Dolly sat at her desk, one hand carefully, gliding a brush of cherry-red polish across her nails. The magic mirror stood on her desk like a monitor, its surface split into two views.

  On the left: Kelly. Her best friend for going on eight years now. Human, blonde, with the kind of curves that made men walk into mpposts. She was at her own desk—some corporate hellhole downtown where they actually expected you to have*a degree*.

  On the right: the city. Bird's-eye view. Streets below, tiny figures scurrying about their business. Shopkeepers opening their stores. Workers trudging toward factories. A merchant caravan rolling through the eastern gate, wagons piled high with goods.

  And there—a parade forming near the central pza. Dancers in gold and silver costumes, spinning and leaping. Musicians with drums and horns.

  Dolly barely gnced at it. She'd seen a hundred parades.

  "So where's the boss today?" Kelly asked. "Let me guess. 'Business meeting'?"

  Dolly snorted, blowing on her nails. "Please. He's on his yacht. With his test boy toy. Tiger this time. Big guy, all stripes and muscles."

  Kelly ughed. "Girl, your boss goes through men like I go through potato chips and vanil ice cream. How long's this one gonna st? A week?"

  "If that." Dolly switched hands, starting on her left. "He's already compining the guy talks too much. Apparently wanting to have an actual *conversation* after sex is a dealbreaker."

  "God, he's such a piece of work."

  "Misogynistic *jerk*," Dolly corrected. "But he pays well. I mean, this is the easiest job I've ever had. All I gotta do is look pretty, file some paperwork, maybe do an internet search for him now and then."

  She paused, dipping the brush back into the bottle.

  "And every now and then, when he doesn't have a man around, take care of his baser needs."

  Kelly shook her head on the screen. "I still don't get how you can do that. Knowing he's gay."

  Dolly didn't look up from her nails. "It's like this." Her voice was calm, almost bored. She blew on her nails again. "It doesn't take long. It's not like he's into it. He doesn't keep me around for my feelings. It's just physical release. Scratching an itch when his current boy toy isn't avaible or he's between them."

  Kelly gave her that look. The one she always gave her when this topic came up.

  Dolly shrugged. "And he pays *well.* I make more in three minutes on my knees or bent over his desk than I used to make stripping for an entire weekend." She finished the st nail, held up her hand. Perfect. "Easy money, Kel. Easy money."

  On the other view, the parade reached the pza. Gold and silver figures twirled and leapt. The city cheered.

  Dolly capped the polish bottle.

  Just another day.