B Grade

She walked over and checked out the tires, "I would seem that I missed," she said as she squatted down, there was a neat hole by the S of Firestone on one tyre, and one by the Traction A logo, on the other it looked pretty good to me.

"I aimed at the valves!" she explained, she missed by maybe six inches and three inches at a mile and a half in blustery wind, and that's pretty good, a lot better than the usual hit man managed.

I sort of swallowed, "What's for breakfast?" she asked, and she put her khaki coloured gun bag over her shoulder and went in.

"Waffles?" I suggested, she went in the bedroom, "Do these windows open," she asked.

"No, ah yes but you ain't shooting from here."I warned her

"Spoilsport!" she said, "You'll have me disqualified from the all girls club."

Something went click in my brain and I remembered, we had been discussing shooters and Saffron Smith had been mentioned, something about a rifle shooting champion.

"So what do you want!" I asked

"Sponsorship!" she said, "For the nationals, Olympics maybe."

"And what do I get" I asked.

"Me when ever you want!" she suggested, "And you know I could have hit you just as easily as the tyre."

"Then we have a deal Miss Smith!" I agreed.

"Good," she replied, "And you Mr Taglioni, you need to get fit!"

"Can you maybe call me Bruno?" I said, "And I guess you're Saffron?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Any time?" I asked.

"Why yes, I suppose so!" she said.

"Like you thought of coming out east?" I asked.

"It depends on the facilities," she said, "Mummy said she wouldn't fund me any more that's why I came here."

"How about we go to bed and discuss this properly," I asked and do you know she just started pulling my pants open, "Hey," I said, "No lets think this through, you're good for Rico, I guess you ought to stay out here."

"And will you sponsor me?" she asked.

"I just said so didn't I?" I agreed, "So how much we talking? half million, million."

"Oh no!" she gasped, "Fifty thousand spread over two years would be ideal."

"Hell that won't keep you in shoes!" I told her, "OK a grand a week retainer and then you send for whatever you need."

"And what precisely do I have to do to earn this?" she asked.

"Win," I said, "Hell knowing my girl is a crack shot will keep these guys in line better than anything, imagine being gunned down by a girl!" I said and then I remembered the crack and whistle as she took out the tires of my truck, "And I get a piece of your ass every time I come out west."

Well she agreed and pretty soon Rico graduated, and she left the school to train full time, and next thing she's getting fat and I says to her,"Hey you're getting fat," and she says it's my fault and I says "How in the hell is it my fault?" and then the penny drops.

Anyway Grandpa liked her and the boys respected her and when I told her the kid was coming out east and she said it wasn't we had a serious discussion and she chipped two of my teeth before we agreed on what to do, I said I was too old for her but she disagreed, and then to make everything worse she had her mother come over to check me out.

And that's about it really, no one fucks with a Taglioni, especially Saffron Taglioni.