A/N: I do not own the character of Ronnie McGorvey. The other characters in this fic (unless otherwise indicated) are mine.

This one's for Fascinated666.

*****

"Go let the delivery guys in before you take your break, ok?"

"Sure, Leonard," Kitty acquiesced. She logged herself out of the register and scurried from behind the counter. She was flagging, and there was a diet cola in the fridge with her name on it. Literally. Kitty had scrawled her name on the plastic cup with a permanent marker so no one would steal it.

She pushed through the door to the back room of the bookstore and cast a longing eye at the refrigerator before continuing to the outside door. Suction pulled the door open; it drew cool, conditioned air out into the summer heat. The new guy, Ronnie, stood leaning on his handtruck. Al was walking another load off the truck.

"Hey," Kitty said.

Something that vaguely approximated a smile flitted over Ronnie's face, but the expression disappeared under the shadow of his baseball cap when he pushed the load of boxes into the store. Kitty propped the door behind him.

"Howdy, Miss Kitty," called Al, who was a big fan of "Gunsmoke".

Kitty waved and headed back into the chill of the store to retrieve her soda. She gripped the extra-large cup in both of her small hands, measuring out tiny but eager sips from the straw to prevent brain-freeze. She watched Ronnie and Al unloading boxes and tried to decide if she had the time or the inclination to run out for something to eat. Ronnie was slight, and Al was big, so the sight of them together was a little like a vaudeville comedy act. Trying to hide a smile, Kitty worried the plastic straw with her teeth.

"Be right back, Ron. Gonna visit the head." Al adjusted his belt around his generous girth and stepped through the door toward the restrooms.

"Ok, Al," Ronnie answered mildly. His long-lashed eyes flickered toward Kitty as he moved the last boxes from his handtruck.

She looked at the clock on the wall. There were only ten minutes left in her break, and the only thing she felt like was curry, but she would never make it to Shalimar and back in time. She squeaked the straw irritably against the plastic lid of her drink.

Ronnie stared at her mouth, but the look on his face was not that of an irritated man. Kitty recognized the expression immediately. She licked her lips, and the delivery man's eyes went a little hazy.

"How...how old are you, Kitty?" he asked in a husky voice.

"How old do you think I am?" Kitty teased, pursing her lips to take another sip of her soda. She could feel the strength of his desire, and it intoxicated her.

"Fourteen?" Ronnie breathed.

She shook her head coyly.

"Older?"

"Maybe I'm younger," she suggested. "How old are you?"

Ronnie swallowed. "Too old for you." His thumb was rubbing along the top rung of the handtruck.

Kitty hesitated for a second, then she let it spill out: "Actually, from what I hear, I'm too old for you."

The delivery man turned as if she had slapped him and began to drag the handtruck toward the door. Kitty hurried into the threshold to block his way.

"Excuse me," he muttered awkwardly.

"I'm sorry! That was...I'm really sorry." She looked up at his face under the bill of his cap. Startled, she blurted, "Wow. You have really pretty eyes."

Ronnie ducked his head shyly at the compliment.

"And I'm really old," Kitty added. "I'll be twenty in September."

His gaze slid down over her body. "You don't even look old enough to drive, let alone-"

"What?" she whispered, stepping closer. "Old enough to what?"

Then Al's footsteps approached, and Kitty jumped back before the large man made it through the door.

"Bye, guys!" she trilled, mouthing the drinking straw. She was gratified to see Ronnie sneak a glimpse of her before he disappeared around the far side of the truck.

Kitty finished her drink and headed back into the store. She wanted to snag a copy of a certain book by Nabokov before her break ended...

*****

A/N: Future chapters will contain smut with a possibly high ick factor. This story is not meant to treat pedophilia lightly in any way or suggest that it is merely a kink. Pedophilia is a serious psychiatric condition. However, the characters in my story (both consenting adults) will role-play an adult/child romance. If this disturbs you, please do not read further. -ab