Free No easy way out by Elaine Raco Chase Page B

refrigerator and neatening drawers of untouched
cooking utensils.
    But that inner devil successfully tempted those diligent hands
to become idle while it provoked her mind to become reactive. If
she wanted to again capture the magic and passion of being with
Alex, she had only to become Ginger on Friday night. Would it be so
wrong? Who would get hurt?
    Not Alex-he would reap the rewards. Not Ginger-she would be free
to seduce and partake. But what about Virginia? Her sensible, lucid
self would be caged and banished for the night, consumed by a
sensual flirting soul that had escaped from an intellectual
prison.
    While Virginia had never believed much in astrology, she knew
her birthdate placed her in the third house of the zodiac-Gemini.
It was symbolized by twin constellations and two-sided
personalities-talk about typecasting!
    But was it really possible for one body to house two such
opposite entities and not be committed to an asylum? Virginia
wondered if other women suffered from this curse. She had few women
friends. None, save Diane, that she had ever confided in, and she
was just now realizing how much she missed that type of
relationship.
    She had worked hard in her chosen field to overcome a variety of
discriminatory barriers. While never in doubt about her
professional abilities, Virginia often wondered about her abilities
as a woman. Her personal relationships, granted there had been few,
had soured rapidly. Working so many years in cryogenics and
robotics had turned her into a frozen automaton, devoid of
feelings.
    Was that really necessary anymore? She was well respected in her
profession. Maybe Diane was right. Now was the time to loosen up
and enjoy life. Integrate Ginger's joie de vivre into Virginia's
sobriety. It was the toughest problem she'd ever faced.
    The green all-clear signal flashed on. Virginia wiped her hands,
which were damp with perspiration, on pleated olive twill trousers,
took a deep breath, pasted a sickly smile on her face, and let her
khaki leather sport shoes drag her reluctant anatomy into the
lab.
    "Good morning, Doctor." Alex looked up, a testing probe in his
hand, and flashed her a brief smile.
    Virginia swallowed and managed to speak past the uncomfortable
lump in her throat to parrot his greeting. As she slid a lab coat
over her desert-toned checked shirt she found her gaze had drifted
back to study her work-engrossed colleague.
    Alex looked different this morning. Gone was the formal
three-piece business suit he'd worn on their initial meeting. In
its place were casual work clothes: well-cut boot-length denims and
a close-fitting cream and navy pullover. He was more approachable.
More like the Bandit. Sleek, powerful, and full of animal
energy.
    Suddenly Virginia felt an all-consuming need to approach him.
Tucking a few stray wisps of hair into her sleek yet feminine
chignon, she moved closer to his work table. "Well, you certainly
didn't exaggerate when you said the lab was back to normal." She
looked with approval at the neat equipment racks lining the
previously unoccupied south wall. "You must have been here half the
night."
    Alex switched off the probe, scribbled a few notations on his
clipboard pad, then tossed his pencil aside. "I could sense how
important order was to you, Doctor."
    She turned her face away and winced. Yesterday's impression was
not the same as the one made Halloween night. Virginia moistened
her lips and put a lilt in her voice. "You'll be surprised to learn
that when I work I'm rather like Hansel and Gretel, leaving a trail
of instruments and crumbled notes behind me.
    "Now, I find that very difficult to believe." He shook his head,
a lock of silver-etched dark hair falling across his forehead. "I
picture your work habits like a well-orchestrated assembly
line-neat, clean, and precise."
    Virginia yanked a pen from her breast pocket and clicked it
furiously. Being compared to mechanized automation was getting on
her nerves! "Well, that just shows you how