Chapter 9
Ali pulled into the Stefano's parking lot a little before 8pm. She turned off the engine and sat in her car for a minute. She was as nervous as a schoolgirl on a first date. There were just so many levels of unexplainable-ness and shouldn’t-be-doing-this going on here. But, despite all of that, she just hadn’t been able to turn down the invite. After she got home last night, she had laid in bed for two hours, her mind spinning as she thought about her encounter with Ashlyn, especially their kiss. She had woken up this morning and had added an extra three miles onto her run, trying to work off some nervous energy. She had taken a long shower at 5pm, and then had spent the next two hours trying on outfits. She had settled on a stylish red dress and matching heels. She was wearing matching color lipstick and had styled her hair down. She had checked her appearance in the mirror at least a dozen times, then had jumped in her car and had driven to Stefano's, in the Lakeview area of Chicago. Now, sitting in the parking lot, she checked her appearance one last time, and as she put her compact mirror back in her purse, she looked at her .22 nestled beside her wallet. She took a few deep breaths, exhaled one last time, and exited her car. She walked into the hi-end steakhouse and approached the hostess. She was about to give her name when the maître d approached.
“Good evening, Miss Krieger”, he said.
“Uh…hi”, Ali said, surprised by the fact that the maître d knew her name.
“Miss Harris is expecting you. Right this way, please”, he said, and escorted Ali to a quiet table in the back. Ali saw Ashlyn sitting at the table, and her breath caught. Ashlyn was wearing a black suit, white shirt, purple tie and black dress shoes. She was looking up expectantly as the maître d lead Ali to the table, and she rose as Ali neared. She thanked the maître d as he left and leaned in to kiss Ali’s cheek. Ali froze for a second but then smiled faintly as she felt Ashlyn’s lips connect with her skin. Ashlyn pulled back and said, “You look lovely”.
Ali blushed a bit but managed to get out, “Thank you. You look...uh, wow.” Ashlyn smiled and then pulled out Ali’s chair. Ali sat, and Ashlyn pushed her chair in. As she went back around the table to her own chair, her fingers lightly brushed Ali’s hair. Ali’s eyes closed for a second. It had been a long time since she had felt anyone touch her hair.
Ashlyn sat down and then looked at Ali. “Thank you for coming tonight”, she said.
Ali smiled and looked at Ashlyn. She's beautiful, Ali thought. She had striking features and long blonde hair. She had a poise about her that suggested confidence, and an underlying hardness about her that said, This is someone who has been through it, Ali thought. She looked at Ashlyn and said, “You’re welcome. How did the maître d know my name?”
Ashlyn looked at Ali. “I gave it to him, and I told him I was expecting the most stunning brunette he would ever see in his life. I think he put it together pretty easily when you walked in”, she said and smiled.
Ali blushed a little again, but regained her composure quickly. “So, I’m here”, she said. “Tell me everything.”
Ashlyn laughed. “Wow, Special Agent Beautiful. Starting out quick, aren’t we? Can we at least order dinner first, have a drink, and maybe even engage in some small talk before we dive into business?” When Ali didn’t say anything, Ashlyn said, “I mean, it’s not like you need to rush off tonight. I don’t think there’s going to be another sniper killing, at least while we’re having dinner together.” She looked at Ali and winked. A bottle of wine was already on the table, and Ashlyn poured each of them a glass.
Ali looked at Ashlyn. “Ashlyn, you really can’t say that to me. I mean, I’m a fede-“
“Yes, I know, you’re a federal agent.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes. Ali looked down at her purse, and Ashlyn said, “By the way, you won’t need the .22 that’s in there.”
Ali looked up at her in surprise. “How did you know…?“ she let it trail off.
Ashlyn laughed. “I didn’t. I just guessed.” She leaned forward, and in an exaggerated conspiratory voice, said, “I brought one with me, too.” At that, Ali actually cracked a smile, and Ashlyn sensed that she was starting to soften up. She knew this date had to be somewhat bizarre for Ali, and it was weird for her too, but Ashlyn had felt compelled to ask her out. She was drawn to Ali, and she figured that Ali had to be at least drawn to her in some way, shape or form, otherwise she wouldn’t be here tonight, and she probably would have just arrested her on the spot last night. “So, how about we just agree to not use our guns tonight?”
Ali smiled. “I can agree to that. Unless I see you break the law. Then I have to draw my piece and take you in.” She smiled, almost apologetically.
“I promise, Ali. I won’t break any laws tonight”, Ashlyn said coyly. “May I call you Ali? Or would you prefer Special Agent Beautiful?”
Ali smiled and then said, “Yes, you may call me Ali.” I can't believe I'm here right now, Ali thought. There was just something about Ashlyn, maybe her striking looks, maybe the fact that she answered to no one, or maybe something else, but Ali was drawn to her. And then there was Ashlyn’s unexpected appearance at Marangos, and then her brazen, unafraid attitude while Ali had her gun trained on her, and then, out of all possibilities, Ashlyn asking her out on a date. And then, to top it all off, there was Ashlyn planting a kiss on Ali’s lips. Things just hadn’t gone the way Ali would have expected. And not necessarily in a bad way, she thought, but this is definitely weird. “I’ve never been in here”, Ali said. “Do you come here often?”
Ashlyn nodded. “It’s my favorite place to eat”, she said.
“And how did you come across it?” Ali asked.
"I was introduced to this place through my family, but I keep coming here because the food is the best in the city. Speaking of which, shall we order?” Ashlyn asked, as the waiter approached. Ashlyn motioned to the waiter to take Ali’s order first, and Ali ordered the Coriander duck with toasted almonds in béarnaise sauce, and Ashlyn a ordered a ribeye steak with a side of greens and a twice-baked potato.
“So…do you bring all of your dates here?” Ali probed, when the waiter had left.
Ashlyn laughed lightly. “No, Ali, in fact, I’ve never brought a date here. Well, at least not before tonight.” She smiled at Ali and winked.
“Okay, um…well, I’m honored then, I guess”, Ali said, and blushed a little.
“Do you like it so far?” Ashlyn asked.
“Yeah, it’s really nice”, Ali responded, looking around again. It was definitely the fanciest restaurant she had ever been to.
“Nicer than the last date you went on?”
Ali looked at Ashlyn with disbelief. “Ashlyn…”
“You never answered my question from last night. I figure if I’m going to answer some questions, then I think it’s only fair that you do the same. And, since you don’t have anything to offer me about a case that I’m working on, I’ll settle for some personal details. You know – normal date stuff”, Ashlyn jockeyed, and then leaned in a bit and stared into Ali’s eyes. “So, when is the last time you were on a date?”
“Like, a year ago”, Ali said, almost sheepishly.
“And?”
“She’s a self-defense instructor. We met when she came in to JOCT to teach a seminar. We went out once. It didn’t go anywhere.” Ali looked at Ashlyn. “How about you? When’s the last time you were on a date?”
“Ooooh, I like that”, Ashlyn said, noting how Ali had turned the question right back around on her. “A skilled interrogator, turning the question right back around”, she said and laughed.
Ali laughed as well. The ice was breaking, Ashlyn thought. “I am a skilled interrogator. And don’t think that your charming laugh and that dimpled smile is going to get you out of answering the question", Ali said.
The laughter died down, and Ashlyn said, “So, my last date…do you want business or personal?”
“Either”, Ali said.
“Okay…let me see…last date…” Ashlyn made a show of remembering. “Oh, right. Nine months ago. It was business. Kind of.”
“Tell me about it”, Ali said.
“He was an arms dealer selling high-grade plutonium to Chechnyan rebels", Ashlyn said. "I was contracted by the Russian Interior Ministry to stop the sale. So, I came onto him at a club in Russia, and he and I had dinner together.”
“And?”
"We got a hotel room above the restaurant and made love."
"Wow. And…where did it go from there?"
"I slit his throat when he fell asleep", Ashlyn said, matter-of-factly.
“What!?” Ali almost jumped out of her chair.
Ashlyn laughed. “I’m totally kidding, about the whole thing. That never happened. O-M-G, you should see your face, Ali.”
“You-!” Ali said in mock anger as she smiled. “You just totally played me.” She pouted.
“I’m sorry”, Ashlyn said, still laughing. “I just couldn’t resist.”
The two women laughed together, and then Ali said, “No, seriously, your last date…?”
“It was about six months ago”, Ashlyn said. “She’s a graphic designer that I met at a monthly networking event for freelance graphics artists.” Ali stared at her, so Ashlyn said, “Yes, Ali. I actually do have a life outside of what you think you know about me.”
“Okay, and what is it that you think I think I know about you?” Ali asked.
“Wow. That was pretty roundabout”, Ashlyn said. “Is that like, ‘I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you know?’ Some fancy JOCT speak to confuse the suspect?” Ashlyn smiled and winked at Ali.
“No”, Ali said, smiling herself. “I just…want to know about you. And what you’ve been up to lately.” Then she lowered her eyes and said, “That’s the deal, remember?”
“Oh, yes. The deal”, Ashlyn said. “Well, how about we get into that in a bit?”
“Fine”, Ali said. “Then let’s get back to your last date.”
“Ah, yes. We went out twice, and nothing really came of it.”
“And why’s that, do you think?”
“It just wasn’t there”, Ashlyn said and shrugged her shoulders. “How about you? Why do you think your last date didn’t go anywhere?”
“Same. It just wasn’t there. Plus, my hours are pretty crazy. I mean, it would take someone really understanding to put up with me.”
“Or, maybe someone who believes enough in what you do, which would make someone understanding enough to put up with the hours”, Ashlyn said, and took a sip of her wine. “Oh – food’s here”, she said, as the waiter brought their plates. “Bon appetite”, Ashlyn said to Ali, as they started in.
“Wow”, Ali said, as she took a bite of duck. “This is…amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it”, Ashlyn said. “Do you want to try a piece of steak?”
Ali paused. “Um…sure, thanks”, she said, as Ashlyn put a piece of steak on her plate. “Do you want a piece of duck?”
“Sure. I’ve actually had it here, but it’s been a while”, Ashlyn said, as she speared a piece of duck from Ali’s plate onto her fork. “It’s delicious, isn’t it?” she asked Ali, as she put the piece in her mouth.
“Yeah, it’s…absolutely delicious”. Ali was truly impressed. The food here was exquisite. She could see how it was considered one of the best restaurants in the city. “So, um, if this is your favorite place to eat, but you don’t bring dates her…who do you bring here?” Ali asked, trying to change the subject back to Ashlyn. She wanted to find out more about her, but, she found herself slipping into becoming more curious about Ashlyn personally than professionally.
Ashlyn smiled and took a sip of wine, then said, “When I come here, I actually come here by myself most of the time.”
“Interesting”, Ali said and then thought: She doesn’t mind dining alone. Ali thought about Ashlyn dining at Salvatore’s for almost three hours by herself while she scoped out the joint and ran surveillance on Costello and Pazzarelli. ”So, where are you from?" Ali asked.
“As in, do I have an exotic backstory, the kind you might expect a mysterious assassin to have?" Ashlyn countered, jokingly.
“No”, Ali said and smiled. “Look, I’ll stop trying to pry for professional information. At least for now”, she said. She looked at Ashlyn, and Ashlyn smiled, partly out of relief, and partly because Ali was so damn…desirable, trying to navigate her way through this dinner that she just couldn’t quite get a handle on. Ali looked at Ashlyn, smiled and shrugged slightly. “Right now, I’m just trying to get to know you, as a person. As my date”, Ali said and smiled.
So, Ali was coming around to actually seeing this as a date. Ashlyn smiled at that. “I was born and raised here in Chicago, in the Ravenswood area."
“Sure, I know it. I used to go up there for soccer tournaments when I was in high school. We played at Duke’s Field.”
“Oh sure. I used to play soccer there too.” Ashlyn said.
"Wait - did I ever play against you?" Ali asked. "When did you graduate high school?"
"Are you trying to figure out how old I am, Special Agent Krieger?" Ashlyn asked. "You should never ask a woman her age. You know that", she said, and then laughed. Ali laughed as well, and then Ashlyn asked. “Where did you grow up?”
“Elmwood Park”, Ali said.
“Sure”, Ashlyn said. “I used to go to the Harlem and Irving Mall when I was in high school. They had the largest Gap in the city there at that time.”
“That Gap is still there”, Ali said and laughed. The mall was two blocks from where Ali had grown up. Ashlyn laughed too, and as the laughter died down, both women thought, God, this is nice. It’s kind of like, well, a real date. Ali looked at Ashlyn and then said, “It’s funny, like, I know things about where you grew up, and you know things about where I grew up.”
“Yeah, well, we didn’t grow up that far apart. Maybe five, ten miles”, Ashlyn said.
“I guess not”, Ali said. For some reason, it was hard for her to imagine that Ashlyn grew up anything like her, since she did something so different now.
Ashlyn seemed to be reading her thoughts. “You know, Ali, just because we have different professions doesn’t mean that I grew up all that different than you. I mean, it’s not like I grew up shooting automatic weapons and blowing up buildings as a kid. I had a normal Chicago kid’s childhood. I went to public school, played sports, went to Cubs games, movies, birthday parties, etc. The same stuff that you probably did growing up.”
Ali smiled sheepishly. “Look, I’m sorry. I mean, I guess it’s just…I just wonder how it is that, if we grew up the same, we went in such opposite directions.”
Ashlyn looked at Ali and then asked, “Was my job really that much different than yours is, Ali? You catch bag guys here in this city. I did the same thing. I just had a much larger playing field and had to travel around the world to do it.”
"How do you know the people you were chasing were bad guys?" Ali asked. She didn't know a whole lot about the world of Special Forces, or Special Operations in general. It was a very secretive world, and the participants were notoriously tight-lipped. But, she had an idea that there was a pretty large grey area in which professionals of that world operated.
Ashlyn looked at Ali. "That's a good question, Special Agent Beautiful. How do you know that the people you chase are bad guys?"
"Because, there's intel, dossiers, all sorts of info on these guys", Ali replied.
"Yup. We had all that too." Ashlyn countered.
Ali stared at her. It was like hitting a tennis ball against a wall. It kept coming back. She decided to drop the subject and shift directions a bit. “So, you did serve in the Special Forces, then?”
Ashlyn put down her wine that she was holding and looked Ali straight in the eye. “What do you think, Ali? If you ask me, I’ll tell you the truth.”
Ali took a deep breath, exhaled, and then asked. “Did you serve in the United States Army Special Forces?”
Ashlyn nodded. “Yes, Ali. I did.”
Now, the moment of truth, Ali thought. “Did you kill those two Mafioso last week, and those three Disciples last night?”
“What do you think?” Ashlyn asked.