Read Online Fortune Is a Woman by Francine Saint Marie - Free Book Online Page A

on his hip, a shower of braids cascading onto her muscular shoulders.
    She eyed those shoulders, those familiar arms and legs, and took a quick breath. Another time, she said to herself, scrapping the mission.
    “Uh-oh!” someone exclaimed as she left. “That was VP Beaumont!”
    Venus glanced over. “Where?” she asked, leaving her partner in the corner.
    “Just now. Think this’ll end up in our personnel folders?”
    Venus ran out into the hall.
    “Nah, she’s cool,” someone else said.
    “Pump it up, pump it up!” Venus heard from the hallway. The volume rose. She glimpsed Lydia in the elevator, the doors closing.
    “Ms. Beaumont!”
    Lydia punched the open button and the door gaped wide again.
    “Ms.–” Venus was out of breath. “Lydia.”
    Lydia kept her hand on the button. “I’m–I have to go right now. I’m taking over Paula’s appointments today.”
    Venus held the door. “I’ll be here late…or tomorrow morning?”
    Saturday morning. Lydia nodded and checked her watch.
    Venus let go of the door. “Tomorrow?”
    The door began to close. Lydia waved. “I will try,” she promised through the slit.
    Venus heard, “I will,” and a ding .
    _____
     
    Saturday morning. Venus was standing at the large window, lost in thought, her back toward Lydia, staring out in the direction of the waterfront, just as Lydia used to do when the office was hers. She seemed unaware that she had her visitor.
    Tank top and sweats again. Much quieter this morning, though there were signs of recent revelry. Plastic cups on the floor, an abandoned suit coat. The office was in a state of organized chaos, paperwork stacked in kinetic piles on the floor and desktops, preparations for a long departure. And there was that farewell atmosphere to contend with, an awkward goodbye hanging noxious in the air. She shouldn’t have come today. She leaned gently against the door and debated whether to knock and announce herself or just run.
    “Good morning, Ms. Beaumont.”
    “I’m…I came back.”
    “I’m glad you did.” VP Beaumont was anxious, Venus noticed. Flushed and hesitating in the doorway, like she wanted to run.
    “I–may I?”
    “Yes, yes, come in. Close the door.”
    Lydia hesitated. She probably shouldn’t close the door. “I can’t stay,” she said, walking in and closing the door behind her. “Long, I mean.”
    Venus perched on the edge of the cluttered desk. “I’ll be gone awhile. You know that?”
    “I–yes. Paula told me.”
    Paula. Venus smiled knowingly and sat down.
    “Venus, I wanted to tell you that I–”
    “Can’t remember my cell phone.”
    “Your cell phone? Oh, your number. No, I do still have that. I’ve been, um…”
    “Pandering?”
    That was a word they both liked. Venus used it accusingly this time.
    Lydia blushed and eyed the door.
    It was true. She had been pandering. Months of it. And right now, being where she knew she shouldn’t be, she was feeling downright cheap. Always on some kind of a mission for Paula Treadwell and she didn’t even want to be “king of the shitheap” as she and Venus preferred to call it. She wasn’t even supposed to still be in this shitheap. She was supposed to have retired at forty. And what was she doing at Soloman-Schmitt on the weekend anyway, stimulating Venus Angelo’s crush? She couldn’t defend a single bit of it. She should go.
    “You can stay a few minutes?” Venus asked.
    “Yes.” Lydia said, sitting down. “A few minutes.”
    “I’m sorry,” Venus said.
    “About?”
    “Pandering.”
    “Oh.” Lydia forced a laugh. “Me, too. You’re off to Japan, I hear.”
    “Japan. And then I suppose the moon.”
    Lydia smiled at that. Did seem likely.
    “Can Lydia find me on the moon?”
    “On the moon? Well…on the moon…you know, I’m not sure. I don’t know.”
    “You think she could call me in Japan?”
    “I–” Venus was wearing that appealing grin. Her “bad ass” grin. Lydia pictured her dancing with