It took Anthea a moment to realize that the voice she'd heard was her own. She broke out into a sweat.

Adrian's voice came from behind her. "You'll have to fire me, too."

The other man everyone had been looking at said grimly, "Me, too."

June lifted one shoulder and fixed Martin with a look. It was the look of a woman who had raised four kids and didn't have time to spend on nonsense. "You may be my boss, but let me point out that this company has strict policies about the kind of thing you're saying. Andy doesn't like to hear it and neither do I."

Martin was turning bright red. "I had no idea," he said in a weak voice.

Anthea said quietly, "I shouldn't have to tell you I'm a lesbian to get you to stop making that kind of remark." A bead of sweat ran down the small of her back.

"I don't think I said anything all that bad."

"It was bad enough," Anthea said. "I don't like being accused of being out to sleep with every woman I meet. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"I didn't accuse you, I was talking about that woman I met in your car."

"It's the same thing. That's what you don't understand. Make a blanket generalization about her and you're making one about me."

Martin spluttered. "Well, I thought I was making a joke, but I won't say it again." He seemed to realize that everyone was listening. "I had no idea," he said to the group at large. Anthea wasn't convinced.

"Well, now you do," June said. "And it's a glad day for all of us."

"You'll never guess who I'm going to car pool with," Anthea said. "Well, for as long as I work there, but who knows how long that will be?"

Shay put down her satchel in the corner of the kitchen. She wanted a shower as she always did when she left the pizzeria. "Oh yeah? Who?"

"Well, these two guys we know. You know, the ones we fixed up? Adrian says they've been inseparable for three months, so they're getting an apartment together. They found a place in Montclair. Said they couldn't wait to have a view like mine."

"That was quick," Shay said. Compared to her and Anthea, at least.

"Adrian said they just click. Clicking on all cylinders. They had this long list of things they wanted to do and living in two places was slowing them down. Get this — Harold has convinced Adrian to try bungee jumping. Do you believe that?"

Shay nodded. "Yeah, I can see it. I mean, I can see Harold selling it. But I can't see Adrian jumping off a bridge."

"He said it was an intense male-bonding thing. Robert Bly, drums in the woods and all that."

Shay slid into a chair at the breakfast table. She was happy for Adrian and Harold. Mrs. Giordano was right. She and Anthea were taking forever to get anywhere. Anthea had only to say the word, any word. She'd been practically glowing since describing that scene with Martin. She'd been unpredictably sexual and bursting with energy. Another new Anthea. Shay loved her even more.

"That's not all the good news."

"There's more. Let me have it."

"Joan Lewis called. This is a direct quote." Anthea picked up a note and read from it. “‘Their balls are twisting in the wind. Tomorrow's news will be about a twenty-two-million dollar fine assessment. Tell her she's going to get a fucking subpoena for the hearing, but that may take a year to convene.'" Anthea looked over at Shay with a grin. "There's more. And I quote. 'The Washington brass is shitting bricks over the work she did and if she's looking for a job, she's got one. All garbage work, but it's a start.'"

"A job?" After turning over her report to Joan, Shay had felt decidedly let down. She'd increased her hours at the pizzeria again, kept an eye on want ads, and just plugged through each day and looked forward to coming home to Anthea.

"A job. A real job. One you could respect yourself for having."

"I'm... I don't believe it."

"She said to call her for the details, start whenever you want, but not more than four weeks from now because they have to close the position."

"I could start tomorrow," Shay said.

"Hey... why not take a vacation for a week," Anthea said. "You've been working your butt off for months on end. We could go someplace... drive up the coast in the Bug and stay at a B&B or something."

Shay felt as if someone had put a menu for life in front of her. She had her pick of one item from the work, love life and habitat categories. She'd gladly take an EPA job from the work menu. It looked like she was going to go on loving Anthea for a while yet. Maybe forever. And habitat... living in two places was getting old. Especially when she'd rather live here.

"I have a better idea," she said slowly. "How about we spend a few days here... maybe... settling me in."

Anthea paled. "You mean permanently?"

Shay felt a rock land in the pit of her stomach. Had she been so wrong about Anthea's feelings? She nodded.

Anthea caught her breath. "I thought... I was waiting these last few months, thinking you'd gotten used to us just going on… kind of the way we are."

"I don't have to —"

"Yes, you do!" Anthea crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat. "It's driving me nuts having you half here and half there." She dropped to her knees next to Shay's chair and flung her arms around Shay. "I've been dying to ask you but you said to let you get settled."

The rock in Shay's stomach turned into butterflies. "I want to get settled," she said. "Here."

"I love you," Anthea said. She drew Shay's head down to hers, and kissed her tenderly on the mouth.

"I love you more than your house," Shay said. "Though I love your house."

"I love you more than Jodie Foster," Anthea said with a giggle.

"I love you more than pizza."

"That's not saying much. You hate pizza," Anthea said with a protesting kiss.

"I love you more than your cooking."

"I love you more than chocolate."

"Oh my," Shay said. She let Anthea pull her down onto the floor.