Sally beamed, I knew I'd struck the right chord.

"You'll have to show me how, Mr. - I mean Bill. I've never been a girlfriend, I don't know how. What do I do"

"First of all, we can't tell anyone about us. Not about being boyfriend and girlfriend. Not what we say to each other. Not about our being together. Not about how much we love each other. And not about doing girlfriend/boyfriend stuff with each other. All that has to be our secret. WE have to be our secret."

"But why? I wanna tell everybody."

"So do I, my love, so do I. But we can't. Not even our best-est friends. People won't understand. They'll say you're too little to be a girlfriend - because they don't know you. And they'll break us up and take you away and send me away - maybe even to jail - and never let us see each other ever again. Ever. And I couldn't stand that. So we have to be our own best-est friends. I don't ever want to lose you. I want you forever, darling."

"Me too, Bill. I, I mean darling. Darling. I like calling you "Darling." I'll keep our secret. I don't wanna lose you too. What do we do now"

"I think the first thing we should do is make it official by hugging, then kissing. You kiss me, then I'll kiss you."

I got down on my knees so our heads were close to level. And as I put my arms around little Sally, I "accidently" brushed her butt. When she didn't pull away or complain, I traced the curve of her tiny butt and gave it a squeeze. I kept my hand there, my fingers toying with her crack so she'd get used to me touching her there. She was so small my one hand completely covered both cheeks. I hugged her with my other arm and felt her bony shoulder-blades as I hugged her. Sally literally threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight. She gave me a chaste little peck on my cheek, then offered me her cheek to kiss.

I placed a little peck on Sally's cheek, then turned her head to face mine. Sally's eyes opened wide as I moved in and gently kissed her little mouth. I began with rapid little pecks on her lips. Pecks that soon became a little longer. And a little longer. And a little longer. Soon Sally was clumsily kissing back. When she did, I - WE held our kiss. When we finally broke our kiss, Sally's eyes were wide and glowing, and she was breathing heavily. So was I.

"Now, we're REALLY girlfriend and boyfriend. Did you like your first "grown-up" kiss Sally?" Without waiting for her answer, I kissed her again. First her top lip, then her bottom lip. Then I licked her lips as I fondled her ass. This time she wiggled her little butt back against my hand. "Oh you like that too, don't you darling?"

"Did I do it right? I never knew a kiss could be like that. Is this what boyfriends and girlfriends do? And with our tongues?? We get to do this? I like it. What do we do next??"

To be continued ... ?