A/N: Wow. After the most recent episode, could this story BE any more AU? LOL.
Anyway... Thanks for your comments on my question in the last chapter. M-rated scenes will definitely be part of this story. Just not in this chapter yet (sorry for making you wait, I thought there should be some build-up first). I am still amazed at all the love this story is getting from all of you, thank you so much!
The road in front of the Four Seasons was jammed with limousines. It seemed like everyone that meant something in the political landscape of Illinois had come out to the Rhodes gala. Which was probably the case, Alicia thought as she got out of the limo that had driven Peter and her here and took her husband's arm. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to get in the billionaire's good graces with an election year coming up. Peter included.
She pasted her usual smile on her face as they started walking up the steps leading up to the hotel's entrance. The steps had been covered in red carpet for the event, a crowd of reporters, camera crews and photographers lining up behind the ropes that had been placed on either side.
"Mr. and Mrs. Florrick! A picture please!" They posed almost automatically, as they had hundreds of times before. As they slowly made it up to the hotel, they both paused every few steps to answer questions they'd answered hundreds of times before. The smile didn't leave Alicia's face for a second, but she caught herself secretly wondering why she hadn't just canceled on Peter. She was too tired after a hard day of work to do more work—and that's what this was.
When they finally made it all the way upstairs, another photographer stepped in their path, not held back by the ropes. They assumed their usual pose and the man snapped a few shots.
"Okay, thank you. Could I get a few pictures of just Mrs. Florrick? To go with your interview in the Sunday paper," he explained, and Alicia felt her smile falter a bit as she cast a sideways glance at Peter. He raised his eyebrows, but only marginally.
"Sure, go ahead," Peter said, stepping away from her.
Alicia posed for the picture, the photographer thanked her and Peter came back to her side, giving no outward indication of anything being amiss. But when Alicia placed her hand on his arm again, she noticed his tension. And when she looked up, she saw that his jaw was set tighter than it had been before.
Just downplay it if he asks, she told herself, as she kept right on smiling. Just a puff piece, nothing to worry about.
§§§
John looked around the hotel bar, looking for Ashley. She'd told him she would meet him here, but she was nowhere in sight. He checked his watch. Five past seven. Well, maybe she got held up in the traffic jam outside. He might as well have a drink while he waited.
He signaled the bartender and asked for a mineral water. Just when his drink arrived, so did Ashley, looking like a supermodel in her slinky black cocktail dress, her blond hair falling around her slender face in a wave of soft curls. The sadness he'd seen in her eyes yesterday had gone. Instead, the twinkle was back.
"Hello, handsome," she said, giving him an appreciative once-over.
"Ashley, hi—You look beautiful."
"Thanks." She leaned in, placed her hand on his shoulder and purred, "So, you ready to go have some fun?" Her hand slid down to his back in a very obvious caress, making him tense. What was she doing?
"Um—I guess…" he managed to choke out. Ashley's hand disappeared from his back just before it would have reached his butt. He took a healthy drink of water, put his glass down and raised his eyebrows at her. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Just having a good time," she winked. "Come on—everybody's waiting for us." She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her in the direction of the lobby, from where they could enter the ballroom.
"Ashley?" John asked just before they reached the lobby. He stopped walking, making her do the same.
"Yes?"
"What changed?"
"What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, you said…" She startled him by putting her index finger on his lips.
"Shh. Don't worry about it. That was yesterday. This is now. Come on, or we'll be late!" She turned and dashed from the bar, not looking back to see if he'd follow.
After a few more seconds of wondering what the hell had gotten into her, he did.
§§§
"What was that about?" Peter said in a low voice as they walked into the enormous ballroom. Women in evening gowns and men in tuxedoes milled around the room, forming small, fleeting groups under the large chandeliers that cast their soft glow onto the dance floor and the tables around it.
"What do you mean?" Alicia asked.
"The photographer said something about an interview… Oh—Mayor Davis, good to see you, sir. And Mrs. Davis, how are you this evening?" Peter shook the hands of the mayor and his wife, and Alicia did the same. They made some small talk and the mayor and his wife went to greet another couple. "So?" Peter asked Alicia as they walked over to the next group of people.
"It was just a puff piece, Peter." Alicia made sure to put just the right amount of exasperation into her voice. "If you're worried about—Hello, Sylvia. Ed. How have you been?" Again, they stopped to shake hands and make small talk. "If you're worried about your reputation, don't be. This time it was all about me for a change," Alicia said to Peter in a low voice as the group broke up and they started walking again.
"Really." Peter scoffed. "Not a single question about your marriage? About our working relationship?" He gave her a slightly incredulous glance, a muscle in his jaw jumping.
Alicia stopped walking, forcing him to stand still as well. "As hard as you may find it to believe, the world doesn't revolve around you, Peter. I'm a politician now too, and people want to know who I am." Her jaw was starting to ache due to the smile still pasted on her face. "The reporter asked about my background, my work experience. My personality. Would you let it go?"
"For now." He narrowed his eyes. "But I'm warning you…"
"Mr. Governor, Mrs. Florrick. So glad you could make it," a man's voice said from behind Peter, who quickly schooled his expression into politeness again.
"Mr. Rhodes, good evening. The pleasure is all ours. This is my wife, Alicia." The warm smile on Peter's face as he went back into politician mode and shook the billionaire's hand made Alicia hope he wouldn't mention the interview again tonight.
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Florrick. Congratulations on your win," Rhodes said as he took her hand. "Why don't you join us at our table?"
"Thank you, Mr. Rhodes. We would be honored to sit with you." Rhodes motioned for her to go ahead, and they walked to the table he had indicated, and where a woman Alicia assumed was Mrs. Rhodes was waiting for them in the company of a pregnant blond woman and a dark-haired man.
When they reached the table, Rhodes introduced the younger couple as his granddaughter Samantha and her husband Eric. Mrs. Rhodes chimed in to say that their other granddaughter and her date for the evening would join them in a few minutes. They all sat down and Alicia tried to relax as more small talk was made. But she couldn't escape a sense of impending doom every time Peter glanced her way. This was going to be a long night.
§§§
John was still trying to figure out who the real Ashley was—the sad, secretive woman he'd talked to yesterday, or the confident, seemingly carefree woman currently hanging on to his arm—when they entered the ballroom and started making their way towards the Rhodes table. Looking back later, he thought that was probably why he hadn't been the least bit prepared for what came next.
"Ugh—you have got to be kidding me…" He heard Ashley groan.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Look who's sitting at our table." Ashley nodded in the direction they were going.
John followed her gaze—and all thoughts on Ashley's odd behavior fled his mind as he saw Peter Florrick sitting there. And next to him…
"Aw, hell…" he muttered, not able to take his eyes off Alicia.
"Glad we agree," Ashley said, matter-of-factly. "He's such a slime ball, don't you think?"
John didn't say anything to her very apt description of Peter. He was too busy trying to figure out why the hell he hadn't realized sooner that of course they would be here too.
"Johnny? Are you coming?" Ashley tugged on his arm, making him realize he'd stopped walking. "It'll be fine—we'll just stay on the dance floor the entire time, so we don't have to talk to him. That will make Grandma happy as well," she whispered as they neared the table.
"Ah, there you are, Ashley! What took you so long? And Johnny, you look so handsome in that tux!" Mrs. Rhodes called out.
The party at the table turned as one to look at them, and John fought the urge to cast his eyes down. He could do this. He looked Alicia straight in the eyes, watched her jaw drop and her eyes widen. Saw her rise from her chair, as if she wanted to meet him halfway…
The buzz of conversations and soft music faded away and John's mouth went dry at the sight of her long red-and-pink evening gown that left one of her shoulders bare. His fingers ached to touch her soft skin…
"Elfman, that's a surprise!" Peter said, shattering the moment. "I thought you said John was in LA," he continued to Alicia.
She blinked, as if coming to her senses, and sat back down. "I—He was... You were!" Alicia crossed her arms, giving John an almost accusatory glance.
"Um, yes. I was. I came back." Hell, was that really the best he could come up with? He opened his mouth to try again, when Ashley spoke up.
"And I, for one, am glad you did. Now, shall we sit down, or do you want to stand here all night?" She didn't wait for his response, just tugged him, none too gently, towards the other side of the table. As soon as they were seated, she smiled at him seductively. Then she leaned into him, put her mouth to his ear and whispered, "Are you nuts? Stop looking at her like that! Florrick does have eyes, you know…"
If you want to see the dress I pictured Alicia in, check out my profile! I'll put a link to the dress there.
