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placement.”
    “Big bucks. Did we get the Hun’s okay to spend the money?”
    “No, we’re going to surprise him.” Emily smiled evilly. “That man positively needs more surprises in his life.”
    * * *
    “H EY , E M . W HAT ’ S NEW ?” Laura said when Emily was put through to her.
    “Perfume. A hot new perfume called Sizzle. We need a product placement. Something very sexy.”
    “Is this the next Paradise?”
    “If I have anything to say about it, it will be.”
    “Then it will be.” Laura laughed. “You always have something to say about it. I’ll get right on it.”
    “Thanks. How’s Gary?”
    “Gone,” Laura said cheerfully.
    “Good. I never liked him.”
    “He never liked you, either. Thought you were a suit.”
    “He was right. You don’t sound too unhappy about this.”
    “Oh, he was always just a filler. Only a desperate woman would take Gary seriously.”
    “Only a desperate woman would take any man seriously.”
    “And you’re the woman marketing Sizzle?”
    “I said ‘seriously.’ I’ve decided you don’t have to take a man seriously to have sex.” Emily visualized Richard as a cheap pickup to be thrown away like a worn-out glove after a meaningless but passionate fling.
    It was a new approach for her, but she liked the idea.
    “My sentiments exactly about Gary,” Laura said. “I’ll get back with you ASAP.”
    After she hung up, Emily thought about Richard. Sex with Richard. Meaningless though it might be, it would probably be great because he was gorgeous. And intelligent. And he did have a body to die for.
    And I’m having dinner with him tonight.
    Maybe Jane’s right, she thought.
    Jane buzzed her. “You told me to remind you about R & D.”
    “On my way.” Emily hesitated. “Hey, while I’m gone, I need you to run an errand.”
    “Anything, my leader.”
    “I need some black lace underwear.”
    “Now you’re talking. I won’t fail you.”
    * * *
    R ESEARCH AND D EVELOPMENT always worried Emily. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on and a lot of people in white lab coats, but no one ever seemed to be in charge. After she’d dated the head of that department, Chris Croswell, for a while, she’d worried even more. Chris had the concentration of a fruit fly and the morals of a mink. It seemed such a bad personality profile for the head of a department with so many bubbling beakers. No wonder it looked as if no one was in charge.
    “Hello, beautiful,” he said when he saw her. “Let’s have dinner.”
    “Sorry, I’m busy.” She held out the bottle. “About this perfume—”
    “Busy? Who with?”
    “None of your business. About this perfume—”
    “The new guy on twelfth. I thought he’d spot you.”
    “Chris, the perfume needs work.”
    “So does our relationship.”
    “We don’t have a relationship,” she told him. “We haven’t had a relationship for two years. You’ve been married and divorced since then. Now about the perfume—”
    “Which only goes to show how much work our relationship needs.”
    She took his hand and put the bottle in it. “We want it to sizzle.”
    “Sizzle?”
    “Tingle a little on the skin. Heat up a little. Can you do it?”
    “Sure.” He shrugged. “When do you need it?”
    “Yesterday.” Emily began to back toward the door. “As soon as possible.”
    “You got it. Now about dinner...”
    “You cannot possibly take me to dinner. You’ve got to put some sizzle in that bottle.”
    “I’d rather put some sizzle in you.”
    “Thank you, Chris.” Emily backed out the door. “Let me know when it’s done.”
    One thing you can say for Richard, she told herself as she escaped. He’s never that asinine.
    She was actually beginning to look forward to dinner.
    * * *
    T HE EVENING STARTED well. Emily brushed her hair in a cloud around her shoulders and wore her new black lace underwear, one of two sets Jane had splurged on with her money.
    “Always have a backup set,” Jane had told her. “You