Across the Street

The middle-aged man and woman entered through the glass doors at the front of the restaurant, causing eyes to flash over toward them. The male half of the married couple never turned the charm off whenever in public. Immediately, he began to shake hands and slap the shoulders of the several men waiting to be seated.

"Fred, my good man! It's been months since I've seen you. How's the insurance business treating you? You give any thought to making every car a bumper car?"

"I see you managed to drag this one off the couch, Marcie. Hey, don't look at me like that Larry, we all know you'd rather sit around, and binge watch TV shows."

"And you're with him? This guy? You're with Terry? Did you lose a bet or something, miss? Ah, I'm just kidding. Terry's an old friend from back in college. He's a good man, but don't tell him I said so."

Congressman Morgan Barrow stage whispered the last part of the comment to the young date as the other couples chuckled along with his jokes. All except one couple who watched as Morgan glad-handed his constituents. Olivia Walker offered the politician a thin, tight smile as his eyes fell on her.

"Ah, if it isn't our local newshounds. I hope your presence doesn't mean that Goforth's is about to have a shocking exposé in the next edition of the Gazette. Can delicious food ever be a scandal?" Morgan joked, earning another round of laughter from the waiting diners. Everyone except Olivia that is.

"Congressman," Richard Walker greeted, offering his hand. His wife didn't do the same. Instead, Oliva turned his attention to the woman standing with Morgan.

"Janine, what a surprise it is to see you. Whenever I see your husband, he's with one of his aides." Her husband immediately and discreetly pinched the side of his wife's waist. Olivia had long attempted to expose the hypocrisy of the politician's public face of a faithful husband and believer of so-called family values when the reality was far different.

"With our youngest still at home, along with all the charity work, I don't have much time for socializing. But if I can help even one person, then it's all worth it in my eyes," Janine Barrow responded. Well aware of her husband's affairs, she allowed them as long as he was discreet, and it didn't affect her lifestyle. A vain woman, Janine loved the attention and respect that came from being the wife of a member of Congress.

"I forgot about your children, I haven't seen them around Azure Rocks lately, but then it's not election season yet," Olivia remarked with false politeness.

The arrival of the attractive hostess interrupted any catty comeback from Janine. The caramel-skinned hostess had a tall, lithe figure with small breasts and a tight ass. The latter attribute, Morgan found mouthwatering until his wife's sharp elbow connected with a rib. Playing off his wandering eye, the elected official winked at the man he called Terry.

"Mr. and Mrs. Walker, your table is ready," the hostess informed. "If you'll follow me, it's to your left, along the north side window seats."

"Thank you, Amara," Richard replied, gently pulling his wife away from the potential scene with the Barrows.

"One of the best seats in the house, huh? I prefer to sit surrounded by my friends, the voters," Morgan told the others still waiting to be seated. "Well, have a nice Valentine's Day."

"You too, Congressman," Richard responded as they walked away.

"Hrmph."

Morgan's eyes narrowed, flashing a minor warning to Janine, after his wife's noise. Turning back around to face the others, he presented a friendly face.

"Journalists, always asking questions," he chuckled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Barrow, you're a little late for your reservation," another hostess remarked, after coming over to check the reservation book.

"Two hostesses tonight?! I guess Goforth's is packed for the holiday," Morgan remarked to the others, before turning toward the hostess. "My apologies. The time of an elected official is often not my own," he said, throwing his hands up in a what-can-I-do gesture.

"I hope that doesn't mean we have to wait longer, Shana," Janine said snippily.

"No, it only meant that in another five minutes your table would've gone to another customer. And my name is Skye," the brunette with blonde highlights reminded the usually polite woman. "If you follow me, I'll escort you to your table in the other dining room."

"My wife had a delayed flight from Washington, so please forgive the mixup. I would never forget your name," Morgan stated, his eyes dropping down for a mere second to check out her large breasts. "Lead the way, my dear."

Skye did just that, allowing the womanizing politician to check out her curvy, bubble butt. The walked along the east side window seats as they made their way toward the inner dining room. Still ever the politician, Morgan had to work the room.

"Marty! My good man, how's the commercial real estate business treating you?"

A man around fifty with graying black hair and a thin black mustache stood up. He wore a snazzy pinstripe suit that looked entirely out of place at the upscale restaurant, full of prominent citizens of Azure Rocks. The navy blue suit with white pinstripes looked more fitting for a cartoon villain. Eagerly shaking the congressman's hand, he next half-hugged the politician's wife.

"Barrow, just the man I need to talk to. The state legislature is trying to screw me in that new budget bill. I could use your help," Martin Prescott revealed.

"You know that's not my area any longer. What happens over in the state capitol is out of my hands," Morgan replied.

"But, you still have connections there, and you owe--"

"And I was just about to say that I still have friends over there. Let's talk about this tomorrow. It's Valentine's Day, and you're on a date with--Ms. Fitch!" Morgan exclaimed, seeing the woman seated at the table. "Well, well, well, I'm not sure who the lucky one is at this table. I'm going to say both. Right, dear?"

"Hello, Kelly," Janine greeted with a **** smile, recalling their past interactions.

Kelly Fitch, at forty-nine-years-old, had already lived the life of people twice her age. Wild in her younger days, she turned herself into a respected society lady in her thirties. That was up until her divorce almost a decade ago from her cheating husband. The fact that the other women had been her friends and acquaintances in the wealthier and well-connected circles of Azure Rocks had led to multiple scenes that made women wary around her.

An attractive woman with shoulder-length black hair (she openly admitted to dyeing it), green eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a firm ass. A regular tennis player, Kelly was in exceptional shape for her age. Although she carried herself as a proper lady, she could revert to her wilder days with a few drinks. A behavior not lost on the women who slept with her husband when she vowed to screw the husband of any of the backstabbers that she could identify. No one in town could say for sure, but there were rumors that she had followed through with the threat.

"Hello, Janine. How are your children?" Kelly inquired politely.

"Doing exceptionally well," Janine practically gloated. "And how are Stephanie and Francine?"

"They're fine."

"That trouble at school has been--"

"Ah, yes, it's fortunate that I saw you, Kelly," Morgan interrupted his wife. "It reminds me that I need to talk to your brother about the fundraiser he's going to be hosting at his home this spring. Is Kermit in town this weekend?"

"One never knows what the esteemed Kermit Wynwick is up to," Marty remarked, hoping to curry favor with Morgan, Kermit, and Kermit's sister.

"Esteemed? Ha!" Kelly barked, not falling for the brown-nosing by her date. "I love my brother, but he can be a pompous ass."

Marty looked crestfallen at her comment, while Janine appeared scandalized. Skye, the hostess, gave a small shrug as she waited patiently. Always keeping neutral-ground, Morgan gave a non-committal smile.

"I'll be sure to give him your love, Kelly. Well, I hope you two have a splendid night." Shaking Marty's hand one last time, the Barrows resumed their following of Skye. Unfortunately for the busy hostess, it only took four tables until the representative spotted a younger couple dining at a prime window table that intrigued him.

"My oh my! I see the future power couple of Azure Rocks seated before my eyes," Morgan commented.

"Hello, Mr. Barrow," a handsome man with short, brown hair greeted, his blue eyes briefly flashing annoyance at the interruption of his date. That swiftly vanished as he automatically did the proper thing and stood up to shake hands.

At twenty-seven-years-old, Justin Woodsen could be considered one of the up-and-comers in Azure Rocks. A junior associate at Mulberry, March & Woodsen, the young lawyer took after his father, Desmond, in nearly every way.

"Hello, Justin, and hello, Estelle," Morgan greeted Justin's date. "I just talked to your Aunt Kelly about your father," he motioned down several tables. "Is he in town this weekend?"

"No, my parents went to Everwood for the weekend," Estelle Wynwick revealed. Five years younger than her date, the college senior held a similar expectation as her date of someday succeeding her father. A striking beauty, Estelle had long, wavy black hair with streaks of gray hair, blue eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and a toned ass.

"Darn, that's a shame. I wanted to talk to him in person, before I flew back to Washington," Morgan divulged. "Now, I find myself far more curious over this potential match. Are you two dating?"

"No," Justin and Estelle responded simultaneously. They frowned at each other before Estelle took charge of the conversation. "We're still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase."

"Well, I hope you like what you see. A Woodsen-Wynwick marriage could do great things in Azure Rocks. Great things!" Morgan boasted although he knew that the odds of this duo lasting were slim. They're both highly attractive people on the outside, but Justin can be so dour, and Estelle is a shrew.

"Your table waits, Mr. Barrow," Skye reminded, growing impatient at the frequent stops. Janine Barrow's glare showed that she didn't appreciate the interruption of her husband's networking.

"Of course, I'm sorry," Morgan nodded at the gorgeous hostess. "I'll let you two young lovebirds get back to hobnobbing."

"Have a Happy Valentine's Day, sir, ma'am," Justin said.

"Take good care of this one. I've known her since she was a little girl," Morgan joked, lowering his hand to his knee.

Skye managed to get the Barrows into the other dining room with only a few quick hellos and well-wishes. Unfortunately, the hostess's luck ran out only several tables away from her intended stop.

"Ford, I hope you're not out on Valentine's Day all by yourself," Morgan cracked, slapping the man's shoulder.

"No, no, I have a date. I swear," Ford Valmore assured the congressman.

"Oh, sorry, dear. Why don't you head to our table? I'll be right there." Janine nodded and followed the relieved hostess. "How's the mortgage industry for you lately? That new development out near Cobalt Lake has to be bringing in business."

"It has, but housing in the region has seen a solid uptick in new home construction," Ford nodded, always happy to talk shop.

"That's outstanding. Say, I'm going to speak at a homebuilders convention next month in Black Well. You should come. It might be beneficial for you," Morgan suggested, always on the lookout to gain a favor from a potential donor.

"That could be useful. I'd have to check if the date doesn't conflict with any other obligations," Ford tried to think what plans he had next month.

"I'll have my office send over the information to you," Morgan said, brushing it off as no big deal. "Speaking of dates...you sure you have one?"

Ford checked down the hallway and sighed. "She's in the bathroom. Again."

"Check it again!"

"I just checked it a minute ago," Fawn exclaimed in exasperation.

"Then send her another message, Miss Graff," Ashley ordered.

The two blonde party planners stood at the sinks in the restroom of Goforth's. It was their second trip since they arrived at the restaurant to go over what their respective spies at the Valentine's mixer reported back. Ashley's spy had been mostly silent, forcing her to demand that the school librarian check-in with hers repeatedly.

"I can't keep texting Tamsin nonstop."

"Why not? We need updates," Ashley whined.

"First off, Tamsin is helping run the mixer, so she's busy. And second, if I keep on harassing her, then I might piss her off. I don't really know how much patience she has," Fawn explained, hoping to tamp down Ashley's nervousness.

"I thought you two were friends?"

"No, I said that our friends are friends. Tamsin is more like a friendly acquaintance," the dirty blonde reminded the teenager.

"Excuse me," an older gray-haired woman said in a not too friendly manner.

"Oh, sorry. Have at them," Fawn responded, motioning to the sinks as she ushered Ashley over toward the corner of the ladies' room. The gray-haired woman sniffed loudly at the annoyance.

"What about Miss Zee?" Ashley asked again.

"The last message from Wanda said that Principal Hartburn took Heather's mom to the other room to dance."

"And?"

"And that was all she said, Ashley. I don't know if Heather's mom is still with him," Fawn remarked, glancing at the time on her phone. "Shit, I gotta get back to my date."

"Not yet! I'm sending Heather a text. Maybe she heard something from her mom," Ashley said while typing rapidly on her phone. "Send Miss Zee and Miss Good another message."

"Fine, but playing matchmaker is ruining my own date," Fawn muttered, hitting send on her first message.

"If he doesn't understand, then he's not right for you."

"And Brandon understands?"

"Brandon knows when not to butt in where he doesn't belong," Ashley stated. "And he's too busy eating the appetizers to care yet."

The buzzing sound of an incoming message on Fawn's phone sent Ashley into a tizzy.

"What's it say?" The blonde teen tried to read the phone's screen, but there wasn't much room in the corner of the increasingly crowded restroom. "Who's it from?"

"Tamsin. She says that Cupid Says is over. Cupid Says? What the hell is that?" Fawn glanced up from her phone at Ashley.

"I'm not sure. Chastity insisted that she had some great ideas for games--oh, I bet it's like Simon Says!"

"Yeah, that sounds like Chastity. Um, oh, damn!"

"What?!"

"Harmony won!"

"Mrs. Griffin? Who did she pick to kiss?" the cheerleader eagerly inquired, bouncing on her toes.

"It sounds like no one."

"No one?! How can she not pick a guy there? I worked my ass off to stock the mixer with men!" Ashley complained.

The sound of Miss Graff's phone buzzing again filled the restroom.

"What's this one say?"

"Bitch, you owe me for this," Fawn read aloud. "It's from Wanda."

"What's that mean?!"

"I don't know!"

"Well, check back--oh, that's me!" Ashley exclaimed, looking down at the vibrating phone in her hand.

On the screen, Ashley saw a mocking message from Heather. The cheerleader captain, who currently hosted her own matchmaking party, but of the wilder sort, asked if Ashley was having problems. I'm not. Check out how fast I work. The message read along with an attachment. Ashley hit play and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Fawn asked.

"Heather says that she's better at matchmaking because Sharon's grinding on the lap of some frat boy. As if that's something to brag about. Sharon grinds on any guy with a dick," Ashley grumbled.

"No shit," Fawn mumbled back. "Ah, you didn't hear me say that about a student."

"Whatever, it's just Sharon."

The door to the ladies' room opened, and a nervous waitress took a step inside. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the two blondes.

"Uh, Miss Graff, are you feeling okay?" Heidi Ceet inquired.

"Heidi! What the hell is the matter with Hazel?!" Ashley screeched, rushing over to grab the waitress's arm and yank her into the restroom.

"What?"

"She's not answering my texts!"

"Maybe she's busy working," Heidi said about her cousin, Hazel Tarte, who worked across the street as a waitress at The Copper Lantern.

"Oh, please! Hazel's never worked hard in her life!" Ashley blew off the suggestion.

"She might be," Heidi protested.

"I think Ashley is right about this one, Heidi," Fawn remarked about another of her students.

"I knew I should've found a better spy, but you take what you can get at the last minute," Ashley remarked, feeling defeated. "Send her a message, and tell her I want updates."

"I'm busy. It's packed in here," Heidi pointed out but eventually nodded under Ashley's glare. "It's in my locker, but I'll send her one when I get a moment."

"And that's fine, Heidi," Fawn said before Ashley could complain further. "Now, what were you asking when you walked in?"

"Oh! Um, your date asked me to check on you. He's worried that you aren't feeling well," Heidi passed on.

"Shit, I gotta get back out there," Fawn sighed, rechecking the time. "Ashley, get back out there too, and spend some time with your boyfriend."

"But, I need to know--"

"Ashley Woodsen, don't make me call your parents," Fawn warned.

"Fine!"