a delicious aroma tickled venus awake. she glanced at the sky outside her bedroom window. thankfully the rain had stopped. it was a clear, beautiful day and, judging from the position of the sun, almost midmorning.

definitely time for the goddess of love to go to work.

she showered and dressed quickly, appreciating pea's well-stocked guest bathroom with its generous selection of scented soaps and lotions. then, humming an ancient fertility song, she followed the wonderful smells that had awakened her into the kitchen where she was instantly bombarded by scottie and cat love. cooing good mornings to chloe and max, she fondled the adorable animals.

"good morning, goddess of love!" pea practically sang. "i don't know how you like your coffee, but there's cream and sugar on the table, and if you have a seat i'll have our omelets ready in a jiff."

venus gave pea a contemplative look and then smiled knowingly. "i told you pleasuring yourself properly is a good thing."

pea glanced over her shoulder at the goddess. her cheeks flushed, but her eyes sparkled. "it must have been the ambrosia. i swear i felt like i was on fire. you were definitely right."

"of course i was. you must learn to trust me in these matters. i don't just know love; i am love."

she poured herself some of the dark liquid pea called coffee, and then added a little cream and sugar. she sipped and her violet eyes widened. "by ares's stonelike buttocks, this is a delightful drink!"

"ares?" pea asked, flipping their omelets and adding a healthy sprinkling of shredded cheese.

"the god of war. he's tedious, always preoccupied with weapons and battle strategy and exercise, but i must admit his buttocks are perfect." venus drank her coffee and nibbled at a piece of jam-covered toast. "which reminds me - what type of men do you find most attractive?

muscular or lean? tall or short? what is your preference?"

pea slid one omelet on venus's plate and one on her own, thinking carefully before she answered the goddess. "would it be stupid and cliched to say that i like tall, muscular men?"

venus's smile was like a cat lapping cream. "darling, there is nothing stupid or cliched about enjoying a tall, well-built man."

"i don't mean that he has to be all ridiculously bulked up, so that he spends all his time obsessively working out."

"like ares." venus nodded agreement.

"i want a man with more depth than that. like griffin," she added shyly.

"of course you do, and we shall get you one - perhaps even this griffin you admire so," venus said matter-of-factly, and she silently congratulated herself on not being the slightest bit interested in griffin anymore. "but first we have to do something about all of this." she waved her fork at pea.

"okay. i'm ready." pea looked around the room nervously. "but if you're going to start making things suddenly appear i'd appreciate it if you'd wait until i'm done eating. i know it sounds silly to you, but stuff popping out of the air makes my stomach hurt."

"naturally i could conjure whatever i desire, but that would only be a temporary fix to your problems. i return to olympus and you're back where you were before i began making things pop out of the air." venus paused and gave pea's footie pajamas a disdainful look. "darling, where do you shop for your clothing?"

pea shrugged. "discount stores. wherever there's a sale."

"good. now i know where we will not be shopping. so tell me where you would never shop because you believe only the very beautiful and chic go there."

"saks fifth avenue at utica square," pea said through a bite of omelet.

"then it is to saks fifth avenue at utica square that we shall go. but first - your hair."

pea sighed. "i think it's hopeless."

"darling, nothing is hopeless when love takes charge."

pea parked her thunderbird in front of saks and couldn't resist looking in the mirror at herself one more time.

"i told you the coconut oil would work," venus said smugly.

"it's amazing. i didn't realize i had these great curls. all i thought i had was frizz. lots and lots of frizz."

"that's because you were brushing it and not using the correct product."

"i'll never brush it again. promise."

"and you'll only wash it..." venus prompted.

"every third day at the soonest. and i'll use mild shampoo and extra rich conditioner."

venus nodded. "excellent. but i'm not finished with your hair."

"huh?"

"trust me. now, we shop."

pea sighed and reluctantly got out of the car. venus glanced down at her sneakers. "our first stop will be the shoe department."

pea sighed again.

"darling, you're a natural in those stilettos!" venus lounged gracefully on a cushioned bench and watched pea walk the length of the department in the utterly chic, very sexy silver leather peekaboo pumps with the fabulous three-and-a-half inch black heels.

"clearly she's a dancer," gushed the effeminate salesman who had introduced himself as fabio.

"are you, darling?" venus asked.

"well, yes. i've been taking ballet since i was about five."

"no wonder your body has such suppleness and natural grace. you know, the forest nymphs could learn a thing or two from you. i've noticed that their frolicking has become rather wooden lately."

"it's so hard to find a good nymph anymore. even the queen show down at the holiday inn doesn't have a decent one," fabio said, with a great fluttering of his well-manicured hands.

"fabio, darling, wherever did you get that perfect shade of lip gloss?" venus asked. fabio blushed becomingly. "at the bobbi brown counter. i love how natural it looks."

"pea, we'll have to remember to get you some before we leave." venus turned her divine smile on fabio. "and we'll take the shoes she has on and the four other pairs i have selected here."

pea made a faint squeaking sound.

"and how will you be paying for this, madam?"

venus pulled the gold card from her clutch purse and winked at pea. "with this."

fabio glanced at the card and smiled, lip gloss sparkling merrily in the light from the department's crystal chandelier. "venus pontia - i knew you were a goddess the moment i saw that fabulous hair!" he gushed.

"of course you did, darling. be a dear and box up the shoes." then she hesitated, taking in fabio's perfect grooming and clearly impeccable taste in clothing. "do you think you could carry the shoes to the clothing department with us? i would love to get your help outfitting my friend."

"goddess." fabio lowered his voice and motioned for venus to lean close. "just exactly how much shopping do you plan to do in our humble establishment today? a large amount or a truly obscene amount?"

venus's smile was sly. "truly and utterly obscene. this" - she raised the credit card as if it was the key to paradise - "has no limit."

"oh!" fabio and pea gasped together. then he bowed dramatically to the goddess and said,

"lead on, divine one. i am yours to command."

venus's smile widened. "of course you are, darling."

"so what are the two things you're going to always remember when purchasing clothes?" fabio drilled pea, sounding disturbingly like a pe teacher.

"color and cut," pea said automatically, still unable to stop staring at herself in the dressingroom mirror.

"see what a difference paying attention to those two make?" fabio said, clearly pleased with himself.

"i do." pea nodded enthusiastically.

"and do you approve, my lady?" he stepped back dramatically so that venus could have a full view of pea.

the goddess approached pea, studying her carefully. she stroked the sleeve of pea's cashmere sweater, which stopped just above the waistline of her slacks to show the faintest hint of skin when she moved. "you must wear this blush color often. it makes your skin radiant. and remember, you've worked hard for that lovely curved waist - stop being afraid to show it." pea pulled self-consciously at the sweater. "i know," venus said, with sudden inspiration. "think of it as you do that wonderful car you drive."

"huh?"

"you said it was quite costly."

"yeah, but worth every penny."

"and you worked very hard for each of those pennies?"

"definitely."

"after working so hard and attaining something so beautiful you wouldn't hide it away in the car house, would you?"

"garage," pea said, with a hasty look at fabio, but he was rummaging through the blouses.

"whatever," venus said. "the point is you wouldn't hide it."

"no, i wouldn't even think of it."

"then think of your body like your car. you worked hard for both. both are beautiful. neither should be hidden."

"i never thought of it that way before."

"like pleasure, beauty should be savored and enjoyed."

"brilliant!" fabio gushed, finally pulling himself away from the waiting blouses. "like pleasure, beauty should be savored and enjoyed." he sighed dramatically and then impulsively went to venus and squeezed one of her hands. "my god! you have put my entire life's philosophy into one exquisite sentence. i have to tell you how much i have enjoyed assisting the two of you this afternoon. it has - " fabio hesitated. obviously moved, he had to dab at his eyes and draw in a deep, cleansing breath. "it has been a life changing experience."

"oh, darling." venus patted his cheek kindly. "love and beauty were created to change lives."

she cocked her head and studied fabio carefully before she continued. "and, yes, you should open that business you've been considering."

fabio gasped and clutched his pearls. "ohmygod! how ever did you know i was thinking of opening my own boutique?"

venus waved her hands dismissively. "let's just call it woman's intuition, shall we? and i also sense that your boutique will be a very popular place."

"fit for a goddess?" fabio asked breathlessly.

"absolutely, darling." then, while fabio was redabbing his eyes and reapplying his lip gloss, venus turned her attention back to pea. her eyes traveled down the length of the fitted gray tweed slacks that were cropped cleverly so that pea's shapely calves were visible. "exquisite. a perfect fit. now add that black leather jacket and you will be conservative enough for daywear at your job, and you'll look appropriately alluring." venus smiled at pea's reflection in the mirror.

"because looking alluring is always appropriate."

"so says the goddess of love." pea grinned back at her.

the short, stout saleslady whose gilded name tag read donna vivian stuck her head into the large dressing suite. "fabio, how are your ladies doing?"

fabio, recovering from his burst of emotion, gestured grandly at pea. "perfection! we have attained perfection."

"excellent. if there is anything else your ladies need, i'll be tidying the marc jacobs collection."

donna vivian began to discreetly disappear, but venus motioned for her to join them in the dressing suite. "darling, your hair is impeccable."

donna vivian inclined her head slightly, accepting the compliment with the special grace of those who cater to the very rich. "thank you, madam."

venus continued to study her hair. "fabio, don't you agree that the color is perfection itself."

fabio nodded. "of course. donna vivian is known for her impeccable taste." he sniffed and added, "she and i use the same colorist."

venus smiled brightly at fabio and donna vivian. "then may i ask who does your hair?"

"but of course, madam. the cut and color are done by farah, the master hair stylist and colorist at cypress avenue salon," donna vivian said.

"the cute little place on south utica?" pea asked.

"exactly," fabio said.

"good. we'll go there next," venus said.

"oh, dear." fabio looked flustered and donna vivian shook her head sadly back and forth. "i'm afraid it takes weeks to get an appointment with farah. and it's sunday. cypress avenue is one of the few upscale salons in tulsa actually open on sunday, which makes them incredibly busy today, but it makes me totally distraught to tell you this. there is no possible way you can get in. the best i can do is to give you her card so you may call for an appointment." fabio squeezed venus's arm apologetically. "i am ever so sorry."

venus smiled sweetly. "her card would be perfect, and don't you worry yourself about us not being able to get in. oh, and we will take them," venus said.

"them?" donna vivian and fabio asked together.

"all of them." venus's grand gesture included all of the clothes hanging from the half-dozen ivory hooks. "and she'll wear the outfit she has on. oh, fabio, darling, don't you think those adorable silver pumps we just purchased will go perfectly with what pea is wearing?"

"too divine for words," fabio agreed.

he and donna vivian bustled about, collecting the mounds of clothing that lay like resting butterflies all about the suite. when they left, pea turned to venus, tears making her honey brown eyes bright.

"i don't know how to thank you for all of this."

venus touched her cheek gently. "happiness and ecstasy are the gifts i give to thee."

on impulse, pea hugged her. "you really are a wonderful goddess!"

sniffing and wiping her eyes delicately, venus said, "of course i am, darling. now let's finish by seeing about your hair, and then i do believe it's time for a lovely and leisurely meal."

"do you think you could conjure some more ambrosia?"

venus lifted her brows. "only if i conjure some water, too."

"my friend would like farah to color and trim her hair," venus said. "i think some lovely dark honey lowlights to bring out the color of her eyes and a quick shaping without taking off too much length."

the extremely young and extraordinarily blond receptionist frowned. "i'm sorry, but farah is booked until..." she checked her computer log book. "until the end of next month. and then she only has one opening."

"no, i'm afraid that won't do," venus said pleasantly.

the receptionist's frown deepened, but before she could respond the phone on her trim white workstation rang.

"cypress avenue salon, how may i be of service to you?" she paused. "oh, i'm sorry to hear about that mrs. rowland." the blonde blanched. "no, i had no idea dobermans could make such a mess with feather pillows. of course i'll tell farah your cancellation is an emergency and will reschedule you for your regular time next month. good-bye, mrs. rowland."

"seems farah has an opening," venus said.

"well, she does, but i have to call the first person on the list of our clients who are waiting for a farah cancellation. i'm sorry, ma'am. there's just no way i can work you in without an appointment," she said firmly, and began clicking through her computer waiting list.

"really?" venus said breathily.

"maybe we should go," pea said softly.

venus just smiled and shook her head slightly.

the cell phone in pea's purse rang. "hello?"

the receptionist said, "hello, may i speak with pea chamberlain, please? this is mindi at cypress avenue."

pea smiled, and instead of talking into her phone, she caught the receptionist's eye. "uh, mindi, i'm pea chamberlain."

mindi blinked. "oh, well then. it appears you're next on our list of clients waiting to see farah. i'm sorry, ma'am. i didn't recognize you as one of our regulars."

"she's had a recent makeover," venus said.

"well, she looks wonderful."

"she does indeed. speaking of wonderful, while i'm waiting for pea's trim and color, i'd very much enjoy a pedicure."

the blonde's frown returned. "i'm sorry, ma'am, cheryl is completely - "

"mindi, my three o'clock just called and cancelled her pedicure."

mindi began to look a little shell-shocked. "cheryl, this lady just requested a pedicure."

"then i can fit her right in." cheryl smiled.

"what a lovely coincidence," venus said. "oh, and i'd very much like a glass of that special champagne you keep chilled in the back room."

"of course, ma'am."

"how did you know they have champagne?" pea whispered as they were led back to the bowels of the salon.

"darling, love can always sense the presence of champagne."