A bit dark.

"Hello, Mrs. Lawton, is Mr. Hardy around?" An old voice on the phone asked.

A feminine hand clutched the telephone receiver as she stood, her face careful and contemplative.

"I'm afraid he won't be anymore." She said, moving to half-sit, half-lean on the desk. "I'm afraid Mr. Mueller has passed away."

"God, I didn't know. I wasn't informed." He said softly. "I'm sorry. How did it happen?"

"It was during a surgery. I heard it was something about a brain tumor. He was secretive about his health, so I cannot be sure. They did a surgery, and, well, you know the rest."

"You'd think with our modern medicine... how are you holding up?"

"I will manage. One must do what they can in these times. I do not wish to bring this up now, given the news I had to break, but may I ask what you were calling him about?"

"Some business we had to discuss. It can wait until tomorrow, I suppose. I imagine they haven't sorted out who takes over for him, as it was so sudden."

"Actually, Mr. Davis, I have."

"What? Truly? A woman?"

You could hear the fake charm in her voice, though it managed to escape his notice.

"I assure you I am well-qualified. I was a bit more than his secretary. You an check with his boss, I was made effectively a deputy of sorts, his right-hand before he passed. I am more than capable."

"Okay, then..."

He laid out an issue they were having, a manufacturing issue, less of an engineering problem and more one of coordination. A thoughtful expression was on her face as she listened and when he finished, she talked softly for a few minutes. When she finished, she heard silence on the other end.

"Okay, that would work. Okay, I can't say I'm thrilled with this, but you have proven yourself. Anyway, we can set up a meeting and I can tell you more. I'll have my secretary send over some times and we can coordinate from there. Anyway, I must go, and I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. Bye, Mr. Davis."

As she hung up the phone, another call came in. A woman's voice was on the other end.

"Mrs. Lawton, your husband is here."

"Send Rudy in." She said.

The door opened and a handsome, tall man her age stepped in, then closed the door. He smiled warmly at her, a hand inadvertently rubbing a bit of the make-up away that hid the incision on his forehead.

"Who was that?"

Mr. Chet Hardy smiled, standing up fully, smoothing out the skirt he was wearing, and looking at Mrs. Lawton.

"Mr. Davis. An issue at one of his plants. Nothing too big, just none of them seem to be able to coordinate worth a damn. So, Sue, did you have any problems?"

"None. The make-up works great and I knew that son-of-a-bitch husband of mine too well, so faking being him is easy. By the way, you'll need a bit more make-up. Yours has faded."

"It has?" Mr. Lawton took out a small hand mirror and looked. "I'm glad you said something. I don't want to use our back-up story unless I have to."
"We won't!" Sue said, taking out some make-up and using a masculine hand to apply it to her former forehead. "You do look gorgeous, though."

"Thank you!" Mr. Lawton said with a genuine smile. "I certainly look better than I did. Yours is a bit of a downgrade, I am sorry."

"Eh, don't be!" Sue said. "It got rid of that abusive, evil bastard. I know the original plan was for you to have his body, but you weren't compatible enough with him, but you were with me and I was with him. Look, it saved your life and ended his. I'm not sad about losing my body. Besides!"

Sue smiled, wrapping Mr. Lawton in muscular arms, smiling down at her former face.

"I have ways of still getting very close to my old body!"