Princes and Frogs - A Tale in Three Parts

Part 1

There are very few women who at 25 can say that they are exactly where they want to be. Sidney Forbes was one of those women. She had just completed her first year at Harvard Law, and she was enjoying the summer as much as she could, thankful rather than resentful of the workload that her boss expected of her. Very few first years get internships, she reminded herself, two years of work experience not withstanding. She put on the last touch of her make up, looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled. You are exactly where you should be, she said. And you have worked hard to get here. She did a small pirouette in front of the mirror, pleased with the way her Alice + Olivia  sheath dress accentuated her curves and set off her tan. She slipped on her 4-inch black pumps and put her lip gloss, credit card and house keys into a tiny black clutch. Dave would be here at any minute, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. 

Right on cue, her phone began to vibrate. "I'm outside" he said when she picked up. She felt a small twinge of annoyance. They had only been dating for a month, and it was too soon for him to be so curt on the phone. Her reservations melted away as she saw Dave. He was tall and dark and suave, and his black Mercedes only fit the image she was sure he'd carefully cultivated. She had always been self-assured and self-confident, but to be completely honest she always felt a little bit out of her depth when she was with him. He smiled at her but didn't get off the phone or out of the car, and she walked around to the passenger door and got in. For the next few minutes she tried not to be resentful as he chatted away with someone who appeared to be a childhood friend. Eventually he got off the phone and put his now free hand on her thigh. "Hey baby" he smiled at her, his perfect, even white teeth set off by his dark skin. "You look great. You are so hot." she smiled, drinking in the adulation even while at the back of her mind she remembered a quote about how you should date a man who calls you beautiful instead of hot. 

"Thanks" she smiled back adoringly. They arrived at the restaurant, and as they walked in, Sidney was aware of how great they looked together. "Reservations under Goldman" Dave said, without the courtesy of an even perfunctory greeting. The hostess didn't seem to mind as she smiled graciously at him. Sidney thought that the lady was either very good at her job, or she had just got one more piece of evidence on a pet theory she had developed: attractive people walked around with a certain amount of entitlement, and because they were attractive they often got away with being rude. "Right this way, Sir" she said and they were led to their table overlooking the river. 

"It's beautiful here," Sidney breathed. He replied that he was glad she liked it. She ordered an appletini while he got a glass of wine. The conversation was nice while they waited for their appetizers and drinks - mostly about careers and work. "Boss-lady's been getting on my nerves lately" she said at one point, after the waitress left. 

"Yes, but you have to keep her happy," he said warningly. "Her recommendation or lack of it can make or break your career." he said. 

Sidney took a sip from her drink before replying. Sometimes she wished Dave would empathize with her a little. "I know that." she said tightly. "I'm just saying she was annoying, I didn't say I wasn't going to keep her happy." 

"Yeah baby, just do that,' he said, either not noticing the tightness in her voice or ignoring it. "I've had a similar situation at my job - and I just had to really keep my boss happy. He's so happy with me now that he lets me take off for a couple of days without it counting as vacation, and that's because I was willing to go above and beyond when it counted..." His words were true, in some other context they might even have been helpful, but Sidney couldn't help feeling like she didn't need to be preached at right then. She made a show of listening, nodding and smiling politely while he went on and on about how awesome he'd been at his job and how much of a star performer he was in general, but her thoughts had actually strayed to the barbecue the other first years were hosting the next day, and how she hoped Dave would be able to come along. 

After dinner they headed to a friend's party at one of the upscale clubs they frequented. She did not really like the scene, although she could dirty dance with the best of them, but she said nothing because she knew he enjoyed being out. She made small talk with one of her friends from her  gym while he got their drinks, and when he wanted to dance she obliged, enthusiastically even. She knew she was the envy of many girls there, and she could feel their stares as they eventually left the club. They were probably wondering what she had that they didn't. She could see herself through their eyes: sure she was pretty enough, and she had a great hairdresser that ensured that her raven shoulder length mane was always glossy and sleek, but at 5'6 and 128 lbs she wasn't the hourglass blonde bombshell that Sarah, one of the other girls had earnestly assured her was more his type. "I'm really surprised he's going after you" Sarah had said about a week after she'd met him at a mutual friend's party. She hadn't processed the comments till a couple of weeks later, at which point she'd determined that the girl just hadn't thought her comments through before expressing them out loud.

"Hey baby, were you able to work on that press release for me?" Dave asked as he got into the car before her, the third time he'd neglected to get her door that evening. She'd actually forgotten about the work he'd needed done for the company he'd co-founded, and she stifled a twinge of guilt. 

"I've been really busy with deadlines. I'll try and work on it during the day today." she replied, noting that it was already Saturday. He dropped her off at home, and did not get out or walk her to the door. This was another first, she noted. The charm he'd plied on when he'd been chasing her was wearing off, and she was likely just seeing the real him now. As she  greeted her doorman and waited for the elevator, a small part of her couldn't help feeling that maybe the arm candy wasn't worth the general lack of thoughtfulness he'd begun to display. He'd shut her down the one time she had tried to bring it up: you want me to do all the superficial shit? he'd asked defensively. I don't have time for that! I'm working hard for us, baby. It's all for us. So I can - so we can retire in ten years. She had acquiesced then, but as she walked past her roommate's fresh bouquet of flowers in the hallway and kicked off her shoes in her bedroom, she couldn't help thinking about the sunflowers Nate had once got her, just because. Oh well. Dave would drive to NY for me if I needed him to, she reminded herself. He is much more ambitious, and it's a small price to pay. 

"Thanks for a lovely time tonight, hon. Sleep tight and see you tomorrow." she texted him, and then walked purposefully into her bathroom to take off her make-up. You are exactly where you want to be, she muttered to her reflection in the mirror. This time though, it seemed as though she was convincing herself.

What's more important to Sidney: thoughtfulness, or ambition? Read Part 2 here.