I sit alone in my dressing room, practicing my words one more time. A lone moment of solitude during this campaign, and one I was grateful for; grateful for the time to collect my thoughts.

The enormity of the day sank into me, how far I had come to be here, preparing for this moment. The years of effort that had preceded it.

An aide pops her head through the door. “3 minutes til your cue.”

I nod, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks Nance. I’ll be out in a second.”

She nods back and backs out, leaving me in silence once again.

I let a breath whoosh out, visualizing myself finished with this speech, celebrating how well it went, how I’ve taken another step towards the ultimate end goal.

Standing, I begin to pace, back and forth, my pace increasing. A nervous energy began to build, and I shook my arms out, my head, trying to dispel it. One minute to go.

I reach for the door knob just as it opened again. The same aide smiles at me once more. “Perfect timing.”

She was really rather pretty, a fact that barely registered in my anxious, racing mind. I hadn’t dated in nearly three years, focused whole heartedly on the campaign, the long fight.

I found myself recklessly thinking that if all this went well today, I should ask the pretty aide out. If I could handle a nationwide speech, surely I could handle asking a beautiful woman to dinner.

She leads me to a side stage, listens to her headpiece for a moment, and then ushers me forward. “It’s time,” she says, her soft smile soothing my ragged nerves. “You’re going to do incredibly. Break a leg out there.”

Gulping, I try and fail to smile back, stepping into position behind the curtain. I can hear the MC beginning his introduction, and all too soon, the curtain is lifted, and I’m on stage.

A deep breath, and it begins.

*

At the after party that evening, I find myself with a constant refill of champagne, a steady stream of hands beating my back, a constant thrum of laughter and music in the background. I’m jostled from group to group, shaking hands, greeting friends, thanking sponsors, humbly accepting their praise.

After nearly two hours of this, I find myself seeking out an escape plan, a moment of solitude to process everything. Faking a trip to the bathroom, then shaking off a fellow who announced he also needed to use the facilities by saying I needed to greet some more family members across the room first, I finally found myself outside of the kitchen’s emergency exit, surrounded by dumpsters and pallets, the noise of the event a faint buzz behind me.

The night air settles soothingly against my skin, chilling my flushed skin. I tip my head towards the moonlit sky, eyes falling closed, basking in the moment.

“Oh! So sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was out here.” It was Nancy, sheepishly holding a cigarette in one hand and propping the door open with the other.

I smile at her, and gesture to a spot on the pallet next to me. “That’s okay. Plenty of space for us both.”

She sits down obligingly and lights her cigarette, taking a long drag before turning and offering it to me. I gratefully take an inhale, savoring the smoky flavor and her proximity.

“I was wondering where you ran off to. Although if that had been me, I would have needed some breathing space.”

I laugh, refreshed by her candor that stood out in stark contrast to the ass kissing I’d been enduring all evening. “I suppose it does say something when I prefer the disgusting trash filled alley to the oppulent ballroom.”

Handing the cigarette off again, I ask, “what about you? Whats your excuse for shirking the party?”

Its a minute before she answers, and when she does, its so quietly I’m unsure if I heard it correctly or not. “The only person I came here to see is you.” She turns to me more fully, smiling up at me shyly. “When I noticed you were gone, I figured I might as well sneak out before the open bar really got to everyone’s heads.”

I don’t even think; for the first time in years, I act before having a well thought out plan, act our of instinct. My lips find hers in the dim light, the taste of cigarettes and champagne dancing between us, an electric charge igniting my whole body.

After several long moments, I pulled back, but remained close, staring into her face. “I told myself if today went well, I’d ask you out. It was the only thing I was thinking of today.”

She laughs, looking at me almost incredibly. “I didn’t even think you knew who I was before today.”

Her eyes are blue, flecks of green prominently shining within them. “Have dinner with me.”

“When?”

“How about right now? I didn’t have anything but those god awful canapés, I could use a burger.”

She rises to her feet, holding a small, graceful hand out towards me. “It’s a date.”