Single Sashimi by Camy Tang Page A

always like that—charming, putting people at ease with effortless energy.
    Venus didn’t have any of that charm. But she had lots of organizational skills, and a keen mind for business. Rather like…
    She saw Grandma sitting on a seat, as elegantly dressed as her daughter, flawless makeup even after hours in this waiting room. Her still-slender figure relaxed as best she could against the chair, cool and collected.
    Ruthless, nagging, manipulative. Always getting her way. Ruling her family like a queen over a small country. Running Grandpa’s bank as smoothly as if she’d founded it herself.
    No, Venus wasn’t like Grandma.
    And yet, Venus had to admit there were times when she envied her. Grandma’s constant poise and command, her sharp mind, her focused energy.
    Grandma wouldn’t have gaped at Yardley after his astounding suggestion this afternoon. She’d have given him a decided answer in a heartbeat, and it would have been whatever was best for her career.
    Whatever answer that was. Venus didn’t know.
    Yardley had told her to think about it, then sauntered out of the office as if he already knew she’d take his offer. Arrogant twit. She wouldn’t be bullied or bribed.
    Every cell in her body rebelled at giving Yardley the Spiderweb. Look at what he’d already done—since he couldn’t steal it, he’d tried to buy it from her. And she couldn’t forget the tiny fact he gave her the boot, too, after trying to steal it from her. No way could she stay there and work under him, no matter how much he offered for the Spiderweb.
    But…a V P.
    How much power would she really have? They already treated her like a second-class citizen because of her gender, or her looks, or both. And they could fire her at any time, in which case it would all be for nothing.
    Her own company was the only way to go. She needed to talk to Grandma.
    Right now, before she changed her mind.
    Okay, one step at a time. And remember to breathe. Don’t want to faint before you even get to her. Avoid the toy truck and the Highlights magazines on the floor. Wouldn’t be good to fall flat on your face and knock yourself out .
    “Grandma?”
    She barely heard herself, but apparently Grandma heard her. Red lips parted in a wide smile. “Sit, Venus.” Come into my lair, my pretty…
    Venus gave herself a mental slap. Focus . “I had a question—”
    Spenser burst into the waiting room. His hair looked like he had blow-dried it upside down, pink splotched his pale face, and he still wore his surgery room smock. He was also grinning brighter than a pulsar.
    “It’s a girl!”

SIX         

    I am so tired of people saying I got off easy!” Trish, sleep-deprived and recently delivered mother, had the wild eyes and hair of one of the three Furies, and looked like she would bite someone’s head off if they came within three feet.
    Venus didn’t blame her. Twenty-eight hours of labor wasn’t exactly a cakewalk, even if it wasn’t close to the horror stories everyone was telling her about.
    “Everyone” had expanded to Spenser’s mom, who arrived with his son Matthew, and Jenn’s mother. The crowd in Trish’s hospital room made Venus ease out into the hallway, but some nurses rushing past compelled her back into the room, squeezed close to the doorway. She forced herself to breathe deeply, to not hyperventilate. She was very happy for Trish, but she also wanted to go to a quiet place and recover from the stress of the waiting room, the noise of all these people.
    And she needed to talk to Grandma.
    That probably stressed her out the most. To have to approach her to ask for something, to wait for what she’d require in return. It was like asking Tony Soprano for a favor.
    Venus also didn’t do “humble,” “contrite,” or “biddable” very well. If Grandma asked her to do something heinous, Venus wouldn’t be able to hide what she really thought of the idea. And that probably wouldn’t go over too well.
    For now, she