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Blue Moon 5.2

by Donna Lamb

Richard watched the tall redhead cross the parking lot with some interest. She'd let the big blond man off at the back door of the office building and driven the huge Mercedes SUV to park it in two parking spaces (it was that big) at the far end of the lot. Richard had taken the last oversize parking spot with the limo but he appreciated that she had gone far from the door before parking the German beast, thoughtfulness not often seen in the rich.

It also gave him more time to watch her walk. She had a long-legged style that actually made him think of Jo. Nearly the same height, taller in heels, slender but with more top and bottom than Jo, she wore her long hair in a thick red braid down the middle of her back. Richard enjoyed watching it swing. "Sweet mama," he said aloud since no one could hear him.

He'd just noted that she might be older than he had first thought -- maybe thirty-five or even forty, but that was no crime -- when it occurred to him that the big blond man had been Aronhaus. Without thinking about his sudden sense of urgency, he bolted from the limo and followed the redhead into the office building.

* * *

"Melody, isn't it? Do you need to sit down?" Larry asked.

Jo nodded and let herself be directed to the padded chair on the client side of the desk. "I don't w-w-w..." She paused, Larry waited patiently. "I don't w-work here?"

"No, dear, that would hardly be wise, do you think?"

She swallowed hard. What the hell is going on? she wanted to ask but restrained herself. "Did--did you know Joel?" she asked instead, wanting to find out what his co-workers thought of her former male self.

Larry nodded. "Very serious young man but he had a sense of humor."

I did? thought Jo.

"Of course," said Larry, "I'm a bit of a nerd, too. When he made a joke about growing tribbles to be made into toupees for bald starship captains, I knew what he was talking about."

Jo smiled, remembering. Larry and Joel had laughed about that one and the one about Klingon plastic wrap that couldn't be removed because after all, it wasn't called Kling-off.

Larry sighed. "I'm sorry you didn't get to know him."

Now what? thought Jo. If Joel was my brother, why wouldn't I know him?

* * *

"I'm not the only one that cheats, I see," said Sophie. She glared across at the seat at Ted the Clarence.

"You left her with no life, no existence in the world. It's not cheating to provide a minimal reality for her. And the memories of living people have not been changed back past the two month window you established, with one exception. And that one willingly, even prayerfully."

The Devil in Drag examined the life thread Ted indicated and snorted. "Well, that's no fun. Heartbreak into joy?"

Ted nodded. "Our stock in trade."

* * *

Richard caught up with the redhead in front of the elevators. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Once in the elevator he said, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but what is that scent you're wearing?" He knew enough not to call it a perfume.

She laughed. "Want some for your girlfriend? It's called 'Mille et Une', from France."

He whistled. "Expensive?"

She nodded. "Pretty much."

He grinned at her, "Oh well. But I'd go as high as one hundred dollars for a half ounce. Of perfume, that is."

She looked at him. "It's only seventy. That's some girlfriend."

Richard nodded, sighing. "Yeah, she is," he said.

The doors opened on the third floor. "She's a lucky girl," the redhead said.

He grinned again, holding the door for her. "Let's hope she thinks so."

He followed her down the hall, until she looked back.

"I'm going to Assemblyman Aronhaus's office," he explained.

"What a coincidence, I'm Cherie Aronhaus and so am I."

He nodded and moved ahead of her to hold the office door. "I'm Richard," he said.

* * *

Larry looked at Jo and frowned. "Did you have a purse?" he asked.