Off the Record (Record #1)(80)
“I want to,” she responded.
“I have a driver tonight, and he can take you. I’ll see you tonight, baby.”
He placed one more kiss on her lips and then exited the room. Liz stared down at her hand. She had a key to Brady’s house.
Liz left the bathroom a few minutes later and walked back into the gala ballroom. Her heart beat a soft rhythm in her throat from her time with Brady, and she couldn’t seem to relinquish that feeling. Her emotions were swirling around inside of her like a tempest raging through a storm. She couldn’t believe Brady had given her a key to his place. He was slipping. They were both slipping away from their arrangement. The more he let her in, the more she craved from him. Even though she was still mad about Amber, their conversation had tempered her anger so completely that all she could think about was getting back to Brady’s house as quickly as possible.
Chris smiled at her as she walked toward him. She wondered what he thought had happened back there. He must think they had worked everything out or he wouldn’t look so smug. At least he was a good friend to have arranged a way for them to talk.
He handed her a drink as she approached. “I thought you’d want another,” he said with a wink.
“Yes, I would,” she said, taking it and sipping on the whiskey sour.
The key felt like the business card Brady had given her the first time they had met and he had told her to call him. She couldn’t stop feeling like the tiny thing was weighing her bag down.
The next hour was a blur of Brady, taking pictures, shaking hands, schmoozing all around. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from him, and Chris wouldn’t let her have more than one more drink. Apparently she hadn’t been as sober as she had thought when she had met Chris the first time. He was probably right about it anyway; she shouldn’t trust herself to drink in this environment.
Someone handed Brady a microphone and he gave a short speech thanking everyone for being in attendance. A series of other officials spoke after him. It was the same thing from everyone. They all wanted people to donate money to Brady for his campaign. They wanted to take him from a candidate to a shoo-in.
Liz already thought he was. And she had before she had become completely and totally biased.
After the speeches, music streamed through the speakers and the lights dimmed. Everyone began to mingle around the room and some of the younger crowd started dancing. Chris disappeared for a second to get another beer, and Liz thought about leaving early anyway.
She just needed to suck it up and see the evening for what it was. She had gotten herself into this mess. She hadn’t thought that she would want anything more from Brady Maxwell than what he had offered her that morning in the diner…that she would want a real relationship. And it hadn’t mattered, until it did.
Liz found Brady in the crowd standing with his family, Amber, and some official Liz didn’t know. Savannah was speaking and Brady was laughing at whatever she said. At least he got along with his sister. She wondered if he and Clay were too much alike, or if their animosity ran deeper.
Brady said something to the official as Amber spoke with his wife. She wondered what it would be like to stand there with Brady and entertain the wives of officials while he spoke to the husbands. Would she enjoy doing that? A chill went through her. She was getting way ahead of herself.
His eyes found her across the room and she saw his mask fall when he smiled at her. Their eyes locked and her cheeks flushed. He wanted her. She could see it in that one look.
Liz licked her lips. He nodded once, as if he understood what she was implying and turned his attention back to his sister.
She needed to leave. She couldn’t stand here any longer. She wanted to be in his bed, snuggled up against his chest, enjoying the time she could have with him. She didn’t want to see him parade around a room with someone else. Even if he had no personal feelings toward Amber, it still made Liz feel disgusting. She understood his position, but she didn’t have to like it.
“I think this is the last one for me tonight,” Liz said, setting down her empty glass.
“Are you sure?” Chris asked.
“Yeah. I think it’s time for me to go home.”
“You’re not still upset, are you?” He leaned against the table and surveyed the people surrounding them.
“No. I’m all right, I guess. Just tired. Sorry I haven’t been the best date,” she said with a small apologetic smile.
“Well, you weren’t the worst one I’ve ever had,” he said with a wink.
“Does this also have something to do with being handed off to someone’s son?”
“I swear I’m never telling you anything again. You’ll use it against me for all of eternity,” he said, shaking his head.
Liz pointed at herself and shrugged. “Reporter. I don’t forget much.”
“Great,” he groaned.
“Thanks for bringing me, Chris,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug. He patted her back twice before releasing her.
“Take it easy. I’m sure I’ll see you around. I always end up at functions for Brady.”
“Definitely. Hopefully I’ll see you soon,” Liz said with a smile.
She took one last look at Brady. He looked up, saw her leaving, and smiled. She tried to hold her smile back, but she wasn’t successful. He knew where she was heading now.