Beebo stood up, concerned. “How did he know I was here?”
“You’re his roommate, he says. Roommates ought to keep track of each other,” Paula said, teasing but with just a trace of chill in her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me you were straight, Beebo?”
Beebo took the phone with a comical grimace. “You would have guessed, anyway,” she said. “Hey—do you know Jack?”
“Everybody knows Jack,” said Paula.
Into the receiver Beebo said, “Jackson?”
“I hear you’ve been out stupefying the female population of Greenwich Village,” Jack said. “You must have something. Paula’s usually a deep freeze.”
“How did you know I was here?” Beebo said.
“My spies are everywhere. And a damn good thing, too. I would have given you up for dead. Listen, pal, I just got an S.O.S. from Marie. There’s a very large customer on Park Avenue who wants a very large pizza right now. Marie is whipping it up and Beebo will whip it over to said customer.”
“Park Avenue is Pete’s territory,” Beebo said. “He won’t like it.”
“He’s out somewhere, as usual. Marie can’t find him and besides, she’s afraid to look.”
“You want me to leave now?” Disappointment growled in her voice.
“I know Paula, honey; she’s a good girl. If she likes you enough to sleep with you, she likes you enough to wait for you.”
“You mean you knew this beautiful girl all along and didn’t tell me about her?” Beebo said, grinning at Paula.
“Well, hell, you waited two months to tell me you wanted one. Come on, Marie’s in a hurry. Show her what you’re made of.”
“I’m made of sugar and spice, like the rest of the girls,” Beebo said sourly. “It doesn’t mix with cheese and anchovies.”
“Get your ass over there, Beebo,” Jack said. “This order goes to Venus Bogardus.”
The name rang in Beebo’s head. “The actress?” she said, frowning. “She’s not one of our customers.”
“She is now.”
“But Jack, my God. Venus Bogardus!”
“The original. The girl with the bosom that just won’t stop. Can you take it?”
“It’s worth it just for a look,” Beebo grinned. “Okay, call Marie and tell her I’m coming. And Jack—I know I should have called you. I’m sorry.”
Beebo hung up and walked to Paula, expecting to embrace her and explain. But Paula was quite pale. “What’s all this about Pete and Marie? Do you mean the Pasquinis?”
“Yes. I work for them. Marie wants me to deliver a pizza to—”
“—to Venus Bogardus. I heard. Beebo, why didn’t you tell me about Pete?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Beebo said, mystified. “Honey, are you mad at me? Why?”
“Pete and Mona are thick as thieves. What Mona does, Pete does; what Mona thinks, Pete thinks—unless they’re quarreling. If they don’t like you, they’d as soon exterminate you. They wouldn’t cut you down if you were hanging.”
Beebo laughed a little at this explosion. “I know you don’t like Mona, honey. But Pete’s just a twerp. He’s the one who sent me over here last night. I’ll admit it wasn’t exactly ethical.”
“Then Mona knows you’re here. How charming,” Paula said sourly.
“So what’s Mona, the Wicked Witch?” Paula scowled and Beebo said, “Okay, Pete’s a slob; and my opinion of Mona is slipping fast. But I can’t be mad at anybody who sent me to you, Paula, no matter what their motives were.”
“Now they’ll do everything to take you away from me,” Paula said, looking fearfully at Beebo.
“There’s no way they could do that, sweetheart,” Beebo said, pulling Paula down beside her on the bed. “Paula, I’ll be back in an hour. I won’t do anything but deliver the pizza.”
Paula clung to her. “Promise,” she said. “And if Milady Bogardus walks into the room, you have to shut your eyes and run.”
“At the same time?”
“Yes.”
“You want me to break my neck?” Beebo laughed.
“Better your neck than my heart,” Paula whispered.
At the door Beebo took Paula’s hands and kissed them the way Paula had first kissed hers. “I never liked Venus Bogardus,” she said. “I read somewhere that her curves are built into her clothes. She’s about as sexy as a hatrack under the finery—and a cool forty-eight years old.”
“Come back,” Paula said seriously. “That’s all I ask.”
They parted and Beebo left the building with a soaring pride and satisfaction that seemed to lift her clear of the pavement.
Marie Pasquini was waiting in the shop when Beebo arrived. She had just argued with her mother-in-law and it made her visage long and dark.
“Thank God, a happy face,” she said when she saw Beebo.
“Maybe we ought to find Pete, Marie,” Beebo said. “He considers Park his street.”
“His street!” Marie spat. “It’s too good for him. An alley full of donkey-do is too good for him.”
“Too bad for you there ain’t no such alleys handy,” said Pete’s voice from the front of the shop, approaching the kitchen. “You’d be right at home in one. Like the one where I found you in Bordeaux.” He appeared in the kitchen doorway, making Beebo wonder how long he had been lurking there. Unaccountably, he gave her a case of gooseflesh.
“Here he comes,” said Marie to Beebo. “Captain Marvel. Okay, Captain, here’s an order. You want to deliver?”
“That depends on Beebo,” Pete said, meandering unsteadily toward her. “Where were you today, butch? I had to make all the deliveries myself.” His grin made her want to hit him.
“I was indisposed,” she said.
“Indisposed,” he mimicked in a fussy voice. “Well, ain’t that a shame. I understand Paula Ash was indisposed today, too.” His breath smelled of zinfandel.
Beebo stared at him with cold-eyed loathing and then stalked toward the back door.
“Wait a minute!” Pete called.
“Not for you,” Beebo said.
“Beebo!” It was Marie’s voice this time. “He’s full of dry red. He can’t drive. Please, I don’t want to lose Venus Bogardus. Nor the truck, neither,” she added, with a significant glance at Pete.
At the sound of that famous name, Pete
