Chapter Text
It was another warm summer evening in Washington, D.C., and you were busy eagerly sifting through one cardboard box after another, desperate to find your white sundress. It had been just shy of two weeks since you made the daunting cross-country move from Colorado to the Nation’s Capital, and you had yet to adjust to the stifling humidity.
You moved here to teach English Literature at Pennington Prep; a private school in the heart of D.C. that catered almost exclusively to the children of politicians. Members of the House of Representatives and Senators alike completed extensive and costly applications to ensure that their children would attend the best school in the area. You still couldn’t believe the hiring committee even bothered to glance at your resume, let alone offered you a job! While you were a huge supporter of public education, you needed the money. And private schools extended competitive contracts for experienced educators. And after spending the last thirty years in the same small town, you longed for a change of scenery.
“Aha! Found you,” you exclaimed triumphantly as you pulled the wrinkled dress from the bottom of a box. You held it up against your body and then studied your reflection in a large mirror in the corner of the room. You wanted to look nice without putting in too much effort, and this felt like the perfect option. It was a Saturday night and your last free weekend before teaching began on Monday. After researching a variety of options when you were supposed to be unpacking earlier this morning, you finally made a decision and called to reserve a table at a restaurant with a beautiful outdoor patio. You planned to order a delicious meal, sip a few glasses of wine, and enjoy a quiet evening with your book. It was exactly the kind of night you needed to help you decompress after the stress of the move and the endless hours of unpacking.
You tossed the crumpled dress into the dryer, took a quick shower, dried and curled your hair, and then put on a little makeup. And when you stepped into your dress a few minutes later, you marveled at the magic of the wrinkle-release cycle on your dryer. Then you gathered your purse and your book, checked your phone to see the status of your Lyft driver, and sat out on the front steps of your apartment building until they arrived.
“You Astrid?” the driver asked as they rolled down their window and pointed to their phone.
“I am,” you replied with a smile as you settled into the back seat of the silver Toyota Prius.
“You’re heading to Dirty Habit, right?” the driver confirmed as they checked their mirrors.
“That’s right! I’ve heard great things about it,” you answered as you buckled your seatbelt.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fancy. Just keep an eye on your drink, okay? Sleezy politicians have been the primary clientele there these past few years. And some of those assholes have never heard the word ‘no’ before,” the driver warned as they finally pulled out into the road.
“Oh, wow! I guess this will be good practice then. I start teaching at Pennington Prep on Monday,” you replied with a quiet laugh.
“Shit! No way? Christ, the only thing worse than a corrupt politician is their entitled brat children. Good luck, lady! You’re gonna need it,” the driver chuckled sympathetically.
You forced yourself to smile and nod and then turned to look out the window as you considered their words. It wasn’t as if you were a first-year teacher or anything. You already had eight years of teaching experience under your belt. High school students could certainly be a handful at times. But you felt confident that you could handle them.
It was fine. Everything was fine. Nothing to worry about.
Tonight, you would eat, drink, read, and unwind.
The Sunday Scaries would have to wait one more day.
You arrived at Dirty Habit ten minutes later and looked up at the breathtaking courtyard in awe as you stepped out of the vehicle.
“Take care, lady! And remember what I said,” the driver called out just before you reached back to close the door.
“Thank you! And thanks again for the ride,” you replied, adjusting your dress and then securing the strap of your purse over your shoulder as they pulled away.
“Good evening, mam. Welcome to Dirty Habit. Do you have a reservation?” the hostess asked as she slowly looked you over. And you suddenly worried that you were underdressed.
“Oh, yes. It should be under Astrid Wright. That’s W-R-I-G…” you started to say before the hostess cut you off.
“Party of… one?” she asked with an amused smirk.
“That’s correct,” you replied sheepishly as you looked around the bustling courtyard.
“Very well, then. Please follow me,” the hostess said as she grabbed a menu and one set of silverware wrapped neatly in a midnight blue napkin. You walked close behind her and tried to ignore the hungry, wandering eyes of the endless sea of old white men in overpriced and ill-fitting suits.
“Your server will be with you shortly. Enjoy the evening,” the hostess said as she gestured toward your reserved seat and then quickly returned to her post.
You made yourself comfortable in the modern metal chair and then opened the menu. And you had never been more relieved to be single. The roasted duck breast you had been mentally drooling over all day was $47! And one glass of Pinot Noir was nearly $20.
“You deserve this,” you whispered as you tried to convince yourself not to leave and find the nearest burger joint. And you were pleasantly surprised when the quiet affirmation worked. Though you had a sinking suspicion you would never return to this establishment. Pennington didn’t pay that well.
“Good evening. My name is Inez and I’m here to take care of you tonight. Would you like to hear the specials?” the waitress asked sweetly as she reached into the pocket of her crisp black apron to fetch her notepad.
“Oh, I… n-no, thank you. To be honest, I’ve been fantasizing about the roasted duck and a glass of red wine since I woke up this morning,” you laughed as you closed the menu and handed it to her with a smile.
“Excellent choice! It’s the chef’s favorite, actually. Mine, too! Might I recommend a Pinot Noir with that?” Inez offered.
“Inez, you read my mind!” you replied enthusiastically before she nodded and walked back inside to the kitchen.
You leaned back into your chair, opened your book, and exhaled deeply. This really was exactly what you needed. And you could hardly believe it when Inez returned with your glass of wine less than a minute later.
“Enjoy,” Inez said with a wink as she set the glass down on the table. And despite your best efforts, you blushed. You knew she didn’t mean anything by it. But you had been single for a year and a half. And she was cute. So, you didn’t beat yourself up too much.
You did your best to read while you waited. But you couldn’t resist the urge to people-watch as you slowly sipped your wine. There were a few younger women sprinkled throughout the male-dominated crowd, and you couldn’t help but pity them as they stood dutifully next to their husbands and laughed at their jokes about campaign trail struggles. And it occurred to you that these would be the people you had to engage with during parent conferences for the next year.
You sighed heavily at the thought and took another sip of your wine before you set it aside and reminded yourself that you were here to relax. You leaned back again, closed your eyes, and gently rolled your neck in an effort to recenter yourself. And when you opened your eyes again a moment later, you saw her.
A tall woman with curly, raven black hair had just approached the bar. She wore an elegant black satin blouse with the top few buttons left open, and you found yourself briefly transfixed on her ample cleavage before you noticed her tailored black slacks and bright red stilettos. The poets could write entire books about her stunning hourglass figure and the playful gleam of her amber eyes.
You were so busy staring at her that you failed to realize that she was looking at you, too.
And the slight pink that rose to your cheeks after your waitress winked innocently in your direction couldn’t hold a candle to the red warmth that flushed your skin now.
You averted your eyes immediately and reached for your book, burying your nose in the pages and wishing you could just disappear.
“Your roasted duck breast with daikon radish, a miso carrot puree, and…” Inez said as she placed your meal in front of you and snapped you out of your stupor.
“Oh, thank you. This looks incredible,” you replied, accidently interrupting her in your haste to appear normal.
“O-of course. Enjoy! I’ll be back later to check in about dessert,” Inez smiled and then walked away.
Your eyes briefly scanned the bar to see if the tall woman was still there. But she was nowhere to be found.
She probably went to notify security about the deranged woman who was looking at her like she was on the menu, you thought to yourself as you placed your napkin in your lap and brought your fork and knife to your plate.
And by the time you had finished chewing the first bite, you’d forgotten all about the awkward interaction.
Inez returned about fifteen minutes later to pour you another glass of wine and take your dessert order. And you opted for the Sakura Tiramisu without hesitation. You decided to attempt to finish your book while you waited, but you were interrupted before you could even open it.
“Mind if I join you?” an unfamiliar voice asked. And before you could protest, a tall man with a short, light brown hair and a slightly muscular build sat down in the chair across from you.
“Oh, I… I was just leaving, actually,” you lied, hoping he would stand to depart just as quickly as he sat down. But Inez returned unexpectedly and unintentionally complicated things for you.
“I’m so sorry. Did you say you wanted the Moscato d’Asti with your dessert or the Sherry?” Inez asked. And you sat there frozen.
“She’ll have the Moscato, Inez. Run along now. Oh, and make yourself useful and bring us back two spoons,” the man answered on your behalf before he waved a dismissive hand at the waitress.
“Right away, Senator Winters,” Inez replied, the color completely drained from her face.
“Well, I appreciate the drink recommendation. But I’m afraid I’m dining alone this evening,” you said once your disgust with this arrogant man finally forced you to locate your backbone.
“You were, yes. I noticed. But I’m here now, doll. See, I’ve been watching you all night. And I just couldn’t help but wonder why someone so beautiful was here alone. I figured the chivalrous thing to do would be to offer my company,” the Senator said with a cocky grin. And his perfectly straight bleached teeth made your skin crawl.
“My, how generous of you,” you replied, rolling your eyes as you placed your book in your purse and prepared to make a quick exit.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry though. No need to thank me, sugar. Just tell me your name and then we can get to know each other a little better,” Winters insisted, grinning like a devious wolf in a children’s tale as he moved his chair closer. And as you gently shifted your own chair away from him, you couldn’t recall a time in your life when you had ever been more uncomfortable than this.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” a woman’s voice called out from behind you. And when you turned around and saw the beautiful woman from the bar approach your table, you wondered if she knew this man or if they came here together.
“You look marvelous as always, darling,” the woman said as she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against your cheek. And suddenly, you realized exactly what she was doing. And you were filled to the brim with gratitude.
“You, too! Sorry I must have missed your calls earlier. You know how I lost I can get when I find a good book. I’m just waiting on my dessert and the bill and then we can go to the club like we planned,” you replied as you reached for her hand and gestured toward the remaining chair at your table.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Ethan Winters. What a treat! I take it your dear wife and daughter are off on yet another mother-daughter adventure?” the black-haired woman asked as she glared at the Senator. And you held your breath as you waited for his reply.
“Lovely to see you as always, Al. Hope you ladies enjoy yourselves this evening,” Ethan said as he slowly stood up, finished the rest of his whiskey, and then slammed his glass down on the table before he finally walked away.
Inez returned just as Ethan crossed the courtyard to leave and she placed the tiramisu in the center of the table before she handed you the spoons.
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re in much better company now, miss! Enjoy your dessert. And don’t worry about the bill. It’s been taken care of,” Inez said with a smile. And she walked away before you could thank her.
“I must say, you made an excellent choice. The macha mousse is divine!” the woman said with a smirk. And you laughed nervously, still a bit shaken up by everything that transpired.
“Well, I do have two spoons. Would you care to join me, Mrs. …?” you asked hopefully as you offered her the extra spoon. You were eager to learn her name and to thank her for intervening in your moment of need.
“Al… Alice. You may call me Alice, dear. And you are?” she replied as she reached for the spoon. And when her fingers brushed against yours, you weren’t the least bit surprised by the jolt of silent excitement that rushed through your entire body.
“I’m Astrid. Astrid Wright,” you answered shyly as you took a bite of your dessert.
“Well, Mrs. Wright. It’s lovely to meet you. Though, if Senator Winters is foolish enough to return, let’s agree that you and I are the closest of friends. Wouldn’t want him imposing himself upon you again,” Alice chuckled as she dipped her own spoon into the tiramisu and then moaned quietly as she took a bite.
“It’s Ms. Wright. And, agreed! Thank you so much for stepping in. My Lyft driver did try to warn me about all the sleezy politicians here. But somehow, I was still unprepared when the time came to fend him off,” you replied. You noticed a small smile form at the corner of Alice’s mouth when you subtly informed her you weren’t married. And you hoped it was a sign of at least mild interest on her part.
“This place truly is a watering hole for some of the most despicable men in Washington. I’m pleased I was here to protect you from any additional unwanted advances,” she said, beaming with pride.
“It seemed like the two of you were… familiar with each other. Are you a politician, too?” you asked, curious to know more about her. And the amused look on Alice’s face assured you that was not the case.
“Heavens, no! I’m a journalist. And I have spent most of my career documenting Senator Winters and his persistent extortion efforts and blatant cronyism,” Alice replied as she reached into her purse and promptly lit herself a cigarette.
“I see! Well, if anyone needs to be taken down a peg, it’s that man! I applaud your determination,” you laughed. And Alice laughed, too.
“Indeed! And you? Do you aspire to have a career in government?” she asked.
“Definitely not! I’m actually a teacher. Though, there’s certainly enough bureaucratic red tape to cut through at times,” you replied.
“I can only imagine! My, how refreshing to meet someone outside the political realm. Now, where is this little club we’re heading to after dessert?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow playfully as she took a long, slow drag from her cigarette.
“Wh-what? Oh! That… yeah, I… I have no idea. I just moved here from Colorado a couple weeks ago and I have barely left my apartment,” you admitted, a little embarrassed by your introvert tendencies.
“No matter. I am intimately familiar with the finest clubs in town. Hmm. Let’s see. Oh! I know just the place. Now, be a good girl and finish the last bite. I’ll have the valet bring my car around and meet you out front shortly,” Alice instructed. And you were more than happy to be bossed around and praised by a woman as gorgeous and fascinating as her.
“Okay,” was all you could manage to say as you watched her stand up and walk toward the exit.
“Don’t keep me waiting, Astrid,” Alice said with a wink. And you swore you felt your jaw collide with the smooth concrete beneath your feet.
You quickly chewed the final bite of your dessert, took a sip of the Moscato that Senator Winters ordered without your consent, and then wiped the corners of your mouth with your napkin.
And when you saw Alice wave to you from her black Lamborghini, you stood there stunned.
“Journalist, huh?” you teased as you entered the vehicle.
“It’s Saturday night. Don’t overthink it, darling,” Alice replied seductively as she revved the car’s engine.
“Where are we going?” you asked, your heart beating rapidly in anxious anticipation.
“Patient now, Astrid. You’ll see,” she said with a smirk.
You buckled your seatbelt, closed your eyes, and gave yourself over to the unspoken plans of the alluring woman behind the wheel.