A/N: This chapter covers the initial meeting between Alicia and Angela. Sorry it is short, but the evening will continue in later chapters, I just wanted to introduce it here.
Angie (The Rolling Stones)
Chicago, May 2015
Alicia was alone in her apartment. She sat at her dressing table; her eyes were closed as she contemplated the evening to come. Her mind turned to Will, first the eager young man she met at Georgetown and then to the passionate lawyer who saved her at Lockhart Gardener. Letting out a deep sigh, she smiled as she opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror, "You still take my breath away Gardner," she thought to herself. She brushed her dark hair, applied a little blush to her cheeks and rubbed her lips together before sweeping some colour across them. Standing up, she looked at her outfit in the mirror; she was wearing a pair of black dress pants, a light wool sweater in her favorite shade of red and black pumps. Not too dressy but good enough to have a drink with Diane and the unknown quantity of Angela.
She'd told Grace she was going out with Diane to meet an old friend of Will's and Grace said that she thought it was a good thing. "You need friends Mom," she'd said hugging her. Grace wasn't inherently nosy, not like Owen; she didn't tell him, as she was afraid he'd turn up at the bar, get drunk and say inappropriate things or question Angela like it was 60 Minutes. Grace had only asked one question: what was she called? Alicia had told her, "Angela, she's called Angela." Grace replied that the name meant 'Messenger of God' and that maybe it was a sign. Alicia had smiled at her daughter when she said that, but scoffed at the idea of God, or Will, trying to tell her something. But it made Grace happy, so she just pulled her close, kissed the top of her head and told her she loved her.
…
As her music system belted out nineties rock, Angela fixed herself a drink: bourbon, dash of Angostura bitters and lemon. She sat down on the sofa and sighed. For all her bravado and telling Diane she would love to meet Alicia, tonight was going to be difficult and she wasn't sure how she was going to get through it. She stood, taking the remains of her drink with her and walked to her bedroom. Placing the glass on the bedside table, she said out loud, "This is your fault," as she looked at a picture of a much younger Will, before smiling and tapping the top of the picture frame with her fingers.
Angela didn't normally fret about what to wear. She had a basic work wardrobe of slacks, jumpers and blouses that were often thrown aside in favor of scrubs and, outside of work, she lent towards dresses in tried and tested styles that accentuated her small waist and created her coveted hourglass figure. Tonight was different. She was meeting Alicia. The Alicia. The Alicia that won Will's heart over twenty years ago. She had to make a good first impression and, if she could look hot doing it, all the better. Standing in her bathrobe she perused the contents of her closet and noticed the blue dress she wore the first night she met Will. She smiled to herself, thinking she had a lot to thank that dress for, but wearing it tonight would be weird.
Finally, she decided on a black and white Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress that had a deep v-neck and leather accents. Teaming it with her favorite tuxedo-style jacket and black patent kitten heels she was happy and thought Will would approve. Just as she was closing the cap of her traditional lipstick, smiling at the interlocking capital Cs, there was a knock at her apartment door. She opened it to hear, "Taxi for Austen!" from a slightly apprehensive Kurt. "You ready?"
"Yeah," she nodded, grabbing her purse and closing the door behind them.
…
When Alicia's cab pulled up at the kerb, she noticed Diane waiting outside the bar. As she paid the fare and got out of the vehicle, she saw Diane walk towards her and smile, "I'm glad you came, Angela is inside," she said, hugging her.
Alicia took a shallow breath and smiled weakly at Diane, "I'm not sure what I'm doing here Diane," she admitted.
"You are meeting someone who loved, and was loved by, Will," she smiled at her, "and don't worry Alicia, you aren't the only one who is nervous about this evening," she added, trying to reassure her.
Alicia smiled, "Thanks," wiping her now sweaty palms on her pants, hoping Diane didn't notice.
"Come on, let's poke the bear!" Diane added squeezing her arm, as the two women laughed before making their way inside.
Waiting for Diane to return to the table with Alicia, Angela began to feel her heart race, as anxiety gripped her. She felt sick, her stomach doing flips and making her want to run. Run away. Get the hell out of the bar. But she was rooted to the spot, unable to move from her seat. Although she had the advantage over Alicia, as she knew who she was, what she looked like and knew about her relationship with Will, she was still apprehensive about meeting her. What will Alicia make of her? What impression has she formed in the intervening nine days since Diane broached the subject? Has she looked her up on ChumHum? Before she could consider the answers, she saw Diane moving through the crowd, chatting to the dark-haired woman beside her: Alicia.
Taking a deep breath, Angela stood up and held out a hand, "Hello Alicia, it's good to finally meet you," she said smiling before sitting back down in the booth. "I would say the same, but I didn't know you existed until a week ago," Alicia replied, letting out a small, nervous laugh.
"We got some wine," Diane said as Alicia settled herself across from Angela. Diane poured red wine into three long-stemmed glasses and passed one to each of the younger women.
Alicia took in the woman before her. She was not quite what she expected, Will's women were often much younger, but thinking to herself, given the few details and the timeline Diane had given her, she would be about her own age. Alicia noted her red hair, the pale skin like her own and the ample cleavage, but she was drawn to her necklace. It was a beautiful, large, pear-shaped aquamarine surrounded by brilliant diamonds; Alicia liked the way it sparkled when it caught the light. "Sorry for staring, but your necklace is gorgeous."
"Thanks, it's Tiffany," she smiled, catching the pendant in her hand and moving it from side to side along the chain, "it was a present."
"I've always liked it," Diane added smiling broadly at Angela. "So," she began again, "I asked you two here so that you could get to know each other, as you were both very important and close friends to Will and I thought it would help you both, and me, to… talk and, hopefully, all be friends. I've felt like the piggy in the middle for far too long." Angela chuckled at the last part, before Diane continued, "we three have very few true friends and, having each lost a great one, I hope that by sharing our experiences and love, we could help each other heal and maybe, even offer an element of closure."
Diane looked over at Angela who was trying to stifle a gentle sob, before turning her attention to Alicia, who smiled nervously and closed her eyes for a few brief seconds.
Angela rubbed her hand over her face, picked up her glass, took a short intake of breath before saying, "OK, before we start, I think we should raise a glass to Will, who would be wetting his pants if he knew the three of us were getting together," she giggled, "abiit nemine salutato." The three women lifted their glasses in unison, clinking them together over the centre of the table, "To Will," they chorused.
