If I Should Fall (Editing)

Chapter 2

It had been a hellish couple of weeks for Elizabeth. Between getting settled in her new position at work, her mother and spending time with John, she could barely see straight. John had just dropped her off at her two-bedroom bungalow from a terrible night at dinner with her parents. It was supposed to be a quiet intimate dinner between family, but when they arrived at the Victorian styled mini mansion, there were major players in the political game that could help advance John's career should he aim higher than a governor's seat for his next election.

She didn't like it, but she straightened her shoulders, held her head high and dealt with it with as much finesse as possible. She hated networking, which is probably why she didn't have any true friends. The few women that she did know were associates her parents demanded she keep in contact with if there was a sliver of a possibility that they could advance John's career. She could deal with the plastic women who echoed their husbands' thoughts and beliefs. It was her mother that drove her insane.

Almost as soon as they stepped through the door, Josephine began to criticize her attire, saying it wasn't upscale enough for a dinner of this stature. As if she had called Elizabeth in advance and warned her that casual wasn't accepted. Had she known she would have changed out of the black Donna Karan wrap jacket and drape skirt she'd worn to work and rushed home to change.

Her mother complained from her open toed Stuart Weitzman Knotted Pumps to the color of nail polish she'd chosen to wear to the fact that she hadn't worn a necklace, which left her neck bare. Then she complained that she hadn't refreshed her bun before they walked in the door. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Finally, Elizabeth had enough, and she snapped at her mother in front of their guests, which led to an argument with John, who was embarrassed that he wasn't able to keep his girlfriend in line.

Shortly after, they left, and John deposited her on her doorstep with not even a kiss goodnight. Not that it bothered Elizabeth any, since she never liked John's small, chafed lips. She huffed as she kicked off her pumps and threw her purse and briefcase on the couch. She stripped out of her clothes as she walked into the bathroom and started running the shower.

After a quick wash she began to clean her things off the floor. As she scooped up her purse her wallet fell out. She stooped to pick it up, her eyes landing on the business card that Charlie had given her. She'd put it there later that night figuring she might use it someday. She pulled the paper out and eyed it thoughtfully. She could use a stiff drink, she thought. After a few more moments standing in her living room thumping the paper lightly against her wallet, she finally thought 'what the hell' and rushed to get dressed.

It was already after ten pm and now she had to find something to wear. Clubs were never really her scene even if her parents hadn't been against them. She rummaged through the walk-in closet she had built before she moved in for something to wear. She couldn't understand why she felt so anxious to see this woman again. She tossed outfits on her bed and some she immediately dismissed to the side.

She finally settled on something that stated simple, sexy and chic. She smoothed Victoria's Secret's body butter into her soft skin before she slithered into her skintight Roxanne Chile jeans, a Donna Karan off the shoulder drape top in sea-pearl. Donna was her favorite designer, she thought as she admired her outfit in the mirror. All she needed was a jacket, shoes and a purse and she'd be good to go. She quickly pulled on her black cropped lamb leather jacket from The Row.

She found a grey clutch on a shelf that almost matched the sea-pearl top she'd chosen. She gently chewed her bottom lip as she poured over the dozens of shoes in her closet. She decided on a pair of black mary jane pumps. She was addicted to peep-toe shoes and adored the button-snap strap.