Venus For A Day

Chapter 9

I'm paralyzed, looking into the face that is attached to the belly and back I have been caressing in my fantasies. My eyes are blinking stupidly as every cell of my body feels both frenetic and frozen, like oversexed inmates in a tiny cell, all revved up and nowhere to go. It has probably only been two seconds that I have been standing here, saying nothing, doing nothing. But each one has felt like a moment lost to sheer humiliation. It is accentuated by the fact that, with Venus reading my mind all day, I've become paranoid that anyone can. The last person I want knowing my thoughts right now is standing not a foot away.

"Hi Sydney," he says, surprising me by remembering my name. "I was hoping to run into you."

"Oh," I say, then "oh," again. I feel distant from myself, thinking I must sound like a small barking dog. I try to recall I am the Sydney that can bowl over a dozen men with a sharply detailed business proposal, but I can't seem to find her. Nor can I find the Sydney that can haggle a used car dealer nearly to death before accepting a fair price. Nor...

He looks good, I can't help but notice, the way he always does. The charm he exudes is not unlike Venus's, now that I think of it.

"I don't know if you heard," he says, "but I'm heading south day after tomorrow." His voice is deep, resonant as the pheromones exuding from him. "There's a send-off tomorrow, a potluck and barbecue. Around five or six, assuming we don't get creamed by the quick and dirty storm coming tonight."

"There's a storm coming?" I'm glad he said something, because with Venus arriving so suddenly, I never checked my radio this morning.

"In and out, they're saying, but high winds and a lot of water, if it actually arrives. Anyway, unless it's a real mess, the party will be a go." He stops and flashes me one of those smiles. "It would be great to see you there, if you're free."

"Uh, yeah. I'm free." Free as a frickin' bird on the first day of spring. My heart is pounding, my spirit soaring. Good Goddess, Venus, we might have a chance!

"Great," he says, flashing a Beverly Hills Ortho smile. "Tell everyone. Everyone's invited."

The bird lands with a thud. Well, of course I'll tell everyone. Of course everyone is invited. Everyone loves Steve, not just me.

"Okay," I say, trying to sound perfectly cheerful, "Glad to spread the word."

"Except... There's a girl that's been hanging around the boat. You might have seen her. The really thin one. She used to have a thing for me, so I don't really want to encourage her."

"Oh right, sure, the really depressed one. No problem."

So, she's a stalker. A young, gothic, depressed waif of a stalker. I can see why he might not want her coming along to spoil the fun.

Must be hard, I realize, looking like he does. Probably has it happen all the time.

Okay, now I'm the really depressed one.

He begins to turn away, then doesn't. "You know, you look different."

"Yeah?" I ask, thinking the way he said it sounded sort of positive, but I'm not going so far as to ask him if it's a good different or a bad one.

"Yeah," he says, smiling. But he does not elaborate, only stands there and smiles some more. I can't bear to look him in the eyes too long, given the erotic thoughts still lurking in my Venus-corrupted brain.

I turn to introduce Venus for respite, but she has walked ahead, leaving me to my encounter.

"Okay then," I say.