V & V (wlw)

Chapter 5 - The one with the date

Veronika put the phone to her ear and pinned it there with her shoulder. Her hands were too busy folding clothes piled up on her bed.

It was Saturday morning, and she was catching up on some overdue cleaning. Just because her apartment sucked didn't mean she could neglect it.

"What?"

Victoria sighed so close to the mic it sounded like a chirp. "A date, Ron. Do you have anything lined up this afternoon?"

"You were serious?" Vic had talked about being seen in public together, and Ron had laughed and thought that was the end of it.

"Of course I was serious. Are you not free? We can reschedule."

"No, today is fine." Veronika looked at the remaining pile of clean laundry. Slapshod folding was better than no folding.

Victoria had offered to pick her up, but she insisted on meeting at the tower. The apartment block looked worse in the daylight.

After anxious fumbling with laundry and a speedy shower, she found herself on the road toward her fake to-be girlfriend. Victoria must have let staff know, because she was ushered into the building's parking garage. The other woman was already there.

"You look cozy." Victoria had traded in her suit for a gray sweater vest over a crisp white shirt and neat charcoal trousers. She herself was dressed in riding boots and a leather jacket.

Vic sat on the hood of a deep blue sports car as Ron dismounted.

"I'm assuming that that's yours. Or you have enough money to pay for anyone's paint job."

"It's mine."

Veron looked down the row of parking spaces toward a black Hummer. She whistled. "Why do you need three cars?"

"One's for space. The Porsche is for when I don't want to get jumped in a parking lot –"

"You're still getting robbed."

Victoria rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the car. "And the Chiron is for clout. As they say."

Ron expected this. She'd seen Victoria's old family home with the massive garage. "Which one are we taking?"

"This." Vic opened the Porsche door for her before climbing into the driver's side.

As they pulled out into the street, Ron said, "You never told me where we're headed."

"I didn't think it was important."

"I sure hope this isn't how you treat your real girlfriends."

Victoria laughed; it was strange to hear her unguarded. Their rivalry rarely afforded them moments like this.

The ride passed. Ron was surprised when they pulled into a cinema. "If this is your idea of a first date, well."

"Is it out of touch?"

"No, it's fine. I just didn't think you'd be the type."

"I'm not." And Vic gave her a look, not quick enough to evade notice.

"What?"

"I don't go on dates." Victoria unbuckled herself as she said this, not meeting her eyes.

"Aww. Adorable." Veron's reaction to this display of what felt like vulnerability was to tease her about it, because what else was she supposed to do? "Your first date in what, years? And it's me. Sorry about that."

"Come on."

Victoria left the car without a second glance and Ron scrambled to follow. There wasn't much of a queue, so they could stall in line.