Alice slipped into the bar semi-quietly. Her looks could, and regularly did, turn heads. Tonight, though, as she chose her outfit, she decided she just wanted to turn one.
Dressed in a demure beige cocktail dress - wide straps over her shoulders and a hemline a few inches above the knee - a photo would have simply been titled "Relaxed Elegance." Her look was more about the silhouette. Feminine curves without being risqué. The little slit revealing less than half of her right thigh, the matching four-inch suede pumps with chunky heels and a simple gold chain subtly took her look from "dinner with the family" to "second date that could turn into a third."
Alice enjoys knowing that when she wants to, she can enter a room with the fashion equivalent of a loud, attention-grabbing shout. In a tight, black, plunging-neckline dress made for a night at the club, her long, athletic legs, hourglass hips and décolletage, if we can keep this description more refined, typically make every person, male and female, pay attention.
Tonight, William's first impression was that her look was more like a whisper - an individual statement made for just one person. He smiled as he watched her walk towards him, experiencing both excitement and a little anxiety. The moment suddenly felt more significant.
Alice knew what she was doing. Without a word, she made him want to lean in, look her in the eye and listen to every word she said.
They first met at a fundraiser, one of those see-and-be-seen charity social events. Something about kids, or third-world hunger. Maybe it had something to do with animals. While all worthy of extra support, that wasn't why William was there. This one was paid for by his employer, and knowing that many of his friends would attend, he volunteered. He could put on his best suit, shake a few hands and kiss some pretentious rich people's asses in exchange for a night of free drinks and women dressed to impress. He'd been single for long enough. It was time to dive back into to a real social life, and this was a perfect opportunity.
Seeing friendly faces always makes things like this a little less stress-including. When he walked in, William was relieved to see Jason and Griffin, two friends from college who had just graduated from law school. They were "voluntold" to attend and wave the flag for their new firm. They had no idea what they were doing. There's no section titled "Mingling for Dollars" on the bar exam, so they were equally relieved to see him. After the usual greetings and small talk, William grinned and shared in a low, conspiratorial voice, "You know guys, the best part of these events are the outfits... well, technically what's under them. No one dresses up like this and puts on the boring underwear. Those elegant suits and dresses are covering up everyone's best. Let that swirl around in the back of your mind as you admire the glorious, feminine figures gliding through the room. Lace? Satin? Thong? Nothing?"
With a playful grin, he clinked their glasses with a winking "Cheers," and excused himself to say hello to Tony and Kate. So far, so good. A fun little chat before spotting the two people he knew would actually provide a real conversation. Before they could get past hello, though, Alice appeared. Kate brightened and greeted her friend from yoga class with a big smile and kiss on the cheek. Tony did the same as Kate turned to Alice and said with a mischievous grin, "This is William, my favorite person who isn't Tony."
She was in rare form already, one of people who actually enjoyed this stuff. William smiled at the compliment, wondered if she really meant it and thought "sheer lace... black... thong with wide waist band... she's feeling elegant, not naughty." Kate definitely was feeling that, plus sexy and fierce. It was supremely engaging in an incredibly fun and flirty way.
"Tony wins" was the next thought that flashed through William's head.
But sadly for him, before they could get past "Nice to meet you," Alice was pulled away by an overly-excited semi-acquaintance. It wouldn't be the last time.
"Of course" thought William. From bombshell to dud in under a minute.
She was stunning, and he had to get one more glimpse of her as she walked away. He and Kate only had to turn their heads slightly to watch her take a few steps and get introduced to an older couple who looked they could fund the entire charity without noticing it. It was Tony who brought the two of them back, "Am I the only one not staring at her ass? Be a little less obvious... Rookies."
William and Kate laughed at getting called out and gave Tony a silent look of "Can you blame us?"
"Who is that?" asked William.
"Yeah, she makes a strong first impression, doesn't she?" grinned Kate.
"That's an understatement" was all William could muster.
Before they could go further, Tony interjected, "Hey, let's split up, get the glad-handing out of the way and meet at the bar for an actual conversation. We want to hear how you're doing, William."
With looks of resignation, Kate and William agreed. Tony was a good friend, and Kate was becoming a confidant, too, a trusted female voice when he needed it. As much as he would have loved to continue the conversation, he knew that the more hands they shook and cheeks they kissed the sooner the most important work would be done. A pretty fair deal for a night of elegance and feeling like you were actually a fully-functioning adult. That would also insure word would get back to bosses that the bright young executives made their employers look good. It's the quid pro quo for a company-sponsored night that they'd never spend their own money on.
William and Alice passed each other a few times throughout the evening, making brief eye contact, but one or the other was already engaged in conversation. It produced a conflicting mix of anticipation and frustration. It wasn't until he, Kate and Tony finally made their rendezvous at the bar, that he feel he could relax and enjoy the moment.
"For fuck's sake, that's exhausting" he semi-blurted after ordering a glass of whisky.
"Seriously" came from a voice over his shoulder. He turned to see Alice motioning to the bartender - pointing to William's drink and lifting one finger to order herself a glass of single malt.
"Oh shit" thought William "She just got a little more interesting," if that's what you call being captivated by a stunning woman who orders real liquor like a boss.
In however long it takes to slowly savor a dram, the four of them laughed about all the banal small talk and not-so-subtle flirting - most of it clumsy, except for Tony's flirty exchange with a woman pushing 70 who told him if she was a little younger, he'd have to run pretty fast to keep her from catching him. That was the line of the night and served as Alice's exit on a high note with everyone laughing.
"Lots to do tomorrow. Gotta get some sleep, or I won't be able to keep up."
Cheeks were kissed. Goodbyes were said, and she was gone.
"For god's sake, can you two act like you've seen a perfect ass before?" snarked Tony for the second time.
"Ok, Kate. Spill. Who is she. How well do you know her?" pleaded William.
"How well, as in 'Do I have her number' well?" answered Kate with a wicked grin.
"Exactly" was William's immediate response.
"I do, but it will require a conversation. If this is just a hook up, you're gonna embarrass yourself. If you want to get to know her, I'll ask if she's interested. Needless to say, she's not lacking in offers. I don't know her super well, but well enough to know she's been single for awhile, hasn't been dating much and is over being some wealthy, charming, asshole's arm candy" was Kate's sincere response, followed by a gentle grip on his arm and "You need to get back in the game, Billy. This time with someone who won't use you as a stepping stone. She's not that, but I also don't think she's going to put up with any manchild bullshit."
Kate's comment stung, only because it reminded him of the messy breakup with his ex, not to mention the question of whether she was calling him immature, but not for long, because it was apparent that Kate was genuinely looking out for him.
"Wait. Are you saying..."
"No, Billy (she recently joined the very small list of people who got to call him that). You're not 'that guy.' I just want you to know what you're signing up for."
The soft smile he shared with Kate was part appreciation and part anticipation of maybe going out with a women who he knew he'd being thinking about when he woke up tomorrow.
William chose the bar for the second date for two reasons: He knew Alice had a refined taste in spirits, and it was expensive. The second reason wasn't meant to impress. With what he knew, he was confident that was a fool's errand. The reason was both much simpler and more strategic - the room wouldn't be packed, meaning they could have a conversation in comfort. Space plus luxurious seating plus connoisseur-level liquor would create the tone he wanted to set - elegantly casual with a dash of "I put some thought into this." What woman doesn't appreciate a man making that kind of effort?
From their first real encounter - after passing a couple levels of scrutiny that included Kate assuring Alice that he was worth a conversation over a coffee, then multiple text messages to arrange schedules - William knew Alice was a walking contradiction. He was still unsure of whether that made her more intriguing or raised serious red flags.
Alice was always put together. Some women put their hair in a pony tail to get it out of their face - totally utilitarian. Alice could casually pull her hair back and look like she came from the salon. She wore yoga pants and a sweat shirt like she could walk a runway. But when they settled in and started talking - about the funky, bohemian coffee house she chose for their first "date," the new farmer's market, their favorite food trucks - Alice had an air of genuine curiosity. She gave off this warm, authentic vibe that was the antithesis of her physical appearance. "Depth" was the word William kept coming back to. The woman with the body of a bikini model made him feel like he was talking to the girl next door or an old high school friend.
Frankly, it was disarming, bordering on weird. Every human is susceptible to stereotypes. He couldn't escape the thought that Alice might have been put on this earth to challenge all of them. In the days after first having a real conversation, he wondered if this was just a well-practiced performance. Then he thought about his friend Pat, who when he first met him made him think "no one's that sincere," only to find out that some people are. William hadn't figured her out, yet, but he intended to.
All the questions, apprehensions and swirling threads of contradictions evaporated when Alice approached the table. William stood, smiled and said hi. She was a next level beauty, but he wasn't without some game himself. He just needed to make sure he didn't leave it at home. As they sat but before either could say anything, the server was asking Alice what she'd like to drink. She looked at William's drink and asked what it was.
"Gin Martini. Hendricks with a slice of cucumber."
"Make it two." Alice smiled warmly to the very attractive server dressed, naturally in a place like this, in a form-fitting black cocktail dress.
