Mob Princess - Tess DiRosa's Story
Copyright© 2025 by Argon
Chapter 20: Dating
Tess and Sondra went interviewing people of interest the next day, and they were met with the usual mix of fear and disgust by their subjects. Those still on parole were cautious, and those who had finished parole mostly had had their beef with the previous office holder anyway.
Regular and escape routes were established and the nearest two hospitals agreed to stock up on matching donor blood for FLOTUS.
They once again had to stay in place to beef up the security details traveling with FLOTUS during the visit, but even that did not faze them anymore. Come Friday morning, after half a night spent watching an empty corridor, Tess and Sondra joined the other members of Advance Team 2 in the shuttle bus that took them to Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, where a small Citation picked them up for the flight back to Reagan.
They finished their reports during the flight, and once they arrived at the office, they stashed away equipment, filed overtime sheets and then called it a week. Back in her apartment, Tess did a bit of cleaning, but a little after six pm, she called Ted McNeill to let him know that she would make their Saturday date in all likelihood.
“I was afraid you’d back out,” he confessed.
“Give me a break. With your sister as my partner, I can’t even claim to have duty.”
“Neat! And she’s your boss, too.”
“Or so she thinks,” Tess chuckled. “Listen, since I’ll have to pick an eatery, have you any food hangups or allergies?”
“Not particularly. I’m not that hot on seafood or sushi, but I can fake an appetite.”
“Okay, no sushi, no seafood; works for me. Spicy stuff?”
“Love it! Authentic Mexican, Indian curry, pepperoni on my pizza, I love it.”
“Then be prepared for a trip across the river. There’s a place in Alexandria that’s serving authentic Afghan cuisine. Are you game?”
“Absolutely! The food was the only good thing about the place, not that we had many chances for sampling. Let’s!”
“Okay, we’re on. Pick you up at seven?”
“Counter offer. Let’s spend the afternoon in the Zoo. I’m not good at dinner talk, and I’d like to spend some unhurried time with you. You know, get to know you without somebody at my elbow listening in.”
Tess considered this. Truth be told, it would be nice to walk a little outside, and she really hadn’t been to the Zoo yet.
“Come on! Say Yes! I’ll even spring for it,” Ted prodded her.
“You’re a cheapskate! I know that the admission is free.”
“What can I say? I’m a Scot,” Ted laughed. “How about I spring for some snacks.”
“I can make do without some lousy hotdogs. Okay, pick you up at two?”
“Deal. Know where I live?”
“Sondra gave me your card, duh! You go and polish a few of your moldy quarters for your spending spree!”
“Ouch! I suppose you have your money laundered by some offshore bank?”
To her surprise, Tess had to laugh over the mob allusion.
“Okay, let’s trade Scots and Mafia clichés tomorrow to get it out of the way. Have you ever been to Scotland?”
“Nope, just got the last name. You in Sicily?”
“Yep. After graduation, my brother and I visited kin around Castelvetrano. It would have been great if we had understood the language.”
“Yeah, I get that. I can’t speak Scots, either. Well, I drink single malt whisky fluently; that’s got to count.”
“I tried a glass of Chivas once. Not my taste.”
“I was talking single malt whiskies, not blended crap. Okay, our next culinary excursion will lead us to a Scots restaurant. There’s Across the Pond on Connecticut Avenue. We’ll have to broaden your horizon.”
“Let’s first see how the one tomorrow goes, but in principle, I’m game.”
On the dot at 2 pm, Tess picked up her date at the small duplex where he rented one half (for a lot more money than Tess would have paid). He was ready and did not try to ask Tess inside, and five minutes later, they were on the way to the next Metro station. There was no reason to go by car, and commuter parking was free on the weekends. The weather was sunny and a bit cold, and all around them, people were carrying home the last batches of Christmas presents.
“Your family lives in Philadelphia, right?” Ted asked, after exiting the Woodley Park Metro station.
“Yep, but I got stuck with readiness over the holidays. Not really duty, but I have to report to the office within an hour when called up.”
“That must suck.”
“A little, yes, but I’ll survive. I’ll visit home over New Year. It sucks a bit, because I won’t be able to give my gifts to my niece and nephew, but Carla is old enough to understand and Gianni young enough not to notice.”
“I’ll have to stay back, too, but Sonny and I plan to celebrate together.”
“That’s neat. Oh, here we are. You springing for the tickets?”
“Well, I booked them in advance. They’re free of course.”
Ten minutes later, they were walking the African Trail seeing the African animals in their enclosures. Having visited the Zoo frequently with his high school classes over the recent years, Ted had memorized enough to lead Tess along a guided tour.
Next came the Asia Trail, and Ted continued his running presentation. Tess was a little impressed about his knowledge, but also his competent presentation.
“You must be a good teacher. You do this quite well.”
“Well, it’s not like you’ll remember each and every word and cross-check it later, is it?” he laughed.
“I just might, but I’ll ask my sister in law on New Year. She’s a walking encyclopedia.”
“The Bioinformatician?”
“Yeah. Joey is useless about anything larger than a few micrometers. Deirdre had solid “A”s in all science subjects clear back to elementary school. Don’t get me wrong. Joey is really good at what he does, but if he can’t grow it in a flask, he’s not interested.”
“I saw that he just had a paper in Nature. That’s impressive.”
“It’s Joey. I never knew him to have problems. He just doesn’t get as anal about Biology as Deirdre.”
“That’s a bit like me. I’m the applied guy, applied Math, applied Physics. I could have never gone for a doctorate. The cutting edge stuff seems so detached from the real world.”
“Oh, but Deirdre does real world things, like modeling target molecules for drugs, to understand how those drugs work and to improve them. She does that, and Joey shows the world if it really works in one of those bugs he works on.”
“I’d hate to listen to their dinner conversations.”
“Yeah, it’s like freaking Babylon. Hey, what’s that?”
“The Clouded Leopard, a very ancient species of cat. Excellent climber.”
“Did any of your students pay as much attention to the tour guides as you?”
“You’d be surprised. Some students do.”
They continued their walk and after seeing the Panda sit of its fat ass for five minutes, they had a snack at the Panda Plaza, to warm up a bit. They also talked more, and Tess felt comfortable enough with Ted to explain some of her demons. Ted opened up, too, sharing his experiences in a war zone and the harrowing experience of losing friends. Here, Tess could well relate to him, of course. The planned half hour snack turned into an hour, more coffee and then another hour, and soon, it was time to find the Metro station to retrieve Tess’s car.
When she set the Nav system to pilot them to the Afghani Restaurant and started the drive, she unconsciously pressed Ted’s hand, and he pressed back. Nothing was said about it, but they continued their intimate talk the entire way to Alexandria.
Later, Tess remembered very little about their food, but the one thing that was cemented into her memory was that midway through their meal, Ted took Tess’s left hand across the table and never let go again until they had to ask for the check, forcing them to eat one-handedly.
Once Tess had stopped her car in front of Ted’s duplex, she saw him to the door as promised, but there was no hint of teasing. They had their first kiss then, in front of his door. It was no scorcher, it was not hesitant, and it certainly left no doubt about their feelings.
“I had a lovely evening, Ted. Shall we plan on more of these?”
“Absolutely. You’re a great woman, Tess, and I want to see more and more of you. For starters: you are stuck here over Christmas. Will you join Sonny and me for Christmas dinner?”
“Unless I’m called to duty, I’d love to. You know that Sondra will laugh her head off?”
“I can’t see that. I envision a very smug grin though.”
“Do we care?”
“Not one lick. I hope we can build on this evening.”
“Yes, that would be great. Listen Ted, I’m not great with boy/girl relationships. Kick my shins if I screw up?”
“That depends. Will I lose the foot if I do?”
“Don’t worry so much. Yes, I like the martial arts, but I also like to have fun and to laugh, you know. I’m not averse to cuddling either. So don’t treat me like some live grenade.”
“I’ll try to remember. With time I might be able to insert my safety pin?”
“That was so ... actually, it was witty,” Tess conceded.
“How about working out together some way tomorrow? It’s Sunday after all.”
“A run through Rock Creek Park?”
“That would be great. It’s cold but dry. We can shower afterwards and grab lunch together.”
“How about we shower together and grab lunch afterwards?” Tess grinned.
“Sounds even better,” Ted laughed. “You look lovely when you smile, did you know?”
“Duh! I have a mirror in my bathroom.”
“Okay, that was stupid.”
“Thanks anyway. Should I come here or do you want to pick me up?”
“I think I should pick you up. I have to establish my equality.”
“No problem. We can shower at my place, and I’ll get Denise to whip up a lunch. She may join us for the run.”
“Jogging with two real babes? I’m all for it!”
“Ted, I better go now, or I won’t do it. Have a good night. I’ll text you my address. Have a good night.”
“The same. Thanks for the evening.”
One lingering kiss later, Tess was on her way home with a wide smile on her face. Ted’s kisses certainly had not felt frog-like. Maybe, he was a prince.
It took Sondra one look on Monday morning, and she gave Tess a sardonic grin.
“Uh-oh! That look on your face! I don’t have to ask you if you had a good time with Teddy.”
“I had a great time, and we haven’t even progressed to anything sordid.”
“Yes, he told me. He said he’s comfortable with the pace.”
“Me too. He’s the first grown-up man I ever dated.”
“He’s very impressed with you, too. He said you can be sweet. That one baffled me.”
“Bite me!”
“Hey, Tess! Be gentle with Teddy. He had some difficulties returning from ‘Stan. His best friend died there, right at his side, and it threw him badly.”
“He told me some of it at your birthday bash. We can already talk about the shit in our lives. That’s what makes being with him so great. Don’t tell anybody, but I’m developing empathy.”
Tess whispered the last word, as if describing some embarrassing disease, and Sondra giggled.
“You poor thing! Let’s hope the work will get you over that!”
This being December 22, not much was on their plates. POTUS was doing home office, i.e. staying at the White House, and would continue that beyond New Year’s Day. Tess got off work rather early, cashing in three of her overtime hours, and went shopping for last minute gifts for Ted and Sondra. Ted’s was easy. He was a professed single malt Whisky drinker, and she found a nice bottle of 15-year-old Highland Park. On the spur of a moment, she found a gag gift for Sondra in the same shop: Scottish sheep wool dyed with natural pigments for knitting a sweater, complete with knitting instructions and a link to YouTube instructions. Perhaps knitting would give the high-strung Sondra some relaxation.
Tuesday and Wednesday passed with make-do tasks, and they got off work early on both days. It was Christmas Eve, and her readiness duty only started at 7 am the next morning, and since Denise was visiting kin, she indulged herself with a dinner at Gregorio’s in Potomac. She went by taxi cab, allowing her to enjoy a bottle of excellent Chianti with her food. Back in her apartment, she telephoned Ted, leading to an hour-long call, talking about just everything, before the wine got to her. She slept like a baby for almost ten hours and only woke up when the duty agent called her to ascertain her readiness.
After two double Americanos and a slice of crisp bread with Mozzarella cheese and tomato slices, Tess felt human enough to shower and get dressed. After scanning the news, she called Joey and Deirdre to wish them a Merry Christmas. They had a full house, with Maureen, Carla, Numi and Eileen joining in the celebrations and a rather raucous unwrapping orgy. After that, she called Uncle Vincent to wish him a quiet holiday. He was upbeat, having received an excellent preliminary earnings report from their joint venture with Villier Pharmaceuticals. After five years, they had more than recouped their initial investments and were now about to open a subsidiary in Italy, near Bologna. The newly renamed Di Rosa Industries was flourishing.
The next call was to a harried-sounding Felix whose meagre engineering skills could not cope with the assembly of a pile of toys his kids had received. In the background, Tess could hear the impatient whining of Felix’s youngest, and Felix had to pass her on to Gabbie, who was much calmer, having enlisted her mother for the preparation of Christmas dinner.
With those calls done, she also called Lisa. Using the video call feature, she saw Lisa’s bride-to-be for the first time. Lorna Forester was all Lisa had claimed: a rather tall woman with beautiful brunette hair in braids and ‘a good face’ that exuded friendliness. Of course, Tess and Lisa joshed each other on the phone, with Lorna looking on like a matriarch. Tess also managed to surprise Lisa.
“Umh, Lisa, if you still want me to be your best woman, count me in with a plus one.”
“Oh, great. Somebody I know?”
“The name’s Ted, Ted McNeill. He’s a high school teacher. He’s also my partner’s brother. We haven’t known each other for more than a week, but we should hold at least until March.”
“A g-guy?”
“You know me, Lisa: it’s the person not the genitals.”
“I take it he’s not some sweet talker?”
“He’s early thirties, an Afghanistan vet, and a Math and Physics teacher. He’s rock-solid, and it looks like he can handle me and my quirks.”
“Well, good for you. He’ll have his work cut out for him.”
After a few more exchanges, Tess excused herself, claiming the need to dress up for Christmas dinner, and closed the call. She wanted to dress nicely for Ted and Sondra, but she was on readiness, too, and she couldn’t well show up for duty wearing a dinner dress and heels. Then again, Sondra knew this, and Ted would not mind. She packed a holdall with her duty getup, checked her travel bag for completeness, and then dressed in her second best dress, a light crocheted vest, 2-inch heels and a down coat to ward off the cold. Checking herself in the tall mirror, she found nothing to complain about and headed out. Twenty-five minutes later saw her at Sondra’s place. Leaving behind the travel bag but grabbing the MIB kit, she exited her Beemer and found Sondra’s nameplate near the door. After a quick check via the intercom, Sondra buzzed her in, and she took the elevator to the seventh floor. Exiting, she already saw a smiling Ted in Sondra’s doorway and rushed forward.
The kiss was enough to make Tess feel a little lightheaded, and she had to force herself to focus.
“Merry Christmas, Ted.”
“It only became merry when I saw you,” he answered suavely.
“Nice line. Now let go. I have to greet Sondra!”
He let go, and Tess looked at her partner who nodded slightly. They had talked about it the day before, and the nod told Tess that Sondra was still okay with the prank. With a grin, Tess stepped close and then she melted against Ted’s sister in a close embrace, pretending to engage her in a long kiss. It was too precious. Ted was standing there with his mouth agog and his eyes wide.
“Gotcha!” they chorused, laughing uproariously, and then hugging Ted from both sides. “Your face!” Sondra expostulated. “Don’t worry, bro! I won’t steal your girl.”
“This was...?”
“A prank. Look at our mouths: no smeared lipgloss,” Tess assured him.
“Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack. Tess, this was mean!”
“It was my idea,” Sondra corrected him, still laughing.
“Then I will get back at you! Count on it!”
Tess held out her gift for Ted. “Here, have a sip to get your heart going again.”
Of course, he recognized the shape of the gift and smiled. Tearing off the wrapping, his eyes lit up. “Wow! That’s a neat Whisky.”
“Sondra, this is for you. It’s both practical and therapeutic,” Tess continued, handing over the big, soft package.
Opening it, Sondra looked at Tess. “What’s this?”
“Genuine Scottish wool, dyed with natural pigments from the Highlands, plus knitting instructions.”
“I’ve never knitted anything.”
“You should. It soothes the soul and makes for an even temper,” Tess explained, and Ted guffawed while his sister blushed.
“Touché! Think it’ll work?”
“That’s what the saleswoman claimed, and you know that people working on commission simply cannot tell a lie,” Tess laughed.
“I’ve got something for you, too,” Sondra said with an easy smile, taking a parcel from a side table and holding it for Tess.
It was a book, a cook book, titled 25 Easy Recipes For Beginners, which Tess accepted with a rueful smile.
“Thanks, Sondra. I’ll try not to poison your brother.”
“That’s why I got this for you.”
“Hey Tess, Merry Christmas,” Ted sounded from her left.
The gift he offered was on the tiny side, a nice ball pen or fountain pen? When she unwrapped it, she held a perfect miniature Samurai sword, in a lacquered bamboo wood sheath. She tested the 7-inch blade, and it was razor-sharp.