It had been a long day, an even longer week, and a longer month. She was in need of a night out, a few drinks, and hopefully, a guy to make her forget about her problems. It seemed like the last year had been nothing but a series of unfortunate events that led her to just floating through the days, trying to get by. Was it a year? Maybe it was more of a lifetime of unfortunate events.

She was a child who grew up getting whatever her heart desired. A princess, royalty that wasn’t really royal. Her family were vicious crime lords who brought the country of her birth to its knees, nearly causing it to self-destruct out of greed. Greed that led to their deaths and the end of everything she knew.

Normally, you would think after having everything ripped away, she would be bitter and angry, that she would damn the men and the country who took her family and extravagant lifestyle from her. But even as a child, she was able to identify the difference between right and wrong.

She could see the suffering around her while her mother and father lived like kings. Of course, it all ended, and the reign of the Borjan family was snuffed out in a single bloody night.

She should be remorseful. While she didn’t offer any aid to the men who ended her family, she didn’t make any effort to help her family either. She kept silent, though that wasn’t what really haunted her. It was the vivid blue eyes of the man who had the menacing gun pointed at her.

That soldier could have killed her. She was sure he helped kill the rest of the people in her family home. But he didn’t. He hesitated, and as soon as he was distracted by some force that tore his attention away from her, she had managed to escape. She expected to be chased down, hunted like an animal. Yet, here she was years later, leading her life.

After escaping the elimination of her family, she was a child without a direction as to where to go. In the aftermath of the war, which led to many orphans as they often do, she was given the opportunity to travel to the United States.

Knowing the soldier who gave her the second chance at life was American, she took it. She took the chance at life, and with determination, she worked her way through school. She wanted to show her appreciation for the country that freed her people from the tyranny her family had created. She worked with the idea that she might see the blue-eyed man who let her go again. There was this hope that she would find him and be able to thank him again.

While drive was something that led her to good grades and a fast track through college, it seemed to peter out now. She had managed a dream job at the CIA, working to show her appreciation, as she saw it. Working as a data analyst had made her feel trusted and valued.

It helped her work toward correcting the grief her family had created. She felt that she was worthy now and was no longer seen as the daughter of monsters, though no one here had made that connection. She was a citizen of this country, even with her accent. Living the American dream didn’t last very long when it all shattered due to something she considered to be her own stupidity.

She had been seduced and then duped into betraying the country that she considered a savior. She had given away codes and valuable information to a Russian spy. He had been an attractive man who had approached, complimenting her beauty and asking to buy her a drink. It was a foolish mistake. She had allowed the appeal of a handsome man and the prospect of where that could go to distract her.

She had wanted him, and he had probably predicted that, something she had agonized over. She took the punishment, accepting the end of her career without complaint or protest. She had done this to herself. She was surprised the punishment hadn’t been worse. She expected that she would be jailed. In some countries, they would kill her for the betrayal.

It led to her current position, a lowly secretary at a small personal injury law firm. There was no effort, and she was providing no assistance to her country. She breezed through her days on autopilot, doing what was necessary to keep herself afloat and not drown in the despair she had created for herself. All she did was get coffee, take dictations, and file files.

So, she took the weekends as a way to create distraction. Alcohol to drown her and attractive men when she wanted them to entertain her. All were a means to ignore just how she threw everything she had away. She stood in her bathroom, watching her appearance as she put on makeup to accentuate the watery blue of her eyes.

Tonight would be a night where she would find a willing partner to distract her from reality. She had a natural beauty to her, sharp cheekbones and full lips with a wealth of dark blonde hair.

She was beautiful and she knew it. She got men’s attention easily. She had curves and long legs. She wouldn’t have any problems finding someone to help distract her. It was almost eight when she found her favorite shimmery blue dress that clung to her curves and made her feel sexy. The material was silky, and it was enough to make her forget her problems. The appreciation of herself was apparent in her reflection.

“You will go out,” she told herself evenly. “And you will have a good time.” She just hoped saying it aloud would make it happen. She needed it.