Not with this senator. He wants you for your medical expertise. I'm the one who's concerned with appearances."

"That's a relief. I think." She laughed again. "Relax, Gin. You're in. And you're in with one of the good guys. I've been earning my living up here for twenty years now, and Senator Marsden is the first guy in a long time to restore my faith in the electoral process. I can't tell you what a joy it is to polish the image of a guy you really like. ' "That's good to hear. Really good."

"Then I take it you accept? " "Of course I do." Great. Our staff is meeting here tomorrow at ten A. M. t sharp.

I hope you don't have any major plans for the weekend."

"Well, nothing firm." She'd been hoping she and Gerry might get together.

"Good. With the hearings opening next week, you can expect to work through the weekend. Welcome aboard. See you tomorrow." Gin hung up and stood in the center of her bedroom, grinning foolishly, absently toweling herself off as she let the reality sink in.

"I'm in. I . . . am . . . in! " She pumped her fist into the air.

"Yes! " As she dried her hair, she began to dance around, shuffling into the front room, blindly turning, gyrating, undulating her hips in time to a regge tune on the radio.

Here she is, ladies and gentlemen! The latest, the greatest, the hottest legislative assistant in the nation's capital, dancing under her stage name, Pasta Primavera, with her own exclusive interpretation of the Hill Rat Hustle!

Gin lowered the towel from her hair and found herself in front of the bay window, standing nude as a jaybird over Kalorama Road.

"Whoa! " She ducked away and hurried back to her room. As she pulled open her underwear drawer she caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror.

She turned to give her body a closer look, twisting this way and that to get different angles on her breasts and hips.

The hips were a little more generous than she liked. But her abdomen was nice and flat. She ran her hand lightly over the puckered scar of her old incision, then traced a fine line of hair down to the dark tangle over her pubes. Time for another bikini wax.

Not too bad, she thought. Not too bad at all for an old broad looking thirty in the eye.

She had two careers now. Why not go for a third as Pasta Primavera, exotic dancer? No . . . there was another term for it, a Duncan word. What was it . . . ?

Ecdysiast flashed into her mind.

Right. Regina Panzella, doctor, legislative assistant, and ecdysiast.

She tried a little bump and grind before the mirror.

Pretty lame.

Ah, well.

She turned away and began picking through her underwear.

Once she was dressed, her high spirits were brought down by the thought of Harriet Thompson. She called the Lynnbrook ICU and learned she was stable. Okay.

Then she called Gerry. He seemed genuinely happy for her, but not as surprised as she'd expected.

"See, " she told him. "Sometimes things work out. It doesn't do you any good to be cynical all the time Hard work and persistence still pay off."

"I knew all along you were the best person for the job.

Now I guess this guy Blair and the senator know it too. But what's really great is that it means you'll be down in my neighborhood a lot more often."

"That's right, isn't it? " She hadn't thought of that.

"I'm glad of that too." She liked Gerry more each time she saw him.

Maybe an FBI agent wasn't as glamorous as a high-powered internist like Peter, but she sensed something deeply caring in Gerry. If this kept up . . .

"By the way, " he said. "I located a death certificate on Lisa Lathram in Fairfax County." Gin felt her breath catch. One part of her wanted to tell him never mind, leave the dead alone, another part wouldn't rest until all her questions were answered. She tried to keep her tone casual.

"That was quick. What does it say? " "It's on its way. I'll let you know when I get it."

"Thanks, Gerry. You're becoming indispensable.

" "I hope so."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut back some of my hours . , , nere.

She and Duncan were halfway through a tummy tuck. Gin had a wide retractor hooked around a six-inch layer of abdominal wall and was positioning it where Duncan could resect the redundant layers of yellow fat. She hadn't planned to tell him until the surgery was over, but he'd begun talking about tomorrow's surgery schedule and it had simply popped out.

' Oh? " he said. "And why's that? " "I . . . I got the job on Senator Marsden's staff." There. I said it.

She watched him closely, remembering his explosion last time How was he going to react this time?

His blue eyes glanced up at her for a second or two, then returned to the surgical field.

. "Congratulations. When do you start? " Gin didn't answer immediately. She'd been steeled for anger. This quiet acceptance was almost as intimidating.

"Uh, this weekend."

"So you're leaving us high and dry." '-Cassidy said he'd fill in. ' "I hope you'll still find some time for medicine.

" "I'll have to cut back, but I don't want to quit."

"Good. I don't want to lose you. Your work here has been excellent."

"Thank you, " she said, basking in the rare praise.

"The Hill will be educational for you, " Duncan said. "Give you a chance to see the kakistocracy at work. You'll witness firsthand the rampant sophistry of the congressional solipsists. They'll, " Marie the anesthetist groaned. "Oh, no. Here we go." Joanna glared at Gin in mock anger. "We were breezing along here. Did you have to get him started? " "Sorry, " Gin said.

"All right, all right, " Duncan said, glancing around and smiling behind his mask. The skin around his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Despite your bumptious insubordination, I'll spare you all a lecture this time

But let me just say this, " Marie groaned again.

"Walt now, " Duncan said. "All I'm going to say, and I want you all to listen and remember that you heard it here first, I predict Gin will not last a year on the Hill before she throws her hands up in disgust.

" "There's always a chance of that, " Gin said, thinking of Joe Blair, "but I know these hearings are going to be interesting. I can't wait till they begin." Duncan glanced up at her." Neither can I, my dear .

Neither can I." Gin stared back at him. Something in those bright blue eyes . . .

something almost feral, reminding her of how he looked on the Capitol portico with Congressman Allard. An icy tendril traced a chill up her spine.

Gin left the Lathram office early and put in another call to the ICU when she got back to the apartment.

"She's having some BP problems, " the charge nurse said. "Real shocky.

Dr. Conway's here. Want to talk to him? " "No. Don't bother him.

Just tell him I was asking about her." Gin hung up. Damn. That didn't sound good.

She called her folks next. Her mother answered and Gin told her the good news.

"Is this what you want, Gin? " Mama said.

Why did everybody ask her that?

"Yes, Mama, " she said patiently. "For the time being."

"Then good.

I'm happy for you. We'll expect you about l six. ' "Expect me where?

" '"Here, of course. We'll celebrate. We'll open some spumante, and I'll make you your favorites, stuffed shells and three-cheese lasagna.

" Gin's mouth began to water. But she was so tired. And this was the stuff that had turned little Regina into big fat Pasta Panzella.

"I'm really beat, Mama. I was up, " "Gin, Gin, ' she said in that voice that always got to her. "You haven't been here in so long. You live a few minutes away and yet you never visit your family. Are you going to forget your Mama and Papa? " Gin repressed a sigh. "What time again?