Perfectly Strangers

“OWWWWW what the Hell Ashley?!?!? I seriously just chipped a tooth on the dash!”

“You better not have left a tooth mark on my dash! This is the special red leather edition Audi SQ7 I’ll have you know!”

Ashley nailed the break hard again, and then the gas equally hard.

Maddie’s head snapped forward and back in direct correlation to Ashley’s driving.

“I don’t know how you live here. This traffic is the stuff of nightmares.”

“It’s the mountains my dear Madeleine. You can only see the ones over there now,” Ashley said, pointing out of Madeleine’s window. “But when it’s a little clearer, you can get a better view of the ones behind us. I love the mountains,” Ashley said on a sigh.

“Do you think you’ll ever move back home?”

“I doubt it,” Ashley responded thoughtfully. “The weather is so much better here in California. And the traffic where I live isn’t as bad as it is here. If you weren’t visiting, I wouldn’t be driving into LA right now.”

“Fair enough,” Madeleine responded evenly. “But I can’t get over it taking over an hour to go 30 miles. That’s just nuts. How do people live this way?”

“You’re just a country bumpkin. Lots of people live in high traffic areas. Just because you’re from the sticks, you’re not used to it, but lots of Americans deal with shitty traffic every day.”

“Yeah -- I guess you’re right. There’s the beltway outside DC, and traffic in Austin is just as bad. When I was there visiting Jenn, I thought she was gonna kill me merging into traffic. At least there are some super nice cars here to watch as you run yourself up their bumpers,” Maddie joked with her Aunt.

Despite the fact her Aunt was only eight months older than she was, technically they were Aunt and Niece. Their relationship had always been more like sisters though, and Maddie had been anxious to visit after her Aunt took a job on the other side of the Country.

“If you hadn’t made me take you to one of the hottest restaurants in Beverly Hills, we wouldn’t be in this traffic right now,” Ashley griped as she swerved one lane over to get to the exit as the GPS instructed her to “Take the Exit,” in its Australian accented male voice.

“You’ll have to tell me what you did to give your Alexa that snazzy accent.”

“It’s Siri,” Ashley said, and rolled her eyes beneath her gargantuan eyelash extensions.

“Whatever,” Maddie mumbled. “Watch it!” she shrieked as her Aunt slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of her. “That’s it! I’m going to die before I’ve truly lived. Tell my parents I love them,” Maddie said dramatically with an arm over her eyes.

“At least you graduated from college with honors. You can die a happy girl.”

“It’s with ‘highest’ honors. Get it right lady. Summa. Cum. Laude. Can you please have them write that on my tombstone? And you can have any expensive shoes I buy while I’m here. I hereby bequeath them to you.”

“Would you stop being so dramatic?!?!” Ashley ground out while laying on the horn. “What the fuck dude?!?!? Can you not the light is green????”

“I’m convinced everyone in LA drives with their eyes closed. He cannot in fact ‘see’ you.”

Ignoring her jibe at the natives, Ashley asked, “Can you check my phone and tell me where the next turn is? It seems I can’t rely on our Australian friend to guide me.”

Maddie grabbed her Aunt’s phone and directed her to the parking garage that appeared to be a block from the restaurant they had reservations at. Her Aunt pulled in slowly, taking a card from the kiosk, and then followed the signs down two levels, to no-man’s land, and pulled into one of the empty parking spaces.

“Are we in the vault? Where is everyone?” Maddie said a little freaked out. “Oh! The stairs are over there. Thank you Jesus. The way out!”

They both strutted their way to the elevator in their high heels. Neither suggested they take the stairs as they were aligned in their desire to not walk up stairs in 3 inch stilettos.

Despite being 5’9” tall, her Aunt still wore a pair of Gucci stilettos. They made her look slimmer she had told Maddie when she asked. Maddie had to admit, despite being built like an Amazonian warrior, her Aunt pulled off the tight black jeans, gold Gucci belt, and matching black Gucci sweater off. She looked chic.

Maddie on the other hand, was just trying to keep up. She didn’t have the budget her Aunt did, having just graduated from college. Maddie had some extra money left over from her student loans, and was currently on a shoe string budget until she started law school in the Fall and received her next round of funding.

Taking the elevator up to the main level, they exited and looked around at the clean white marble lobby of the building they had ended up in.

“Any idea where we’re going?” Maddie asked.

“Nope. Not a clue,” her Aunt admitted. They both looked around. Spotting a security guard, Maddie made a b-line for him.

“Excuse me sir? Sir? SIR!” Maddie yelled, finally getting the apparently hard of hearing elderly man’s attention.

“Yes Miss?” he asked politely.

“Hi. We’re looking for Pasgo. Can you give us directions?” Maddie asked.

“Sure. Just go out that door over there and then go left.”

“Thank you Sir. Have a nice evening,” Maddie replied. Her and Ashley set off towards the door the security guard pointed to. They walked outside into the warm spring California evening. Maddie looked up to see the palm trees sway in the gentle breeze as they walked in the general direction the guard had suggested.

“According to this, it should be over there,” Ashley said pointing down a side street while consulting the map on her phone.

The two trekked purposefully but carefully down the side street. Neither eager to roll an ankle stepping in a pothole, crack in the pavement, or small rodent.

After what felt like miles of walking to Maddie, unused to walking in heels, they approached a pretty green awning with “PASGO” written in cursive across it in white. Valets stood near the door, and the girls looked at each other, silently communicating the fact there was a valet, and they didn’t need to park in the underground tomb blocks away.

Maddie smiled at the valets as she walked to the door. One of the valets reached around her and grabbed the door handle, opening it for them.

“Thank you Sir,” she said with a wide smile for the guy walking through.

“You’re welcome Miss. Have a nice night,” he responded politely.

Entering the restaurant, Maddie’s eyes adjusted. It was actually darker in the restaurant than on the street. The bar stood just to the left of the door, and comfy semi-circular booths with round tables lined the wall to the right of a walkway that led to the dining room.

A hostess stand sat a little ways in, and Maddie made her way to it, Ashley in tow.

A very pretty young woman stood behind the narrow pedestal. Maddie took in her blond hair that hung straight past her shoulders, and her bohemian style white blousy dress. The rest of her was obscured by the hostess station. The hostess smiled politely as Maddie and Ashley approached.

“Hi, Madeleine Ouellette table for two,” she said. Maddie had picked the restaurant and made the reservation shortly after making plans for her visit. It could take months to get a table at Pasgo.

“Yes, I have you in the main dining room. Please follow me,” the hostess said, making her way through the bar.

Maddie followed the hostess, walking past the tables and bar, taking it all in. Women sat at the bar in furs and sky high heels. Men talked next to them, obviously putting a lot less effort into their appearance than their counterparts. As they made their way into the main dining room where the lighting was much better, Maddie could see straight into an open kitchen. She didn’t have a great view as a partial wall topped with glass divided it from the dining room. Looking hard, Maddie could see chefs working hard on the other side.

They were led to a plush circular booth against the wall that boasted a good view of both the dining room and kitchen for Ashley who sat on the side angled toward the kitchen, and the dining room and bar for Maddie, who sat next to her.

“Your server will be right with you,” the hostess said as she turned and headed back to the bar. Maddie got an eyeful of her super-short skirt as she headed back to the bar and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the bit of ass cheek that peeked out from the bottom of her dress.

She looked over to Ashley to see if she registered the same thing. To her amusement, Ashley was also watching the girl’s ass as she walked away.

“California,” Maddie said in her best Bruce Willis impression.

“California,” Ashley repeated, and they laughed at the joke. Die Hard was a classic after all.

They looked over the cocktail menu that was left in the middle of the table as they waited for the server to come over.

They didn’t wait long.

“Hello and good evening. My name is Igor and I will be taking care of you this evening. Have you decided on drinks? Our specialty cocktail list is on the table already, but I can bring a wine list over.”

“Hello Igor,” Maddie said genially. “I’ll have the Stonewash, but can you bring a wine list as well?”

“Of course Miss. And for you?” he said, turning to Ashley.

“I’ll have the same.”

“Wonderful. We have a few specials tonight if I may,” Igor said as an assistant slipped menus into Maddie’s and Ashley’s hands. Maddie nodded eagerly to Igor. “We have a butter poached lingcod served over risotto with broccolini, and also a thirty ounce tomahawk served over smashed potatoes with porcini mushroom demi glace and roasted brussels sprouts with candied bacon.”

“Thank you,” Maddie said, impressed.

“Of course. I’ll just give you two some time to look at the menu,” Igor said with a smile, and turned and headed towards the bar.

The two girls quickly converged over their menus, coming up with a game plan for their meal.

They had just decided on what to order when a runner came and deposited their drinks. They both took a sip and smiled at each other. The drinks were amazing.

Igor came back a minute later and took their orders.

Finishing her drink, Maddie looked at the wine list. “If he comes back while I’m gone, please order me a glass of the sparkling rose. The one that’s $25 a glass. Not the one that’s $45 a glass!” she told Ashley as she scooted to the edge of the booth and stood up.

While Ashley was older and took on the role of the protective older sister, Maddie was naturally more outgoing and assertive and generally took charge of ordering food and drinks.

Looking around for the restroom, Maddie set off across the dining room towards a doorway that she guessed led her there. Looking around her as she walked, Maddie took in the kitchen to her left and another dining area to her right. As she entered the corridor that she hoped would house the restrooms, she looked around for some sign that would point her in the right direction, while walking confidently and attempting to not look like she was lost.

As she walked, she spotted a set of stairs to her right. As she approached them, she had the errant thought that they led to a secret entrance used by VIPs.

!!!WHAM!!!

Maddie ran straight into what felt like a wall and toppled backward, losing her balance in her stilettoes. Before she could hit the floor, strong arms shot out and grabbed her, pulling her into a solid chest.