Read Online Washington Masquerade by Warren Adler - Free Book Online
Authors: Warren Adler
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knew, a gesture of finality.
âWe will observe the spirit of cooperation,â Phil said, in a tone of false sarcasm.
Fiona was certain if it did not involve a massive and highly sensitive security matter, Phil would be forthcoming.
Then as if reading her mind, he muttered, âThey wouldnât be that stupid.â
âWouldnât they?â Fiona whispered.
Phil shrugged.
Chapter 5
âYou up?â Fiona asked the supine naked body beside her. Larry Porter, while not officially living under the roof of her Washington home, was her frequent bed guest. He was, as were certain of her previous companions, in the throes of a divorce. Somehow it was her fate to consort with what she often characterized as âcastoffs,â which was not entirely accurate.
Researching likely prospects for a continuing and perfect permanent arrangement was more to the point. Was such a mindset merely an excuse for promiscuity or was she really ambivalent about such an arrangement? Deliberately, she left the answer in limbo. So far though, she hadnât met âthe one,â although Larry was now on top of the list.
She had had many opportunities to get married, and had turned down numerous offers. She reveled, as she put it, in the delights of the flesh and acknowledged her need for male connections, physically as well as psychologically. The preferred profile for the other gender was open, cerebral men with strong libidos who could match her considerable needs. She drew the line when it came to married men, but she had strayed from time to time. Admittedly, she was exquisitely vulnerable to seduction under certain circumstances, but she had for the last few years avoided such situations and temptations with men who were legally committed to others.
Despite a gypsy tendency to wander, she did not consider it a weakness on her part, but rather a belief that she was an alpha female and could pick and choose. What she abhorred was hurting anyone by her behavior. Above all, she knew the rules of the game and could be counted on for complete discretion, which meant that she also protected her own reputation, and did not under any circumstances fraternize in her police circles. She could be ruthless when hit on by any of her colleagues, most of whom were macho types who postured and bragged about their sexual prowess.
Fiona knew all the put-downs, and those who had made the clumsy attempt were stung by her wrath and would never again attempt to hit on her. The swinging-dick syndrome came with the territory, and generous helpings of testosterone were important attributes to her male colleagues. She was careful not to present herself as the castrating white princess, and on most occasions, she was able to banter away all but the subtlest moves.
With her serious lovers, on the other hand, she preferred to engage in absolute sexual transparency with no boundaries. She was honorable in her personal commitments and would never allow herself to be disloyal.
On this score, Larry Porter and she were in perfect synchronization. Larry had admitted that his soon-to-be-ex wife was, at least in his estimation, sexually frigid, although he adhered to a privately held belief that there were some successful male-female relationships that just didnât click in a sexual way. It was, he told Fiona, not to be confused with dysfunction, merely an absence of that mysterious sexual magnetism. Of course, sexual congress, while a necessity with a lover, was merely one aspect in a relationship. Intelligence, kindness, loyalty, romance, genuine affection, transparency, and consideration were essential. Deeply felt love was always a bonus. So far it had eluded her.
Larry was a few years her senior, in his mid-forties, and had risen quickly to assistant managing editor of the
Washington Post
. Fiona had met him when she questioned a reporterâs story on gender and race, which talked about white women as a victimized minority in the
âWe will observe the spirit of cooperation,â Phil said, in a tone of false sarcasm.
Fiona was certain if it did not involve a massive and highly sensitive security matter, Phil would be forthcoming.
Then as if reading her mind, he muttered, âThey wouldnât be that stupid.â
âWouldnât they?â Fiona whispered.
Phil shrugged.
Chapter 5
âYou up?â Fiona asked the supine naked body beside her. Larry Porter, while not officially living under the roof of her Washington home, was her frequent bed guest. He was, as were certain of her previous companions, in the throes of a divorce. Somehow it was her fate to consort with what she often characterized as âcastoffs,â which was not entirely accurate.
Researching likely prospects for a continuing and perfect permanent arrangement was more to the point. Was such a mindset merely an excuse for promiscuity or was she really ambivalent about such an arrangement? Deliberately, she left the answer in limbo. So far though, she hadnât met âthe one,â although Larry was now on top of the list.
She had had many opportunities to get married, and had turned down numerous offers. She reveled, as she put it, in the delights of the flesh and acknowledged her need for male connections, physically as well as psychologically. The preferred profile for the other gender was open, cerebral men with strong libidos who could match her considerable needs. She drew the line when it came to married men, but she had strayed from time to time. Admittedly, she was exquisitely vulnerable to seduction under certain circumstances, but she had for the last few years avoided such situations and temptations with men who were legally committed to others.
Despite a gypsy tendency to wander, she did not consider it a weakness on her part, but rather a belief that she was an alpha female and could pick and choose. What she abhorred was hurting anyone by her behavior. Above all, she knew the rules of the game and could be counted on for complete discretion, which meant that she also protected her own reputation, and did not under any circumstances fraternize in her police circles. She could be ruthless when hit on by any of her colleagues, most of whom were macho types who postured and bragged about their sexual prowess.
Fiona knew all the put-downs, and those who had made the clumsy attempt were stung by her wrath and would never again attempt to hit on her. The swinging-dick syndrome came with the territory, and generous helpings of testosterone were important attributes to her male colleagues. She was careful not to present herself as the castrating white princess, and on most occasions, she was able to banter away all but the subtlest moves.
With her serious lovers, on the other hand, she preferred to engage in absolute sexual transparency with no boundaries. She was honorable in her personal commitments and would never allow herself to be disloyal.
On this score, Larry Porter and she were in perfect synchronization. Larry had admitted that his soon-to-be-ex wife was, at least in his estimation, sexually frigid, although he adhered to a privately held belief that there were some successful male-female relationships that just didnât click in a sexual way. It was, he told Fiona, not to be confused with dysfunction, merely an absence of that mysterious sexual magnetism. Of course, sexual congress, while a necessity with a lover, was merely one aspect in a relationship. Intelligence, kindness, loyalty, romance, genuine affection, transparency, and consideration were essential. Deeply felt love was always a bonus. So far it had eluded her.
Larry was a few years her senior, in his mid-forties, and had risen quickly to assistant managing editor of the
Washington Post
. Fiona had met him when she questioned a reporterâs story on gender and race, which talked about white women as a victimized minority in the
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