wife?" the Hispanic said, his eyes already starting to shop the room again.

"Yes, I'm married," Herb responded in a steady voice. "But I won't let that bother me if you won't let it bother you." Once again getting right down to business. If the young man wasn't interested, Herb would move on. He might even go back to work, although he was hoping that he wouldn't be returning to the office this afternoon.

"Hey, OK with me," the young man answered, still feeling beholden for the free beer. "My name's Manuel, but you can call me Manny."

Manuel sat there, expecting a name in return from Herb. It wasn't forthcoming.

"Hello, Manny. You've just about polished off that beer. Ready for another one?"

Manuel was ready for another one. He was a little nervous. The Mount Vernon was a little upscale for him.

Herb quickly ordered another beer and slapped another twenty down on the bar. He lit up another cigarette off of the previous one as the bartender took the empty beer stein away and scooped up the twenty. The twenties weren't really for the bartender, though. They were for Manuel to see and absorb, and he was quick enough to get the point.

Manuel looked at the quickly filling ash tray. "Did you smoke all of those?" he asked nervously, not knowing where to take the conversation from here. Just saying the first thing that came into his mind.

"Yeah. I guess you can say that's the habit I moved to from the liquor. I need to kick that as well. But I can quit anytime I want to."

Manuel gave Herb a searching look. If he could go cold turkey on liquor, maybe he could do that with cigarettes to. Manuel could sense the steeliness in Herb.

Herb moved right on with his plan for the day. He didn't have all day to set this up. "Work nearby, do you, Manny?"

"Not too far," Manuel responded. "Down in the harbor. I work the docks, helping to unload whatever comes into the harbor this far."

"Done that for long, have you? You look like you've muscled up a good bit." Always the "get to it" edge in Herb's approach to projects.

"Yeah. All over the world. I was working in Turkey recently. I got this puzzle ring there. Do you like it?"

"Yes, I like everything I see, Manny."

Somewhat nonplused at Herb's innuendos, Manuel took the ring off his finger, and jangled its segments apart. It came apart in six strands that were still connected at the base.

"Watch this. I can put it back together real quick." Manuel concentrated hard on manipulating the strands of the ring back in place, while Herb lit up another cigarette and then concentrated on looking at Manuel's butt and at the young man rippling his muscles as his hands danced on the silver metal of the ring.

When he had the ring back together, Manuel looked up with a grin of triumph.

"There, see, it's easy."

"Yes, I see that," Herb responded. "No, let me slide it back on." And Herb did slide it back on but then, while holding Manuel's palm in one of his own hands, he slid the ring up and down, suggestively, on Manuel's finger. Manuel screwed up his face in embarrassment. But he didn't take his