"Magus!" Irene shouted.
"What?" Magus shouted.
"Nothing." Irene shouted.
Magus shook his head and muttered, "That woman has a set of lungs on her and she has discovered that she likes using them."
"Magus!" Irene shouted.
"What?" Magus shouted.
"There's a woman to see you!" Irene shouted.
"Does she have an appointment?" Magus shouted knowing that he didn't have any appointments for that day.
"She says she doesn't need one!" Irene shouted.
"Who is she?" Magus shouted.
"Stephen's mother!" Irene shouted.
"Send her in!" Magus shouted. He muttered, "This can't be good."
Karen walked into the office and sat down across from Magus. She looked at Magus, gave him a tight lipped smile, and then in a frosty voice asked, "What have you done to my son?"
"He's at school," Magus answered.
"I know he's at school. I didn't ask where he was. I asked what you have done to him," Karen said.
"I gave him a job," Magus said. He sat back and smiled at her hoping to thaw the icy atmosphere in the room.
"That's not what I'm talking about," Karen said.
Magus asked, "What are you talking about?"
"I just discovered that my son is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac and has a girlfriend," Karen said.
"Don't you just love it when you discover something new? I know that I do," Magus said. He sighed theatrically and said, "I wake up every morning just hoping that I'll discover something new that day. It gives me a reason for getting out of bed."
Karen said, "Don't change the subject, Magus."
"I thought we were talking about your new discovery," Magus said.
"We are. My son has a girlfriend and is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac," Karen said.
Magus said, "Your son is very talented. Have you seen a copy of the book he edited?"
"Don't change the subject, Magus," Karen said.
"I thought we were talking about your son," Magus said.
"We are. My son has a girlfriend and is living with a prostitute and a nymphomaniac," Karen said.
Magus shook his head and said, "I think we're having a failure to communicate. Maybe we ought to just drop this subject and come back to it at a later time. How are things back in the five Millvilles area?"
Karen growled. She said, "Don't change the subject, Magus."
"I suppose you're curious about his current living arrangements," Magus said.
"Yes."
"Curiosity is good. I find that it is indispensible in my line of work," Magus said.
Karen tapped her foot and said, "I'm waiting."
"Did I ever tell you that you are a remarkably patient woman?"
"I'm not," Karen said. "You better start talking or people will start referring to you as the late Magus of Solutions Incorporated."
Magus shouted, "Irene!"
"What?" Irene shouted back.
"Call Cathy and ask her to come here!" Magus shouted.
"Okay."
"Call Titus," Magus shouted.
"What should I call him?" Irene shouted.
"Tell him he has a dinner date with his mother and Mel," Magus shouted. He could hear Irene giggling at her own joke.
"Okay."
Call Mel!" Magus said.
"What should I tell her?" Irene shouted.
"Tell her she has a dinner date with Titus and his mother," Magus shouted.
"What is her number?" Irene shouted.
"Get it from Titus!" Magus shouted.
"Okay. Should I call his mother?" Irene shouted.
"Why?"
"To tell her she has a dinner date with Titus and Mel." Irene shouted.
"No," Magus shouted. He muttered, "She's driving me crazy."
"Thursday!"
"She can't yell back yet," Irene shouted.
"Thursday, come in my office!" Magus shouted.
Rubbing her ear, Karen said, "I see that you're still shouting in the office."
"Now you want to change the subject," Magus said shaking his head. "Women. You can't get them to stay on topic."
"Magus, you are this close to being dead meat," Karen said while holding her fingers an inch apart.
He leaned forward and looked at her fingers. He leaned back and said, "I've been closer than that."
There was a knock on the door. Still holding her jaw closed, Thursday said, "You bellowed."
"Yes, Thursday I did bellow," Magus said. "Come on in and meet Stephen's mother, Karen."
"Hello, Karen," Thursday said. "I'm Willa."
Karen looked at Thursday and asked, "What happened to you?"
"Crooked cop," Thursday answered.
"Thursday lives with Stephen," Magus said.
"Really?" Karen said. She wondered if she was the prostitute or the nymphomaniac.
Magus asked, "Would you mind telling Karen what you normally do for a living?"
"I'm a prostitute," Thursday said. She could see that Karen wasn't exactly pleased by her answer. A lot of women had that reaction.
"Are you having sex with my son?" Karen asked getting directly to the point.
"Do you want me to? It is just a hundred and fifty for an hour or a hundred for a half hour," Thursday said having a little fun with the woman. She looked over at Magus and said, "I've never had a mother arrange for her son to get laid. It has always been the father doing that."
"No, I don't want you to have sex with my son," Karen said.
"Am I too expensive? For Stephen, I'd be willing to discount my services," Thursday said. She wished that she had a camera; the look on Karen's face was priceless.
"No."
Smiling at Willa, Magus said, "It was nice of you to offer."
"Thank you, Magus," Thursday said.
Magus said, "I have a great idea. Why don't you and Karen go out for lunch together?"
"I don't normally do women," Thursday said. She winked at Magus.
"Oh my God," Karen exclaimed.
Thursday said, "Relax. I'm just teasing you. Stephen is a great guy and he isn't interested in doing anything with me. We just live in the same house. Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything with you."
"Thank God," Karen said.
Magus laughed and said, "Karen used to have your job in this company. I'm sure that you two can spend an hour over lunch discussing the pleasures and thrills of working for me."
"Pleasures and thrills?" Karen asked. She shook her head and said, "It was more like tortures."
"So you finally want to collect on the favor," Cathy said while walking into the office. She was holding up a condom.
"No," Magus said.
Cathy noticed that he wasn't alone in the office. Palming the condom, she said, "I didn't know you had company."
"We could tell," Magus said.
Cathy spotted Willa and said, "Hello Willa. How are you doing?"
"Better," Willa answered.
"I see you still can't move your jaw much," Cathy said. Cheerfully, she said, "I'm sure it will be better soon."
"Thanks," Willa said.
Magus said, "You seem cheerful this morning."
Smiling, Cathy said, "It was Stephen. That guy hammered me for half an hour this morning. I must have come five times. I'll be good for the whole day. I'll tell you one thing; his girlfriend is going to be real lucky when they finally get around to doing it."
"Ah ... There's something you should know," Willa said.
Cathy said, "Willa, you really ought to try him before Mel gets him. He'll take your mind off your sore jaw. He really knows how to munch a rug. I should know; I taught him."
Pointing at Karen, Willa said, "This is his mother."
"I just keep stepping in it, don't I?" Cathy asked.
Karen said, "I think I just learned too much about my son."
"Don't you love it when you learn something new? I know that I do," Magus said. He sighed theatrically and said, "Every morning I wake up hoping that I'll learn something new that day. It gives me a reason to get out of bed."
"Shut up, Magus," Karen said.
"Okay."
Cathy said, "You have a great son. I mean, how many guys would do what he's doing for me?"
"Outside of doing you, what is he doing for you?"
Cathy answered, "He's doing me. I mean, I have a real problem. If it wasn't for Stephen and Jake, I would be dragging guys off of the street. Last time I did that, I was nearly killed by a sick bastard. I guess you could say that Stephen is helping to save my life every time we have sex."
"That's an interesting way to look at it," Karen said skeptically.
"It sure isn't easy on him. The girl he likes doesn't believe in sharing. He's waiting to commit to her until after he knows that I'm going to be okay without him. Can you imagine that?"
"No," Karen said. She was thinking it was more a matter of a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
"That's a million dollar guy you raised," Cathy said.
Karen said, "Thank you, I think."
Cathy said, "You might find another guy for me, Magus. That would really help out Stephen. I think Mel is starting to lose patience. I mean, she looked a little irritated when Willa moved in with us."
"She did," Willa said.
Magus said, "We're out of bedrooms."
"Mel will be disappointed to learn that," Cathy said.
Magus looked at Karen and said, "If I remember correctly, the first thing that you asked me when you came in the office was — What have I done to Stephen? Is that right?"
"Yes," Karen answered.
"Well, I gave him a job," Magus said. "Are you satisfied?"
"No. You've turned my son into a sex fiend," Karen answered.
Cathy said, "Hey, I have a great idea. Let's go to lunch together. We can gossip about Stephen."
"You're not helping, Cathy," Magus said.
"Magus!" Irene shouted.
"What?" Magus shouted back.
"Stephen is confused," Irene shouted.
"Why?" Magus shouted.
"He said his mother is in Millville!" Irene shouted.
"Did you tell him she was here?" Magus shouted.
"No."
"Tell him," Magus shouted.
"Don't get so cranky," Irene shouted.
"I think I really like Irene," Karen said to Willa. "Pay attention to her. That's how you have to deal with Magus."
Magus said, "She used to be a quiet and meek little woman. I wonder what happened to her."
"How long has she been working for you?" Karen asked.
"Six weeks or so," Magus answered.
"That explains it," Karen said.
Magus said, "You're probably right."
"Magus!" Irene shouted.
"What?" Magus shouted.
"Stephen said Uh Oh," Irene shouted.
"Did he say anything else?" Magus shouted.
"No," Irene shouted.
"Thank you," Magus shouted.
"You're welcome," Irene shouted.
"Uh oh is right," Karen said. "That boy and I are going to have a long talk tonight."
Cathy asked, "So are we going to lunch?"
"We might as well," Karen said.
"Take Igor with you," Magus said.
"Why?" Karen asked.
"To protect Thursday. She's still got a problem that we haven't resolved," Magus answered.
"Okay," Karen said.
"Take Claudia with you," Magus said.
"That's good idea. I haven't seen her in a while," Karen said.
Magus said, "Take Irene with you."
"Why her?" Karen asked.
Magus said, "So she doesn't feel left out."
"Okay," Karen said.
After a few minutes, all of the women had left the office. Magus sat back and said, "Ah, peace and quiet."
"Magus!" Stephen shouted from the reception area.
Magus shouted, "What?"
"Is my mother here?" Stephen shouted.
"She's at lunch with Thursday and Cathy," Magus shouted.
"I'm so dead," Stephen said entering Magus' office.
"Don't worry. I'll buy flowers for your grave," Magus said.
"Thanks," Stephen said.
"What do you say to lunch?" Magus asked.
"Sounds good," Stephen said.
Magus said, "Bring me something when you come back. You know what I like."