Free Fortune Is a Woman by Francine Saint Marie

fluorescent lights. Venus shielded it with her hand and hit the light switch again. “I can deal with this, Mrs. Kristenson.”
    Lydia pulled her hand away. “I can’t.”
    “It’s not a big–”
    “I CAN’T.”
    She was glued to the door. Venus held her against it. “Okay then. It’s okay.”
    “It’s not okay. It’s not. I have to go.”
    “Why isn’t it? Tell me.”
    Lydia grabbed the knob again and jiggled it. “Because I love her.” The door cracked open. “I love her,” she said, grasping Venus by the hand.
    Venus pushed against her and the door shut again. “You love her and there’s nothing here for me? What’s this?” She brought her hand to her lips. “Tell me, Lydia. What’s this?”
    What, what. Lydia laid her head against the door. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
    Venus kissed her cheek. It was hot. “Lydia…Lydia Beaumont.”
    She heard her name and her pulse, the labored hum of the clock stubbornly keeping time on the wall.
    “Lydia…?”
    “Venus Angelo.”
    “I’m in love with you. You know that?”
    She shouldn’t answer her.
    “Is that all right?”
    “I can’t…I can’t answer that.”
    “Can I see you again?”
    No. She was hot. She should tell her no. “I’m not sure.”
    Venus kissed her neck. “When?”
    Lydia sighed. Tell her never. “I–I don’t know.”
    “When I return? Can I see you then?”
    Venus was holding her up with her hips. “From–from Tokyo?”
    “Yes.”
    “In a month, you mean?”
    Venus held her by the waist, caressed her through her blouse. “I’ll call you in between.”
    In between. Oh, god, in between. She couldn’t think.
    “You’ll take my call?”
    Helaine would be home for lunch soon.
    “Can I give you a ring?”
    She was wet–she had to go.
    “Can I, Lydia?”
    Can Venus Angelo give her a ring? Christ, she already had a ring! She let go of her hand.
    “I’ll call you, Lydia…in between.”
    “No, Venus,” she choked. “NO, NO, NO . ”
    And with that Venus released her.
    VP Beaumont leaned on the wall with one hand and with the other she fastened herself and adjusted her hair. She did not look at Venus while she did this nor when she was done, but waited in silence for her to open the door.
    Once in the hallway, she took a very deep breath and made herself walk.
    Venus watched her take a few shaky steps and then stop again. Standing still with her back to her, she thought that Lydia seemed very much like the kind of woman who would want to apologize for an incident like this, who might be forming a perfectly respectable apology in her mind.
    She couldn’t stand the thought of it. “Keep going, Ms. Beaumont,” she told her. “Tell Paula I said thanks.”
    _____
     
    Only two sessions this Saturday morning and Helaine was ready to leave her office by eleven-thirty. She marveled at the briefcase again, smiling in a satisfied way before closing it. No time to walk home. She called a cab.
    She had in her haste this morning grabbed Lydia’s instead of her own, never having noticed before how similar they were. Inside Lydia’s briefcase she had discovered the Abstract of Title for the Beaumont’s summer place, the old Queen Anne that she had heard so much about, as well as the new deed conveying it from Edward and Marilyn to their daughter and herself.
    That was supposed to be a present, Helaine figured. So it was her duty to preserve Lydia’s surprise.
    Lydia didn’t work Saturdays so it was entirely possible she hadn’t discovered the mistake. Sneaking her briefcase in without her knowing shouldn’t be that big a problem, Helaine thought, as long as she wasn’t acting dopey about it. Of course, there was the chance that Lydia had wanted to put the paperwork in the safe this morning. Then she would have seen right away that there had been a mix-up. She worried on that likelihood before finally dismissing it. Lydia would certainly have called.
    Who knows, maybe she won’t even be home, considering the