Golden Boys (Golden Boys, #1)(44)

Before I know it, he’s spotted us. “Hey, guys, what’s up? Better luck today?”

Tiffany scoffs before saying, “Love your optimism, but no. Not even close. We’re going for our eighth zero-dollar day in a row.”

“I’m sorry,” he says to us both. “It’s really hard. I can’t believe we have to do this all summer. But, um, I got you two something. It’s silly. But it might help.”

He crouches down and pulls off his backpack. He wipes his brow with the back of his arm.

“I picked it up at the dorm’s front office this morning, but you were already gone, so I was going to drop by on my lunch break and give it to you. Ah, here we go,” he says as he pulls two shirts out of the bag.

He passes one to me, and another to Tiffany. I shake mine out, and I see it’s a pretty simple shirt: a light gray tee with I AM SORRY in giant, bright pink letters on the front.

“What the fuck is this?” Tiffany asks with a laugh.

“I know you two are having a rough time getting people to talk to you, so I was trying to think of something funny and, I don’t know, maybe you could turn it into some silly talking point that works. You both are really good at self-deprecating humor.”

“We did say we should just start opening our conversations by apologizing for how bad we were at this,” I say.

“Exactly,” he says. “I hope you don’t mind. It just sounded like a good idea. I asked Ali your shirt sizes, since I knew she had to get those Save the Trees shirts for us all.”

“Thoughtful,” Tiffany says in a sincere tone, but as my gaze meets hers, she throws me a smirk.

Art comes up and joins us, and they laugh when they see us holding our shirts.

“I know we’re supposed to wear the official Save the Trees shirts and all that, but I hope you’ll give those a shot,” they say. “It’s all about throwing them off guard, then surprising them with all the tree-adjacent information they never knew they needed to care about.”

Matt puts an arm around Art. “You should hear their one-liners. You could say Art makes this into an art.”

Art rolls their eyes, and I do too.

“Thanks for the shirt,” I say. “Tiffany and I were actually going to spy on you for a bit and try to pick up tips.”

“Stay as long as you want,” Matt says, then smiles at me, and I feel an intense blush coming on, so I look down at the ground.

I don’t fully know the feeling that’s brewing inside me, but I know one thing. It’s not just envy.





CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

SAL

Walking into the Capitol building never gets old.

It’s six forty-five in the morning. I sip my coffee after another smooth trip through the metal detectors that line the entrance. Work doesn’t technically start until nine, but Meghan gets in at eight, and she has a tendency to flood my work inbox as soon as she arrives.

Though I wake up early, like super early, I always try to do something that gives me that trademark DC rush to start the day. Some days, I’ll sip my iced coffee while taking a walk on the National Mall. Other times, like today, I’ll wander the halls of the Capitol. Each corridor has a new bust or a new painting I’ve never discovered. A plaque or an ornate decorative detail I’ve never noticed before.

Of course, I want to be back here someday, but I want to take in every moment I’m experiencing now.

“Hi, Pasquale,” I say as I walk into the office.

He gives me a quick smirk. “Early day?”

I shrug. “I’m pretty sure I intern for the busiest senator on the Hill.”

He laughs. “Well, I appreciate it. When the other two come in, can you walk them through this briefing sheet? Wright’s announcing a new stance on a student-loan-debt-forgiveness bill, and we want anyone answering the phones to be ready to address it.”

“Got it,” I say, taking the instructions to Meghan’s corridor of the office.

I log into Meghan’s computer using my new email address—and I still beam with pride every time I type my shiny new “dot gov” email address—and sort through the messages Meghan sent after I left last night. She usually works late, but I have emails as late as eleven at night this time, which is unusual.

I click the first email.

Sal—

A family emergency just came up. Can you cover for me today? It’s a pretty slow day, two quick tours with a few lobbyists before they meet with Pasquale. I’ll forward you anything else that comes up. Thank god you’re here to help!!!

All best,

Meghan

I sit up straight and get to work. Twenty emails later, I have a list of running questions for Meghan ready and I’m starting to get hungry for breakfast. As I leave the office, I run into April in the doorway.

It’s awkward.

“Oh, hey,” I say. “I left some scripts on the table in there. Wright’s got a new stance on student-loan forgiveness, and they want you to be prepped for any pushback.”

“Hmm,” she replies, “is he for or against it?”

“Against, I think.”

She brushes past me. “Figures. College cost like fifteen dollars back when he got his degree. Why should he care about anyone else?”

I follow her into Meghan’s office and sit at the desk. I’m still a little peeved at April for what she said about me, but I do want to be on good terms with my colleagues here.