“Am I? Was that the one with the tampon?”
“Absolutely.”
“Oh, right. Yes, good book. Needed more kink, though.”
Danica sat down between Alicia and Natsuko. “Always a pleasure, Misses Anderssens.”
“Oh, we’ve met before!” Alicia shouldn’t have been so excited. Not like she actually knew these people. “At the gala a few weeks ago. Right?”
“Yes.” Mrs. Anderssen – was her name Lara? Alicia couldn’t quite remember – held up her glass of champagne. “Cheers, Ms. Colbert. You and Ms. Moreau have made it this far, so it must be forever.”
Natsuko shifted in her seat. Danica didn’t look too impressed, either.Her father called me a slut. She had better not be happy.“What brings you two to Chicago?” she asked the couple.
Lara put her hand on her spouse’s shoulder. “Kennedy here fancies herself a politician. An absolute menace this election cycle. I can’t get any rest from all the pandering in our own home.” Her grin implied she was talking about the traditional type of pandering.I can’t decide if I find these people charming or frightening.“So, here we are, throwing money at some senators I’ve never heard of.”
Kennedy Anderssen shrugged as if she couldn’t expand upon what her wife said. “We all go through phases. Should be asking what you lovely people are doing here.”
“You know how it is,” Danica replied. “We all have appearances to make.”
“And appearances to keep,” Lara said. She glanced at Alicia.
The whole table glanced at Alicia.It’s like they can see the balls in my pussy. She gulped down a whole glass of champagne while everyone watched. The Matsudas looked away. The Anderssens were still grinning.
“Danica!” cried a voice from another table. “There’s my favorite bitch! How’s it going?”
While Alicia’s girlfriend was pried from the table once again, she poured herself another glass of champagne and tried to block everything from her mind. Except Natsuko covertly watched her, and Lara Anderssen blatantly stared at her.
“So, how are matters of life and love?” Lara asked. “You and Danica are splashed all over the pages these days. Everyone’s talking about you at the sports club. Or so I hear. We got kicked out of there. Apparently, you’re not allowed to screw around in the locker rooms.”
Natsuko stifled a giggle. Alicia, on the other hand, tried to keep her composure. These people sure were open with their sex lives.Is this normal? Am I expected to talk about my sex life at a fancy party?She wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with that. More than likely, Danica didn’t want her talking about it, either. That would be for her to confide.
“Things are going well,” Alicia said. She tried not to look at Natsuko.Why do I feel bad for her? She can’t be seriously interested in Danica. Is she even in on it? No way. They all just met. Besides, she knows what Russell is like after that display…
Lara leaned in across Danica’s empty chair. “Nice collar. Now I know how you two met, unlike the papers.”
Alicia remained frozen in her seat, throat perpetually dry.
“You used to work at Midnight, right? I thought I saw you there one night.” Lara looked to her spouse for answers, but none were forthcoming. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe.”
“What secret?”
Lara lowered her voice again. Alicia had to lean in closer to those luscious red lips to hear a thing. “That you have two Ben Wa balls shoved up your cunt right now.”
“I… what…”
“We could tell from the way you walked. Think we’re strangers? You’re in good company, Ms. Colbert. Or will we be calling you Mrs. Moreau soon? After all, Danica has no… what do the kids say…chill? Everyone knows how eager she is to marry someone.”
“They do?”
“They do?” Natsuko echoed.Fuck!What else had she heard?
“Of course.” Lara sat back up. “Her dating someone is huge news. Everyone at the sports club is crying, because they’re waiting for you two to announce your engagement. Or so we’ve heard. Like I said… ahem.”
“Well,” Kennedy Anderssen said, standing up and kissing her wife on top of her golden head, “I’m going to mingle. Order me the steak, dear. You know how I like it.” She winked at Alicia. “Pleasure, Ms. Colbert. It’s the elixir of life and a happy marriage.”
“Oh, look.” Natsuko pointed to someone on the other side of the ballroom. “Someone I went to Brown with. Let’s go meet her, Daddy.” She nudged her father until they both left the table as well.
That left Alicia and Lara, the most unlikely couple at that night’s Senator’s Ball.
