V & V (wlw)

NSFW - Extra

They find themselves, inexplicably, in yet another club.

It was late; not lights on, everybody out of the establishment late, but late as in people were going home to spend the night with each other. Victoria nursed her wine in silence. She didn't know if it was the fourth or fifth glass, but it didn't matter anyway.

She always got what she wanted. Not in a greedy kind of way, she hoped, but in the way that everything was just easy for her. Her career was going wonderfully, even if it left a bad taste in her mouth in the quiet evenings. As a student, she never had any real hardship. Women, too; women always fell into her lap.

Not that she wasn't grateful. Victoria, early in life, realized how good she had it and vowed to live her best goddamned life. But even so, there were things that she just couldn't get.

In the seat beside her, by the bar, Veron was eating salted peanuts one by one.

She never did figure Ron out. But Vic had always been drawn to her, and that hasn't changed.

Veronika caught her glances. "What?"

"Just checking on you."

"I'm having a snack. At midnight. In a bar. And the guys next to me just left together after they made out. I'm great." Ron peeled the skin off a singular peanut and tossed it back into the little bowl.

They were abroad, in a country neither of them had ever been to. Victoria, in her secret mind, thought of it as a vacation for the two of them. In the past, when she just wanted to get away from her life, she would go alone. It was partly why her last relationship failed, but that had been according to her ex.

"Tired?"

"Yeah," said Ron, after a pause. "I dont know. Restless."

Victoria knew why she was drawn. She was attracted. Compelled. Veronika was so her type; Veronika was the blueprint. It hadn't been so bad when Veron had moved out of her life, because then she had only been this vague toxic codependent friend(-ish) she knew in high school and Vic had put the whole thing behind her.

But she came back. Everything came back for Victoria.

Of course she had feelings. She had been a teenager, and so had Ron. Ron never gave her the time of day. Victoria did not take rejection well; four years she spent trying to align herself to Ron's attention, even if it meant making Veronika hate her more and more.

Presently, Ron looked around the bar, eyes lingering on a pretty redhead who had been throwing looks their way. Victoria, a pang of irritation and horrible yearning in her chest, downed her wine.

"You could, you know," she said.

"Hm?" Ron was only half listening; the woman across the bar was weaving toward them.

"We're in a place where no one recognizes us. If you want to link up with that woman, you could."

Victoria was noble about her principles; noble as in high and mighty, noble about rubbing salt in her own wounds. She knew she wasn't Ron's preference.

Veron gave her the dirtiest look. "I'm married. To you, if you've forgotten."

"As your wife, I'm giving you permission."

"I'm not a dog, Victoria."

Vic rolled her eyes; it came natural to her. "I just mean it's been a long time. If you want some kind of reprieve, here's your chance."

The other woman neared, and came close enough to whisper in Ron's ear. The redhead glanced at Vic, saying something to Ron.

To which Ron replied, "It's not like that."