Bedtime
After the rest of the first days evening was spent their separate ways, at ERA and ANTI-ERA meetings, it was time for everyone to head back to their rooms and settle down for the night. This meaning, it was time for Phyllis and Rita to be stuck in a room together once again.
Rita walked down the hallway with heavy steps, exhausted from the long day of chatting about the upcoming conferences and debates with her fellow ERA women. The meeting though had been everything she hoped for, full of passionate inspiring women who actually gave a damn about the future. And yet, all she could think about was the fact she had to return to a room where the infamous STOP-ERA Phyllis Schlafly was already waiting.
Rita hesitated with her key in the door, silently hoping that if she stayed out long enough Phyllis would fall asleep, and she wouldn’t have to deal with any more awkward silence. But another part of her knew she was being ridiculous, it was just a hotel room, merely a place for the two women to sleep. In separate beds.
Finally, Rita turned the key and pushed the door open.
It was about 7:30 PM when Rita entered the room, the dim glow of a bedside table lamp being the only light source revealing Phyllis sat on her own bed with her reading glasses perched on her nose, still wearing her tailored plum coloured skirt suit with sheer stockings, her heels off on the floor beside her bed. She was writing in a leather-bound notebook, presumably notes for her STOP-ERA work.
Phyllis barely glanced up at Rita as the younger woman entered the room, only acknowledging her presence with a quick, unreadable look before turning the page in her notebook.
Rita shut the door behind her quietly, suddenly feeling very aware of every small sound she made in that room; the click of the lock, the shuffle of her shoes on the carpet, the rustle of fabric as she slipped off her light jacket. She walked over to her side of the room, setting her bag down on the bed before exhaling and rubbing her temples. The day had drained her, but the presence of the older woman in the room kept Rita from being able to fully relax. The silence between them stretched uncomfortably, filled only by the noise of the jank hotel air conditioning.
Finally, Phyllis broke the silence. Her voice was sharp, but softer than previously in the day.
“Long day?” Phyllis said, still sat on her bed with her notebook open on her lap.
Rita’s head shot to look back at Phyllis, almost raising an eyebrow. Small talk? From Phyllis Schlafly?
Rita sat herself down on her bed, kicking off her shoes before replying. “I suppose.”
Phyllis closed her notebook and set it on her bedside table, removing her reading glasses and placing them on top of the book. “I assume your meeting was full of the usual nonsense?” The older woman said.
Rita scoffed, already regretting entertaining this conversation with her. “If by nonsense you mean women fighting for basic equal rights, then sure.”
Phyllis gave a knowing smile, as if expecting that exact response, which just annoyed Rita even more. “Ah yes, fighting for the right to be drafted into war and lose custody of our children. Taking women out of the protection of their home, where they belong.”
Rita just rolled her eyes, getting off her bed and walking toward her side of the dresser to get pajamas for the night. As she grabbed her sleep wear, she replied to the older woman. “You say that as if being in the home is some grand privilege, as if it’s not just forced dependance.”
Phyllis leaned back against the headboard in silence, as if trying to think of something clever to say back. Before she had time to respond, Rita speaks again. “Listen, Mrs. Schlafly, I don’t want staying in this room to be any more of a bother than it already is, ok? Let’s just keep the arguing for the actual debates.” She said, making way to the washroom to change before adding, “I’m too tired for this.” and then shutting the door behind her.
As Rita changed in the privacy of the washroom, Phyllis sat back against the headboard, her arms crossed over her chest, trying to force herself to focus on anything but the small argument. But it was difficult, Rita’s words just kept echoing in her mind. Phyllis couldn’t help but feel rather sad for the young girl, she was clearly very young, and being led in the wrong direction. At least according to the middle aged republican.
Phyllis had spent years fighting for the traditional values, for what she believed was the sanctity of the family unit. And yet... there was something about Rita that unsettled her in a way she couldn’t quite place. Perhaps it was the fervor in her voice, the passion she spoke with when defending her cause. Phyllis had seen countless women in her meetings, but none quite like Rita. None quite as young either.
The sound of the washroom door clicking broke Phyllis from her deep thinking, but it wasn’t long before the awkward silence between them crept back up. Phyllis almost braced herself for the door to open, fidgeting with her hands as she looked toward the door. A few seconds passed and it finally creaked open, Rita emerged, and Phyllis’ gaze immediately fell on her
She wasn’t expecting…. That
Rita wore a tight black tank top that clung to her body, paired with loose-fitting sleep shorts. The simplicity of the outfit shouldn’t have had such an effect on Phyllis, but it did. Her eyes wandered, despite her attempts to keep them in check.
The way the fabric of the tank top stretched over Rita’s chest, the subtle curve of her waist. Phyllis found herself involuntarily noticing every detail. She couldn’t help but take in the way Rita’s figure seemed to defy the softness she’d expected from someone her age. It was the bralessness that got to her the most. The complete lack of concern for the conventions Phyllis had lived her entire life by. She was rather silently offended by the young girls lack of modesty, and yet she was intrigued. The younger woman was definitely beautiful, there was no denying that.
But no matter how hard she willed it away, Phyllis couldn’t stop the flicker of something strange, something unfamiliar stirring inside her.
Rita, oblivious to the effect she had on Phyllis, moved toward her bed. She fluffed the pillow and climbed under the covers, sitting up against her bed frame and grabbing her book, “The sewing circle” off her bedside table and beginning to read it.
Phyllis stayed still, looking around the room at anything and everything except the younger woman. She was afraid even one small glance in her direction would reveal the fact that Phyllis was so very aware in this moment of the younger woman's attractiveness.
Finally, after a few more unbearable moments of silence, Phyllis got up, grabbed her very conservative nightgown and night robe, and got changed in the washroom before emerging. Rita was nowhere near as interested in the older womans Pajamas, not even looking up from her book as she emerged. Phyllis felt almost…. Disappointed? But internally shrugged it off before just crawling into bed and laying on her side, facing away from the younger woman, and turning her own bedside lamp off.
Around another an hour passed of silence, it was approaching 10PM. For Phyllis Schlafly, this was far past her bedtime. But still, the older woman didn’t feel comfortable falling asleep until she knew Rita was also going to sleep. And yet, the younger woman was still sat up in bed, with her light on, reading her book.
Finally, Phyllis got slightly annoyed, sitting up and looking toward Rita. “Aren’t you going to go to sleep? It’s nearly 10PM. Hotel breakfast is at 6AM…” Phyllis said, trying to get the younger woman to turn her light off and go to sleep.
Rita just let out a sigh of annoyance at her nightly routine being invaded, before placing her bookmark, setting her book on the bedside table, turning the light off, and laying down to sleep.
Around two hours had passed, now 12AM, before Rita’s beginning of sleep was annoyingly interrupted by the older woman. Rita was awoken by Phyllis’ sleep talking.
Rita couldn’t exactly make out what the older woman was saying, but the tone certainly didn’t sound pleasant.. Growing annoyed at the persistent sleep talking, and begrudgingly a little concerned at the themes, Rita gets out of bed, walks over to Phyllis and lightly shakes her shoulder. "Mrs. Schlafly, you're sleep talking." she says, in a very tired low voice.
“Wha-Ha? What’s going on?” the older woman said fuzzily, looking up at Rita’s blurry dark figure and adjusting her eyes, but in the dark she couldn’t see her features. Only her shape in the darkness.
“Oh.. Oh, goodness, thank you.” She said as she yawned, “I had a horrible dream.” the older woman said.
“A-ha, sounds like it.” Rita replied, uninterested and already walking back toward her own bed. Phyllis’ face began burning as she thought about the fact she had been sleep talking in front of the younger woman, embarrassed to think of what she might have said while unconscious.
As Rita settled back into her own bed, back turned to Phyllis, trying to fall back asleep, Phyllis laid now wide awake. She couldn’t help feeling rather homesick, missing her husband Fred and her children. She sat up in her bed and cleared her throat.
Phyllis didn’t want to bother Rita any more than she already had, she really didn’t. But she felt compelled to ask anyway, part of her just wishing to interact with Rita more, though she would never admit that herself. “Rita… can you do me a favour?” She said, her voice still tired.
“What now?” Rita replied, growing more annoyed at the older woman keeping her up.
“I can’t sleep.” Phyllis replied. “Would you talk to me for just a moment?”
Rita turned to face Phyllis before reaching to turn on her lamp, her eyes squinting at the sudden lighting change. She sat up, her bed across the room from the older womans, and waited for Phyllis to continue speaking, so she could hear whatever the hell this woman wanted to talk about at 12:30AM
“Oh, thank you..” Phyllis said awkwardly, as if not actually expecting the younger woman to be willing to stay up and chat. She was a bit annoyed at herself now, why would she be so insistent on keeping this younger ERA feminist weirdo awake? What was there even to talk to her about?
“I just feel kind of homesick. I miss my husband, you know. I’m not used to sleeping in a bed alone.” The older woman stopped, hoping that didn’t sound like she was insinuating anything… Rita couldn’t help but find that comment odd. ‘Is this old lady about to ask me to crawl into bed with her?’ Rita thought, but Phyllis didn’t ask her to do such a thing. Instead she just kept talking. The older womans handing toying with the sleeve of her nightgown before speaking again, “I must sound foolish.” She said, regretting having said anything.
“No, it’s alright. I’m feeling rather homesick too, for the cats that is.” Rita replied, trying to ease the older woman.
Phyllis just met Rita’s gaze with a friendly smile and knowing nod, before finally freeing the younger woman of her yapping chains. “Well, anyway, I suppose it’s getting late. We should really be getting to sleep now.” Phyllis says.
“That would be a good idea.” Rita replies, before turning the light off once again and rolling over in bed, her back once again facing Phyllis.
Finally, the two women fell asleep for the night.