Chapter Text
Gas, car payments, rent, food, school, and god forbid you wanted to treat yourself to something nice when you found the time. Somehow you managed to keep yourself from going into debt, barely, but the cost to pass your car inspection was the final push from paycheck to paycheck living into destitution. Looking at your banking app was enough to make you sick. Your allotted credit maxed out, checkings pitiful, and savings non-existent.
The only beam of hope was a paycheck that was still processing, but it wouldn’t be enough to cover the rent that was due after the weekend. Would your roommate be as understanding as she was the last time? It was only last month that she had to cover a portion of your rent until you were able to get the rest. It wasn’t fair to her. She was a college student too, but unlike you her parents paid for her classes and sent money whenever she requested it.
You and your roommate got along just fine as you had done in high school. It was a relief when you found out that she also planned to commute to the local community college rather than attend university straight away. That’s how the two of you decided on getting an apartment together. Sure, it wasn’t the college dorm room experience, but the past two years were fun with the bonus of not having to live with your parents.
You didn’t harbor any resentment towards your roommate, but you did envy the familial support that she had. As your final semester reached the halfway point which also signaled the end of your lease, you were already well aware that your roommate would not be renewing her end. Instead, she’d opt to stay with her family for the summer before going to one of the state universities. You’d be going on to a university as well, but one close enough to commute from your apartment…the one you could barely afford with the roommate who would be leaving. Even a one bedroom in your complex wasn’t much cheaper. How would you ever do it alone?
“Olivia?”
You called out into the 2 bedroom unit hoping you could speak with your roommate about the rent. When she didn’t respond it was clear she was already out for the evening.
Sighing, you decided to go into your bedroom to work on your assignments. It would be a distraction from everything at least. Booting up your computer, you signed in to the student portal and looked over the assigned tasks to be turned in before the end of the weekend.
As you plugged away about microeconomics your mind once again wandered to money. This wasn’t a good distraction at all. Per usual, you wound up scrolling through your social media feeds only to see smiling couples and bar hangouts. You thought of your last relationship and how catastrophically that ended. It was partially the reason you barely spoke to your parents anymore. According to them, they supported you, but not your “lifestyle choice” especially if you were going to live under their roof. No matter how many times you tried to explain to them who you were, they wouldn’t hear of it. To them you were hopping on a trend and that “it was one thing if you wanted to do that in private, but there was no need to post about it where the whole family could see.”
That was the exact thing that tore you and Megan apart. She wasn’t willing to be hidden and as much as it hurt, you agreed that it wasn’t fair to her. Even after you moved out into your own place the damage was done and she had moved on by then, becoming part of the sea of happy couples as you mindlessly scrolled.
You went on a few dates here and there, a few late night hook ups too, but maybe it was your focus on school and work that kept you from going beyond shallow encounters. With how stressed you were you wouldn’t mind having one over the weekend. This was the longest dry spell you had since becoming sexually active.
Ignoring your assignments and closing out of your social media profiles, you decided to re-activate the dating apps you allowed to go dormant. Updating your pictures and your bio, you began to swipe through the single girls in your area.
Unicorn hunters, girls looking for friends, and girls who honestly weren’t your type dominated the already small dating pool. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea? You could always go out to one of the bars, but you didn’t have the cash to spare and couldn’t depend on a stranger to fund your night out. Or could you?
You thought back to that one dating profile. The one you made as a joke with friends just to see what was on there. It wasn’t much different from the other apps and sites you were on as far as the user interface went, but this site was for sugar babies to seek out a sugar daddy or mama and vice versa.
For the first time since making the profile, you logged back in. You never put any pictures of yourself or personal information as you never intended on actually using it. That changed as you uploaded the same photos you were using on your other dating apps as well as your small bio.
Setting the filters to adjust to your preferences, you noticed the dating pool wasn’t much better. You were about to give up when something, or rather someone caught your eye. A very attractive woman, almost too attractive for her to be real and not a bot account, but you clicked on her profile anyway.
🔸
Alcina, 44
Local business owner looking for a pretty young thing to spoil. Care for a drink? 🍷
🔶
Her profile was short and sweet though you still weren’t entirely sure if she was real. She had a selection of photos in addition to her profile picture. One thing you noticed was how put together she was. Perfectly curled hair, red lips, and she seemed to have a penchant for vintage fashion. Right down to the photo of her on a yacht with her polka dotted, high waisted bikini, and aviator style sunglasses. The woman could have easily walked out of an old pinup calendar.
Whether she was real or not, you wouldn’t know unless you tried. It took a bit of courage, but you typed a brief message that was straight to the point.
“Hello, I came across your profile and I would love to grab a drink with you.”
Letting out a sharp exhale and squeezing your eyes shut, you hit send before you lost your nerve. It was only after that you noticed the small “active now” flashing beneath her profile picture.
Not thinking much of it, you decided it was best for you to go back to working on your assignments. While you were in the middle of typing out answers, you heard a “bloop” sound and noticed the tab next to your student portal had a (1) next to it.
You clicked back over to see that the woman responded to your message. Your heart rate picked up a bit as you clicked open the message.
“Well hello there, gorgeous. Is there any chance you’d be available for dinner tonight? I’m more into wining and dining than simply wining.”
That was fast, maybe a little too fast. Should you really be meeting a strange woman out for dinner? Then you thought back to the drunken one night stands and realized this was infinitely more safe. She called you gorgeous and it made your heart flutter. Why not take a little risk?
“I would like that very much.”
You hit send and a moment later you saw that she was typing back.
“Perfect. Beneviento’s around eight? I’ll meet you outside.”
You messaged back confirming that the time is okay and you would see her then.
Wow, Beneviento’s? That was one of the nicest and most expensive Italian restaurants around. You had never been, price aside it was impossible to get in without a reservation and reservations were often months out. This woman must have had her connections.
It was 6pm now, but factoring in the drive and not wanting to be late, you started getting ready . Not wanting to be underdressed, you opted for the nicest outfit in your closet. Black skirt, white tank top, long black cardigan, stockings and for shoes you debated over heels or flats, flats wound up winning. More business casual than fancy really.
After freshening up the makeup you wore to your classes and fixing your hair, you opened the door to leave your apartment just as Olivia was apparently returning home.
She looked you up and down, likely surprised to see you so dressed up.
“Wow, you look nice. Going somewhere?”
“As a matter of fact, I have a date.”
You both smiled at the news.
“Alright. It’s nice to see that you’re putting yourself out there again. Should I wait up for you?”
She asked through a wink. You playfully swatted at her.
“It’s not that kind of date. Besides, I have a shift tomorrow morning and a fuck ton of homework to do.”
“Gotcha. Well, have fun. Robbie flaked on me again so I’m just gonna binge watch something.”
Ugh, Robbie. You don’t know what she saw in him, but they had been together since sophomore year of high school and Olivia seemed determined to have one of those highschool sweetheart love stories.
You thanked her and walked out the door not wanting to waste anymore time and accidentally make yourself late.
Your car started with a roar and you rolled your eyes. All of the money for repairs you put into the car and it still sounded like it was going to explode. You turned on the radio to tune out the loud muffler, it’s almost like you didn’t just have the entire damn thing replaced months ago. As commercial after commercial droned on you lamented at the fact that you had no CDs and the car was much too old for Bluetooth connectivity.
It was around 7:45pm when you pulled up to the restaurant. The parking lot was nearly full, but you managed to find a spot. There was a valet service, not that you’d dare to bring your car over. It was enough of an embarrassment compared to the sea of luxury cars surrounding you.
The time slowly crept towards eight and you weren’t sure if you should stay in your car or stand outside the front door until she arrived. You kept glancing between the time on your phone and the front of the restaurant until you saw a woman walking towards the front, only to linger by a bench.
Black curls, long sleeved crimson dress that fell just below her knees, heels that made her staggeringly tall. This had to be her. You watched as she pulled a cigarette from a small metallic case and began to smoke.
After a few puffs, you decided that you should probably get out of your car and greet her.
You approached her just as she was putting out her cigarette in the ashtray next to the bench.
Sheepishly, you addressed her.
“Hi, Alcina?”
She turned towards you and smiled.
“In the flesh. And you must be my date.”
You nod, both laughing. She offered you her arm and you walked into the restaurant together, arms linked.
The close contact had you blushing.
As soon as you got to the host stand, neither of you had to speak as Alcina was greeted immediately.
“Ms. Dimitrescu, right this way.”
Dimitrescu? Like the winery? Her profile did say she was a business owner.
The host seated the two of you down at a small table towards the back of the restaurant. It seemed much more exclusive than the front of house as there were only two other couples on the other side of what looked to be a VIP area.
Before you could speak, a waiter was already introducing himself, asking if he could start the two of you off with drinks.
“A bottle of my red would do wonderfully.”
Her voice was like honey. You could listen to her speak all day. Also, her red? There was no subtlety in her showing off.
“As you wish, Ms. I am going to have to see her ID though.”
He gestured towards you and you fished for your ID in your purse. You had only been of legal drinking age for a few months so this was nothing new. One of the perks of always being a year older than your schoolmates. While they were still risking fake IDs, you had the real deal.
Once the waiter confirmed your age, he assured you both that he would be back with the bottle and salads to start.
Being left alone with your date, you weren’t sure what to say. This section of the restaurant was dimly lit and each table illuminated by candlelight. She was breathtaking, classy, and you were afraid of saying something stupid.
You began looking over the menu. It was small, entrees on one side, the other side being a wine list. Everything was so pricey too! She would be paying, right? Considering the context of the site you met her on, you hoped that she would. You didn’t have the money to go stag even if you had wanted to.
Her hand lightly stroked yours.
“Order whatever you’d like, it’s no trouble.”
Her smile was reassuring and the shrimp scampi sounded delicious.
“As long as it’s okay with you.”
It was a bit hard to make eye contact with her. Her eyes were a lovely blueish gray and from the heat you could feel in your cheeks, you knew your blushing must have been obvious to her.
“Darling, you are aware of the pending arrangement, no? We can discuss things further after we’ve eaten.”
From the sounds of it, this would be more than a one time ordeal. That thought excited you.
The waiter was back before the conversation went any further. Along with the bottle, he held a tray with your salads, a bread basket, and a choice of the house dressing or balsamic.
You ordered the shrimp scampi you had been eyeing and Alcina opted for a linguini with clam sauce.
The waiter left and you started on your salads. As hungry as you were, you tried your best to eat slowly with small, delicate bites to match the elegance of the way your date ate her food.
Alcina finished her salad without reaching for the bread. Neither of you did, but it looked so good and you decided to butter a slice for yourself.
You heard her giggle.
“Enjoy that young metabolism while you have it.”
You swallowed the bite you had taken.
“One slice of bread won’t kill you, you know.”
“No,”
She sipped her wine.
“But at my age food isn’t as forgiving and the pasta is already a treat.”
You shrugged and grabbed for another piece of bread.
“More for me I guess.”
She laughed again.
“Charming.”
As good as the freshly baked bread was, you wanted to save your appetite for the main course and you were already starting to feel kind of full. You took a sip of your wine. It was strong with a pleasant aftertaste. You already knew you wouldn’t be able to handle more than a single glass since you would have to drive home.
“So, tell me about yourself, dear.”
Her voice was a pleasant hum as she watched you through her wine glass.
You weren’t sure if your life would actually be of interest to her, but you told her anyway.
“Um, I’m in my second year of school at the community college, but once I finish I will be transferring to a university to major in psychology. I have an apartment with my friend Olivia that’s near campus and I work part time at a boutique in the mall.”
“Ah, it seems you have a lot on your plate, but I love your ambition.”
Ambition wasn’t what you’d call it. More like not wanting to starve or be homeless.
“How about you, Alcina?”
It felt awkward using her name. You almost felt as though you should be addressing her as ma’am. You were on a date though.
“Well, I’m sure my surname betrayed me already, but I currently own the Dimitrescu Winery and Vineyard. It’s been in my family for generations. Fortunately, I have an excellent staff and mostly see to behind the scenes procedures like production and shipment. Speaking of, how do you like the wine? It’s my signature red.”
From the sounds of it she lived a life of leisure. You could only dream of being so lucky.
“The wine is really good! I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I like how smooth this is.”
She offered to top off your glass, but you decline.
“What do you normally like to drink?”
“I usually only drink at parties so kind of whatever is there? Usually mixed drinks. Vodka, rum, soda, juice, that kind of stuff.”
You were beginning to feel out of your element with her. Age difference aside, you were from two completely different backgrounds.
The waiter returned mid-conversation to deliver your entrees. For the price they charged, they were on the small side. It probably wasn’t such a bad thing that you filled up on bread.
You and Alcina continued to have pleasant small talk between bites of food. At one point you noticed her dipping the tip of her cloth napkin into her goblet of ice water. You wondered what she was doing and then you saw her reach across the table to dab at the corner of your mouth. How mortifying. She must have noticed the way you tensed up at her action.
“Sorry, dear. You had a little something.”
She tapped at the corner of her own mouth.
“It’s the mother in me, I couldn’t resist.”
“You’re a mom?”
“Believe it or not, I am. Three girls. As useless as my ex-husband was, my girls made that sham of a marriage worth it. Thank heavens for divorce.”
She lifted her wine glass up to toast. You weren’t sure if you should toast back, but you did and she drank down the rest of her glass. You hesitantly followed suit. That was a lot of information to take in. A mother and a divorcee on top of everything else. Your age difference was becoming more and more apparent. This was all new to you which left you wondering how long she had been active on that site. As uninteresting and unaccomplished as you felt compared to her, clearly she must not have minded considering.
As your meal came to an end, the waiter asked if either of you were interested in dessert which you both declined.
“Just the check please.”
“Absolutely, Ms. Dimitrescu.”
When the waiter returned he immediately handed the check booklet to Alcina. She pulled out a metallic credit card and shoved it in without even looking at the bill. The waiter nodded and walked off to go run her card.
“Thank you again for dinner, Alcina. Could I at least put in for a tip?”
It was an offer merely out of habit and trying to be polite. The few crumpled dollar bills you had next to your plastic debit card would be an embarrassment to take out.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I asked you to dinner. Besides, gratuity is included with the bill.”
Gratuity included, huh? If only other places followed suit you wouldn’t have to scramble for your tip calculator app.
After her card was returned, Alcina stood to leave and you followed her to the outside of the restaurant.
“May I walk you to your car?”
You accepted her offer and remembered her saying she wanted to talk more. The downside being that she would see the lemon of a car you were forced to drive around.
She offered her arm again and you linked yours through hers as you walked towards the section of the parking lot where your car was parked.
“I did say I wanted to discuss our arrangement further.”
Alcina spoke in a low voice, breaking the silence.
“You did.”
“I had an excellent time with you tonight. It feels nice having a pretty little thing on my arm again. I’d hate for this to be the last time you accompany me.”
She had you blushing once more. However, you did make note of her saying “again” so it was clear she had experience in this field.
“I want to see you again, too.”
Alcina smiled at you as you slowly approached your car. She seemed taken aback by the condition of it, but refrained from saying anything about it.
“Then it’s settled. Normally, I offer a weekly allowance, but I would also like to accommodate you for your time this evening.”
Wow, an expensive dinner and she wanted to give you something more. This was out of a dream. You had a fleeting thought of pinching yourself.
You didn’t know what else to say other than thanking her again for the wonderful evening. You exchanged phone numbers so you wouldn’t have to exclusively chat through the site you met on and Alcina explained that with your number she could also easily transfer funds to your banking app.
Before you parted for the night her hand gently caressed your face as she looked down at you.
“Goodnight, my dear. I’ll be in touch.”
With that, she left you next to your car. You got in and watched her walk away. She fumbled a bit with her purse before pulling out the container with her cigarettes. She lit the end and disappeared out of your sight.
You were about to start your drive home when your phone lit up. It wasn’t a text from her, but an automated text from your banking app that you had received a deposit. That was quick.
When you checked to see the amount, your jaw dropped. This would be enough to cover the portion of the rent you were missing and slowly start climbing out of your credit card debt.
Another text came through, this time from Alcina. No words, just a kissy face emoji that had you smiling your entire drive back home.