blared out some loud repetitive beat that Renee immediately found annoying. She studied the rows of buttons, dials, and symbols on the console but couldn’t identify the volume control. Her irritation was evident when she finally gave up and spoke to him in a clipped voice. “Do you mind turning that noise down? Or better yet … off?”
Without a word of protest, Bill obliged by switching the button to Off position. “Was that so hard for you to do?” he said sarcastically. Renee’s reply to him was her silence and a prolonged glare at his profile. The early niceties from the evening’s romantic beginnings had evaporated. During the rest of the drive downtown they spoke intermittently and only when necessary. While it seemed their night out for her birthday had turned unpleasant, she was hopeful that things would improve once they both had a chance to relax and remember why they were there—to celebrate her 45 th birthday. Bill stopped at curbside on 13 th and Pennsylvania Avenue behind a succession of limousines. Exquisitely dressed, jeweled women in furs with perfectly coifed hair and men dressed in tuxedos wearing shiny, black shoes emerged from stretch limos, M-class Mercedes, Beamers, jags and other luxury vehicles. A valet appeared and opened Renee’s door just as another valet accepted the car keys from Bill on the driver’s side.
“Careful parking her in the garage, buddy. And be sure to leave plenty of room between cars.”
“Yes, sir,” the valet nodded and got behind the wheel.
“Where are we?” asked Renee, staring ahead at the massive building in front of her.
Like many native Washingtonians, Renee had lived in Washington, D. C. all her life but still couldn’t identify all the magnificent, neo-classical, and Greek Revival architectural structures situated throughout the city. The nation’s capital represented a masterpiece of artistic monuments, buildings, parks and statues that most D. C. residents took for granted. Its streets were efficiently arranged in a symmetrical grid of circles and right angles that only confused an illogical mind.
“That’s the Ronald Reagan Building. We’re practically in President Barkley’s backyard. The White House is just two blocks away.”
“Then my next question is, why are we here?”
“You’ll see. Just come on.” He took her by the elbow, leading the way up the numerous rows of white concrete steps.
The lobby buzzed with downtown high-rollers and power brokers. Renee hoped that Bill had reserved a more intimate setting in one of the private dining rooms for her birthday. After checking their coats, he led her down a packed hallway to the elevators. They stopped at the concourse level floor and entered the Atrium. A row of stately columns divided the ballroom and the Atrium Hall. Overhead a long glass skylight revealed the onset of dusk through a cloudless, slate-gray sky. Natural light from high-filter accent lights bathed the room in shimmering iridescence. A centerpiece, overflowing with reddish pink amaryllis and long dancing stalks of full-bloomed paperwhites, sat on a covered table in front of a mirrored wall. Burning tea lights encircled the floral arrangement and bestowed a magnificent, glowing effect when reflected off the mirror.
Beautiful woman escorted by formally-dressed gentlemen glided down a grand staircase. The reception area was packed with black-tie attired Washington symbols of power and money—bankers, lawyers, real estate tycoons, high-powered political figures and lobbyists. They all assumed the familiar 'grin' and 'grip' position. Renee realized the evening to celebrate her birthday would not be the intimate atmosphere she had envisioned. Why would Bill bring her to this type of affair for her birthday, she wondered.
Renee recognized the mayor and a few sports figures from the Washington Wizards basketball team. Bill pointed out some of the players from the Capitals hockey, Nationals baseball and Redskins football
Hans Keilson
Anne Gracíe
Milda Harris
Rodney Smith
Marja McGraw
Marcy Jacks
Beth Kery
David Rosenfelt
Evelyn Charms
Jinni James