Though she never deliberately listened to office gossip, what she did overhear was probably mere speculation. Or pure exaggeration. But from the soft moans and furtive giggles from the female members of the staff, she had to believe that some of what shed overheard was trueenough to spend a small portion of each day wondering just what Pete Beckett did to a woman once he got her behind the bedroom door. Not that shed ever find out. When they did bother to communicate, Nora regarded Pete Beckett with thinly disguised disdain, and Pete regarded Nora with mocking amusement.
Still, it wasnt hard to imagine the power he could wield over women, considering her own reaction to his touch. He had beautiful hands, long fingers and a firm, but gentle, touch. A shiver skittered down her spine, and she thought about how those hands would look as they slowly undressed her, how they might feel on her flushed skin, all the improper things he might do to her body, given the chance.
She brushed her thumb over her bottom lip. This wasnt the first physical contact theyd shared, she mused. Hed kissed her once, at the Heralds Christmas party, right after shed been promoted to the job as Prudence. Though he probably didnt remember, a vivid image flashed in her mindstanding beneath the mistletoe, the feel of his hard mouth on hers, the gentle teasing of his tongue, and that exquisite and unbidden longing deep in her core.
It had happened so quickly, she couldnt protest, but once Nora was caught up in the kiss, she recalled abandoning all resistance, defenseless beneath his touch. When he finally let her go, he gave her a teasing smile and made some comment about old maids and untried virgins before he moved on to other amusements. Shed gotten a lot of mileage out of that kiss in those moments when she was curled up in a lonely bed, when sleep just wouldnt come.
Now she had another real-life encounter to add to her fantasies. She thought back to the instant that his hand had touched her ankle, to the warmth of his fingers sinking into her skin, the first physical contact from a man in oh-so long. She recalled the way he touched her face, his breath warm against her temple, the scent of his cologne so heady and
Nora cursed softly. How did they do it? How did all those bad boys make good women lose all common sense? Shed railed at her readers time and time again, and yet, here she was, falling into the same trap, forgiving the man all his sins for just a simple touch of his hand, a brush of his lips against hers. She reached for her keyboard, her indignation rising with the spirit of all Prudences past.
Dearest Reader,
You opened the stable door on your first date and now its going to be difficult to herd that stallion back inside. Prudence believes you should stand firm in your decision. Celibacy is a virtue and your body a prize to be treasured. If this man cant respect your feelings, then send him straight to the glue factory. And please, promise Prudence that you wont go riding again until youve said I do.
The horse metaphor was a little trite, yet it was typical Prudencesmart, sassy, with just a touch of sarcasm. Nora reached out and typed in the command that would send her column to her copy editor. Though times had changed, the words could just as easily have belonged to the very first Prudence, a woman named Hortense Philpot who rode herd on etiquette problems in the roaring twenties.
Nora had been hired as an assistant by Prudence IV, right out of Stanford. With an undergraduate degree in medieval art, her job prospects had been slim. But shed possessed something more valuable than a degree: a pedigree from a socially prominent San Francisco family that gave her a genetic predisposition to proper etiquette. Shed been born and raised in Sea Cliff, the bastion of social propriety.
Upon Prudence IVs retirement, Nora had signed a five-year contract as the new Prudence. Shed taken the job becausewell, because there wasnt much call in San Francisco for an expert in medieval tapestries. But she also thought she might be able to inject a little class and propriety into the everyday life of her readers.
She pulled off her horn-rimmed glasses and rubbed her eyes, then reached for the stack of letters her assistant had selected for upcoming columns. Pushing up from her chair, she began to pace the office. Infidelity, she murmured, tossing the first letter onto the floor. Deception. As she flipped through the letters, she found new problems to replace the old problems shed just solved. Anger. Resentment. Dysfunctional families. Sexual fantasies.
Nora stood and wandered by the window that overlooked the Bullpen. She peeked through the slats of the miniblinds. They were still playing their silly little game, and Pete Beckett was in the middle of it all. She watched as he stretched to catch the ball, his shirt pulled taut against his torso. Even from a distance, Nora could see the outline of his narrow waist and muscular chest. All thoughts of work slipped from her mind. Sexual fantasies, she murmured.
All right, maybe she did find Pete Beckett incredibly attractive. But that was just a physical reaction. It had nothing to do with the man, just the body. A flat belly and a cute butt certainly didnt mitigate his bad qualities. Nor did chiseled features and a perfect profileor his short-cropped dark hair, always so casually mussed, as if some woman had recently run her fingers through it. And maybe he did have a smile that was known to melt a girls heart, but he rarely turned it on her. Nora had heard that women found his devilish sense of humor quite irresistible, though when he bothered to toss a tiny bit of his charm in her direction she usually reciprocated with some shrewish reply.
Any juicy letters today?
Nora jumped away from the window, the slats snapping back into place. Ellen Kiley stood in the doorway of her office. Embarrassed to be caught spying, Nora sent her friend a disapproving frown, then handed her a letter. You, too? Have you joined those at the Herald who believe sleaze sells?
Ellie had started at the Herald the very same day Nora had, and theyd been inseparable friends, at least until Ellie had married Sam Kiley a year ago. Im the circulation manager. When the circulation goes up, Im happy. So whats got your knickers in a bundle, Prude?
Dont call me that! Nora sighed, surprised by her reaction to Ellies gentle teasing. She flopped down in her office chair and gazed up at her friend. When you think of me, do you really think of me as Prudence Trueheart? Or as Nora Pierce?
Ellie frowned and sat down across from her, her gaze fixed on the letter. I dont get it, she murmured. Whats the difference?
There is a difference! Nora cried, leaning over her desk and snatching the letter from her friends hand. Dont you see? She crumpled the paper and tossed it aside, then began to pace the width of her office. Im not Prudence Trueheart. I put words in her mouth, but shes not me. And Im not her.
Is something wrong?
Nothings wrong, Nora said, unwilling to explain further. But she couldnt hold in her frustration any longer. Its just that sometimes I get sick of Prudence. Shes soprissy! Only after the word slipped from her lips did she realize it was Petes word again, his description of her. People expect me to be her. And its getting awfully hard lately to figure out where she ends and I begin.
A lot of people have trouble separating work from their personal life, Ellie offered.
II just expected things to be different. When I first got a job at the Herald, I thought my life was going to change. I moved out of my parents house, away from my mother, and I found that little apartment in the Castro. I expected my life to be more exciting. Look at me now. I dress in these suits and ride around on my high horse all day long, looking down my nose at ordinary mortals and scolding them for falling short of their moral and ethical duties. The last was said with a hysterical edge, and Nora took a deep breath to calm herself. How can I advise people about passion when I have no passion in my life?
The question caused Ellie to pause before answering. Youre very passionate about your workabout etiquette.
A person can be passionate, but still have no passion in their life. Look at these letters. She picked up a stack and tossed it across the desk. These people have passion. They live by their hearts, not their heads. Ive never had that. Sure, there have been men in my life. Lovers, even. But Ive never felt passion so overwhelming that it dissolves common sense. That it makes me crazy. And the longer Im Prudence, the worse it gets.
Nora yanked open her desk drawer and pulled out a bag of peanut M&Ms. Shoving a handful into her mouth, she waited for the chocolate to soothe her. I should just quit, she mumbled, her mouth full. Prudence never talked while she ate, but Nora was past caring about good manners. I could go back to school. Get my doctorate in art history. Find a job in Paris or Rome.
You cant quit. Youre the heir apparent to both Dear Abby and Miss Manners. And you make more money than anyone at the Herald, except for maybe Pete Beckett. And someday, youre going to be a multimedia goddess, just like Martha Stewart.
Dont say that name in this office, Nora said, popping another handful of candy into her mouth.
Martha Stewart?
No, Pete Beckett. He is the antithesis of everything Prudence Trueheart values in a man. Hes fickle and shallow and unscrupulous andand because of him, I have this black eye!
Ellie squinted to examine Noras injury. And how does Nora Pierce feel about him? she asked pointedly.
Nora stopped cold, realization hitting her like a sharp slap to the face. She coughed slightly, an M&M lodged in her throat. Thatthat is how I feel about him. The way he treats women is appalling. Promiscuity is a trait that both Prudence and I detest.
Now you sound like your mother!
Nora groaned.
You also sound a little jealous, Ellie observed. Just how much time do you spend thinking about Pete Becketts romantic life?
None at all, Nora lied. She thought about evading the subject, but Ellie was her best friend, and they never held back anything from each other. It just that after he hit me with the baseball, he
He hit you with a baseball?
A whiffle ball. And it was an accident. He came into my office to apologize and hehe touched me. It was completely innocent, but I realized that I havent been touched by a manI mean, not in that wayfor three whole years. Exactly the same amount of time that Ive been Prudence Trueheart. She sighed. I dont think I could attract a man if I danced naked on Nob Hill.
Ellie patted her on the shoulder. Thats not true. Youre a very desirable woman! You could have any man you wanted, if youd just put a little effort into it. When was the last time you went out?
Prudence Trueheart doesnt frequent singles bars, Nora said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Well, maybe its about time you got back into the swing of things, Ellie said.
How?
I dont know, Ellie said with a shrug. Youre the advice columnist. Answer an ad, join a church group, take a class. Isnt that what you tell your readers?
That will take too long. I need immediate gratification.
Ellie gasped. Dont you think youre taking this a little too fast?
Not that kind of gratification, Nora replied. I just need to know that Im still attractive. That men find me alluring and intriguing.
Well, thats easy, then. Tonight, you and I will go out. And well stay out until you meet a man. Youll flirt a little, maybe even kiss him. And if you really like him, you can give him your phone number.
Presented with a real plan, Nora suddenly wasnt sure she wanted to venture into such dangerous territory. What if she went out, and no one even bothered to look her way? No man is going to want to date Prudence Trueheart.
You dont have to tell him who you are. You could wear that disguise, that wig you bought a few months agothe one you wear grocery shopping. You told me when youre in disguise, people dont recognize you.
Nora blinked, the simple perfection of Ellies plan slowly sinking in. All the fun without any of the consequences. She could say and do whatever she wanted, become a completely different person if she wanted to. I dont know, Nora said. A disguise in this situation seems a little deceptive, dont you think?
Youre going to flirt a little, not sell national secrets to the Russians. Who will you be hurting?
Nora considered the plan for a moment. II guess it could be like research. A little experiment. After all, if Im expected to give advice, I should at least get out there and see whats going on, dont you think? She looked up at Ellie expectantly. So, are we on for tonight?
Nora knew that if she gave herself even one more hour to think about this, shed never go through with it. Her sense of propriety and good breeding would win out. It was time to stop thinking and rethinking every single aspect of her life. It was time to take action!
Ellie smiled and shook her head. All right. Be dressed by eight.
What should I wear?
Something provocative, of course. If you wear that suit, youll be lucky if the bartender talks to you.
Suddenly, Nora wasnt sure action was the best plan. Maybe she should take some time to think about this. I dont own anything provocative. And where would we go?
Youve got the whole afternoon. Go buy yourself a new dress. And Ill ask Sam where we should go. Hell know a good place with lots of available men. She gave Nora a hug. This is going to be so good for you.
With that, Ellie hurried out, leaving Nora standing in the middle of her office. Nora drew in a shaky breath, then let it out slowly. The only way shed feel really good tomorrow morning was if she woke up with a man in her bed: a long-limbed, hard-muscled male with nothing on his mind but multiple orgasmsher multiple orgasms.
Though Nora was determined to throw off the Prudence Trueheart persona, she wasnt sure she could ever go that far. A one-night stand sounded so brazen, so impulsive, so far beyond anything she was capable of. Shed settle for something far less dangerous. Instead, shed charm and bedazzle some stranger, perhaps even give him her phone number. Shed gather some real-life experience to pass on to her readers and reassure herself that she was still an attractive and desirable woman.
And at the end of the night, maybe she would feel a little more like Nora Pierce and a lot less like Prudence Trueheart.
2
A HAZE OF CIGARETTE SMOKE hung over the noisy crowd at Vics Sports Emporium, a popular watering hole near Fishermans Wharf. The blare of big-screen televisions, all tuned to different sporting events, mixed with the chatter of voices and occasional cheers. Distractions were plentiful at Vics. Even so, Pete noticed the woman the instant she walked in. Determined to keep his mind on the Giants game, he wrote off his interest as an instinctive reaction born of so many years on the make.