Chapter 22. Rivalry Unmatched

One of the senior doctors approached the group with a polite smile on his face. "Do you girls have a car?" he asked.

Chantana nodded. "Oh yeah, we have a company car," she replied, her tone equally polite.

The doctor chuckled. "I thought kids these days had no manners, but you're really quite polite."

"She's not a kid, George. She's the pilot," Rayleigh quickly said.

George's eyes widened. "Ah, I see. It's unfortunate you already have a girlfriend. If not, I'd introduce you to my son."

Chantana laughed, a warm, genuine smile spreading across her face. "I'm a lesbian, sir, and I'm very serious about her. I'm actually about to pop the question," she revealed. Isla stared at her, shocked; her face turned red like a boiled crab.

George's interest was piqued. "How many years have you been together?" he asked, his curiosity evident. "I never saw two beautiful women together, or maybe I was just too busy in the hospital."

Rayleigh, who had been listening to the exchange, interjected with a playful complaint. "You never saw my ass; did you not consider me beautiful?"

George chuckled, his gaze shifting to Rayleigh. "Oh, my dear, apologies; whoever I saw in their teenage lives, I never considered them handsome or beautiful," he teased.

George has been in their hospital since Rayleigh was a little girl. He's not a greedy person; he never wants to be more than a doctor; he hates difficult things; and he doesn't covet any managerial positions. So, Anthony made him one of the shareholders, even when he had already politely refused.

The group erupted in laughter, the camaraderie and warmth between them evident. George observed Rayleigh's interactions with Isabelle, noticing the way they touched, the way they gazed at each other, and the way Isabelle's hand never left Rayleigh's.

"You know, girl, I'm like a father to her," George said, leaning in to speak to Isabelle. "You should offer me a drink later, okay?"

Isabelle's face lit up with a warm smile as she made a gesture of greeting in Thai, which George returned with equal politeness. "My wife is Thai, you know," he said, continuing the conversation in the Thai language.

The four Thai women in the group stared at Isabelle in surprise. "What did he say to make you guys surprised?" Rayleigh asked, her curiosity piqued.

"He told us that his wife is Thai, and he spoke to me in Thai," Isabelle explained.

Rayleigh's eyes widened. "Wait, Sarah is Thai? She doesn't look it," she exclaimed.

George chuckled. "Her father is American, just like this one here," he said, gesturing towards Isla. He then turned his gaze to Isabelle and Mona. "You two are mixed as well, aren't you? But this beautiful pilot here is one proud Thai woman." Chantana smiles widen when she hears that. She can see the oldest person in the group of doctors is wise and loveable.

"You surely work too much, doctor." Another senior doctor, of a similar age to Rayleigh, approached the group with a warm smile on her face. "That's our car. Where are you girls staying?" she asked, her gaze lingering a little too long on Mona.

"We're staying at the Hilton Washington, near the airport," Mona replied, her response quicker than usual, a detail that hadn't escaped Isla's notice.

Jules, the senior doctor, smiled sweetly. "Oh, we're staying at the Hotel Washington in downtown. Do you have any flights scheduled for tomorrow?" She asked, knowing that Rayleigh's girlfriend is a stewardess and that her friends should be fellow stewardesses.

"I'm Jules, a pediatrician," she said, her gaze focused on Mona.

"Mona Bagheri," Mona introduced herself, a grin on her lips as she captured Jules' attention. "I don't have any flights scheduled for tomorrow, but I have a flight back to Bangkok in two days. And my friend will be busy with her girlfriend."

Jules's expression softened. "Well, I'm kind of alone, too. Would you like to join me?" She offered, her cheerfulness evident.

One of the young male doctors approached with a puzzled expression on his face. "Wait a minute, Mona. Are you a lesbian or straight?" He was the one who hit on Mona first; how is it that Jules is the one who's flirting first with Mona?

Mona's answer was typically unapologetic. "Anyone who can thrill me," she said, her tone playful.

Rayleigh hugged Isabelle while Isabelle held Rayleigh's tightly, holding their breath while staring at the event in front of them. "Wow, this is thrilling. Do we look like that before?" Rayleigh muttered.

"Worse." Isla responded.

-

They decided to have light snacks and cocktails at an unmarked basement bar called 600 T because they're located at 600 T Street NW in the heart of Shaw. The sound of live jazz music fills the air, providing an engaging atmosphere for the room's conversations and having a good time. The soft, soulful tunes flow effortlessly, blending in with the banter and the odd clink of glasses.

"You're Kinda Loud," Laura asks the waitress to bring her the signature cocktail, a mix of Macleod Islay Scotch, lemon, ginger, passion fruit, and honey. As she placed her order, she couldn't help but steal glances at Isabelle, who responded with a slight smirk.

Isabelle, still clinging to Rayleigh, turned to the waitress and said, "I'll get the Rivalry Unmatched; make it two." This signature cocktail was a blend of shochu, matcha, Meletti chocolate, olive oil, and cardamom—a unique and intriguing combination. "I ordered for you; it's okay, right?" Shochu is a Japanese traditional hard liquor, distilled spirits made from grains and vegetables.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," Rayleigh murmured, placing a tender kiss on Isabelle's forehead. She then read the menu once more, adding, "And get us all the popcorn flavors and these cookies."

Seeing Lauren can't say anything in front of Isabelle is fun for the other; Isabelle isn't the ordinary woman who's scared of being intimidated by a doctor. The other Rayleigh one-night stand or bed partner usually doesn't want to make a problem with Lauren because they know that Rayleigh will not do anything for them. As she was already honest in the beginning, they're just a crush or a fun time for her, and fighting Laura is not worth their emotions or time.

However, Isabelle has everything, from Rayleigh's attention to the status of being Rayleigh's girlfriend. The bar itself is a haven for people looking for a break from the stressful city around them. It's a place where time seems to slow down, where conversation flows freely, and where the pursuit of pleasure and connections comes first.

For Lauren, it was unbearably painful to see Rayleigh and Isabelle's loving, passionate relationship. She had to see Rayleigh holding Isabelle with tender love, staring at her with passionate eyes, kissing her selfishly; she had to see Rayleigh drowning in her love for Isabelle. Lauren had to see how Isabelle treated Rayleigh flawlessly, how she allowed herself to be completely drawn into Rayleigh's powerful hold, how she softly returned all of the kisses, and how she smiled freely whenever she saw Rayleigh.

It was a sight that left Lauren with a bitter taste in her mouth, fueling her hostility towards Isabelle. She had never witnessed two women so deeply and openly in love, and it just fueled her own feelings of inferiority and loss.