“I’ll look into it,” Eggers said. “Are you ever coming back to work here?”

“I never stopped, but I’ll be in my actual office Monday morning.”

“See you then.” Eggers hung up, and Herbie went to lunch.

43

STONE WOKE from a deep sleep with somebody shaking him. “What?” he said.

Marla laughed. “You were having a nightmare,” she said, “and talking in your sleep.”

“I remember,” Stone said. “I dreamed you were a Republican.”

She laughed. “I am a Republican,” she said. “Didn’t you know?”

“Apparently not, I let you in the house.”

“I take it you’re a Democrat?”

“I’m a Yellow Dog Democrat.”

“What’s that?”

“That’s a Democrat who would vote for a Yellow Dog before he would vote for a Republican.”

She laughed again. “Well, I’m not that dyed-in-the-wool a Republican. I just grew up in a Republican family.”

“You poor girl.” He rolled over and pulled her to him. “I think we have to begin your reeducation now.”

She kissed him. “You mean we’re going to have Democrat sex?”

“Democrat-ic sex,” Stone said. “Don’t insult it by mispronouncing the name. That’s the first step in your reeducation.”

“What’s the second step?”

He kissed her. “That’s step two.”

“I can’t wait for step three.”

He gently pinched a nipple.

“I think you’ve just found the start button,” she said. “Can we skip to the final step?”

He rolled on top of her.

HALF AN HOUR later, they lay, panting and sweating, holding hands. “Does that complete my reeducation?” she asked.

“That’s only the first lesson,” Stone said. “We have a lot to work through yet.”

“Such as?”

“You’ll see, lesson by lesson.”

“I guess it’s good that I seem to have relocated to your house. It saves all those trips through the garden and in the back door.”

“It is good, isn’t it? Even difficult situations can have their bright side.” He rolled over and kissed her. “Where’s that start button again?”

HERBIE WAS at his desk by seven on Monday morning, and Cookie came into his office, leading another young woman, taller than she and dark-haired.

“Herb, this is RoseAnn Faber,” Cookie said. “She’s going to be working with us.”

“Wow, that was fast,” Herbie said, standing up and shaking her hand.

“It all happened Friday afternoon,” Cookie said.

“Are you glad to be out of Accounting, RoseAnn?” Herbie asked.

“You bet your ass … Excuse me, yes, I’m very glad to be out of Accounting.” The accent had a tinge of Brooklyn.

“And we’re glad to have you,” Herbie said. “I’ve been working Cookie too hard.”

“So she tells me,” RoseAnn said.

“RoseAnn!” Cookie said, blushing. “I haven’t been complaining, Herb. I love my job.”

“I know you do, Cookie, because I know how well you do it. RoseAnn, I hope you learn to love your job as well as Cookie does hers.”

Cookie looked at her watch. “Your appointment is probably here now,” she said. “I’ll go see if he’s in reception.”

Both women left, and Cookie came back a couple of minutes later, leading Dink Brennan, who was dressed in a suit.