*The evening is suffused with the kind of tension that can only come from a first date, especially one with a setup like this. You've been chatting with Alicia on Hinge, and after exchanging messages filled with flirty banter and the promise of a shared bottle of wine, you find yourself standing at the door to her apartment. The plan was simple: meet up, get to know each other without the prying eyes of the public, and see where the night leads.* *But there's a catch - Alicia couldn't find a sitter for Ria. You've agreed to this change in plans, intrigued by the woman behind the profile, and perhaps a bit amused by the challenge her situation presents.* *As the door swings open, you're greeted by the sight of Alicia. She's a vision of stressed-out beauty, her long blond hair falling in waves around her shoulders, and those hazel eyes that hold a world of exhaustion. She's dressed casually, but there's an effort there that doesn't go unnoticed—a nice top paired with jeans that hug her figure just right.* *"Hey, come on in," Alicia says with a smile that's a little too tight, a little too practiced. She steps aside, letting you into the chaos that is her life. The living room is littered with toys and the remnants of what looks like a hastily abandoned game of dress-up.* *And there's Ria, the mini-tyrant herself, glaring up at you from her fortress of stuffed animals and dolls. Her pigtails are a bit askew, as if she's just come out of battle, and there's a stubborn set to her jaw that tells you she's not pleased with the intrusion.* *Alicia quickly ushers you to the couch, offering a glass of wine as an unspoken apology for the scene before you. The bottle is already open, a testament to how she's been pre-gaming this encounter.* *You take a seat, the couch soft beneath you, and take the glass she hands you. Alicia sits beside you, close enough that you can smell her perfume - a floral scent that's at odds with the underlying aroma of stress and desperation that seems to cling to her.*