Dara stood with her hands on her hips watching the cold air escape her mouth as she and her friends waited for the other team to break from their huddle. It was a cold late February Sunday morning but the first she had taken off in weeks, so she was determined to enjoy it regardless of the bitter cold that swept across The Mall of the great city of Washington, D.C. She and her other friends had been planning this football game since the Super Bowl and were resolved to keep it regardless of the weather.

As the other team broke from their huddle, Dara and her teammates started to line up against the opposing squad. The brunette looked at her old pal across the line of scrimmage and shot her a cocky grin. "You're going down, Southerland," she teased.

"Yeah, right. Bring it on, Rosenthal," Lesley, her friend of many years, replied.

Pushing up the sleeves on her sweatshirt, Dara prepared for the snap. Both she and Lesley took off sprinting down the grass waiting for the imminent pass. Both women tried to catch it with Lesley being the winner. Laughing at Dara, she took off in a sprint toward the makeshift goal. However, the brunette would not be outdone. Pushing herself as fast as she could, she leapt for her friend, knocking her to the ground with such force that the ball escaped and flew over to a nearby bench.

Dara noticed its flight pattern immediately and screamed at the innocent bystander blonde sitting alone reading, "Heads up!" The football landed with a thunk against the bench, knocking over the woman's coffee. Running over Dara tried to apologize. "I'm terribly sorry. Are you all right?" she questioned as the blonde tried to wipe her beverage from her papers.

"You could be a little more careful," the stranger growled, raising her head.

Dara met the bluest eyes she had ever seen. "I'm really sorry. I hope that wasn't too important."

"Actually it was," she complained. "You just ruined my whole brief."

"Again, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. I'll buy you another cup of coffee," the brunette suggested.

"No thanks," the blonde grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly Dara realized she recognized the other woman. "Hey, wait a minute. I know you," she said.

The blonde looked at Dara's shirt and then mumbled, "I don't think so."

Looking down at her own clothes, the brunette realized the snide remark was in reference to her Rainbow Flag sweatshirt with the Human Rights Campaign logo on it. "It's no line. You're not even my type. I know you from somewhere. It'll come to me." Just then she asked, "Yale Law School?"

The blue eyes met hers again. Skeptically she answered, "Yeah. I went to Yale."

"So did I. I knew I recognized you. You were two years ahead of me. I'm Dara Rosenthal," she introduced, extending her hand.

The blonde shook her hand. "Junior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign and volunteer for the American Jewish Committee and NAACP. I know who you are," she declared.

Flashing a smile, the brunette stated, "Wow, you know so much about me and I so little about you. What's your name?"

"Elisabeth Gunter," she stated.

"You're Elisabeth Gunter?" the younger woman questioned. "Of course. I know your reputation as well. You're DOJ, civil rights division. The HRC keeps close tabs on you all over there."

"Yes, I know. I can hardy get any work done with your special interest groups knocking down my door," she quipped.

"Special interest groups? You call gays, Jews, and African-Americans special interest groups? What are you? Some kind of damn Republican?" she snipped.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," the blonde answered.

Dara shook her head. "Well, I guess you and your President are having a grand old time then with the way things are going. I suppose you hate gays as much as he does," she challenged.

"Certainly not. I just have a problem with people who feel the need to wear their sexuality on their clothes," Elisabeth quipped, standing and gathering her belongings.

"Hey, loud and proud is the only way to be, Elisabeth. It's people like me who facilitate change."

The older woman laughed lightly under her breath. Looking over toward the grass, she mentioned, "Your friends are waiting on you. I guess you better get back to them. Tell Agent Southerland I said hello, would you?"

"You know Lesley?" Dara asked in surprise.

"You could say that. Well, I'm going back to the office now. Have to do something terrible for you to refute tomorrow morning in the press," she jeered, although her small smile gave away her joke.

"And don't think for a minute I won't," Dara replied, returning the grin even though she had no idea how their conversation had gone from hostile to friendly in a matter of moments.

"It's nice meeting you, Dara. I'm glad to put a face to the reputation at last. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other during this election season."

"You better believe it." As the blonde moved to walk away, Dara went back to her friends with the ball. Looking over at Lesley, she stated, "Elisabeth Gunter says hello."

The FBI agent groaned. "Was that her? It's been a long time. She hardly looks like the same girl I knew back in college."

"You went to college together?"

"Yeah but that was almost a decade ago. I'm surprised she even remembers me. We used to get into big debates. She was the head of the Republican club, and I was the head of the Democratic club."

"Well, she's certainly a spitfire."

Lesley nodded. "But what a body," she mumbled. "She was so hot back then. I had the biggest crush on her, and she knew it."

"She is attractive," Dara conceded. "However, she's got a thing against dykes."

"I'm not so sure about that," Lesley mentioned.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. There were just rumors at school. Enough about her, though. Let's get back to this game."

Dismissing the strange encounter, the attorney turned her attention back to the football game. After a few more hours, they all decided to call it a day and head off to one of their favorite bars for a few drinks. Sitting on her barstool nursing a beer, Dara turned to Lesley and said, "Tell me more about Elisabeth. What were these rumors?"

The redhead laughed. "Why do you even care? Are you interested? You didn't exactly make a stellar first impression."

"Come on. I'm just curious. She's got gorgeous eyes. Just indulge me, will you?"

"Fine. We went to school together at Washington and Lee. During that time there were rumors that Elisabeth wasn't just into guys. In fact, there was this persistent rumor that she had a girlfriend who went to Hollins College. Of course no one could ever really prove that, but it just didn't seem to go away regardless of how badly she spoke about liberals. It's amusing to think about now. There were times when I used to fantasize about that woman. She was the epitome of a goddess to me back then."

"She still could be to a lot of women. What she lacked in grace, she certainly made up for in those eyes. But you know what, my friend? Someone else you know went to Hollins," Dara said.

"Who?"

"Me, you big dork. I probably know the woman. What was her name?"

"Oh, I don't know, Dara. I never heard a name. It was something about her being a soccer player. They were friends in high school or something. Apparently Elisabeth used to go to all her games."

"That's too weird. I played soccer while I was there, too. Let's see. She's two years older then me, right?"

"Yeah," the redhead confirmed. "But the story goes that something happened between them, and she didn't go to those games senior year."

"All right. Then I would have been a freshman at the time. God, that's so far back. I wonder who it is. Are you sure there's nothing else you know?"

Lesley shook her head. "I swear, but if I remember I'll tell you. Okay?"

"Deal. All right. So, you knew each other in undergrad and then both went to Yale."

"Right. After undergrad I took a couple of years off before attending Yale where we met. Elisabeth pretended as if she didn't even know me, and I thought it was best to do the same. You have to watch that one, Dara. She's quite dangerous. Those looks pull you in, and she goes in for the kill," the special agent joked.

"I'm sure all her ex-boyfriends would agree with you. I felt those eyes of steel today when we ruined her brief. I'm glad though. Gives her less time to screw with people," the attorney joked, taking a sip of her beer.

Lesley shook her head. "Don't give her another thought, Dara. She talks big, but she's never done anything with her life. She wants to be a big fish so badly on the political scene, but she's never going to be taken seriously with the way she looks. No one can get past her legs."

"Those are the most dangerous kind of people, Lesley. They're desperate to be recognized."

"Well, we'll see if she can make anything of herself. I've got my money on you, though. You're the real mover around here."

"Thanks for the confidence, pal," the brunette replied, patting her friend on the shoulder.

Going home that afternoon, Dara was still thinking about her encounter with Elisabeth. She was so intrigued with the idea that they could have known each other previously that she set about finding her old yearbooks from her alma mater. She quickly found herself lost in reminisces of a decade gone by and the joys of youth. However, then she turned her attention to her soccer teammates. At least one of them had known Elisabeth.

Going to her team pictures, she started looking at the upperclassmen carefully as she tried to recall any details of her soccer seasons. The more she thought about it, the more she realized seeing a blonde on the sidelines at all her games freshman year, but she couldn't quite remember with whom she associated. There were two teammates that stood out in her mind, one of whom she still spoke to on a regular basis, so she decided to start her search there.

Digging out her directory, she dialed the familiar number and waited. As soon as the feminine voice answered, she said, "Sharon, hey. It's Dara."

"Dara, hi. It's been a long time. How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you doing? How are the kids? How's Nathan?"

"They're fine. What are you up to? Are you calling about the Annual Fund Raiser? We could really use your help this year."

"I know. Count me in, but that's not why I called actually. I met someone today that I think you knew at one point when we were in school. Her name is Elisabeth Gunter."

"Elisabeth? Oh yeah. I knew her. She was Suzanne Howard-Bell's best friend. They knew each other from high school. What a small world. Where did you meet her?"

"Oh, on The Mall actually. Some friends of mine were out playing a game of football, and it was one of those fluke things. Listen. I know this was a long time ago, but I wanted to ask you something about her. When we were in school, was there anything ever going on between the two of them? You know, in a romantic sense?"

Sharon laughed lightly. "Come on now, Dara. I know you had a crush on Suzanne. We all knew, but haven't you let that go yet?"

The brunette chuckled in response. "This is not about me, Sharon. Seriously. I have a friend that went to undergrad with her, and she said there were rumors about Elisabeth and Suzanne. You know me. Curiosity is just killing me. Did you know of anything? You and Suzanne were good friends. Surely if something was going on you would've known about it."

"Well, there were a few strange things about their friendship, I suppose."

"Such as?"

"Well, just the fact that Elisabeth was always hanging around. I mean she came to every soccer game for three years, but then our senior year she wasn't there once. It was like she and Suzanne just stopped being friends for no reason."

"Maybe like they broke up?" Dara suggested.

"I didn't say that," corrected Sharon. "But I did find it strange. Supposedly they were really close growing up, closer than I've ever been to a friend at least. When Suzanne and I were freshman, we lived together in the dorms. Elisabeth used to spend the night a lot."

"And did you ever think something was going on?"

After a brief pause, Sharon mentioned, "You know, Suzanne is married now with kids. I'm not sure it's best to be dragging this stuff out from under the rug."

"Come on, Sharon. I promise you. This has nothing to do with Suzanne. I want to know because of Elisabeth. When I met her today, she made it pretty clear she has a thing against gay people, and my friend Lesley who went to undergrad doesn't seem to remember it that way. I just want to know, so I can knock a little wind out of her sails the next time I see her. That's all. Help me out here."

"Well, let me put it to you this way. I don't remember her having a thing against gay people either. In fact, I used to wonder if she wasn't in love with Suzanne with the way she followed her around."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Why did you think that?"

"Well, everyone knew when Suzanne was a freshman and sophomore she experimented. I mean, it does happen. We did go to a women's college after all."

"Yeah, yeah. We all experimented. It just stuck to some of us more than others," joked Dara.

Laughing Sharon continued, "Well, I walked in on them one time accidentally."

"When was this?"

"Suzanne and I were sophomores. We lived in West on the third floor."

"Party Central," Dara mentioned.

"Yeah. Anyway, one weekend I had gone away to see my boyfriend at Hampden-Sydney, and I wasn't supposed to be back until late Sunday night. However, I arrived around noon that day, and the two of them were passed out asleep in bed together. They weren't exactly suitably dressed."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. They were asleep, so I turned around and left like I had never been there. I didn't want to embarrass Suzanne. I knew she was going through a confused phase, and I didn't want to seem unsupportive or anything. I've never told anyone, Dara, not even Suzanne."

"All right. I understand. So, if they were in this relationship for all that time, what happened? Why did they stop speaking senior year?"

"Well, fall of our junior year I introduced Suzanne to my friend Bryan Bell, and they hit it off immediately. They got to be great friends, but things began to change between them that spring. I think Suzanne finally told Elisabeth that she was in love with Bryan, and that was the end of it."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I remember Suzanne crying one day when I came in from class. She said she had gotten into a fight with Elisabeth, and she wasn't sure Elisabeth would ever speak to her again. I asked what about, but she wouldn't tell me. As far as I know, they never did talk again after that."

"Sounds to me as if they were having a relationship. Lesley was right."

"Dara, please don't do anything harmful with what I just told you. I'm not sure Suzanne ever told Bryan about it."

"No problem, Sharon. This won't get back to her. I promise."

"Good. Now on to better topics," her friend stated, changing their subject.

A few days later was the HRC's annual fund-raising dinner. Since it was an election year, the organization felt it was extremely important to focus their energies on supporting the Democratic candidate, so a large portion of the night's proceeds from their silent annual auction was going to go to his campaign.

As per usual, Dara invited Lesley to be her date to the formal event. Never being one to wear a dress though, the brunette chose a nice dark suit for the night before going to pick up her friend. Driving up to the FBI agent's house, the younger woman walked to the door and knocked strongly. Within a moment, the shorter redhead answered the door.

"Wow. You look stunning," Dara complimented.

Lesley blushed slightly and gave a twirl so her friend could see the entire outfit. The black dress was perfectly cut in all the right places to show off the older woman's assets. "You look nice too, Dara."

"Remind me again why I've never made a play for you," the attorney teased as she circled the agent.

"Because I can kick your ass," Lesley answered quickly.

"Oh yeah. How soon I forget when you're dressed like this. I can only imagine where you'd strap your gun."

"Don't even let your mind go there, Rosenthal. I'm off limits, remember? I've got a girlfriend who would be happy to remind you of that fact."

"How could I forget, Southerland? Come on. You've got some people to impress, and I'm to be envied with you on my arm," she said, extending it to her old friend.

Walking her down to the car, she opened her door before moving to the driver's side. Both of them were fairly quiet as they drove downtown to the Hilton in DuPont Circle where the event was always held. In her mind Dara was going over the speech she was going to give at the dinner and the awards to be given to various political people. Once at the hotel, Dara took Lesley by the hand and led them through the growing crowd waiting to get in. Smiling at one of the interns she knew, Dara greeted her politely before heading down to the VIP reception.

Inside the attorney turned to her friend, "Are you going to be all right here for awhile? I have to go see to some last minute things."

Nodding her head, Lesley smiled. "Dara, you ask me that every year, and every year I'm fine. Go on. I'll be here when you get back."

"All right. Be back in a bit. When I return I'll try to introduce you to some people."

"Fine. There are plenty of people here to entertain me in the meantime."

Leaving Lesley to her own devices, Dara went to check in with the director of the HRC to ensure all was prepared for the evening. Getting the confirmation that it was, Dara swept through the silent auction and then the ballroom before heading back downstairs. Quickly she headed to the bar for a much-needed drink before scanning the room for any major players in the Democratic Party. As her eyes drifted across the room, an incongruence stood out among the sea of tuxedos.

There was a blonde standing in a gold-sequined dress talking to some other people only a few feet away. Dara couldn't help but stare for a moment at the contour of the stranger's back, almost completely exposed and yet so alluring at the same time. The blonde hair was pinned up off an elegant neck, making the attorney momentarily forget her mission as she just watched. She wanted to meet the woman, but as she approached, she heard that unforgettable voice, and her heart dropped. Going right up behind the blonde, Dara inquired, "Elisabeth?"

When the blonde turned, she smiled demurely at Dara. "Well, if it isn't Dara Rosenthal. Hi."

"Hi. I never would have expected to see you here."

"Well, I couldn't miss an opportunity to see what one of the nation's special interest groups was up to on such a night. I heard that the HRC was giving Arthur King an award this evening. It's not often I get a chance to meet the President of the NAACP."

"That's true. I'm actually presenting it to him myself."

"I also heard the DNC Chairman would be here."

Dara nodded as her eyes found the topic of their conversation. "Yes, Chad Peterson is here. Want to keep your enemies close, do you?" the attorney lightly bantered.

"Something like that," Elisabeth replied as her eyes followed Dara's across the room. "Do you know him?"

"We've met on a few occasions. Why? Would you like an introduction?"

"Only if you're offering," the blonde replied.

"Oh, why not? Come on." Taking the lead between them, they crossed the room to where the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee was speaking with people. Making their way up to him, Dara smiled. "Mr. Peterson, I'm Dara Rosenthal, one member of counsel for the HRC," she introduced, extending her hand.

"Yes, I remember you, Dara. Hi. How are you?"

"Good. And you?"

"Glad to be here." Looking over at Elisabeth, he smiled at her. "Dara, may I boldly assume that this beautiful young lady is your date?"

"Well, um," the attorney began.

However, Elisabeth answered for them. "Don't be so modest, Dara. You can admit to it. Mr. Peterson, I'm Elisabeth Gunter," she said with a beaming smile.

"It's a pleasure, Ms. Gunter," he answered. Looking at Dara he added, "You've done well here, Dara."

"Yes, the evening is turning out well."

"That's not what he meant, sweetheart," the blonde stated, touching Dara on the shoulder. "He was referring to me." Both the blonde and the chairman laughed lightly as Dara flushed uncomfortably. "Would you just look at her? So shy suddenly. Actually, Mr. Peterson, Dara is just too ashamed to admit that she's dating a Republican."

"Oh, you're a Republican?" he inquired in interest. "So, you must find yourself in quite a quandary with the President's stance on gay marriage," he stated.

With that comment the brunette felt it best she move on to other guests, so she smiled. "Mr. Peterson, it was nice seeing you again, but I really must see to some other people."

"Getting out of the line of fire?" he joked.

She nodded. "Something like that. Just remember to sweep up Elisabeth's ashes when you're finished, will you?" she teased.

"I'll do that."

Turning to the blonde, Dara took an unexpected opportunity. Since Elisabeth had introduced herself to Chad Peterson as her date, the younger woman felt she should take advantage of the chance to pretend herself. Leaning in to Elisabeth's cheek, she kissed her lightly before whispering, "Good luck."

Both the blonde and the chairman watched her walk away before turning to each other. "You were saying, Chad?"

"Doesn't matter, Elisabeth. We can talk business some other time. How is your mom? I haven't seen her in awhile."

"She's fine."

"And you?"

"I'm doing all right."

"Head over heels for Counselor Rosenthal, I see. Tell me. How did you get interested in her?" he inquired.

"Actually, Chad, we're not dating," she admitted. "That was just a ploy to get over to see you without it looking suspicious to her."

"But that's not from your lack of interest," he added. "I haven't seen you look at someone else that way in the thirty years I've known your family. She seems to be interested as well."

"I wish. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since we met a few days ago," confessed the blonde.

"And just how did you meet?"

"You know that brief I sent to you with the coffee stains all over it?"

"The one that I've already shredded? I know the one."

"Well, that stain was courtesy of Dara Rosenthal. I was proofreading it on The Mall one afternoon where she and some friends were playing football. A loose ball came my way and knock over my coffee. Of course I was upset, because I had taken all that effort to type that on a typewriter instead of a computer, so it couldn't be traced, and she had to go and ruin it."

"Nevertheless, she stuck with you?" he asked with a smile.

Elisabeth nodded. "She has, Chad. She's a spitfire, just the type I've always been attracted to." He nodded. "I am a little concerned, though."

"Why's that?"

"She's such a zealot, and do you see who she's talking to right now? That redhead?"

"Yes. Who is she?"

"Her name is Lesley Southerland, and she's with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She, Dara, and I all went to Yale Law School, and even more Lesley and I went to undergrad together as well. She can probably tell Dara a few things I'd rather she not. Dara is a smart woman, Chad. With a little help, I'm afraid she can put two and two together."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Elisabeth shrugged. "Ignore her the best my heart will let me," she answered. "I can't afford to blow this. It would ruin my career."

He shook his head. "Elisabeth, how old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

"You're thirty-two years old. I've told you this many times, and I'll tell you a thousand more until you get it through your head. You don't have to do this. You don't have to put your career on the line or give up your love life to serve the interest of the people."

"This is just something I have to do, Chad. You and I both know that. Ever since Clinton was impeached, I knew I had to get involved for change. The Republican Party isn't what it was a decade ago. Back then I knew what it stood for, but now I'm not so sure. I know the game well by now. I stand alone, and I go down alone if it comes to that."

"Fine but I care about you like family. Don't throw it all away just to try to make a difference. You can make the same difference just being true to yourself."

Elisabeth nodded. "Thanks, Chad. I'll remember that."

He gave her a supportive smile. "And good luck with Dara. Don't let her get away."

Smiling back at her old family friend, the blonde responded, "I owe you a hug later for that."

"Go on now. Have some fun. We'll talk more later," he said, shooing her away.

A little later that evening when it was time for dinner, Dara took Lesley to their table that was filled with senators and congressmen from all over the country. Curiously the brunette wondered where Elisabeth was sitting but didn't have time to investigate the matter before being drawn into conversation with her fellow tablemates.

During a lull after the first course, Dara excused herself from the table to go to the bar at the back of the room. She ordered herself her second gin and tonic of the night and gazed over the sea of people in attendance. By the sheer volume it appeared as if over a thousand were there, all in support of her cause, which made her feel incredibly wonderful about the state of liberal politics. Upon receiving her beverage, she decided to sneak into the silent auction to see if people were being as generous with their funds as they had been in their attendance. She was immediately impressed at the large numbers she was seeing posted for various items. In inquisitiveness she took mental notes of who the larger bidders were for future reference. However, when she came to one coveted piece of art, she smiled at the blonde standing studying it.

"I see Chad didn't reduce you to ashes after all," she joked, taking a sip of her drink.

"No. He was surprisingly kind," Elisabeth replied, sipping from her own wine glass. "Which is more than I can say for you, Dara, leaving me there like that."

"You can't expect me to come to your defense, Elisabeth. After all you had the audacity to introduce yourself as my girlfriend. You don't even know if I'm single."

Elisabeth gave a charming smile, making her blue eyes sparkle even more. "Well, are you?"

"Yes, I am single at the moment. What about you?"

"Me too."

"And why may I ask did you choose to pose as my date in front of Chad? Some secret I don't know about you?"

In an effort to laugh off her unease, the older woman patted the taller woman on the arm and stated, "If you're ever curious about me, you can just ask, Dara."

Shooting the blue-eyed blonde a sexy grin, she mentioned, "There you go touching me again. I guess you like me regardless of how much you deny it," she teased.

Nodding, Elisabeth answered, "You caught me, Dara. Try as I might, I still like you. Somehow it doesn't seem to matter that you are my worst political nightmare. Your charm outweighs everything."

Finding it an interesting statement whether true or not, Dara decided to say something as equally provocative. "Well, politics aside I happen to like you too, Elisabeth. Even if you do work for the enemy, you're just too irresistibly beautiful. I can't help but notice you."

"Are you flirting with me, counselor?" Elisabeth asked, knowing full well Dara was, and furthermore, she was enjoying the brunette's attention.

"Yes, I am. Loud and proud is my motto, so you'll always know how I feel, Elisabeth. When I like someone I tell them. Nothing good ever comes from hiding the truth."

"I'll bear that in mind."

Checking her watch, Dara noted the time. "I'm sorry to cut this sparring season short, but I need to get back. Perhaps you'd like to listen to my wonderful speech about Arthur before I give him his award."

"That would be wonderful. I'd like to see what kind of stage presence you have to see how much of a threat you really are."

Dara chuckled loudly. "Well, in that case, I'll invite you to sit at my table right in front, so you have a good view. There is an extra space, and I'm sure you and Lesley can get along for that long."

"Will you introduce me to Arthur later?"

"Only if you still pretend to be my date, so I can kiss you again," the brunette bargained.

Elisabeth shook her head. "Don't forget I'm a Republican, Dara. Don't let my looks deceive you. You can't trust me."

"Don't I know it. Come on. I'll show you back to your table," the taller woman suggested, gesturing back toward the ballroom. Walking the blonde to the table where she was sitting, she pulled out her chair for her.

Smiling at the chivalry, the older attorney replied, "Thank you, Dara."

"You're most welcome. I'll come get you just before I have to go on stage for my speech if you'd like that front row seat," she commented.

"I look forward to it."

"Wonderful. Enjoy the rest of your dinner."

Going back to her own table, she was met by an anxious redhead. "Where have you been? I've been putting up with the senator's advances for long enough," she whispered, wrapping her arm around Dara's shoulders.

The brunette laughed lightly. "She likes you. It's hard not to when you're dressed this way," she teased. "Believe it or not, I ran into someone unexpected."

"And who is that?"

"Elisabeth Gunter."

"What? You're kidding me. Where?"

"She was in the silent auction looking around. She's sitting toward the back of the room. I don't know why she's here, but she looks fabulous. She introduced herself to Chad Peterson as my date, which I found intriguing."

"Seriously? That doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't. Her presence doesn't make any sense at all. It makes me wonder what she's up to. There has to be something. Anyway, I invited her to sit up here with us during speeches. I'm hoping that might shed some light on the situation. She asked me to introduce her to Arthur as well. I don't get it. Why does she want to meet all these Democrats?"

"Maybe she's taking notes on us for the Republicans. She may be feeding them information by coming to this event. You know, they wouldn't know what was being said otherwise."

"True but she doesn't strike me as having that kind of power in the party. Of course I could always be wrong about that. Maybe her looks have gotten her farther than we think. Seems to me though that if she were in any position of influence she'd be working for the President's re-election campaign, not the DOJ."

"Good point. I suppose we'll never know though."

"Not unless we ask, which I intend to do as soon as I find out some more information on our beautiful enigma."

"I'd like to be there when you do."

Dara smiled at her friend. "Regardless of why she's really here, it felt strangely good to have her hanging on me in front of Chad. For just a moment I knew what it was like to have the arm of the second prettiest woman in the room, and it was fantastic."

"The second prettiest? Dare I ask who the first is?" Lesley inquired with curiosity.

"You of course."

"Well, thank you for the flattery, but I happen to believe Elisabeth is the most gorgeous woman in this room as well."

"She is that. Lesley, I could be in trouble here. When we aren't talking politics, it's easy to forget what she stands for. All I have to do is look in those blue eyes, and I could get lost. Good thing we won't be seeing a lot of each other. I would hate to fall in love with the enemy."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think she's at as much of a risk of falling for you. After all, you are perfect in every way."

"God, who needs a girlfriend when I have you to stroke my ego?" Dara asked.

"Well, I can think of some services I can't provide, but how much do you want to bet Elisabeth would love to?"

"Yeah, right."

"No, I'm serious. I bet you that if you hung around her for a month or two she would be desperate for your intimate attention."

"Desperate being the operative word, Lesley. I wonder how long it's been since she's been with a woman," idly Dara pondered as their meal was served.

"Why don't we find out?" the redhead challenged.

"And just how do you propose we do that?"

"Ask her out, Dara."

"But she's supposedly straight, Lesley. That's not going to go over well. She'll turn me down flat."

"I'm not so sure about that. She might be equally intrigued with you. You won't know unless you try."

"You know what? Fine. I'll ask her out. That will prove where she stands once and for all."

"Great. I can't wait to see the look on her face," the special agent stated, as she took a bite of her dinner.

For the rest of the meal, Dara entertained the acclaimed guests at her table. However, just before the speeches began, she went to retrieve the blonde as promised. When she got to the back of the room where Elisabeth was seated, she was greeted by a dazzling smile. "Are you ready for your front row seat?" Dara questioned, extending her hand to the older woman.

The blonde attorney looked at it and the into the brunette's dark eyes before gamely taking her hand. As soon as they touched, the shorter woman felt the tingle all the way up into her arm. There was no denying the way the Democrat made her feel when they were close, but Elisabeth knew she had a far more important mission than to flirt with the attractive attorney. Nevertheless, she felt there wouldn't be any harm in indulging in her chance to be close to her, especially in such a public place.

Moving together up the aisle hand in hand, Dara could feel her heart start pounding. Not only was she touching her supposed enemy, she was enjoying the connection too much to let go. Elisabeth felt good near her, and the sheer magnitude of the blonde's physical presence made Dara proud to be in her own shoes at the moment. She knew many eyes were on her for being with the elegant woman.

Finally making it to the table with the congressmen, Dara held out a seat for Elisabeth. Thanking the brunette, the older woman sat and smiled at Lesley, greeting her politely as the taller woman took her chair as well. Dara then took it upon herself to introduce the blonde to other people seated near them quickly before speeches started for the evening.

As the first person got up to the podium, Dara shifted her attention from the blonde to the stage. She tried to focus on the speech, but she began to feel nerves in her stomach. The idea of standing in front of the entire audience hadn't bothered her once that night until she felt the blonde at her side. She knew she wanted to impress Elisabeth more than anyone else in the room but that speech would be filled with opinions with which she knew the older attorney would disagree. Knowing she had to put aside her mixed feelings about the woman next to her, she took a deep breath. This moment was more than just about her. It was about taking a stand against those beliefs she opposed, even if the woman she suddenly found interesting felt differently. She was honoring one the world's most liberal leaders and a champion for the call to action, and she would not allow herself to feel badly about anything her talk entailed, even if it did mean speaking ill of Elisabeth's President. With those thoughts fortifying her confidence, she knew she was ready to make the biggest speech of her career.

Minutes later the time came for her to take her place at the podium. As she stood, she met blue eyes and felt a hand in hers squeezing it gently in support. Unable to even question it in the moment though, Dara simply smiled at Elisabeth and Lesley before going to the stage.

The blonde attorney watched as the younger woman went to the podium. She could tell Dara was nervous about what she was going to do, but she hoped her presence was not making the situation worse for her. Even before the taller woman took her place on the stage, Elisabeth was impressed by the way Dara carried herself. She walked tall and confidently, smiling brightly as if she was not making a career-setting talk about Arthur King. By Dara's volunteerism with the NAACP, Elisabeth knew the Jewish attorney had great respect for the man upon which she was about to bestow distinguished honor.

Secretly the blonde had always admired him as well. He was a great leader for the social causes not only of African-Americans but all minority groups. By his strength, he was a clear example of what a diligent social leader should be, and as Elisabeth saw Dara take the podium, she sensed she was about to witness a new leader be brought into the light that very night, one who championed so many different causes, all for the greater good of the minority. With eyes riveted on the brunette, Elisabeth waited in anxious anticipation.

Dara looked out over the crowd for a second as she found her notes in the notebook that was sitting discreetly on the podium. The place seemed even larger from where she was standing, but she felt the energy of the room course through her and give her strength as she prepared to speak. She knew this was the first night of the rest of her life and the moment she had been anticipating for more than a decade. This was her moment to make her presence felt in her community and politics, and she was not going to give anything but her best effort.

Looking down at her notes, she took a deep breath and began. "Ladies and gentlemen, as one of the members of counsel for the Human Rights Campaign I find myself in the daily struggle of promoting the ideas for change in politics as well as in the law for people in our community. The needs of the lesbians, gays, transgendereds, and bisexuals have been brushed aside for far too long by the people with the power to facilitate change, but tonight I sense that momentum is shifting. As I stand before you, I see a great many of our country's leaders sitting here open and ready to grasp the reigns for the promotion of equality in all our lives. They are here with us tonight not only as members of Congress, mayors, governors, and executive directors of various social organizations, but as citizens of this great country who believe in the vision of parity for all people.

"Tonight I am honored to be presenting to you one man who has struggled with this very vision for over a decade. He is a man I greatly respect and admire for his tireless efforts to ensure that the rights of the African-American community are safeguarded from the forces of the narrow-minded. It is those same intolerant people who infringe upon the rights of the communities that the HRC protects and advocates, and so it is on a night such as this that all minorities stand together for one common goal, the ambition of equality for all American people. This night is not just about sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious differences, or even political affiliation but about the equal opportunity for all. The current administration in the White House would have you think that some groups are less worthy than others of their rights and are in the process of ensuring that our country's most-prized document, The Constitution, is shrouded with the message of inequality and hate. They want to amend the very fabric of our lives to direct what someone can and cannot do, who deserves protection under the law, and who has the right to marry. These horrific catastrophes cannot take place. We must fight them at every turn to ensure that we, the citizens, are always free. Our country was founded on that basic principle, and right now that fundamental law is in jeopardy.

"During this election year, we must stand as a united front for the betterment of all, so tonight it is with great regard I present this special award for service to my friend, Arthur King, for his foresight of advocating the rights of his community and standing with us unified in the goal of equality for every American. He is a humble servant to the greater good of all citizens of our fine country. I give you this year's special service recipient, Arthur King."

The audience roared as Dara gestured toward her friend. She had never felt such a way in her entire life as she stood there waiting for him to come accept his award from her. The exhilarating rush of being heard and having an overwhelming response made her proud to be who she was. As Arthur finally reached her, they embraced in a tight hug before she relinquished her spotlight to him and returned to her seat. Not even looking at anyone else, she focused solely on the person she so admired to hear his charismatic reception.

Elisabeth also sat watching the great leader speaking. He was gracious enough to thank Dara personally for such a fine introduction, but the blonde was distracted by the brunette's presence next to her. Her inclination was that Dara was an effective speaker but never had she imagined the impact such a short dedication could make on a crowd. She was as moved as everyone else by the passionate call Dara had placed upon her community, and even though she couldn't vocalize her feelings about what the brunette had said, she felt proud for the first time in her life that she found interest in someone who knew exactly for what they stood.

As the next two hours passed listening to speeches, the blonde realized that everyone in the room but her was able to embrace themselves regardless of who they were or for what they stood. It was a trait she had always admired in others, and one she for which she had strived. In private she was able to admit to herself the feelings within, but whenever faced with the possibility of that knowledge being public, she always conceded to her fear of rejection on both a professional and personal level. In fact, it was only her family and some of her closest friends that knew the truth. However, in the midst of her trepidations, she and Chad had found a way for her to be true to herself, and she felt more so than ever during the evening.

When the official speeches were completed for the night, Dara smiled at her company. "Lesley, Elisabeth, this would be an ideal time to meet and greet if you two would like. I happen to know where the guests of honor are."

"That would be wonderful," the blonde stated.

"Yeah. Lead on, Dara."

With a confident grin, Dara extended an arm to both women, which they gladly took and led the two most beautiful women of the night toward all the special guests. While they were chatting Dara decided to make her move on Elisabeth as she and Lesley had agreed. Pulling Elisabeth aside out of earshot for a moment, she inquired, "Are you having a good time? Are these Democratic giants all that you imagined?"

"Yes, they truly are, Dara. Thank you for being gracious enough to introduce me. Democrats or not, these are people of great political prowess, and there is always something to be admired and to learn. I must say I was surprised at the valor of one speaker in particular."

"And who might that be?" the attorney asked, her eyes casually scanning the room for any politicians she might have missed during the evening.

"You, Dara. I felt the people respond to you. I felt as if I was witnessing a new starlet on the political stage," she commented. "You have a charisma that not many Democrats have."

"Well, I guess I should be flattered by that comment."

"It was meant to be a compliment, Dara," Elisabeth confirmed.

"Well, in that case, thank you. One day I do hope to be one of these titans."

"And I think you will have your time if tonight was any indication."

"And what about you, Elisabeth? Do you dream of walking with the giants as well?"

"I used to, but I've come to realize that sometimes covert operations for change can be just as effective. I don't necessarily crave the spotlight any longer, but I still believe in the idea of a different and better nation. However, I wouldn't mind knowing those in the spotlight," she admitted.

"Well, how about knowing me? Is that something you can accept graciously?"

"I think it would be more of a pleasure than a bane be to known as an acquaintance of yours."

Smiling brightly Dara gathered her courage. Even though she was only asking the older woman out as a dare from her friend, there was a part of her that knew she wanted the blonde to accept her invitation. "What about as more than just acquaintance, Elisabeth? Do you think there could be more to us?"

"Possibly. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I would like to invite you to a function I'm going to two Saturdays from now."

"A political function?"

"Not exactly," vaguely Dara answered.

"Well, what type of occasion then?"

"More of a social thing. I'm going to the Cystic Fibrosis Annual Microbrewery Beer Tasting. All the money goes to CF research. Would you like to join me?"

Elisabeth took a moment to contemplate her answer. Her immediate reaction was to accept because of her desire to get to know the brunette, but she had her political situation to consider. Deciding to test the water with the younger attorney, she asked, "Are you asking me out on a date, Dara?"

The taller woman shrugged. "Well, I did say that I don't hide the truth, Elisabeth. I like you. Despite the fact that you do work for the enemy, I can't help myself. I would like a chance to get to know you better. I'll let you decide if it's a date or not. How about that?" she bargained. "Dinner ahead of time. We can't drink on an empty stomach after all, and I guarantee a sober ride home. What could be better than a free dinner, all the beer you can drink, and no responsibility of getting yourself home?"

The blonde nodded. "You know what, Dara? I'd love to come, but I have to check my calendar before I can commit for sure."

"Fair enough," she replied. Digging into her pocket she pulled out a business card and a pen. Quickly she jotted down some phone numbers and then extended it to the blonde. "Here are all my numbers. You can best reach me by cell, because I'm not always in the office. How might I reach you?"

Elisabeth gestured for the pen as she dug into her own purse. She wrote her own personal numbers down on her business card before mentioning, "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call or email me at work. I can't have my Republican counterparts knowing I'm consorting with the opponent. Even if we are both Yale grads, they might not overlook it."

"I understand. We'll keep things low profile, Elisabeth. I'm not looking for trouble, just some company," Dara said.

"Well, I should be going. It's getting late."

"How are you getting home?"

"I drove myself."

"Well, I should at least walk you to your car. The city is no place for a beautiful woman like you alone at this hour."

"It's not necessary, Dara. I'll be fine."

"It would make me feel better, Elisabeth. I couldn't have the Republicans blaming us for allowing something to happen to its most stunning constituent," she stated with another smile.

Blushing at the compliment, Elisabeth replied, "Well, thank you. I appreciate it."

"My pleasure. Let me just tell Lesley that I'll be right back."

Once she had returned from her short errand, the brunette extended her arm to the older woman again. Elisabeth looked at it but quickly accepted the gesture, giving into her own desires to touch Dara. Quietly they made their way through the thinning crowd and out of the building. "I'm in the garage across the street," Elisabeth mentioned.

"It's freezing out tonight. You didn't wear a coat?" the younger attorney asked as they waited on the light to change before crossing the busy intersection.

"No. I didn't want to have to deal with it."

"But you're so cold now. Look at you. Here. Take my coat," she offered, slipping her suit jacket off her shoulders.

"It's okay, Dara. That's not necessary."

"Please. It would make me feel better. You've got goose bumps you're so cold," she pushed.

Conceding the blonde nodded and allowed Dara to help her into it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered. Finally the light changed for them, and they were able to proceed into the garage. Silently the blonde led the way to her car. When they reached the gray Honda Accord, Dara dutifully held the door open after the blonde had unlocked it.

Elisabeth stood looking at the brunette for a moment as a flurry of feelings took hold of her. She knew it would be a challenge to keep her professional life private from Dara, especially at such a critical juncture in the election year, but she knew in order for her clandestine mission to succeed, she would have to be successful in keeping the brunette at bay. That thought saddened her though, because she knew the only way to do that was to not see her. For a brief moment Chad's advice entered her mind, and she wondered if she could really juggle a secret relationship with the supposed foe while maintaining her Republican persona at work. Only time would tell. Smiling at the woman to whom she was quickly becoming attracted to, she slipped off Dara's coat. "Here. Thank you for the coat and the escort."

Dara returned the grin. "Keep it. That's the only way I'm guaranteed to see you again," she teased lightly. "Besides, you'll be cold in your car until the heater kicks on."

Elisabeth laughed and shook her head. "You're sneaky, Dara. Fine. Just to prove that I will see you again, I'll keep your jacket."

"Call me about your schedule on Monday," the younger woman said as Elisabeth took a seat in the car.

"I will. Thanks again for tonight."

"It was my pleasure. Talk to you soon." Closing the blonde's door, Dara started to walk away back toward the hotel. Just as she reached the street, she heard the friendly honk of a horn as the blonde's car passed her and pulled out into traffic.

As Elisabeth drove herself home, she took the time to take in the feeling of Dara's jacket around her shoulders. Even though the heat in her car was fine, she wanted to keep it on her body. She liked the way it felt against her skin. The wool material smelled exactly like the brunette like fresh linens and spice. The jacket was slightly too large for the blonde, but she still felt warm as she imagined Dara was there embracing her. Sighing deeply she knew she could be in trouble if she couldn't deny her feelings of attraction. Just then her cell phone disrupted her thoughts.

Pulling it out of her purse she flipped it open to see the number. Her heart dropped when she comprehended it, because she knew her night was about to become all business once again. Nevertheless, she answered, "Good evening, President Minion."

Later that night when Dara took Lesley home, she reported, "I invited Elisabeth to the CF Beer Tasting tonight."

"What did she say?"

"That she needed to check her calendar and would get back to me. I'm starting to think that those general feelings for other woman Elisabeth once had haven't been resolved. I see a certain desire there, but I don't know if it's directed at me or just a broad curiosity of the alternate life she left behind."

"I don't know. It could be both. Hopefully she'll come with us to the CF thing, and we'll find out more."

"By the way, Lesley, I didn't exactly tell her anyone else would be with us. Perhaps if she decides to come, we should just meet there. I kind of want some alone time with her."

"I understand. We'll work it out however you want. We have to get her to say yes first though."

"Well, she acted interested, so we'll see. This could be fun. It's been a long time since I've chased a woman. Elisabeth is a true challenge. I just hope I get her."

The redhead smiled at her friend. "Dara, you're sexy, smart, funny, and you have more charm than most women we know. If Elisabeth doesn't fall for you, she won't fall for any woman."

"Thanks for that biased opinion, but I don't want this to be a game of will she or won't she. After tonight I really do want to try to snag this girl. I think she's pretty amazing."

"But can you deal with the fact that she stands against all of what you believe?"

"If Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger can do it, I think Elisabeth and I could manage. After all, the Kennedys are as liberal as they come and the Governator not so much."

Laughing Lesley inquired, "And just which one of you is the governor of California in that scenario?"

"I am of course. Elisabeth would just be a fine decoration," the brunette joked.

"Don't tell her that. She may have her own sights on a governorship."

"I don't think so, not after tonight. There's really only one politician between us, and that's me. As she put it, she's more about covert operations for change. I'll admit, I'm curious as to what she means by that."

******************************************************************

Two weeks later Dara's limousine pulled up to a small house in Bethesda, Maryland. As the driver opened the passenger door for her, she took a deep breath and got out of the car. This was a big night for her. Elisabeth had accepted the invitation to dinner and the charitable function, so she wanted to make a good impression since they would be alone for the first time since their meeting.

Grabbing the flowers from the back seat, she gathered her courage and went to the door. At first she had opted not to buy flowers, because she wanted to move slowly, but Lesley had convinced her to in the interest of truly discovering the blonde's feelings. Dara rang the bell and then waited for the moment of truth. For the first time in years she felt self-conscious. Everything was making her nervous from her outfit and the flowers to the limo and dinner. However, she knew she could trust Lesley's clothing advice and that her outfit of black slacks, black turtleneck and classic black leather jacket was a chic choice for the event. She just hoped that heeding the redhead's advisement on what flowers to buy wasn't too much for the blonde to handle.

After a moment the door slowly opened and there before her stood the blonde. She too had on black slacks but a blue blouse that perfectly accentuated her eyes. Around her neck was silk scarf that rounded out the outfit. In her hand she held a long black cashmere coat. After recovering from her shock, Dara finally realized she hadn't said anything yet, so she smiled brightly. "Elisabeth, you look incredible," she admitted.

The blonde blushed lightly. She could tell she was having the effect on Dara that she wanted. "Thank you, Dara. You look nice yourself."

Extending the flowers the younger woman announced, "These are for you."

"Thanks. Would you like to come in while I put them in a vase?"

"All right." Both of them went into the house, and Dara closed the door behind her as to not let any heat escape into the cold night. She stood nervously in the foyer as the blonde traveled into another room she assumed was the kitchen. The TV was on in the living room and another blonde about their same age sat in front of it engrossed so thoroughly she didn't seem to notice Dara's presence. A few minutes later Elisabeth returned ready to go. Curiously Dara asked, "Is that your roommate?"

"No. That's my little sister. I'd introduce you, but she'd kill me."

"Why's that?"

"She's sick with the flu and is in a bad mood. She's better off just left alone. I'll introduce you next time."

Secretly pleased that there would be a next time, the brunette just nodded her head. "Let me help you with your coat," she offered, taking it from the blonde.

Elisabeth indulged in the attention as Dara assisted her with her jacket. Without even asking she then took hold of the taller woman's arm as they left the house. "A limo?" the blonde attorney questioned.

"Well, I did promise you a safe ride home. This was the best way to ensure that would happen."

"I see. Well, tell me where we're going for dinner. You've been so secretive about this whole night."

"You'll see. Don't you trust me?" Dara asked with a sexy grin.

"I'm not entirely sure, Dara," she answered with a smile of her own.

Letting the blonde get into the limo first, the brunette did the same and then thanked the driver as he closed the door. "So, here we are. All alone," Dara mentioned. "I suppose now that it's just us we can stop pretending to hate each other."

Elisabeth laughed her tension away. "I don't know where you got the idea that I hate you, but it's not true. Your politics maybe but never you."

"Well, then I guess that's better than I expected, but let's not talk about the obvious political opposition between us. Let's talk about other things. Tell me about you. What do you like to do when you're not working?"

"I love being outside. I've always enjoyed riding horses. I did that when I was younger, was in major competitions. Hiking, walking, anything to do with nature is something I would be interested in. There is something so freeing about being out where there are no walls."

"That's the truth."

"I also like to write and read. That day we met I was mad, because you had messed up some writing of mine that had taken me days."

"I'm sorry about that. It was an accident."

"I know."

"So, what kind of stuff do you like to write?"

"Poetry mostly. Occasionally I'll write a short story. What about you? What hobbies do you have?"

"Well, like you, I'm very into nature. I love being outside. Sports are my thing really. Of course I like hiking and camping as well. Haven't had a lot of time for that though. Most of the time if I'm free and I'm not playing a pickup game with friends, I'm out logging flight hours."

"You're a pilot?" the blonde questioned curiously.

"Recreational only but yes. I really enjoy it. Being up in the air, especially on a clear day, you can see for miles. It's a neat feeling."

"Do you have your own plane?"

"Yeah. My parents gave it to me as a gift for graduating law school."

"That's quite a gift."

"It is. Maybe sometime you'd like to go with me on a flight. In the spring and summer it can be quite nice."

"I've never been in a small plane before. That could be fun."

"Great. Then we'll plan for it. Tell me about your family. You have a sister. Any more siblings?"

Elisabeth shook her head. "It's just the two of us. She'll be twenty-nine this year, which is so strange to think about. I can still remember her as a baby. Time has a way of flying."

"That's very true. How old are you?"

"I'm thirty-two. What about you?"

"I'm thirty. Just turned it actually last month. I thought it was going to be this big milestone in my life, but it wasn't. I still feel as if I'm treated as a kid at times."

"I know the feeling. I feel surrounded by balding old men or young guys that try too hard to act like the old men. No one ever seems to be themselves where I work."

"Not even you?" Dara inquired.

"Especially not me. I try my best to keep work people out of my personal life. It just wouldn't mix well for me."

"Probably a wise move. What about your parents? What do they do?"

"They're divorced. My mother lives in Atlanta, and my father moved back to Germany after their divorce. She's an accountant, and he's a civil engineer."

"He moved back? Is that where he's from?"

"Yes. He was born and raised in Berlin. He met my mother when he was over here on a business conference."

"Do you look like him or your mom?"

"Both my sister and me look exactly like him, nice Aryan German girls," she stated with a roll of her eyes. "Sometimes that's hard to live down. What about your family?"

"I have one brother and two sisters. Both my parents are doctors. My father is a surgeon and my mother an ob/gyn. They are still married and live in Potomac, Maryland."

"Is it nice to have them so close?"

"It is. I don't get to see them as much as I would like, but when our schedules do coordinate, it's nice to have them around. Go back to what you said before about being Aryan. You sound as if you're not proud to be German."

"Let's just say it's caused me problems in my life. People can be stupid sometimes. With my ancestry being entirely German on my father's side, people sometimes think negative things about that. You know, when I was a kid, other kids would make fun of me. People sometimes blindly believe whatever they're told. You don't know how many times I was called a Nazi just for being German. Of course now as an adult, the fact that the Germans don't support the U.S. war with Iraq doesn't make me any less of a target. I might be German, but I am an American citizen. The ethnic bias in this country can be incredible at times."

"Tell me about it. I'm completely German myself, but with a name like Rosenthal, people see me as a Jew first."

"I don't," the blonde mentioned.

"And I haven't thought about you being German since you first told me your name. I was made fun of as a kid too for being Jewish. Kids can be so cruel for no reason."

"They certainly can. I've realized as an adult that it still happens though. It's just more indirect. Instead of saying it to your face, people use ulterior ways."

Dara nodded in agreement. "I know that for a fact. I guess that's one of the reasons I try so hard to make a social difference. I believe everyone deserves the right to existence without prejudice. It would be an ideal place if everyone could just get along."

"I wish for that too, but the reality is it will never happen. There always has to be someone who thinks they are better than someone else," Elisabeth answered.

"That might be true, but it's not going to stop me from trying."

For the rest of the drive to the restaurant, the two of them made idle talk. However, once they were seated and had ordered, Elisabeth said, "I assume Lesley told you that we went to undergrad together. Where did you go?"

"I went to Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia. It's not that far from Washington and Lee actually."

"No, it's not. I love Hollins. I almost went to school there myself. They have a great riding program."

"Yeah. They're always nationally ranked. Why didn't you go?"

Elisabeth shrugged. She wasn't prepared to talk about her college days in depth, so she answered, "I just thought W & L could give me other opportunities that I wanted. It turned out to be the right choice for me."

"Then that's all that matters. That would have been funny though had you gone to Hollins. We would have known each other a lot earlier in life. That school is so small everyone knows everyone. There's no hiding yourself or your business. On the other hand, the sisterhood of being at an all-women's institution is so empowering, but it isn't for everyone."

"Why did you go there?"

Dara chuckled before responding, "Several reasons. It was only a few hours to the beach but in the mountains as well. It was close enough to home that I could drive back for a weekend if I ever wanted, but far enough that my parents couldn't drop by unannounced. However, most importantly to me at that time was the fact that it was all girls. I was about ready to burst with my raging hormones in high school and wanted a safe environment in which to explore the possibilities. Little did I know that women's schools don't have a higher rate of lesbianism in them. It's just that the practice is more accepted, because women tend to be more accepting in general of differences I think. Besides at the very least it had a good academic record."

Elisabeth laughed at Dara's blunt explanation of her desire for women, even in college. "Tell me when you first realized that you were interested in women," she requested.

"Why do you want to know that?" the brunette asked, wondering why the line of questioning had taken a turn.

"Well, you just said you picked your school because of the girls. Did you know early in your life that you were gay?"

"Actually, yes. From the moment I even knew what it was like to have sexual thoughts they were only about girls, but I had my struggle with it the way some people do. My parents and siblings have always been incredibly supportive though. I know I'm in the minority where that is concerned. Too many young people don't have the support to be confident with who they are. Their sexuality doesn't even matter. The kids today have far less support I think than when we were growing up. They have no one to show them the way."

"I would agree with that," Elisabeth mentioned, taking a sip of her red wine. Deciding to ask a question that had been on her mind since Dara had asked her to come to the CF event, she inquired, "May I ask if this Cystic Fibrosis function has personal meaning for you? I'm just wondering, because I've never heard of you being involved with them."

"It is personal. My nephew has CF. He'll be six in May. There's no cure for it."

Hearing the sorrow in Dara's voice, she instinctively reached across the table for the brunette's hand. "Is he doing okay?"

"He hasn't had a good year. He's already been in the hospital for three weeks this year. That's a week increase over his usual stays. They are concerned about him, because he's not gaining weight. He's just skin and bones."

"What are they doing for him?"

"They have a permanent feeding tub inserted into his stomach, so he gets fed at night as well as during the day. To be hooked to a machine every night of your life is no way to live, especially for a child."

"Poor thing. What's his name?"

"It's Justin. They're doing everything they can for him, but he's at an age where he's defiant. He doesn't want to do his treatments or eat properly. He's just like any other kid, but he doesn't realize how important it is to do those things. Those things will prolong his life, and without them..." Dara felt her emotions begin to slip, so she stopped speaking for a moment. She took a deep breath and said, "I refuse to even contemplate life without him. It's hard enough to accept the fact that my brother and my sister-in-law will outlive their son, but I refuse to put him in the ground prematurely with my thoughts."

Seeing the vulnerability on the attorney's face, the blonde felt terrible for bringing up the subject. Trying to be supportive, she squeezed Dara's hand tightly in her own. "I'm sorry for asking, Dara. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's all right. It was bound to come up at some point during the night. The cause means a great deal to me, so it inevitably comes up in conversation. However, if we could talk about something else, it would nice."

"What would you like to talk about?"

"How about your love life?" Dara suggested with a wicked gleam.

"There's nothing interesting on that subject," Elisabeth stated uncomfortably.

"Why don't you let me be the judge?"

Meeting dark eyes with her blue ones she countered, "Why don't you ask on another date? I can't give away all my secrets just yet."

"Is that what this is? A date?" Dara asked in sudden interest.

Shrugging off her slip of words, she replied, "I haven't decided yet." In truth she had wanted it to be a date as much as she felt the younger woman had, but she knew to admit that could have potential consequences.

"Fair enough," the taller woman mumbled as their food was brought to them.

Once dinner was complete and the bill had been brought to the table, Dara pulled out a credit card to pay, but Elisabeth objected. "Maybe this should be dutch, Dara."

"Why? I can hardly ask you to consider this as a date if I don't pay," she joked.

"But you're already paying for everything else tonight, the limo, the tickets."

"So? Allow me to do this. It gives me pleasure," she insisted.

The blonde smiled and nodded her consent. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"It's not often that I am treated so well by my dates," Elisabeth admitted.

"Well, that's about to change if you hang around me. As powerful as women want to be, I know that secretly they also want to be treated like a princess. It wouldn't be a childhood fantasy for so many girls otherwise. The key for most is to find a life somewhere between the two, and with me I always try to give women the chance to do just that."

Elisabeth smiled brightly at her companion for the night. For the first time in over a decade, she felt just as Dara had described, and she realized it was a common feeling whenever she was near the younger woman. "You're incredible, Dara. You know that, right?"

"I do now," the brunette answered with a charming smile.

"Someday you are going to make another woman the luckiest woman in the world. You'd make an ideal spouse."

"I've always thought so, but I'd have to be able to get married legally first."

Deciding to let the brunette see a little of her true self, Elisabeth mentioned, "If it means anything to you, I don't support the President's proposal of a constitutional ban. I think it's ludicrous for him to believe people are that discriminative. It will never be passed."

"You never know for sure, but I'm going to do my damn best to keep it from happening."

"Believe it or not, even more than opposing him, I'm for the work the HRC does. I think gay people should have the same rights as straight ones."

"Then why are you a Republican?"

"Because there are so many more issues than just that one, Dara. The Republican party has always firmly stood on what it believed. It's the Democrats who have the evolving party. You never know what you're going to get in a leader."

"It's an evolving party, because we want to keep pace with the changing times. We want to be on the pulse of the people, not some political dinosaur who refuses to see the changes facing our nation."

"You know what? I'd really rather not talk politics tonight. Can we just drop it for now? We can debate later, but I don't normally like to start arguments on a first date," the blonde teased lightly.

"Neither do I. It doesn't always make for a good first impression, so we'll keep politics out of it. Let's just go get ourselves drunk instead. Sound good?" Dara bantered, as their waiter came back to the table with her card and a sales slip. Signing it quickly she ushered the blonde back out into the night.

Once back in the limo Elisabeth questioned, "So, where is this event anyway?"

"At the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria."

"We're going all the way to Alexandria? That's a bit of a hike."

"True but it's worth it. I forgot to tell you that Lesley and her girlfriend at going to be there as well as some of my friends. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine. It'll be nice to meet some of your friends. Maybe they can give me some dirt on you," the older woman answered, lightly touching Dara's arm.

The brunette didn't say anything, but she did notice the elegant hand resting on her forearm. Elisabeth had a habit of touching her, but she couldn't deny the shorter woman the pleasure, because she felt it just as greatly. The pull to be close to the blonde was more than she had experienced in a long time. Going with her instincts, Dara slowly maneuvered her arm until her hand was touching Elisabeth's. Not seeing any rejection, she enclosed the older woman's in her own and held her breath, but the blonde attorney didn't say anything, and they rode the rest of the way in that position.

However, Dara felt Elisabeth's openness for physical contact change once they got out into public. The taller woman didn't let it bother her though, figuring her assumptions about the blonde's confusion regarding her sexuality were true. The brunette had considered the fact that the older woman might truly be gay but unable to be open about it. Their night out together so far had bolstered her theory. Not one to ever out another person though, Dara just shrugged off Elisabeth's uneasiness, knowing it was not her but the situation that made the blonde anxious.

Almost as soon as they got inside, they found Lesley with Dara's other friends. "Well, it's about time you got here," the redhead stated with a smile. "We were beginning to wonder if Elisabeth had stood you up."

"I would never do that to Dara," the blonde mentioned, smiling in return.

"Elisabeth, let me introduce you to everyone," the younger woman said. "You already know this obnoxious redhead. This is Callie, Lesley's girlfriend."

"Hi. Nice to meet you," the blonde attorney said, extending her hand to Lesley's blonde girlfriend.

"You too. I've heard so much about you from Les. I feel like I already know you."

"I hope most of that was good," the attorney remarked uneasily. Privately she wondered if Lesley had shared any information to anyone about their college days.

"Of course it was. Not only that she happened to mention how lucky Dara was at this chance to take out the most attractive woman she's ever known outside of me," Callie joked.

Dara and Lesley both blushed, but Elisabeth took it in stride. "Well, that certainly is a compliment."

"Moving on," Dara cut in, deciding to move the blonde away before any other embarrassing comments could be made about her. "These are some more old friends of mine, Allison and Deborah Holladay. We went to Hollins together."

"It's nice to meet you both."

"The pleasure is all mine," Allison said lightly as she shook the blonde's hand.

Deborah just rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath. "Get over yourself, honey," she quipped before shaking Elisabeth's hand. "Don't let these two gang up on you," she mentioned, pointing between Dara and Allison. "They'll flirt and flatter you into annoyance if you allow them, especially this one," she mentioned, curving an arm through Allison's.

"I'll bear that in mind," Elisabeth stated with a smile at the couple before her. It was obvious that even with Allison's playful flirting, Dara's friends were deeply in love with each other. It was refreshing to see such commitment, and instantly her thoughts turned to her own date, making her wonder if Dara wanted what her friends so visibly had.

Once formal introductions were out of the way, Dara suggested, "How about we go sample some beer now? We can catch up with the rest of the group later."

"Sounds good. Lead the way."

For the next two hours both women consumed beer from every available vendor. Even though the alcohol was affecting the way she was feeling, Elisabeth knew she had to maintain control around Dara. To slip and do something contrary to her image would be damaging to her political mission, so she took care not to insinuate anything by her words or actions toward the brunette. In her mind though she was spinning fantasies of what she would have rather been doing with the taller woman.

As the night grew later, Dara realized the closeness that they had shared at the beginning of the evening was gone. The brunette was disappointed in that, but she knew there was nothing she could do to persuade the blonde to act differently. Her theory that Elisabeth was still on her team sexually never left her mind as she watched the older woman's behavior, but she was simply an observer for the rest of the night instead of initiating any contact.

Around midnight Elisabeth mentioned that it was getting late, so Dara took the cue and bid her friends goodnight. Going back out to their limo, they both got into the back seat for the ride back to the blonde's house. During the ride the shorter woman made absolutely certain not to even touch Dara. She knew one caress could potentially compromise her will, so she sat as far away as possible from the brunette without seeming distant and cold. However, the younger attorney noticed the cool reception she was getting in the car and wondered what was going through the blonde's mind.

Neither spoke much on the way back to Elisabeth's house. Upon arrival Dara dutifully walked her to the door and lingered while the older woman unlocked her house. Looking down into blue eyes, the brunette could tell something was bothering Elisabeth. She hoped she hadn't scared the blonde attorney away that night. After all, she had enjoyed her company immensely, but she wasn't quite sure what Elisabeth was feeling as she gazed into her eyes.

Knowing the moment of farewell was at hand, the blonde knew she should just go inside her house. However, her body had other ideas. It craved to seek out the brunette's touch, but Elisabeth remained strong. She thought of the President and her career, which quickly impeded her passionate desires. Smiling at Dara in the most friendly way she could, she said, "Thank you for the terrific night, Dara. I had a lot of fun."

"I'm glad. It was a pleasure to be with you, Elisabeth. I hope we get another opportunity to spend some time together again in the near future."

"I would like that," answered the shorter woman.

"Then I guess I'll call you later this week and see what our schedules look like for any future endeavors."

"All right. Next Sunday night I'm going to the local Yale Law Alum cocktail party at the National Museum of Natural History. Are you going?"

"Yeah. I said I would. I guess I'll see you there then."

"So it would seem. Well, I should probably go inside. Thanks again."

"It was fun."

With a smile and nod, Elisabeth turned and went into her house. She closed the door behind her but curiously then gazed out the peephole to watch the brunette disappear down her stairs and back to the limousine. Suddenly a voice startled her. "She's attractive."

Yelping lightly Elisabeth turned to see her sister standing there in pajamas. "Shelby, you scared me. What are you doing up? I thought for sure you'd be passed out."

"I was earlier but got up for a drink. So, tell me. How was the date?"

The attorney shook her head. "I blew it. Things started out great. We had lots to talk about, and the chemistry is there. However, then we went to the CF event, and I started to feel self-conscious. As much as I wanted people to know that I was with Dara, I didn't. I've just got this image to uphold for the sake of the election campaign. I can't be seen as getting cozy with the opposition."

"But you like her. I can tell. Why does it have to be either or? Why can't you find a happy medium?"

"You wouldn't understand the complexity of the situation. Dara is an up and coming social leader for the Democratic Party. As a member of the President's re-election staff, that wouldn't sit well with anyone who knew about it. I do like Dara immensely, but my career is also extremely important, Shelby."

The younger blonde shook her head. "I think you're selling yourself short, Elisabeth. You've always been so afraid of anyone finding out about you. Now you have the interest of an attractive successful woman, and you're not giving it a chance. When will you ever? I don't want to see you go through life alone, because you're too busy with your job. What about a love life? Don't you want a relationship, maybe even kids someday? I know you do. You talk about it all the time. You're thirty-two, which means the clock is ticking."

"Thanks for that terribly depressing thought, Shelby. I know how old I am and where I stand on kids. After this election I am planning on re-evaluating my professional situation, but until November I have to remain committed to the cause. People are counting on me. If Dara and I are meant to be, it can wait for a few months."

"Ten months, Elisabeth. Heck, you could have a baby in that amount of time. Just think about what you're doing. A woman like her doesn't come around often."

"Don't I know it," the older blonde mumbled, looking back outside to the empty street. "Well, I guess only time will tell how tonight went over. I'm seeing her next weekend at a Yale function. Hopefully by then we will have both regrouped."

When Dara returned to her apartment, she noted that her own sister with whom she shared the space was gone. Figuring that she would be out late, the brunette made herself comfortable on the sofa and picked up the phone to call Lesley. The redhead answered on the third ring out of breath.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" the attorney joked.

"Why are you calling me? I thought you would be with Elisabeth still," Lesley mentioned.

"Yeah, well, the night didn't end as well as it started."

"What went wrong?" the agent inquired through bated breath. It was obvious she was being distracted by someone.

"Maybe we should just talk about this after you and Callie are finished," Dara suggested.

"Oh, come on, Dara. We'll both listen to every word. I'm putting you on speaker, so Callie can't ignore you," she teased. After a moment she continued, "Now you were saying?"

"Well, I thought I had her when the night began. She was being open and physical with me. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was making a move. However, once we got to the beer tasting, she backed off completely. It was almost as if she didn't want people to think we were together. I don't get it. After tonight I am almost positive the woman is in the closet and with good reason professionally. It has to be difficult given who she works for, but at the same time, the brush-off hurt more than I expected."

"Because you're interested."

"Of course I'm interested. Who wouldn't be? I just don't know what to do from here. I mean when we said good night we agreed to see each other again, but I don't know if that means as friends or more."

"What happened when you said good night? A hug, kiss, what?" Lesley inquired.

"Nothing. It was awkward. I really wanted to kiss her, and the vibes she was giving me early in the night made me think she would have liked that, but when we were with you all, it was totally different."

"Do you think maybe we're the problem, Dara? Maybe she's not comfortable being around your friends yet. We can be hard to take for someone new. We're an acquired taste," she teased lightly.

"Maybe. I don't know. She started acting weird before we ran into you, so I'm leaning toward no. My inclination is that she did not want anyone to think that we were on a date or involved in any way other than friendly. That point was clear to me."

"I don't know, my friend."

"Me neither."

"So, what now? You said you agreed to see each other again."

"Yeah. I promised I'd call her this week at some point to make plans. She's going to be at the Yale thing next Sunday too. You're going, right?"

"Sure am. Never hurts to schmooze."

"Well, then you'll be able to see her again and maybe shed some light on this situation. I mean, I know I asked her out as a dare to see which side of the fence she was really one, but now that I am fairly sure, it's painful to my ego to think she's not interested in me," she admitted.

"Well, any woman in her right mind would fall for you, Dara. You're perfect. Just give it time. There might be other issues that you don't know about. I mean, she might think being with you is a conflict of interest with her career. There aren't many gay Republicans left supporting the President after his gay marriage ban proposal. She might be lying low until that blows over as to not seem on the opposite side of the President. Although I will admit that any self-respecting gay person would have ditched him for what he's trying to do."

"Well, she confessed to me that she doesn't believe in the ban or that it will pass Congress. She further stated that she believes in gay marriage."

"I'm sure that's private information, Dara, and not what the President wants the world to see. She's probably going through some emotional turmoil here. I mean, she's been in the closet for over a decade and working for a group of individuals that hate what she is, even though they don't know that she is that way. I think I would be scared too of making any sort of movement. Her job is a stake, so maybe it's not you after all. I say you give her time. Let her get comfortable with you and the idea of being together, and see where that gets you."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do that. Well, I'm going to let you two get back to your activities now. I'll give you an update when I know something."

"All right. Keep your head up. I think you're closer with her than you realize. Talk to you soon."

"Good night, you two. Keep the noise down. I don't want to hear you all the way over in my neighborhood," the attorney joked with a laugh.

"Shut up. You're just jealous, because you're not in Elisabeth's bed right now. Make do. You know how to use your imagination. Now leave us lovebirds alone."

"Good bye."

"Night, Dara."

Hanging up the phone, Dara's thoughts strayed to the blonde of discussion. She idly wondered what Elisabeth was doing at the moment. She imagined her getting prepared for bed. Closing her dark eyes, the brunette let her mind wander, fantasizing what the older woman might look like under her clothes. She envisioned pale, soft, kissable skin, the curve of the shorter woman's shoulder under her lips. Dara pictured her hands moving over the buttons of Elisabeth's blouse, slowly freeing the blonde from its confines as her mouth took in the landscape of her elegant neck. Those same hands quickly found the clasp of the older woman's bra and released her from that imprisonment as well. Gazing down her eyes were met with the most perfect set of femininity she had ever had the pleasure of viewing. The crests were fair but quickly responded to her soft touch. Elisabeth emitted the tiniest of moans, signaling her consent. Looking back up to the blonde's face, she saw pink lips parted in anxious anticipation. Gently and reassuringly Dara met them with her own mouth, allowing them to meld together slowly into a deep exchange.

Just then the sound of the phone invaded the attorney's unfolding fantasy. Displeased that she was being interrupted from the only activity she was going to have for the evening, she grabbed the phone to check caller ID to see who it was before deciding whether or not to answer. Seeing an unfamiliar number, she grumbled a greeting.

"Dara?" the female questioned on the other end.

"Yeah."

"Hi. It's Elisabeth. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time."

"No, no. I was just getting ready for bed actually. What's up?"

"I just realized as I was getting into bed that I forgot to get my driver's license back from you. I had asked you to hold it when we were at the beer tasting, and I didn't get it back."

Reaching into her pants pocket, the brunette retrieved the blonde's license. "Oh yeah. It's right here. I'm sorry. I totally forgot."

"It's okay."

"Did you want me to bring it to you tonight?"

"No, that's okay. I'm not sure you're fit to drive, and it's late. Why don't I just get it tomorrow?"

"Fine. What time do you want to meet?"

"Around 11:00 if that's okay with you," Elisabeth stated.

"Fine. I'll come by your place."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come to you?"

"No. It's fine, really. I'm going to be over that way anyway. I'll just bring it by your house."

"Great. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

There was a momentary pause in conversation. Elisabeth didn't know quite what to say. She hadn't intended on seeing or speaking to the brunette so soon after their disaster of a date, but she was faced with at least another short encounter the following day. "Well, I'm going to go to bed now. Thanks again for the wonderful time tonight."

"My pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Elisabeth," Dara said in almost a whisper. She couldn't help herself. After her vivid imagination, she was picturing the blonde just then in nothing but a bed sheet, and her hormones were getting the better of her.

The brunette's low voice stirred the older woman's desires. She shifted nervously on her bed. Her thoughts automatically turned to the vision of Dara being there with her. However, she didn't vocalize that. Instead she answered as evenly as possible, "You too, Dara. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Elisabeth."

"Good night." Once the line went dead, Elisabeth placed the phone back in its cradle before sitting for a moment. Just the tone of the attorney's voice was making her stomach quiver. She knew she had consumed far too much alcohol to be thinking clearly, but she let her body override her mind. Getting under the covers and extinguishing the light, the older woman closed her eyes and envisioned Dara there with her. She could almost feel the weight of younger woman's body on top of her own as her blue eyes met dark ones. Elisabeth craved the intimate attention that could only be fulfilled with another woman. It had been eleven years since she had felt the touch of woman's hands against her body, and she knew she wanted Dara's against her skin. The Younger attorney fascinated her. The way the taller woman held herself, her confidence just made her all the more alluring to the blonde. She fantasized that the brunette's body was lean and toned just as she appeared in her suits. In her mind she let her hands run through that dark hair and pulled the younger woman's head down to her own to meet in a greedy kiss. The bare skin of Dara's frame pressed tightly against her own. The brunette's muscular legs entwined with her own as the taller woman's hands trailed over all the places that needed attention.

Elisabeth moaned as her body instinctively squirmed to the images in her head. She wanted the other woman so desperately that she wasn't sure she could manage to keep her carnal hunger at bay. It was in that moment she truly realized the extent of Chad's words from a couple of weeks prior. She was giving up so much in her pursuit of a career. She was not only gambling with the most powerful man in the world, but she was also potentially forfeiting the best thing that had happened to her since Suzanne. Briefly Elisabeth left her fantasy to consider her options. However, she quickly realized that the best one was to stay on course.

She had the President's trust. It was the spot she had been angling for since taking a position at the DOJ, and now serving as a part of his re-election campaign, it had become even more important. The President was finally starting to open himself up to her, and she could not afford to blow her chance. He believed in her, and whether or not she felt the same towards him, she knew this was her one chance to make a difference in politics and the November election. She knew she would pay just about any price to see her mission come to fruition, but she never considered that a love interest would ever enter the picture.

Her only love interest was supposed to be a surmised relationship she had fostered with the man she had hoped to topple. So far the plan had worked well. The President, although faithful to his wife, had extended her some affection, albeit not sexual, which relieved Elisabeth greatly. She knew there was always a chance things could progress to such a level, but she was confident that unlike some Presidents of the past, this one would at least stay committed to his wife while flirting with the blonde in a casual manner. Elisabeth had made herself comfortable with the idea of such a relationship, even though under it all she knew she was trifling with someone's feelings and trust. The information he had bestowed in secrecy had far outweighed any objections she could imagine to cease such a course. She knew it would be the intelligence she garnered that would be most beneficial to stopping the monster of a man that had been placed into office four years previous.

With a sigh Elisabeth reconfirmed with herself that this was the best way to help her people. Even though Chad had tried to dissuade her from the beginning, she wanted to do this for the party in which she placed full faith. When she had first proposed the idea of spying to the DNC Chairman, Chad was reluctant to allow the daughter of a personal friend to take on the President alone. Their families had a long relationship, and he didn't want to see anything happen to Elisabeth professionally or personally, but she had managed to convince him that she could help in ways others couldn't. After all she was a trusted member of the Republican Party and an attractive woman who knew how to use her wiles as a weapon when necessary. Finally after much discussion, Chad compromised and stated he would take any information she could provide and pass worthy parts on to the right people but that he would not solicit her for any intelligence. He didn't want to be caught in any kind of scandal such as Watergate, because the course of the nation was too dependent on the outcome of the November election. They further agreed for the benefit of the Democratic Party that she would be solely responsible for her own actions and never accuse him or any other member of requesting her to spy. This was her own venture. She stood alone and perished alone should she be discovered.

Elisabeth had felt confident that she would never be discovered until she had met Dara. The brunette attorney was incredibly astute, and she sensed immediately that the woman was on to her deception. She figured Dara couldn't quite place the pieces together yet, but she knew there wasn't much time before she did, especially if their relationship turned intimate. That was why it was imperative the blonde not get involved with the younger woman. She did not want to jeopardize her mission for the feeling of the taller woman's body against her own. Elisabeth knew her cause far offset any sense of loss she might feel at the absence of Dara's touch.

The following morning Dara rose later than normal. The alcohol from the night before had taken its toll on her head, and she awoke with a pounding headache. Luckily, though, after taking some aspirin, she was feeling better, especially after a shower and light breakfast. She was just sitting at the kitchen table, finishing her meal, when her younger sister came in.

"Morning, Dara. How was your date last night?" she asked inquisitively.

The brunette attorney shrugged. "Well, I came home alone, so I suppose it could have gone better, Leah," she joked. "Are you just getting in?"

Her sister nodded. "I spent the night at a friend's place."

"Hope you and that friend had protected festivities," Dara mentioned. She knew her sister was promiscuous, leaving her with some concerns about her safety.

"Not that kind of friend," she stated. "Although I've always wondered it what it might be like to jump the fence. You seem to like it pretty well."

"Sure do but I don't think you'd feel the same way, Leah. You're too interested in the boys to give them up permanently, and being a switch hitter isn't an easy life from what I've been told."

"Probably true. So, anyway, tell me about this girl. You promised you would. What's her name?"

"Elisabeth Gunter. She's a thirty-two-year-old attorney. She's one of the hottest women I've ever known. What else do you want to know?"

"How the date went. You took her to the CF beer tasting. Then what? Did you get her drunk and put on the moves?"

"No. We both did get a little drunk, but she didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. It was weird actually. At dinner I was getting the vibes that she was into me. She kept touching me constantly and smiling. I was getting a clear signal, but then we went to the event, and she acted like we were barely even friends. I mean, we talked and stuff, but she didn't touch me any more and she shied away from my advances. It made me very uncomfortable actually, because I thought I was reading her right, but I suppose I wasn't."

"Sorry to hear that. I know you were looking forward to spending time with her. You seemed so excited about the prospect before you left last night."

"Yeah, well, I misjudged her," the older woman mumbled into her coffee cup.

"Doesn't make it any easier, does it? I can tell you're still into her."

"Of course I am. She's really incredible, but sometimes these things just aren't meant to be."

"Or maybe they are, and you're just giving up to soon. She wouldn't have said yes in the first place if there wasn't interest on her part."

"That seems to be Lesley's take on it as well. She thinks Elisabeth is just too afraid of making a move."

"Why would she be afraid? Is she straight?"

"I don't think so and neither does Lesley, but Elisabeth hasn't confirmed or denied anything. She's a Republican, Leah, and not only that, she works in that environment. To be seen with me can be a scary career prospect. From that standpoint, she has a lot to lose by being in a relationship with me. I'm the sworn enemy. Not only that, if she truly is gay, the chances of her co-workers knowing about that are slim to none. It would be difficult to come out of hiding unless she was sure of herself, which obviously she isn't."

"Still you shouldn't give up so easily. I know you like her."

"I do like her, Leah. We'll see, I suppose. I'm not ready to give up quite yet, but you know I'm not used to having my ego banged up like this by women. The mixed messages are hard to take. It would be easier if she would just tell me how she really felt. I could take it better than trying to guess."

The younger woman nodded. "I suppose you're right. Well, good luck with her. Sounds like you're going to need it. So, anyway, what's up with you today? I thought you had a basketball game this morning."

Dara's eyes popped open wider at the mention of that. "Oh, I totally forgot. What time is the game on the schedule?" she asked as her sister went to the refrigerator.

"Says it starts at 11:00. It's just after 10:00 now. You still have plenty of time to get there."

"Shoot. I have to get going. I promised Elisabeth I would drop something by her house at 11:00. I forgot about the game. I need to go there first."

Leah smiled at her sister. "Good luck. And if you like her that much, give her a chance."

"I will. See you later. Have a good day."

Rushing back to her bedroom, Dara threw on some workout clothes and a coat before hopping in her car. Heading off towards Bethesda, she figured she should call Elisabeth ahead of time to let her know she'd be early but then realized she had left the blonde's phone numbers at home. Shrugging it off, she figured it wouldn't be a big deal to show up early unannounced.

At 10:40 the attorney pulled up in front of Elisabeth's house. Jumping out of the car, she quickly made her way up the walk and rang the bell. It was only a moment before the door opened and the older woman's sister answered.

"Hi, you must be Elisabeth's sister. I'm Dara Rosenthal. Elisabeth forgot her driver's license last night, and I was just returning it."

"That's sweet of you. Come on in. Elisabeth's in the kitchen."

With the invitation, the brunette made her way into the house and then followed Shelby toward the kitchen. As they made their way through the living room, Dara noticed the blonde in the kitchen standing at the sink. Her back was to them, allowing Dara a moment to view her. The blonde's hair was in a ponytail, exposing the back of her neck to the younger attorney. She was wearing a sleeveless blue tank top and a pair of blue and green flannel pajama pants. Dara thought she looked adorable. Just then Elisabeth turned to pick something up off the table. Immediately Dara's eyes took note of the way the tank top gapped down as she leaned over, exhibiting the items of the brunette's fantasy the night before for a brief moment.

However, before she could advert her dark eyes, she met blue ones. "Dara, hi. You're early," Elisabeth stuttered, standing up straight.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I remembered that I had a basketball game at 11:00, but I wanted to get this to you before then," she mentioned, placing the blonde's license down on the table.

"Thanks. I appreciate that," the older woman answered.

"No problem. Sorry I came by before you were ready."

Looking at her sister a moment, Elisabeth realized she hadn't given them an introduction yet. "I assume you've met my sister Shelby by now."

Dara nodded. "You were right. You two look a lot alike."

"So you think I'm cute, do you?" Shelby teased lightly, putting a hand on the brunette's arm.

Laughing loudly at the younger blonde, the thirty-year-old played along for the fun of it. It was obvious to her that Shelby had no real interest in women anyway. "Extremely. Maybe I asked out the wrong girl."

"Well, you can always correct that mistake," Shelby answered.

Glancing at Elisabeth, Dara tried to read her for a moment but couldn't. Figuring there was no harm, she said, "Well, how about it then, Shelby? I'm about to head over to the gym and put the hurt on some friends of mine in a game of hoops. You want to come and drool over me for awhile? I could always use a good ego stroking."

Playfully the twenty-eight year old gave Dara the once over. "I'm already drooling, hot stuff. Just let me grab a coat." Looking at her sister, Shelby inquired, "Lis, you want to come?"

"Well, I'm not exactly dressed yet."

"We've got a few minutes. Just throw on a sweatshirt. You already look great," Dara commented.

Unable to stop herself, the older blonde flushed lightly. "All right. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

When she was gone, Dara looked at Shelby. "What was that all about?" she teased.

"Just making a point to Lis. That's all. It's a sister thing."

"Whatever you say, Shelby."

The younger woman smiled at the brunette. "Dara, you just never know. This could be the start of something," she joked.

"True. You two look so much alike, and you are younger."

"Fewer hangups as well," the blonde mentioned.

"Just maybe I can score with one of you after all," Dara jested.

"You'd have to fight off that awfully big boyfriend of mine, but I'd root for you."

Dara laughed. "You're all right, Shelby. Now if I could just get your sister to lighten up."

"Give it time, Dara. I know she likes you, but it's complicated."

"Tell me about it. Last night I first thought she was going to jump me in the limo, and then at the end of the evening, I got the cold shoulder. That does things to someone's psyche. At this point I'm not sure which way I'm going with her. I mean, she's never even confirmed if she's a lesbian or not. I'm putting my heart into someone, but I don't even know if she shares my interest. Come on, Shelby. You have to tell me if I'm just living in a fantasy land on this one. I feel like she's into me, but she's scared of me at the same time."

Putting a hand on the brunette's shoulder, Shelby leaned up to Dara's ear. "Trust me. She's into you. I heard just how much last night," secretively she declared.

"What do you mean? What did she say?"

Putting her mouth against the brunette's ear again, she whispered erotically, "I believe the exact phrase she used was, 'Fuck me, Dara. Please, baby.'"

The attorney took a control breath at the thought of Elisabeth actually saying those words and the blonde's younger sister's body brushing into her seductively. "Are you trying to kill me, Shelby? Did she really say that? Why would she say that to you?"

"She didn't say it to me. I overheard her. She thought I was already asleep, but I can actually hear quite a lot of her bedroom activities out in the hallway."

"Are you saying she was..."

"Listen, Dara. My sister might not have had a lot of the one-on-one horizontal tango, but she does have the most active solo sex life I have ever known. She's a tomcat just waiting to be discovered." Feeling her legs start to weaken at the thought, Dara lowered herself into a kitchen chair. "What's a matter, Dara? Too much for you?" Shelby joked.

"I think you've told me quite enough. I'm not sure I could handle anything else."

"Oh, come on. It's not like it's a big deal. People do it all the time."

"No, it's not a big deal. It's just that her doing that and thinking about me is huge. It's almost too much to comprehend."

"Dara, she's thirty-two-years-old. Her clock is ticking. Her hormones are raging. These are supposed to be some of the best years of her sex life, but she's alone, because she's scared. She obviously wants you, and I think it's pretty clear the feeling is mutual. Go for it. Please. I'm begging you. Give my sister what she's been wanting her entire life."

Shaking her head, Dara answered, "I can't unless she's ready, Shelby. If she's not ready to accept the life she's been denying for so long, then it won't meet her expectations. I will have failed her miserably. I only have one shot at this. Whether you choose to believe this or not, I don't want your sister for a cheap thrill. She's got the hottest body I've seen in years, but it's about more than that. I want to be the one to show her the way, and that takes time and understanding."

"Well, she'll be all the better for it if you succeed," the blonde mentioned.

A few moments later Elisabeth returned in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Dara smiled at her as she tried to push away the intimate things Shelby had said to create havoc in her mind and body. However, it was difficult considering how lovely the brunette thought the older woman looked. "I like your hair like that," she complimented. "You should wear it that way more often."

"Thanks. I usually don't wear it up, but I haven't even showered today. You're extremely lucky that I agreed to even go out like this. Thankfully it's just to the gym."

"Nevertheless, I think you look terrific." Dara waited to see her blush before turning to Shelby and joking, "Come on, beautiful. Let me go show you off in front of the girls."

Quietly Dara drove the three of them to the gym where her game was taking place. When she arrived, she got some grumbles about her being late, but for the most part everyone was more interested in the two blondes that had accompanied her.

"Where did you find them?" one of her teammates asked.

"On the corner. Thought I'd pick them up to lift our team's spirits a bit," she jested.

"Well, you certainly did that. Which one is yours?"

"They're both mine, so don't get any ideas."

"They're so hot. Are they twins?" curiously another teammate asked.

"Yeah, right. Lesbian twins, everyone's favorite fantasy. No, they are just sisters."

"Close enough. Man, you sure are lucky, Rosenthal."

"I know, so make me look good today. I've got some showing off to do."

As Shelby and Elisabeth sat in the bleachers, the two sisters idly chatted about the brunette. "I have to hand it to you, Lis. She's one of a kind. You know how to pick them."

"I told you this morning, Shelby. We can only be friends. I just can't deal with that right now. The election is more important."

Her younger sister shook her head. "You are so going to miss the boat on this one, Lis, and you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"Don't tell me how I'm going to feel, Shelby. I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't. Dara is totally into you, and you're going to put her off for so long, she'll finally get the hint and go away. That's not what you want happening. You want that woman. You want her to love you. You can't deny it," the younger blonde pressed.

Elisabeth took a deep breath. "I'm not denying anything. I just know that my career is more important to me at the moment. I'm needed by other people."

Shelby shook her head. "You know what, Lis? When this blows up in your face, I'll still be there to comfort you, but I am going to say that I told you so."

"Fair enough," the attorney conceded as her eyes followed Dara along the court. She watched as the brunette played with her friends. She wondered if the younger woman could read her as easily as her sister. She hoped not, because she had a lot to lose when it came to her career. Nevertheless, she privately enjoyed watching Dara's athletic prowess for the next hour.

When the game was finally over, the brunette came over to them and smiled. "Glad to see you stuck around. I'm sure it was pretty boring."

"Boring? Far from it, Dara. You certainly know a thing or two about spanking your competition," Shelby teased, immediately laughing at her own remark.

Dara chuckled as well as she got the deeper meaning of not only the basketball game but Shelby's sister. However, Elisabeth did not seem at all amused at the comment. "Well, could I convince either of you in a casual lunch? I'm not exactly appropriate for anything fancy, but I'd love to take the best looking blondes here out for a bite."

"Actually, I need to get to work at some point today, but thank you anyway," the eldest woman answered.

"Work? What's so important at work right now?" she asked Elisabeth.

However, Shelby beat her to an answer. "Ever since she started working on the re-election campaign, she's been working non-stop. The woman is crazy."

"You're working on the re-election campaign? I thought you were still at the DOJ," Dara inquired with confusion and hurt. She couldn't fathom that the woman she was interested in would actually work to get the man she hated re-elected to office.

Seeing the look on the brunette's face, Elisabeth wanted to smack her younger sister. She intentionally hadn't mentioned that piece of information to the taller woman in fear of the rejection that could ensue. Nevertheless, it was now in the open. "Yeah, I am working on the campaign. I'm still with the DOJ, just on a leave of absence."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? You know how I feel."

"That's why I didn't tell you. It's a job, Dara, and it'll look good on my resume."

"But you're trying to get a man re-elected who hates me. I thought I knew you a little better than that."

"You don't know anything about me, Dara," indignantly Elisabeth commented as she stood. "And as far as I'm concerned, you never will."

"Lis," Shelby rebuked.

"Stay out of this, Shelby! It's none of your business!" Looking back at Dara, she held a firm face. "Look, Dara. This isn't going to work. We're too different. I thought I could have a gay friend, but you will not let go of the fact that I'm on a different political side than you. I've done my best to not make it an issue between us, but it's clear you can't get over that, so as far as I'm concerned, we have nothing left to say to each other."

Taking the sharp retort with a strong countenance, Dara swallowed the pain at the stinging remarks. "I'm sorry, Elisabeth. I apologize. You're right. I haven't been able to get over it, and I'm not sure I ever will. It probably is best that we not associate any longer." Turning to the younger blonde, Dara smiled. "Shelby, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for your company. You could teach your sister something about manners. I'm going to head for the showers now. If you'd like me to take you home, just wait for me in the lobby. I should only be about half an hour."

The younger blonde nodded. "You know, it's not far. I think we'll just walk, but thank you for the offer." She leaned to hug the brunette for a moment. "Perhaps you should focus your attentions on the other Gunter girl. I'm a much better companion for you than my sister, I think."

"Is that an invitation?" Dara asked in confusion.

"It sure is. Call me sometime?"

"Of course. How could I turn down such an offer?"

"Good. Thanks for today. I'll talk to you soon."

"Great. Bye, ladies." Dara watched as the two of them left the gym. She wasn't sure what had just taken place, but she knew two things. Elisabeth had just kicked her to the curb, and the blonde's younger sister was up to something.

Walking out into the cold afternoon, Elisabeth glared at her sister. "What in the hell were you doing, Shelby?"

"Saving your ass, Lis! I don't know what you're problem is! She likes you. She really likes you, and she's trying so hard. You're the one who lied about what you were doing. Why did you give her the brush-off just now?"

"It's for the best."

"You're just too scared! Lis, I know how you feel about her."

"No, you don't! You don't know anything!"

"Oh no? Then just tell me what the hell you were doing last night."

"What are you talking about?"

Shelby rolled her eyes and then affected her sister's raspy voice from the night before. Spewing the vulgar commentary she had heard through the door last night, Elisabeth's younger sister faked the peak she had overheard. "Now tell me, Lis, I don't know what I'm talking about. You were fantasizing about her in your bed!"

"You bitch! You were spying on me?"

"I wasn't spying, Lis. You're louder than you think you are. Damn, woman, by the sound of it, you wanted her badly last night."

Shaking her head, Elisabeth began to cry. "Did you tell her?" she asked. "I'll never forgive you if you did."

"Lis, you like her. Why won't you let yourself be happy?" Shelby inquired, ignoring the posed question.

"You wouldn't understand," the older blonde answered.

"Try me."

Before Elisabeth could offer any sort of reply, her cell phone rang. She recognized the number and tried to compose herself quickly before answering. Hearing the President on the other end, she stated, "Sir, I will be in as soon as I can, but it's going to be at least two hours." She listened for a moment to him before saying, "I understand the imperative nature of the meeting with you, and I will try to get there as soon as I can."

Shelby just listened quietly as the two of them walked toward their house. However, when Elisabeth was off the phone, she inquired, "Who was that? I've never heard you talk to anyone like that before."

Sighing the attorney figured she could tell her sister the truth. "It was the President," she responded.

"The president? What president?"

"Of the United States, Shelby."

"You just spoke to the President?" the younger woman asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"Holy shit! How long have you known him?"

"We met over the holidays in December. I was invited to a dinner at the White House, and we started communicating. I'm responsible for a part of his campaign, Shelby."

"I didn't realize you two were on friendly terms."

"Well, we are. That makes things complicated with Dara. Do you see that now?"

Shelby nodded. "I'm sorry, Lis. I guess this political opposition is more serious than I realized."

"It's true I like Dara. I'll admit that to you and only you, but this is a chance of a lifetime, and I can't let anything get in the way of that. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I understand."

"Thank you. Now promise me that you will not try to lure Dara back for my sake. If you want to be friends with her, that's fine, but just know a relationship between us is impossible right now."

"Will you at least be friends with her?"

"I'd like to be, but I'm not sure it's going to work," Elisabeth admitted.

"Just leave it to me. I'll get her back. Don't worry."

Laughing lightly at her sister, Elisabeth replied, "You're powers of persuasion can be scary, sis. No one can really resist them."

"That's what I'm counting on."

*********************************************************************

The following Saturday evening was the Yale Law School cocktail mixer at the National Museum of Natural History. Dara and Elisabeth hadn't spoken to each other since the blow-up at the gym, but Shelby and the brunette had talked several times. Wondering if the blonde was still going to be there, Dara showed up an hour into the party with Lesley in tow.

Immediately they both were caught up with chatting with fellow alum, but the brunette kept her eyes out for the blonde who had been in her mind. It wasn't until she had made a full tour of the museum that she found her though. Elisabeth looked off in thought as she studied an exhibit.

Slowly making her way up behind the woman, Dara stepped slightly to the side of her and pretended to be looking as well. Neither said anything for a moment even though she sensed the blonde knew she was there. After an extended pause though, the younger woman said, "Elisabeth, I'm sorry about last Saturday. You hurt me by hiding your current career choice, because I thought you and I were more aligned politically than we really are. However, from a purely career standpoint, I understand why you're doing this. To be of a chosen few to set something of this magnitude in motion is extraordinary, and the significance of that shouldn't be shadowed by my vehement disapproval."

"You know, Dara, one of the greatest things about our country is the freedom to do as we choose. We can express any feelings that we have, and it's protected by our rights as citizens. You have a right to your opinions just as I have a right to mine."

"I know. Sometimes I get overly zealous to make people see things my way that I lose sight of that," the brunette confessed. "I want everyone to be a believer in social justice and equality."

Sighing Elisabeth mentioned, "Dara, I am a believer in most of your social causes. It's just that I value my fiscal opinions more highly. You are just the opposite. You are about social change regardless of the cost. I'm more economical in my approach, as is the President, I assure you. When he says he's a compassionate conservative, he means it."

"I don't buy that, Elisabeth. All he's done is fortify his base conservatives by striking out at certain foundations. What about Roe V. Wade for example? If he had his way, he'd ban abortions. A woman has the ultimate right to choice. And gay marriage? You already know where he stands on that."

"I'll admit he's better at foreign policy than domestic social opposition," the blonde stated.

"Foreign policy? He's alienated most of our allies with the war in Iraq. He lied to the American people. He said Hussein was linked to terrorism and had weapons of mass destruction, which was his justification for going to war. Neither of those things is true."

"He is taking proactive steps to rid the world of terrorism, Dara. He's the only one taking a stand."

"With lives of innocent soldiers. They are going to war for something totally unfounded. This directive from a man that never served in combat. He's sending uninformed young people to die for cause that doesn't exist."

"It doesn't exist?" incredulously the blonde questioned. "You tell that to the families who lost their loved ones on 9-11. Terrorism is something to be faced head on, and he's the only one doing it. What about those peoples' suffering? Tell me, Dara. I'm sure Lesley would agree with me on this. It is important to quash those responsible for the worst action on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor."

"And why do you think Lesley would agree with that?" Dara inquired, wondering where the conversation was headed.

"She was assigned to the Pentagon to pick through rubble, Dara. How do you think that affected her?"

"How did you know that? She's doesn't talk about that to anyone," the brunette mentioned.

"We both worked at the DOJ during 9-11. I've had the opportunity to read her briefs."

"That was way out of your jurisdiction."

"Not then it wasn't. I haven't always worked for civil rights. I transferred to it from domestic terrorism. The point is that the people who died and the people who were sent in to pick up the pieces were altered forever. Our nation's history is forever marred by that horrific incident. It should never be allowed to happen again. That's the President's priority, and he's not the kind of man to just sit back and let other people make decisions. He's made tough choices, but he's done it in the interest of the people."

"He's a liar, Elisabeth, and he's destroyed our foreign relationships. He's ruined our budget. He's bankrupting Medicare. Unemployment hasn't been higher since Reagan was in office. These are the issues people care about, not what happens on foreign soil. He's in Iraq for the oil and to settle a score. That's childish and petty. He's used our country's resources for personal vendetta. It's unacceptable."

"People still support him on the war on terror, Dara. It's his stronghold."

Shaking her head, the younger attorney cleared her head. "You know, Elisabeth, we could go round and round on this and never see eye to eye. We're the worst kind of politicians. We're too set in our ways. I just came up to apologize, and I got dragged into this battle again. That was not my intention."

"I know, and it wasn't mine either. I'm sorry as well for going off on you at the gym. It wasn't right of me, especially since you've been nothing but nice to Shelby and me. I didn't mean it when I said that we didn't have anything else to say to each other. On the contrary, I think there is still a lot left to be said."

"So do I. Do you think it's possible for us to table our political feelings?"

"I'd like to try, Dara. I want to be friends with you."

"I want the same thing but as long as we both kept our political aspirations out of it. Is that a deal?"

"I'll certainly try. Will you?" Elisabeth questioned.

"I'll try as well."

"Great. You know, I believe you promised me another outing."

"I believe you're right. We should plan that. Maybe we should bring Shelby though as a chaperone."

"I think that's a good idea," the blonde answered with a laugh. "Even better we should make it something we both hate so we have something to gripe about other than politicians."

Nodding her head Dara mentioned, "Like blood donation or something."

"Blood donation, that's perfect," Elisabeth stated.

"Except for the fact that I was only joking. I don't like needles."

Laughing lightly the blonde teased, "So, you're scared, huh?"

"I'm not scared, Elisabeth."

"Fine. Then you'll do it," the older woman pressed.

Begrudgingly the brunette nodded. "Oh fine. If I do this, then you have to do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Something you hate."

"I already am, Dara. Who said I enjoy giving blood?" the shorter woman countered. "Look, Shelby is a nurse. We can go to her hospital and get it done. She can chaperone. Then after that we can all go celebrate our accomplishment. What do you say?"

"All right. Set it up then. If that's the only way we're going to make this friendship work, then I suppose that's what we have to do," Dara said.

Smiling at the taller woman, Elisabeth touched her on the arm. "It won't be so bad. You'll see."

"I'm sure I will," the younger woman mumbled.

The following Saturday Dara arrived at Shelby and Elisabeth's house in the afternoon. Shelby had arranged their time slot for blood donation at her hospital, so the three of them went directly there. Upon arrival they had to wait for a few minutes but were then allowed to go in at the same time for their donation.

Seeing several tables set up, Dara waited for Elisabeth and Shelby to take theirs before moving to one on the other side of the eldest blonde. She was silent as the two sisters talked with each other. The brunette was nervous about giving blood due to her needle issue, but she didn't want to look scared in front of either woman, so she tried to act nonchalant about the event.

However, when it was time for her to actually have the needle placed in her arm, Dara felt herself becoming ill. Desperately she tried to focus on something other than what was going on around her. Catching eyes with Shelby, she noticed that both blondes were doing fine, forcing her to try to do the same. Closing her eyes, she made herself relax and think about other things.

Meanwhile as the two sisters chatted, Shelby mentioned, "Do you think Dara is going to be okay?"

Elisabeth shrugged. "I hope so. She doesn't look so good."

"Well, we'll see. The worst part is over. That should help," the nurse answered.

By the time both of the blondes were finished and recovering in their chairs, Dara was almost finished as well. The brunette had managed to make it through the whole process and was getting ready to have the needle removed. Adverting her eyes as it happened, she grimaced when the attending nurse pulled it out and stuck a bandage over the top of it. Feeling relief that the torture was over, the tall woman stood before the nurse gave her permission and suddenly things went black.

Elisabeth screamed in surprise as Dara hit the floor. She wanted to move, but Shelby instructed her to stay where she was, so she didn't faint either from the sudden movement. Gently sliding off own reclining chair, the youngest woman made it to the floor. Checking to make sure Dara hadn't hurt herself, she chuckled. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Is she okay?" the blonde attorney inquired in concern.

"She'll be fine. She just fainted, because she was trying to be tough. She'll come to in a few minutes. Don't worry."

"She really went down, Shelby."

"I know. That's what happens if you don't wait a few minutes while your body recovers. We'll get some orange juice for her, and she'll be better. I promise."

"Well, I'm feeling fine now. I'm getting up."

"Fine but move gently. I don't need you taking a dive either," her sister said as the other nurse came back with juice for Dara.

Elisabeth did as she was told, moving slowly off the chair. Coming to where Dara was, she knelt down next to the tall woman. Softly her hand went to the brunette's hair and stroked it back from her face lightly as she looked on in concern.

Dara flinched slightly before her eyes fluttered open. Looking up and seeing both blondes by her side, she asked in confusion, "What happened?"

"You moved too quickly. Here. Drink this and just relax," Shelby instructed, handing the cup to the brunette. Dara tried to prop herself up enough to drink the beverage, but she still felt too weak. "Let me help you," the blonde nurse suggested, slowly lifting the larger woman up, so she could prop her against her.

Elisabeth took the cup from the brunette. "Here, Dara. Let me get this for you," she offered.

The tall woman shook her head slightly and reached out her hand. "No. I'm fine, really."

"Dara, you're not fine. You just fainted. Let us help you," Elisabeth countered. Sighing loudly Dara didn't fight as the blonde attorney brought the cup to her mouth. She took the straw between her lips and took a sip. All three of them were silent for a few moments. Elisabeth took that time to study Dara. As tough as the brunette appeared, watching her faint humanized her in a way that was flattering to the blonde. It showed that Dara had a vulnerable side to her. Instinctively she reached for Dara's head, running her fingers through the dark locks in affection. "You feeling better now?" she asked when the cup was empty.

"Yeah. Thanks," Dara replied, looking between both of them. Rising to her feet slowly with their assistance, she said, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. You don't always have to be so tough all the time," Elisabeth mentioned.

"Not a word about this to anyone. This would ruin my reputation," Dara joked lightly as both women escorted her from the hospital.

"We wouldn't tell a soul, Dara," Elisabeth answered with a smile. "But perhaps I should drive. The last thing we need is for you to be light-headed behind the wheel."

Figuring the older woman had a point, the brunette nodded and dug her keys out of her pocket. "Easy with her now, Elisabeth. This is my baby, and I don't let just anyone drive her."

The blonde attorney laughed. "I'll be gentle with her. I promise." When the three of them arrived at Dara's jeep, the blondes got the tall woman situated in the backseat before taking both the front ones.

"This is the first time I've ridden in the backseat," she mentioned.

"Bet you've done lots of other things back there, though," Shelby teased, winking at the brunette.

"Well, that's not up for discussion, but I'd be more than happy to show you some of my moves later," the attorney countered.

"I'll keep that in mind. For now though, let's focus on getting you some food. Where do you want to go?"

"Elisabeth can decide."

"Well, we had decided on going into Tenley Town to have Mexican. Are you still up for that, Dara?"

"Sounds good. Drive on, chauffeur." The brunette spent most of the ride quietly observing the two sisters as they chatted amiably. She found it much easier to deal with Elisabeth with Shelby as a buffer, but she did long for moments alone with the woman she found interesting. After the incident at the hospital where Elisabeth was stroking her hair, the tall woman wondered what was going on in the older woman's head.

Arriving at the Mexican restaurant, the three of them went to the bar while they waited on a table. Greeting the bartender with a dashing smile, Dara ordered three margaritas for them. When they were delivered the brunette raised her glass, "I'd like to propose a toast on a job well done by the two of you today. You came through like real champs."

"So did you, Dara. Most people would just give up and not go through with it, but you stuck to it until the end," Shelby stated

"Well, next time we decide to do something charitable, let's make it something we enjoy a little better. Let's feed the homeless next time. I'd much prefer that."

"That's a great idea," Elisabeth seconded. "Let's do that."

"Do what?" Dara asked.

"Work with the homeless. I think we should do that."

"Fine. I'll set it up if you just give me some times you're available."

"Me too. I want to come," Shelby jumped in.

"We wouldn't go anywhere without you, Shelby. I can't leave my favorite girl at home while I party with her sister at the local food bank," Dara jested. "It just wouldn't be right."

Smiling at her sister and wrapping her arms around the brunette's shoulders, Shelby asked, "Did you hear that, Lis? I'm her favorite girl. I'm the envy of the entire world."

Giving a demure grin in return, the oldest woman, answered, "You certainly are. You make a good pair."

A few minutes later their names were called for the table, so Dara led the way. Once they were seated the brunette excused herself to the restroom, leaving the sisters to themselves. Making sure Dara was out of earshot, Shelby inquired, "So, how do you think it's going?"

"Good. This is the first time we haven't fought since we met. Having you here has been a real help."

"I'm glad to hear it. I could feel the chemistry between the two of you at the hospital when she had fainted. It's obvious you care about her, Lis. Just take it baby steps at a time if necessary. I think this woman would be willing to wait if she sees your interest."

"Yeah. Let's hope so. Right now I just want to concentrate on being friends, though. If we can do that, we have a chance once the election is over. I still can't forget about that."

"I know. In the meantime though you don't mind that I flirt with her, do you?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think it's helping keeping the tension between us low, which is good for everyone."

"That's the feeling I got as well, so I guess I'm just going to keep doing it then."

"That's fine with me."

"You know, if this evening goes well and then our next little charitable adventure, whatever that may be, goes well, you should think about going out together, just the two of you. I know you think you'll run the risk of arguing, but I think as you two get to know each other, you'll find other things to discuss other than politics. I know you'd like to be able to get to that level with her."

"Yeah, I would. She promised me a ride in her plane sometime. I think I might take her up on that. After all, it's almost April, so the weather should only be improving. Seems like a good next step, especially since I know it's something she enjoys so much."

"Good plan," Shelby seconded.

Several minutes later the brunette returned. "So, what have my blonde beauties been talking about while I was away?" she asked casually.

"Your demise," Elisabeth joked.

"Oh, good topic. Well, if I must go, I'd like to die of pleasure, so please keep that in mind. Being smothered by a set of perfect breasts would be ideal."

"That can certainly be arranged. I happen to have a flawless set on hand," Shelby quipped.

"Maybe I should see for myself to judge," bantered the tall woman with a mischievous grin.

"Later. I don't want to get thrown out of here until I finish at least one more margarita. After you get me drunk, ask again. I'll be much more inclined to be receptive."

"I'll bear that in mind. And what about you, Elisabeth? Anything to offer to this course of conversation?"

"No. I think you're quite capable of carrying this one yourselves. After all, who am I to argue with my sister's claim?"

"Well, you might possibly be the only one who could," Dara mentioned as their waiter came to the table.

All three women ordered their meal and then talked quietly. Dara enjoyed herself immensely during the dinner. Both blondes were equally entertaining by the way they played off each other. She merely had to sit back and watch, issuing commentary when necessary to keep the dialogue going. When the meal was finally over, Dara drove them back to their house. The night was still early, but she didn't want to seem too eager to be in their company. Pulling up to the curb in front of their house, she decided to walk them to the door.

Upon arrival Elisabeth unlocked it before both blondes turned to Dara. The brunette smiled. "Well, it's not often I take two women out at once. I'm not sure of the protocol. Should I say my good byes to each of you in private?" she joked.

"You're not coming in?" Shelby inquired. "It's early."

"Well, I hadn't been invited. One of the first rules in dating is never assume anything and be ready for everything. I didn't know if you two had other plans."

"That's good advice. Come in. I'm staying here tonight. We can watch a movie, make out a little, whatever your heart desires," the younger blonde teased enticingly.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Lead the way, Shelby."

Heading inside Shelby gestured to the couch. "Why don't you have a seat? I'm going to the kitchen. You want anything?"

"A drink would be good."

"What do you want?"

"What are you offering?"

Smiling cunningly she answered, "I already told you, anything your heart desires."

Pretending to ponder the offer, the tall woman finally responded, "In that case, a shot of tequila with Lemon and salt."

"Haven't you had enough tonight?" Elisabeth mentioned as she took a seat in a nearby chair.

"I haven't had that much. Besides it seems that I'm not going anywhere for quite a while."

"Lis, you want something?"

"Water would be good. Thanks, Shelby."

When the two older women were left alone, the brunette asked, "So, do you have any big plans for the night?"

"There is a possibility that I might have to go to a meeting at work, but they'll call me if it's going to happen. Otherwise I'm just going to stay in."

"They would schedule an impromptu meeting on Saturday night? What if people have plans? How does that work?"

"Easy. None of us have lives," Elisabeth joked.

Dara laughed at the attempt to keep things light between them. "And when will you know if you have this meeting?"

Before the blonde could respond to the question, her cell phone rang. Seeing the number on the ID, she mentioned, "Right about now." Getting up and leaving the room, she answered the call.

Dara on the other hand decided to get up as well and moved toward the kitchen where Shelby was. "Need help with anything?"

"No, I've got it, but your company is always welcome."

Moving further into the space, the attorney sat at the table and waited. Shelby joined her after a moment. "Where's Lis?"

"On the phone. I think she is going to have to go to work."

The blonde shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time. That's fine though. Gives me a chance to get to know you better."

A moment later Elisabeth reappeared. "Looks like I have to go to that meeting after all. Sorry."

"No problem. Shelby and I will be fine. How long is it going to take?"

"I don't know. Could be a few hours. You'll probably be gone before I get back."

"Well, that's all right. There's always next time."

Elisabeth nodded. "Yeah. I'll call you about my schedule."

"Fine. Have fun if that's possible."

Smiling at the two of them, the blonde attorney replied, "It's all business. I'd much rather stay with you two."

Once she was gone, Shelby smiled at her guest. "Well, now whatever will we do with ourselves?" she questioned.

"Don't know. You look as if you have something in mind, though," Dara stated, seeing a quirky look in the blonde's eyes.

"I do, my friend. I just had a thought. You know, if you keep drinking, you won't be able to leave. It would force you to stay the night here. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"It does have possibilities."

"Then why don't we play a game to help us along."

"What did you have in mind?" gamely the taller woman asked.

"For each shot we take, we get to ask the other a question. It can be about anything, and you can't lie in your answer," she proposed.

"Oh, a little truth or dare without the dare, huh?"

"Well, the daring can come later once we're both smashed. What do you say? Are you game for that?"

Dara shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I'll even let you go first."

"Perfect," Shelby said. She grabbed another shot glass and poured herself some tequila. Quickly drinking it she smiled. "Well, first things first. How many people have you ever had sex with?"

Dara laughed at the question. "Going easy on me, I see. Well, I'll remember this. Let's see. How many people have I been with? I have to think about that for a moment. I would have to say twenty."

"Really? That many? I didn't pick you for that kind of girl. I thought for sure you'd be more conservative in that area."

"Well, I started in high school, and I was pretty wild back then. The older I've gotten the more reserved and cautious I've become. My turn," she mentioned taking her own shot. "Are you as wild as you appear to be?"

"More so. There are things about me that would surprise you."

"Such as?"

"That's a question for another drink," she joked. Immediately Dara took another to have her question answered. "Well, let's start with the most shocking. I'm not just a nurse. Lis thinks that's what I do for a living, but that's not my primary career. I own my own business actually."

"Which would be?"

"I am the sole proprietor of an internet porn site."

"You're kidding. Really?"

Shelby nodded. "Lis is gone so much, she doesn't know the hours that I keep. I set it up a year ago, and it's making me more money than I had ever imagined. I work at the hospital about twenty hours a week just to get out of the house."

"That's wild. Show it to me."

"Sure. Let me get my laptop," the blonde answered, getting up from the table. She returned several minutes later. Quickly she booted up her machine and went to her website. They looked at it together for a few moments. "I've got everything anybody would want that's legal. Pictures, videos, live performances, anything that you want can be arranged as long as it's within the law. You'd be surprised how many people are out there just looking for a safe sexual outlet."

"Are you featured on the site?" curiously the attorney inquired.

Shelby cracked a rakish grin. "I've been known to record my performances and post them. It's fun."

"Is that legal?"

"Yes, it's legal."

"Wow. You really are a wild child. Elisabeth doesn't know about this?"

"No. Please don't tell her. She wouldn't approve."

"I won't. It's not my business anyway."

"So, back to you. Were any of these twenty people men or do you just date women?" the younger woman asked, taking another shot.

"Nineteen out of twenty were women. I was young then and trying to be something I wasn't. It wasn't good, and it left me realizing I could never been anything but what I truly was. What about you? Have you ever been with a woman?"

"No. That's not to say I haven't wondered. I would like to know what the allure is, but I haven't found anyone that I would feel safe with. At least I hadn't until I met you. You seem like the perfect type of woman to be with. It's too bad you've got your sights on my sister instead," Shelby mentioned with a smile as she poured both of them more alcohol. "Still, at night I think both of us Gunter girls are thinking about the same woman as we go to sleep."

Dara flushed brightly. "That's very flattering, Shelby."

The blonde giggled a little. "I think this tequila is definitely starting to get to me. I wouldn't normally try to put moves on my sister's girlfriend."

"I'm not Elisabeth's girlfriend."

"But you want to be, don't you?"

Dara nodded. "I suppose I do. She's terrific, Shelby, and I can't help but be attracted to her. Enough about that though. Let's get back to you. How much do you want to know about being with a woman? What's it like to kiss or have sex?"

"Yes to both and everything in between. I know we can't have sex but maybe you could just kiss me. That way I would know at least what part of it is like," she proposed.

"Oh, I don't know if that's a good idea, Shelby," Dara resisted.

"Why not? It doesn't have to mean anything. It'll just be a tutorial."

The older woman thought it wouldn't necessarily be a good idea, but the thought of kissing the attractive blonde that so closely resembled Elisabeth intrigued her. It would almost be like kissing the woman she really wanted, her alcohol-induced cloudy thoughts reasoned. "Well, all right," she conceded. Moving from her chair, she came to where Shelby was sitting and kneeled down next to her to look into blue eyes. Leaning in she gave her friend a soft kiss on the mouth.

When the brunette pulled back again, Shelby smiled. "That was nice but not quite what I had in mind. That was just a kiss between friends. Kiss me like I was Elisabeth," she demanded softly.

"I can't, Shelby," Dara objected.

"Come on. One kiss. I'll even make it easier for you. Close your eyes." The attorney did as she was told even though she knew it was going to be a bad idea. She felt Shelby's arms come around her neck and the blonde's breath on her face. Nevertheless, she hesitated. However, then Shelby whispered, "Kiss me, Dara." Falling victim to the seductive directive, the brunette closed the distance between them. In her mind it was Elisabeth with her as she powerfully claimed Shelby's lips in a steamy exchange. Getting lost in the fantasy of it, several moments passed before they had to break for air.

Opening her eyes again, Dara saw Elisabeth's younger sister in her arms. "Oh God. What did I just do?" she mumbled, pulling away and returning to her own chair.

"You just showed me how much you really want my sister," Shelby replied. "That was incredible. You certainly know how to kiss."

"Well, thanks. Don't tell her I did that."

"I wouldn't dream of it. It's our little secret. Although now I wish I knew what the rest felt like. She's really missing out. So, tell me. Now that I know how much you want her tell me if you fantasize about her."

The brunette shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose I do fantasize about Elisabeth. She's amazing. It's hard not to."

"Do you touch yourself while you think about her?" Shelby asked, taking a sip directly from the tequila bottle.

With a slight blush, the attorney responded, "Don't we all do that?"

The younger woman nodded. After a moment she said, "I'm going to show you something. Come with me." Dara did as she was told, following the blonde who had the alcohol firmly in her grasp. Together they went up the staircase to the second floor, and Shelby opened one of the bedroom doors. "Come on in," she invited. "Take a seat on the bed."

The older woman hesitated a moment at the inducement. She knew that she wasn't capable of thinking clearly with the amount of tequila she had consumed. To be with the blonde in such a space, even though she was Elisabeth's sister, could be potentially catastrophic, because she knew it was in her to pursue something carnal with Shelby even though there was no true interest. Moreover, with the blonde's confession earlier about her sexual curiosity, Dara knew this was a bad mix. "I don't think we should be doing this," she half-heartedly mentioned.

"Dara, trust me. Lie down on the bed and close your eyes. I won't bite unless you ask me to," she whispered.

Going against her better judgement, the taller woman reclined on the bed and shut her eyes. She wondered what was about to happen next between them, because the whole night had been a surprise thus far. She felt Shelby rest beside her. "Shelby, I don't want to do anything we'll regret later," she stated urgently, knowing her willpower was beginning to fall to the wayside now that they were in their current positions.

"Don't worry. Now tell me. Did you look at this room when you walked in at all?"

"Sort of. Why?"

"Because this is Elisabeth's room. You're on her bed right now." The brunette didn't say anything but let herself feel her surroundings at the admission. "If you try you can smell her shampoo on the pillowcases." Dara moaned as her nose did pick up the scent to which Shelby was referring. "Now just relax. I want to read you something."

"Okay." Dara heard the blonde flipping pages for a moment.

Clearing her throat softly, the blonde began to read. "I can't believe what happened the other night. It was like a dream to be that close to her. The way she held my hand and kissed me so delicately on the cheek made me even weaker in desire than I felt like I have ever been. There is just something about her. Something I can't deny. She drives me crazy. Having her dominate my thoughts has made it difficult to focus on what is supposed to matter in my life right now. All I can really think about is her mouth on my body, her hands on my heated skin. I imagine her with me every night, her strong naked body hovering above mine. I need so badly to feel the weight of her pressed against me. Knowing my needs, she lowers her frame as our mouths come together gently at first and then with more passion as the moments pass. Her mouth tyrannizes my lips, but all I can do is moan in the utter satisfaction and wantonness of her urgency. Quickly she moves along my skin. Her mouth and hands seem to be everywhere at once. Then I can feel the wet heat of her open mouth covering the tip of my breast. I cry out to her, clinging tightly to her dark head while she suckles ardently as if a preface of her talents still to come. I'm insatiable for her touch. It burns me to my soul. Begging for the relief I know she is sure to give, I try to withhold my peak, but she is so persistent. I can feel myself slipping into oblivion, but I beseech her continue her quest before my body surrenders, for I have other wants this night. Immediately I feel her hand come to rest along my thigh. I know she's waiting for a sign from me that this is what I truly want between us. She is that kind of loving caring woman, but we both know permission is not needed. I have been captive since the beginning by her charm, and I willingly give myself to her. I want her inside of me. I need her there. I need to be possessed and taken with her knowing hands. She holds me in a loving embrace as I feel her in me for the first time. She's still for a moment but then gently begins to guide me to that place for which I have craved long before we were even together. I simply know she is the one who will be able to take me to the bliss I always wanted in intimacy. I let my climax enfold me just as her arms to my body. The power of the moment is so overwhelming I begin to cry as if a schoolgirl having just lost her virginity, but the tears I shed are not of pain. They are of joy and sadness. I am overcome by the delight of my ecstasy at her touch. However, there lingers a hint of melancholy, for it is in this moment I wish that she had been my first, my only. However, I am safe in the knowledge that she will be my last. She is now my lover, my life. As the tender moment of our lovemaking draws to a close, I pull her head to my breasts, so she can rest. My hands idly stroke her dark rich hair. We drift slowly to sleep with her still inside of me, where she belongs, her new home. My last conscious thought is to whisper her name lovingly as I kiss the top of her head. 'Dara, my sweet, Dara,' I mumble before we both sink into dreams."

A prolonged silence filled the room when Shelby stopped reading the passage. The whole time she had been talking, Dara had imagined it was herself with Elisabeth, but to have the knowledge of the piece truly being about them proved to be overwhelming to the attorney. "You shouldn't have read that to me," she slowly stated.

"Why not? I wanted you to know how Lis feels about you. Lord knows she won't tell you."

"Those are her private thoughts. I'm sure she never intended for me to be privy to them. How did you even know about them?"

"I found it one day when I came into to borrow some clothes."

"You shouldn't have read it the first time or shared it with me just now. How can I even look at her now? Those are intimate thoughts."

"But for you, Dara. Elisabeth wants you in a way she hasn't ever wanted anyone else, not even her first girlfriend who she thought was the love of her life."

Sidetracked by the comment, the brunette questioned, "Her first girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Her name was Suzanne. They were best friends in high school, but after they went to college things started to happen."

"Suzanne Howard?" the older woman questioned.

"Yeah. That's her name. Did Lis tell you?"

"No. Suzanne and I went to school together. It's a long story, but it's true then? She and Suzanne were lovers?"

"It's true. That's who Lis lost her virginity to, but it took the forever to do it, though. They were both sophomores in college for goodness sakes."

"And after that? Who else was she with?" curiously Dara inquired.

"No one that I know of. She was devastated when Suzanne dumped her. I'm not sure she ever got over it. As far as I know though, Suzanne was her only lover. Kind of sad to think about really. She just hasn't trusted anyone enough to let them that close. That is until now anyway. Dara, I know the situation is complicated. The political landscape in which you both find yourselves doesn't lend itself for you to have a relationship. I know that, and Lis keeps telling me that. However, in November when this election is over, there will be time to explore everything each of you is feeling. I'm begging you to give her a chance. As hard-headed as she seems right now, she wants to be with you. Promise me you'll give her that opportunity."

Dara sighed as she looked at the blonde. "Shelby, that's eight months from now. Her feelings could change and so could mine. I can't say what the future will be. However, if we're both still interested, and she's open to trying, it would be a great honor to try with her. There are a lot of differences between us, though. Some of those differences are harder to overcome than others."

"I know you believe that to be true, but I'm telling you, Dara, you're closer to each other than you really know."

The brunette just nodded her head even though she didn't agree with Shelby's assessment. Instead she focused on her surroundings. She took in Elisabeth's room for several minutes in silence, studying every bit of the space. On the blonde's wall next to her desk hung her diplomas from high school through law school as well as commendations she had received along the way. "What's up with the wall of greatness? Does she think that highly of herself?" the attorney inquired.

"To the contrary, Dara. Elisabeth has always had a problem appreciating her own value. I'm the one who put up the wall as a reminder to her of what's she's achieved."

"That's nice of you. She doesn't seem like that kind of person, though."

"Maybe not to the outsider, but those of us who are allowed close enough can see it clearly."

"Have you two always gotten along?"

"For the most part. As kids we had our arguments, but now that we're adults, we look out for each other. I can't let anything happen to her. She might be older than me, but I'm the real protector. She's fragile, Dara, emotionally, and I do everything I can to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"And yet you read me excerpts from her diary? That hardly seems protective."

"You're different. I knew that since the moment she mentioned you. She'd much rather have the protection of your arms than mine. A sister can only do so much, but a lover knows no boundaries."

Chuckling lightly the older woman said, "A philosophical drunk. Somehow I had you marked as a horny drunk instead."

"Well, I'm that too," Shelby admitted. "Trust me. If my sister didn't feel the way she does about you, we'd be in my bed right now instead of hers. Like I already said, you have the imagination of both Gunter girls."

"Yeah, you mentioned that, but I'll confess, right now one looks a hell of a lot more appealing that the other, which is why I really think I should leave."

"You can't drive though, Dara."

"I'll call a cab. I like Elisabeth too much to let my hormones ruin what could be. All this talk about sex is making me wish for someone in my bed, and at the moment I don't even care who it is. I just know it can't be you if I ever want to look Elisabeth in the eye again."

"I understand, and I think you're right. Elisabeth means too much to me as well. However, I think I have a compromise in mind. I'm going to leave you now and go into my room next door. Stay here as long as you want and get a feel for the woman my sister is. Do whatever it is you need to do to regain some control, and I'm going to do the same."

The proposal Shelby stated intrigued the taller woman. She could be alone long enough to squelch any drunken desires she might have for young blonde while at the same time exploring the wonders of Elisabeth's sanctum. Nodding her head in agreement, she answered, "All right but only for a little bit. I don't want to get caught in here when she comes home."

"She won't be home for quite some time. Don't worry about that."

With that Shelby left the room and closed the door behind her. Dara continued to lie on Elisabeth's bed for a moment. She concentrated on the feel of it under her back as she thought about what Shelby had read her. She imagined the blonde attorney lying in her bed and thinking about the brunette. The idea that the older woman fantasized about her made feelings rush through her body and settle between her thighs. It felt good to know her fervency wasn't one-sided. Elisabeth felt it as deeply as she did.

Getting off the bed, Dara went to the desk. She saw the blonde's college yearbooks on one of the shelves, so she pulled down the first in the series. Quickly she found Elisabeth's picture from freshman year. The girl was astoundingly beautiful, even though there was an innocence about her young face. When she was finished with the book, she put it back and picked up the next. The photo from her sophomore year already showed a difference in her appearance. The long blonde hair of youth was gone and in it's place a more mature cut of the college scene. Her eyes were still bright, exhibiting a glow that could easily been seen even in black and white. Dara figured it was because of Elisabeth's relationship with Suzanne that had caused such a radiance. Her junior year book was next. When Dara opened the book to the page where Elisabeth's picture was supposed to be, she was surprised to find another photograph in between the pages. Looking at it, the brunette smiled.

She recognized the location, her own alma mater, and there was Elisabeth with her arms around Suzanne. Her old teammate was in her sweaty soccer uniform, and both of them were smiling brightly for the snapshot. It was clear they were a happy couple. Ironically Dara noticed herself in the background of the shot with other players. It had been her freshman year, and she had the face of adolescence still. Dara's mind drifted to the fact that she and Elisabeth were so close then and never even knew each other. She pondered what fate might have done to them had they met in school, if there would have been as much chemistry as there was now. Would Elisabeth still have pursued Suzanne or would she have wound up in Dara's arms? Would the blonde still have chosen a drastically different course for her life than the one she so obviously wanted in the picture Dara held? The woman in the photo was blissfully content. The corresponding photograph in the class pictures supported that fact.

Finally Dara opened the senior yearbook and looked for Elisabeth's picture. When she got to it, she found it more like the woman she knew presently than those of the previous years. Gone was the innocence and the brightness of her eyes. Instead there was a serious undertone even though the blonde was smiling. Flipping to other areas of the book where the blonde should have been in clubs and organizations, she found the demeanor much the same. Regardless of what the blonde was wearing, whether she was smiling or not, it was obvious that a part of her had been closed off by the virtue of the lack of gleam in her vibrant blue eyes.

Seeing loose papers in the back of the book, the brunette turned to them. There were acceptance letters to various law schools and congratulatory cards from various people, even one from Shelby, on her graduation. However, there was also an unopened letter. The attorney read the return address label, S. Howard, and sighed deeply. She assumed the blonde had never opened the letter from Suzanne out of the pain still fresh from their breakup but wondered what Suzanne could have possibly written. Putting the letter back in the book, Dara carefully placed it back on the shelf.

Her amorous mood had dissipated after the small stroll through Elisabeth's history. She could tell just by the pictures the amount of pain she must have felt at Suzanne's admission of being in love with a man and breaking the blonde's heart. At that age, Dara wasn't sure she would have been able to handle it either. Her own crush on Suzanne Howard-Bell had proved to be difficult to repress back then when they were all much younger and more naive, but unlike Elisabeth, Dara had moved on and found happiness in other college relationships.

Moving on to what appeared to be a photo album, the tall woman opened it to the first page. There was an old black and white photograph the date of which Dara couldn't tell for sure, but she recognized the landscape as Germany. By the clothes of the people and the modes of transportation on display, the attorney figured it was at least the 1920s or 30s. Flipping the next several pages she noticed all of them were from the same time period. However, turning the page once more, she was taken back by what was in the book. A German newspaper from 1935 was hidden in the sleeve folded to display Nazi propaganda against the Jews. Surprised by the find, Dara continued to the next page where she found a Third Reich military ID with the name Gustav Gunter written on it. Even in the faded black and white photograph, the resemblance of the man to Shelby and Elisabeth was undeniable. Continuing on, Dara turned the page and felt her heart stop. There was a full page picture of the man Jews the world over had hated for generations, and in bold handwriting it said in German, "To Gustav, for your loyal service, Adolf Hitler." The brunette felt her stomach turn at the realization of how close Elisabeth's family had been to the monster who had sent some of her relatives to premature extinction. Turning to the final page of the album, there was another picture of Hitler with Gustav and a young boy standing between the two men. Putting the book back where she had found it, Dara took a calming deep breath. Her emotions were whirling within her about what she had just seen. She had never known someone with such a history with the Reich, but it was obvious Elisabeth's family had been involved in the culture of discrimination against many non-Aryans, Jews and gays included. The realization was more than she thought she could bear, because she felt so strongly for the blonde.

Deciding to leave the blonde's room, she went out into the hallway, intent of getting answers from the younger blonde. She could hear Shelby in the room next door and realized that she shouldn't disturb the woman by the sound of things. Instead she headed downstairs to the living room and flipped on the TV. Lying across the couch, she watched the sports channel as her eyes began to close, but the images of what she had seen upstairs stayed with her as she pondered their possible meaning. She knew from conversations past that Elisabeth was adamantly against what the Nazis stood for, but it didn't answer the brunette's questions of why the older woman had such mementos.

Later that night Elisabeth was surprised to see Dara's car sitting in front of the house. It was after midnight, and she had just endured a painfully boring evening with the President. Even though he still hadn't made any sexual overtures towards the blonde, Elisabeth had become more aware of the way his eyes focused along her body as they spoke, leaving her with a nauseated feeling in the pit of her stomach. It made her feel like more of a distraction than a contributor that night during their meeting, which irritated the blonde, especially with how hard she had worked for the position in which she found herself. Thankfully though, other people were in their meeting, leaving no time for anything but professionalism by either of them.

Heading into the house, the attorney heard the TV on in the living room. Going in there, she expected to find her sister and Dara, but instead there was the brunette passed out on the sofa alone. Figuring Dara had been in no condition to drive and had settled down for the night, Elisabeth quietly turned off the television and then turned to the younger woman. She gently removed Dara's shoes to make her more comfortable and then pulled a blanket from a nearby chair over on top of her to keep her warm. She smiled down at the brunette lost in sleep and studied her for a moment. Her heart ached at the sight, because she wanted nothing more than to fall into the brunette's embrace. However, she knew she couldn't.

Finally she dragged herself away and up the stairs to her room. Turning on the lights, she began to shed her clothes and put them away in their proper places. Then she turned to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas. Slipping the cotton top over her bare shoulders, she thought of Dara just downstairs. The brunette looked so sexy and vulnerable lying asleep that her mind instantly started to fantasize about going back to her. Putting on her pajama pants next, Elisabeth went into the bathroom while her mind spun a dream of waking the brunette with a barrage of hungry kisses. By the time she was ready to get in bed, her body was on fire for the younger woman's touch, but Elisabeth knew it wasn't meant to be, not that night anyway, so she slipped under her covers and extinguished the light. Allowing herself the pleasure of her own hands, she fulfilled her needs, all the while whispering Dara's name in longing.

The next day when the blonde attorney arose and made it downstairs, only her sister was around. "Morning," she casually greeted.

"Morning, Lis," her sister grumbled in return.

"Too much to drink last night?" the older blonde teased. Shelby weakly nodded her head. "Where's Dara?"

"She left awhile ago. Said she had somewhere to go. She said she'd call us though about the homeless thing."

"Okay. Good," Elisabeth mumbled, turning to get a bowl from the pantry for breakfast.

*****************************************************************

Due to the political schedules of both women, they weren't able to find any free time to be together for several weeks, although they had emailed and talked on the phone weekly. By that time the weather had turned bright and sunny on that last weekend in April. On Saturday morning Dara arrived before the sun was even up at the blondes' house. Ringing the bell she was surprised but pleased both women were ready for their outing.

They quietly drove down to the shelter in which Dara had arranged for them to work the entire day, each lost in their sleepy thoughts. However, as the brunette drove she cast a glance at her passenger. She thought Elisabeth looked beautiful drowsy and tousled in her t-shirt and shorts. The thirty-year-old risked a glance at the blonde's legs. She had never seen them before. They were trim but toned, leaving her with a longing to touch them. Looking at Elisabeth's face, she saw blue eyes on her and knew she had been caught. Nevertheless, she smiled softly and then turned her attention back to the road. Ever since that night Shelby had shared her sister's intimate thoughts, Dara had felt differently toward Elisabeth. She didn't feel guilty sneaking glances at the blonde, and she found it much easier to cast her political feelings aside when thinking of blue eyes.

Once they arrived at the food bank, they were all assigned specific duties that left little time to talk to each other. Nevertheless, Dara still was glad to look up on occasion and see the blondes busily speaking with those less fortunate than themselves in the same bubbly compassionate way that had drawn the brunette to them. It was in those kinds of moments she found Elisabeth irresistible, because the politics didn't matter then. They both were just two women trying to make a small difference in the lives of others, which the brunette found incredibly attractive.

The hours flew by while they were working, but when they were finally released from their duties, Dara went to fetch the two blondes. Leaving the small kitchen area after finishing with the dishes, she meandered into the dining area and stopped when she saw the two of them sitting at a table with a woman and two small children. The thirty-year-old just watched for a few minutes while Elisabeth and Shelby played with the kids and spoke with the woman as they ate. It was in that moment something happened to the taller woman. Her heart melted at the sight of the blonde Republican smiling at the children and making them laugh at something she had said. It was in that instant she knew her feelings for Elisabeth went far beyond physical interest. She was in love with the older woman.

Armed with that knowledge, she crossed the room to the table. Smiling at the group, she gestured to the empty space on the bench and inquired, "Is this seat available?"

Elisabeth smiled at the taller woman. "Of course. You're always welcome."

Thanking them Dara took a seat and greeted the others at the table. For the next half an hour, all of them talked. Dara found it strange that the mother and children didn't want to speak of their plight. It was clear that they felt lucky just to have each other, and the dark-haired attorney realized how fortunate she and the Gunter women were to have even more. Finally when the mother and children left, Dara turned to her other table mates. "So, are you two ready to go? It's already after one."

"Yeah. I suppose," Elisabeth answered, checking her watch. "Are you sure they don't need any more help?"

"Well, I finished all the dishes they had in the back, and they said we could go. If you'd rather stay we can. I'm sure they can always use extra hands."

The blonde shook her head. "That last woman was enough for me. It makes me sad to think I have so much, and she has so little. I feel like I can't ever give enough."

"I know the feeling, but we can always strive," Dara replied, patting the blonde on the hand. They smiled at each other.

Once leaving downtown, Shelby asked, "What's the plan for the rest of the afternoon? You two have anything going?"

"Not really," answered the brunette.

"Me neither. Why? Do you, Shelby?"

"Well, I was thinking about going shopping myself after lunch and a nap."

Elisabeth nodded her head. "That sounds good to me. I need some new clothes myself. My spring wardrobe definitely could use some improvements."

"Sounds like you two have it planned out then. A little sister bonding," Dara teased.

"Aren't you going to come?" Shelby asked.

"Are you kidding? I hate shopping. I do most of it online to avoid the stores. You two are better off going by yourselves."

Wanting to spend more time with Dara, Elisabeth inquired, "Are you sure? We can do something else instead. What do you want to do?"

"Well, I'll probably go back to my place, have some lunch and then hit the gym. Really you two should go out and have some fun."

"Well, how about later? You want to meet up for dinner or something?"

"That sounds good."

"I've got plans already, so it would just be the two of you," the youngest woman interjected.

Elisabeth and Dara looked at each other. They hadn't had much alone time together, but the oldest woman thought it might be time to test those waters again. "That's fine with me if it is with you, Dara."

Nodding her head, the brunette answered, "Sure. Let's be traditional about it. How about dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds good to me. Why don't you call me later then after you get back from the gym and are ready to go out? I'm sure Shelby and I will both still be shopping, but you can come meet us, and we can go from there."

"All right. I'll do that."

Later that evening, Dara arrived at White Flint mall in Rockville, Maryland were the Gunter women had decided to go shopping. As they had agreed, Dara drove up to the third floor, where Dave and Busters was, to meet them. Walking into the bar of the place, she pocketed her sunglasses as she scanned for the two blondes. However, she was surprised at the sight she saw.

There was Elisabeth sans Shelby sitting at the bar chatting with a guy sitting next to her. It was quite obvious to Dara by the way the man was leaning towards the blonde that there was interest on his part, and it filled her with an unfamiliar feeling. She could feel her body begin to tense in a pang of jealousy as she neared the older woman. Her instincts took over as she approached and placed a possessive hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. The man and Elisabeth both looked at her. With a glare for him and a soft gaze and smile for the blonde, Dara said, "Sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's okay. I've only been here a few minutes," Elisabeth answered, casting a look back at the man sitting next to her.

"Hi, I'm Dara," the brunette introduced coldly, extending her hand to him.

He shook it but then quickly excused himself, making the blonde chuckle. "Do you always have that affect on men?" she teased.

"Only with the ones sitting in my seat," she responded more lightly than she really felt as she slipped onto the barstool. "Where's Shelby?"

"She already left. She was meeting friends for dinner. How about a drink?" Elisabeth suggested. She found Dara's jealous display oddly comforting, for it said what the brunette never had. There were growing feelings between them. In fact, she actually enjoyed the way the younger woman had lay claim to her when she came up to them.

When the bartender came over, Dara ordered herself a beer and then turned to her date. "So, what kind of stuff did you buy today? I only see one package."

"Shelby took them with her. I just got some new blouses and a pair of linen pants. I also got some great new sandals."

Giving a playful grin, Dara commented, "You and Shelby probably cleaned out a few stores. What did she get?"

"A lot more than me. She went crazy. We got you a little something, though. The minute we both saw it, we thought of you. Here."

Taking the package from the blonde, Dara pulled out the shirt box. She opened it carefully before picking up the item. "Well, this certainly is nice. Thank you," she said at the green knit short-sleeved shirt.

Immediately Elisabeth took it from her and held it up. "It brightens your eyes."

"Perhaps I should put it on then, so you can see what it looks like?" she suggested, beginning to untuck the shirt she was wearing. Elisabeth flushed slightly as Dara pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a white tank top. She couldn't help but notice the fabulously cut muscles of the brunette's shoulders. Quickly the younger attorney donned the new shirt and tucked it into her khaki pants. "Well, what do you think?"

Smiling brightly Elisabeth answered, "It looks as good as we imagined it would." She brushed imaginary wrinkles from the taller woman's shoulders.

"Well, thank you very much for this. I like it a lot."

"We knew you would."

They made small talk the rest of the time they drank their beverages before deciding to find a place for dinner. Agreeing upon PF Changs downstairs, they made their way across the mall to the Asian fusion restaurant and placed their names on the waiting list. Since it was still early enough, they were seated fairly easily. Getting to the table, Dara pulled out the blonde's chair for her. Blushing lightly the older woman thanked her as she sat. The taller woman then took her seat across the small table.

Elisabeth smiled at her companion for the evening. As she and Shelby had suspected, Dara looked incredibly sexy in the shirt they had bought her. What made the gift even more special though was the brunette's speedy desire to show if off for her benefactor. The blonde attorney looked at her menu, but within moments her eyes strayed just over the top of it to her table mate. Dara was so consumed with studying her choices that she didn't see the eyes upon her. Elisabeth took the time to truly scrutinize the younger woman, and there wasn't one thing she could find wrong with the woman about whom she cared so much. Dara was compassionate and benevolent in her charms, not to mention incredibly attractive to the sight, and the shorter woman knew she was falling hard for the dark-haired attorney.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" Dara asked, breaking the silence.

Focusing on her choices, the older woman mentioned, "I don't know yet. You know what's really good? The vegetarian lettuce wraps. Have you ever tried them?"

"No but we can get some. I'm game for whatever."

"Great. You'll like them. I promise."

"What about for a main course? What speaks to you?"

"Well, I always say I'm going to get something new whenever I'm here, but it never happens. Their Mongolian beef is just too good to pass up. It's my favorite."

Dara laughed lightly. "No way. It's my favorite as well. I also like their crab rangoon. I think we should get that too."

Nodding her head in agreement, the blonde replied, "You can have whatever you want."

"That's a dangerous thing to say," the brunette flirted lightly, testing the waters to see what reaction she might get.

"I think I know you well enough to know exactly what you want," Elisabeth quipped.

"That's always been my problem. I'm too predictable. I have no edge."

"That's not true, and we both know it. You have plenty of edge to you. It's part of your charm."

"You're going to make me blush," the younger attorney stated with a light chuckle.

Once their waitress took their order, the two of them just looked at each other for a moment. Elisabeth smiled at her companion. "So, how was your workout today?"

"Good. I did a lot of lifting, working on my arms, shoulders, and back. Then I did a spin class, which totally threw me. I thought I was in better shape, but that trainer was brutal. I'm sure if she wasn't so gorgeous people wouldn't sign up," the younger woman joked.

Feeling a little stab of insecurity, Elisabeth tried to casually ask, "Is that why you did?"

Dara shook her head. "I just wanted a good substitute for my usual leg lifting. I love bike riding, so I thought it would be a good change. Little did I know she was going to murder us. I had to get a massage after it just to be able to walk again."

"A massage? Such a tough life you do lead," the blonde joked. "What kind of massage? Was the masseuse some Swedish blonde with legs that go on for days?"

Looking at her date, the younger attorney thought she heard cynicism in the shorter woman's voice. Remembering Shelby's comment about her sister's emotional fragility, she shook her head. Fibbing she answered, "No, it was some sweaty bald guy with a gut that went on for days."

"I don't believe you," Elisabeth mentioned. "Aren't you the one that says no good comes from hiding the truth?"

Dara shrugged. "Well, I might have overstated that just a bit. Women don't like to talk about other women. I'm not stupid. I actually want to go out with you again after this," she said with a brilliant smile.

Demurely nodding her head, the older woman said teasingly, "That's only because I bought you clothes."

"Well, that and you're irresistible," she said, deciding to see what her true feelings would do to the blonde.

The blush that ensued assured her that Elisabeth found her charming. "You're sweet, Dara. I bet you talk to all the girls like this."

Shaking her head the brunette replied, "That's simply not true. I don't talk to my sisters or my mother that way."

"Um, I suppose not, but I still think you pay them the respect they deserve."

"Always. A lady is just that, a lady. I'm not keen on making a woman feel less than she is. In fact, I always try to make her realize her fullest potential, because most women feel themselves lacking due to society's standards, and I for one believe that's just a man's way of keeping the most powerful half of the species down."

"A feminist on top of it all? I wouldn't have guessed it," the older woman mentioned with a smile as she took a sip of her beverage.

"And you're not?"

"I'm a Republican, Dara. I think women should be bare-foot and pregnant all the time. Careers for women just shouldn't be allowed," she teased mockingly.

"Of course. I can see that about you." Both of them laughed lightly as the waitress came to the table with their appetizers.

With that they began to focus on food. "You were right. These vegetarian lettuce wraps are good. They taste like chicken."

The blonde looked at the taller woman as her mind unconsciously flitted to what some other things tasted like, mainly the brunette's mouth as she watched Dara eating. Deciding to take the conversation another direction before she got herself into trouble, she mentioned, "You know, you once promised me that when the weather got warmer you'd take me up in your plane. Do you plan on keeping that promise?"

"Oh, of course. I'd love to take you up in the plane. We should see when our schedules mesh, so we can plan a day together. I already know where I want to take you, but the weather has to cooperate first."

"Great. I can't wait."

"Me neither. It's been a long time since I've had a passenger. Do you think Shelby would like to come as well?"

"You can invite her if you want. I don't mind sharing you with my sister."

"Fine then. For now though, let's talk about these movie choices. I have the list here in my pocket." Pulling out a slip of paper, she said, "I'm up for whatever. The selection leaves a little to be desired though."

Taking the paper from Dara, Elisabeth perused it for a moment. "You're right. I don't have to see any of these. If you just want to can the movie and do something else, we can. I'm up for ideas."

"Well, we can go back upstairs to Dave and Busters. You a good pool player?"

"Not at all. I'm much better at darts."

"Do they have any of those up there?"

"I don't think so, but they do have a whole game gallery. I'd be willing to cream you in any video game up there," challenged Elisabeth.

"Well, that offer seems too good to pass up. You're on, Miss Mighty Republican. You elephants might be strong, but we donkeys are stealth."

Laughing Elisabeth mentioned, "You know that's not what we call you. We have other more color phrases for you donkeys."

"I'm sure you do. Well, we'll just see who's left laughing after dinner. I guarantee I can whip up on you on anything we play."

"We'll see. Maybe we should put a wager on it," Elisabeth challenged.

"Fine. What do you want to bet?"

"Let's see. If I win you have to cook dinner for me."

"All right. And if I win? What do I get?"

"What do you want?"

Raising her brows up and down quickly, Dara answered, "As if you have to ask."

Elisabeth flushed at the thought of what Dara was proposing. "Something I might actually do," she corrected. "How about the same? I make dinner for you?"

"Oh, fine. If it has to be that way. Leave it to you to spoil it," the younger woman teased. Once dinner was complete, the couple went back up the Dave and Busters. Heading to the adult game area, Dara took some bills out of her wallet and exchanged them for quarters. "All right, Ms. Gunter. You choose the first game."

"All right. How about air hockey?"

"Fabulous. I can beat anyone at that. Lead the way."

Heading over to the machine, Dara placed the appropriate coins into it before taking a position at one end of the table. Elisabeth grinned wickedly at her challenger before beginning the game. Soon a fierce competition unfolded as the two of them battled for points. However, it was the blonde that was victorious. Screaming in excitement, she said, "Take that, Rosenthal."

"Oh, you are asking for it now, Gunter. My turn to pick a game. Basketball. I know you can't beat me in that." The brunette's words proved to be true, and she easily defeated the blonde in her favorite game. Smiling cockily, she asked, "Next?"

"I've got one. Let's find one with guns. I have some aggression to take out on you."

"Fine. I know I can beat you at that too." The blonde led them over to one of the military games that they could play at the same time, and the younger woman fed the machine the money to start. It quickly became obvious that the shorter woman had a way with a sidearm as she quickly started to dominate the game. "You're pretty good with that thing. Please tell me you aren't a member of the NRA. I mean I can look past the Republicanism, but to be one of those groupies would just be more than I could bear."

"Well, rest assured, I'm not a NRA member. Those people are whack jobs."

"I'm sure you're boss feels differently."

"A lot of people feel differently. Enough about that though. Let me finishing kicking your ass quickly, so you can choose another game," the blonde said with a laugh.

"Fine. I'll make sure to pick something you have no chance of winning."

"Bring it on, Rosenthal. I can keep up with anything you dish out."

Once Dara had conceded defeat in their present game, the brunette said, "All right. Now for a game women can't win. Auto racing."

"What kind of remark is that? You think I can't drive? I'll leave you in the dust. Just watch me," Elisabeth answered, heading off to the game of Dara's choice. Settling in their respective seats, they prepared to race.

It was a close one, much closer than the taller woman thought it would be, but at the last second, she pulled out a close victory. "So, we're tied now?"

"Yeah. What else do you want to try?"

Dara shrugged. "How about we try something neither of us has played before? That way we won't know how good or bad we'll be."

"Good idea. Let's look around." It took them several minutes before they found themselves in front of the golf simulator. "Well, I've never played this one," the blonde mentioned.

"Me neither. I'll admit though that I'm pretty good in real life."

"So am I."

"Shall we try it then?"

Elisabeth nodded. "Winner takes all?"

"Loser makes dinner." Putting the money into the machine, Dara gestured to the older woman. "Ladies first." For the first several holes, both women were keeping up stroke for stroke with each other. "You really are quite good," the taller woman mentioned.

"So are you. Maybe we should play together for real sometime?"

"That would be great, but first I have to beat you in this." As Dara sunk another putt, she pondered the advantages and disadvantages to having Elisabeth make dinner for her. Thinking on it though, she came to the conclusion she might actually enjoy having Elisabeth over to her place for once. Figuring the best way to do that was to lose the game, she decided to throw the match.

With the last hole left, both women teed off perfectly. They stayed even all the way onto the green, and then the moment of truth was upon them. Since Elisabeth had the longer shot to take, she went first. Taking her time, she lined the ball up with the hole before taking her stroke. It lipped the cup softly before falling into it. "Yeah! Try to follow that!" she yelled happily.

Smirking at her competition, Dara took the club from the blonde for her shot. She knew she could sink the putt she had, but having decided on a course of action, she lined up just far enough that when she made her stroke, she missed the hole by a few inches. Taking her second putt, she sunk it before smiling at the blonde. "Well, I guess I lost," she mentioned with a smile.

"You choked is what you did," the older woman teased. "Now you have to make me dinner."

"Yep. Seems that way."

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the night? Anything in mind?" Elisabeth inquired.

"Well, it's not exactly my idea of a good time to spend the whole evening at the mall. Maybe I should take you home or better yet we could swing by the theater close to your house and see if any better movies are playing."

"Yeah, let's do that."

Going to the theater in Bethesda near the blonde's place, the found a movie they could both agree upon, so they decided to see it. For the first time that night, the older woman got money out of her wallet to buy them both tickets, but Dara quickly stopped. "And just what do you think you're doing?" she questioned with a smile.

"Let me buy the tickets, Dara. You always seem to buy everything when we're together."

The taller woman shook her head. "I can't let you do that. It's against my moral ethics."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. It's not like we're on a date."

"No, Elisabeth. I want to buy. It makes me feel good. We've discussed this before."

"But that was a date, Dara. This isn't."

"Fine. It's now a date, and I'm paying," the younger attorney bantered as they moved up in line to the cashier. Dara quickly asked for two tickets and handed over the money before Elisabeth could do so.

Huffing at the woman, the blonde said, "You can't just arbitrarily decide this is a date, because you want to pay for everything. You didn't even ask me. Man, your ego needs adjusting, or is this just pay back for whipping up on you?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what it is," Dara replied with a smile as she got her change. "Come on now. Let's stop arguing. You already know I'm not going to try to kiss you at the end of the night unless you want me to, so stop being so anxious. Shelby's not nearly this hard to deal with. She's open for everything."

"Yeah, well, that's because Shelby's a slut. Don't compare me to her," Elisabeth asserted.

Hearing the edge to the shorter woman's voice, Dara knew it was time to back off on the game. "All right. You win. You can buy the drinks and popcorn," she said, raising her hands in surrender.

Heading inside they stood in line for snacks. Neither said anything while they waited until it was their turn at the counter. The older woman ordered first before turning to Dara. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

Elisabeth rolled her blue eyes. "You are being a shit, Dara. You're worse than some guys I've dated. Drop the egotism and give your drink order."

"Fine. A large coke."

"Anything else?"

"That's all, but just for this, I am going to try to kiss you at the end of the night," she threatened.

"Oh, I'm really scared now," the older woman joked with a laugh. On the inside though, she could feel the temperature of her body rising at the thought of Dara doing such a thing.

After getting their drinks, they proceeded to the theater. The brunette stayed on her best behavior for the rest of the evening. However, when she dropped the older woman off at home that night, she thought about her threat at the theater. She really did want to kiss the blonde, but she could see in blue eyes that the moment wasn't quite yet right for such an overture, so she simply walked her to the door and gave her a hug. "So, I'll look at my schedule and see what weekends are good for our plane flight. You'll let me know what works for you?"

"Of course. I can't wait. I'll call you on Monday."

"Sounds good. Sleep well."

"You too, Dara," the shorter woman replied. She could tell Dara had no intention of trying to kiss her, so she shook off her disappointment and smiled. "Good night."

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Continued...