Incumbent(31)

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. We lost ourselves in each other until we heard a man clear his throat.

I glanced over Drake’s shoulder to find Ben standing behind him. His body was rigid as he glowered at me, his dark eyes shooting daggers my way. Unsettled, I averted my gaze to the burgundy-and-cream patterned carpet.

“Ben, I didn’t realize you were standing there.” Unaware of the sinister look Ben had given me, Drake was his usual cordial self. He stood and greeted his campaign manager. “When did you get here?”

As the pair shook hands, I tried to make my escape.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room.”

Drake’s head tilted in question, and I gave him a tight smile.

Ben started to speak, but Drake’s index finger went up as he turned to me. “Are you okay? You’re pale.”

I nodded and made sure this time when my lips curled, my smile was genuine. “Yes, I’m fine. I think the wine got to me a little. I’ll be right back.”

Once I made my way to the ladies’ room, I went into a stall, closed the door, and leaned against it to take a cleansing breath. Maybe Ben’s eyes always looked that way, but the man seriously creeped me out.

After a few moments, I exited the stall and was relieved to find myself alone. I rested my hands on the black granite countertop and looked in the mirror. My reflection scolded me for being paranoid, so I washed my hands, freshened my lipstick, and made my way back to Drake.





CHAPTER 10


Drake



I watched Lucy until she disappeared in the small crowd that had begun to form. Something was wrong.

Then it came to me. Ben.

I turned and sat at the table next to where my campaign manager had made himself comfortable. He was scrolling through the calendar on his phone.

“Are we going to keep having this problem?” I asked in a stern voice, breaking his concentration.

Ben glanced up at me and shrugged. “Not if you keep me in the loop. This is business, Drake, it’s nothing personal. I think you’re being a bit paranoid.”

“Nothing personal? Every time I mention Lucy or you see her, something in you changes. We were having a good time until you appeared, and she felt the need to excuse herself.” My tongue swiped my top teeth in frustration. “Care to explain that?”

Ben put his phone away and stood up to leave. “You heard her. The wine got to her head.”

Before I could say more? I smelled Lucy’s perfume and looked up to find her smiling at me.

Maybe I was being paranoid, but Ben had a way of making people feel uncomfortable, and that was precisely why I’d hired him. He was known for being a cunning man, honest, but cunning. Thankfully, he’d agreed with me when I told him I wanted to run a clean campaign, with no mudslinging whatsoever. I didn’t care what my opponent did wrong; I wanted the constituents to know that what I did was right.

Politics was just that—politics. Sadly, those of us who worked for the government had the reputation of lying or covering shit up to save themselves, but that could lead to hurting others. And I wasn’t about to trade my integrity for a position, no matter how high that position might be.

I stood and pulled the chair out for Lucy. Before she sat, I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.” She leaned in and I thought she was going to kiss me, but instead she whispered in my ear. “Ben makes me nervous.”

I knew it. She sat down, and I shifted toward her. “He makes me nervous too.” When I smiled at her, she let out a quiet laugh.

Four more people joined our table, all supporters of the GOP. We chatted about what events we had coming up. A woman who was seated next to Lucy, Eleanor, started up a conversation with her. I was happy to see her laughing and having a great time. Turned out they had something in common, as Eleanor’s granddaughter was studying to be a teacher.

Eleanor’s husband turned to me. “Senator Prescott, what do you have on your platform this year?” He and his wife had been supporters of mine since I first ran for the Senate.

“Charles, I still stand by my beliefs, and those haven’t changed since I ran six years ago. We can discuss the economy until we’re blue in the face, but nothing will change unless we bring jobs to our country and to Virginia. We need to make it affordable for companies to thrive so they can hire within the US, and not be tempted to outsource part of their business beyond our borders.”

I glanced at our tablemates and as usual, all eyes were on me, including Lucy’s.

“Then there’s reducing poverty, which goes hand in hand with strengthening our economy.” I swept my gaze around the table to engage everyone there. “How often do you drive down a street and see a homeless man or woman? I’ve seen families holding cardboard signs asking for money. We shouldn’t see that in a country as rich as ours, because it shouldn’t happen.”

Charles nodded. “You’re a good man, Senator Prescott. I hope you run for president one day. You’d certainly have our support.”

“He’s so wonderful, dear.” Eleanor patted Lucy’s arm. “A good family man. You should hold on to that one.”

Lucy smiled as did I, even though I was sure her comment wasn’t intended for my ears. Or maybe it was.