Angie seemed intelligent and perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but Peggy sometimes wondered about her desire to act.

Perhaps, she thought, it was just that Angie didn't bother using her skills when she wasn't auditioning. But when she was with Peggy, her expression was transparent. Peggy knew her own abilities at prevarication weren't anything to be envious of, particularly since with the SSR - and Howard - lying was part of her job. Still, she was capable, if imperfect. But Angie? Peggy could see every hesitation on Angie's face, could read every disappointment. It made turning her down for pie dates and walks around the block difficult, because she could see so clearly that Angie didn't understand why Peggy kept herself at a distance.

Right then, Angie had just invited her to see a film, and Peggy was in the unenviable position of turning her down. Again. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's only that I worked so late last night, I'd like to stay in."

"And here I'd say we can stay in, only I need to see someone waltz before I audition tomorrow." Angie rolled her eyes. "Come on, Peg, just a couple hours and then we'll be home again. Will it kill you?"

Peggy had gotten three hours of sleep the previous night, so she rather thought it would. Aloud, she only said, "Why do you need to see someone waltz?"

"Oh, I have this audition, it's no big deal. Sister of the star."

Going by Angie's nervously excited expression, it wasn't no big deal. Before she could think better of it, Peggy said, "I know how to waltz."

Angie positively lit up. "Do you? Of course you do, you're all fancy. That's great! Can you teach me?"

"I -"

"I really need to know, it's a huge part of the audition and I might've, you know, fudged the requirements a little." Angie widened her eyes at Peggy. "Please?"

Peggy felt an odd sort of twinge, as though she were again looking into a set of earnest eyes in a sickly body. She shook it off. Angie was nothing like Steve. "Of course," she said. "Put some music on, then."

"Who knows what we'll find on the radio," Angie said. "And I don't have a phonograph, that's for when I land my first big role."

"We'll make do."

Angie fiddled with the radio until the strains of classical music filled Peggy's sitting room. "Oh, the Firestone! Will this work?"

It wasn't ideal, and in fact wasn't proper for a waltz at all, but Peggy could at least teach Angie the steps. Strains of violin music surrounded them as Peggy smiled and said, "This will do. Come here. Luckily for you, I also learned the male lead."

They were roughly of a height like this, standing in their stockings. But Angie was so thin - Peggy really doubted that she ate enough - and so it wasn't hard to pretend that Peggy was her big sister, or a governess, or someone else to whom this role would naturally fall.

Angie looked at her and bit her lower lip. "Okay. How do we start?"

There was that twinge again. No; it wasn't easy to think of herself as a sister at all. "Like this," Peggy said. "One-two-three, one-two-three." She moved in her steps. "And you'll mirror me, you see?"

"This music doesn't match at all."

"No," Peggy admitted. "It really doesn't. Though it sets a mood, don't you think?"

"I guess so." Angie looked down at her feet and scowled as she imitated Peggy's steps. She was awkward, but not bad. They might actually make progress.

"Let's go together now," Peggy said. They moved more slowly than they would in a proper waltz, but they didn't trip over each other's feet. "And now we'll go in a circle, you see?" Peggy rotated them, leading with a firm hand on Angie's. Angie's back was stiff and she watched Peggy's face with those dark eyes of hers, as though she'd glean some information about the dance that Peggy wasn't telling her.

After a few rounds, they stopped. "Is everything all right?" Peggy said, stepping back.

"Oh, sure," Angie said. The music had sped up, swelling in the background, all bold trumpets and frenetic woodwinds. "You'd make a girl think you had intentions, dancing like that."

"I've never had cause to waltz with a fellow," Peggy said. "I learned at school."

"I didn't mean fellow, Peg, I meant girl." Angie stepped closer. Her expression was purposeful now, as though she were on the beaches at Normandy. "I learned a lot in school, too, but it wasn't all about dancing."

Somehow, the kiss surprised her. Of course, Angie hadn't been subtle - but a kiss hadn't occurred to Peggy, not really. It was lovely, though, soft and intent, and Angie was confident here. She curled her fingers into the small of Peggy's back, pulling them more firmly together, and skated her teeth over Peggy's lips. The kiss was a back-and-forth sort of kiss, Peggy pressing in and Angie returning the gesture. It wasn't until Angie pulled away, breathing hard, that Peggy realized she'd rested a hand on Angie's hair, mussing it.

"I," Peggy said. She licked her lips, assuming her lipstick was already forfeit. "Well."

"Sorry," Angie said. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment, is all."

"It's only, I haven't kissed anyone in - awhile." I gotta put her in the water. "I'm afraid I made a mess of it."

"No, no, no, nuh-uh, no mess." Angie shook her head. "I'm - I could keep going, okay, there's no mess here."

"I see," Peggy said. "How, ah, quiet can you be?"

Angie blinked at her.

"I went to a girls' school," Peggy said. "My experience with men can't be called impressive, but this..."

"I don't want to be some pit stop on the way to being a Mrs.," Angie said. "I'm not ever going to be a Mrs."

Peggy was really not pulling this off. "That's not what I meant, of course. I only meant I'm familiar with the - mechanics." Was she blushing? Good lord. A year of the SSR should be enough to keep anyone from blushing at slight crudities. "I'm just, I mean, if you wanted, I certainly wouldn't be against it."

"Not as a second-best thing?"

Angie still looked nervous and hesitant, and Peggy abruptly remembered that she was meant to be a very busy employee of a phone company. No wonder Angie looked at her like that. Peggy must come off as an unbearable snob sometimes. "I'm sorry if I gave you that impression," Peggy said. "You're not second-best at all." Not even second to Steve. He wouldn't want her to think that way, even if thinking of him still hurt.

"You act like a caught animal sometimes," Angie said. "We used to have possums in the alley, you know, and my mom would set the wire traps - anyway." She reached out and tugged a lock of Peggy's hair. "You better come to bed."

Peggy felt as though her heart were going to hammer out of her chest as she followed Angie to Peggy's bed. Angie knew the space well, and even though Peggy knew that was due to her own room being a mirror of Peggy's, it was still - disconcerting. Especially when Angie sat down on the bed, scooted up to lean against the headboard, and pulled Peggy to her.

With Peggy on her knees, she was a bit taller than Angie. Angie didn't seem to mind. She smiled, the kind of sharp smile she usually employed when mocking a customer with Peggy, and kissed her.

It was different in a bed. Of course it was. Here, Peggy wasn't surprised when Angie's hands slid up her body and cupped her breasts. It was easy to let Angie nudge her onto her back, kissing Peggy as she slid a thigh between her legs. For a moment, Peggy felt very certain that she'd behave foolishly and betray her lack of formal, adults-in-a-bed experience; then Angie grabbed her hands and placed them on Angie's own thighs, and Peggy realized she probably didn't care.

"C'mon," Angie said. "How complicated is all that?" She waved at Peggy's suit.

"Not terribly." Peggy wiggled out of her blazer and skirt, then dealt with her underthings. Angie's own dress was considerably easier; she pulled it and her underwear off while looking at Peggy with obvious hunger.

"You're so - you've got so much going on," Angie said, cupping Peggy's bare breasts.

"Thank you." Peggy hoped she sounded casual. She suspected she didn't.

Angie's breath huffed on Peggy's skin, like she was suppressing a laugh. Peggy didn't even mind it, because Angie's next action was to run her tongue over Peggy's nipples, pinching them with her fingers, pressing them together.

She was just so familiar, so much more than she had a right to be. But it was wonderful like this. When Angie roughly knocked Peggy's legs aside and pressed fingers inside her, Peggy didn't object. She just thrust her hips and tried to hold on long enough not to embarrass herself.

"Oh, oh, oh," she said as she came. She dug her nails into Angie's shoulders, and Angie caught her breath.

"Apologies."

"No," Angie said. "Really, it's fine." She leaned up and kissed Peggy, her teeth half-bared. It was rough and messy, and Peggy kissed back, finally getting up the courage to reach over and touch Angie.

As it turned out, Angie was - easy. Gorgeous, really. She liked what Peggy liked, more or less, and they both exhausted themselves trying to keep quiet as they traded orgasms, over and over, until Peggy felt entirely wrung out.

After, Peggy lay on the pillows, trying to catch her breath. Angie said, "You know, my cousin works at the phone company in Newark."

Hearts, Peggy knew, did not skip beats. It felt like hers might have just then, though. "Oh?"

"Yeah, she says it's a nice job. Steady hours, good pay. No emergencies or anything like that." Angie rolled until she was hovering above Peggy. Peggy met her gaze with reluctance. "You should tell me what you really do, English."

"Is that what this was about?"

"What?" Angie wrinkled her nose. "No! I just want to know. C'mon, who am I going to tell, that jerk who always yells at me for his pastrami tasting like pickles?"

"I can't," Peggy said. "Please, Angie, believe me. I just can't."

Angie nodded at Peggy's bureau. "You should've put that away, then."

Peggy turned and looked over her shoulder. From where she lay, she could just see the old picture of Steve, propped up against a picture frame. She'd taken it out this morning - and then she'd almost been late for breakfast. She'd forgotten about it. It was a terrible slip.

"See, I've got a pretty good memory for faces. His body's off, but that's Captain America." Gentle fingers turned Peggy's head back to Angie. "Were you in the war? Is that why you're all secretive?"

"I can't tell you," Peggy said. "I just can't." If Angie guessed any closer to the truth, Peggy would have to leave her. She was endangering her even now.

"Just tell me there's someone you can talk to." Angie stroked Peggy's cheek, slowly. Peggy turned her head into Angie's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm against Peggy's lips.

"There is," she said. "There's someone." Sort of. Really there was no one, no one whose top priority was Peggy herself. But that didn't matter, nor was it unusual, in her line of work.

"Good," Angie said. "'cause I don't exactly want you to disappear any time soon." She leaned in and kissed Peggy, so softly that Peggy barely felt it.

She should. Peggy knew she should. This wasn't sustainable; she couldn't have Angie here at the lodging house, and work for Howard, and navigate the offices of the SSR. Someone would get hurt, and past experience said that someone would be Angie.

But perhaps she could have it for awhile. Peggy relaxed into the pillows, pulling Angie close.

Just a little while longer.