“B-but… I don’t know what to say!”
“Just thanks is enough. It will be nice to have someone there who isn’t a politician.”
“So none of the other staff is going?”
“Just Ellen.” Paige spat the name. It caught Mariel off guard.
“Should I know something about Ellen?”
Paige closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers at her temples. “No, not really. She’s just a pain in my ass.”
There was some definite office rivalry going on between the two women. This was the kind of office relationship and banter that Mariel had imagined when she took the job. A friend, some quick back and forth… all while helping to make things happen for Senator Taylor. Her heart danced in excitement until it dropped when she realized something horrid.
“Oh, Paige, I can’t. I’m so sorry.”
“Why the hell not?”
It was embarrassing to admit. But if she had been underdressed on the first day of the job, nothing would compare to showing up at a fundraiser in the clothing she owned. It would be a nightmare.
“I’ve never been to these sorts of things and, um, I don’t have anything suitable to wear.”
“If that’s your only problem, I’ve got you covered.” Paige scribbled on a post-it. “This is my address. Come over around eight that Thursday night. We’ll get ready together and cab it there!”
The tone Paige used left no room for Mariel to refuse; she was going to the fundraiser.
* * * *
Two weeks wasn’t a long time, but Dallas managed to make it feel like forever. No matter what Mariel did, he found something wrong with it. If she came in too early, he teased her mercilessly about being an eager beaver and a brown noser. Too late, and she was lazy and couldn’t be bothered to make it to work on time.
He found more cleaning for her to do.
He made her do rounds for coffee, supplies, and other things for the other employees.
It didn’t matter that she could help with real work. She continued to remind him of her skills in research, writing, editing… and he promptly reminded her that she was to work on whatever he saw fit. Apparently she wasn’t even fit to cold-call potential voters, one of the most hated tasks in the office.
On top of it, she couldn’t help but feeling as if there had been something between them. Just for a moment, even, when he had held her hand. Mariel thought a spark of something was starting, but she hadn’t known if it was romantic or work-related. She had just believed that things might get better.
After that moment, though, Dallas reverted to his old ways.
Every day for two weeks she struggled to get to work. She struggled not to walk out the door or slap Dallas across his too-handsome face. Every day she tried to avoid him and failed. He had a hawk-like sense about her. She felt it in the way he watched her, his piercing eyes following her whenever they were in the same room. He was a predator, menacing and seductive, and she was gullible prey, knowing he was hunting her and unable to run away.
She told herself it was because she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of breaking her.
She lied to herself about the steamy dreams and fantasies she had about him when she was alone.
Finally, the two weeks had passed, and even Dallas hadn’t been able to put a damper on her excitement for the fundraiser. He even suggested she clean the toilets and she just smiled at him-- and then rescheduled the cleaners so that it got done. Mariel didn’t want to cross Dallas, but even she had limits.
It was easier for Mariel to stay at the office late and then head over to Paige’s apartment; It was closer to the Alexandria office than her own. The fundraiser was in D.C. but Paige had assured her it was a cab ride away.
She mostly worked on avoiding Dallas for the rest of the afternoon. This involved trying to time walking around with when she thought he would be in meetings, and hiding in areas she didn’t think he’d frequent.
Some part of her felt guilty for spending so much effort avoiding her boss. If it was a different situation, it would almost feel like a movie. Unfortunately, there was no laughter or hijinks, just his sneer and her chest feeling like it was going to cave in as he made her feel small.
It didn’t take long for most of the staff to file out of the office. Thursday night was an event night in D.C. and many were heading to after-work parties and gatherings. It was one of the few nights when the office shut down early. She had been treated well and even made friends since Dallas’s outburst on Daniel. It had given her enormous satisfaction to be able to say that she had plans. People liked her and she felt like she was fitting in, even if it was a niche forced by a cruel taskmaster.
Her heart danced as she peered through the office, thinking about being able to dress up and get to know Paige better. The press secretary had been funny and kind to her and they were quickly becoming friends. There were a few stragglers here and there, people who had deadlines or were finishing up late. She offered to grab them coffee and even placed a small order for some Chinese delivery.
As she passed by Dallas’s office she saw a movement in her periphery. Mariel wasn’t sure why she felt the need to sneak, but she did. Treading on tiptoes, she hugged the wall until she came to his open door. Peering around, she looked in, curious about what Dallas actually worked on when he wasn’t yelling at her.
His shirt was off. Mariel wasn’t the kind of girl to drool over men, but Dallas had a body that was made for salivating over. His chest and abs were chiseled, and spoke of a high level of athleticism. She could see the ropiness of the muscles moving under his skin, his forearms taut and veined. He was tan; he must work out outside.
Mariel watched as he stripped down to his boxers. Did he know his door was open? It didn’t matter. What mattered was Mariel’s heart was racing and her palms were sweating. She had thought Dallas would never look hotter than he did in a suit. She had thought wrong. He bent and pulled out a gym bag, quickly pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.
She almost moaned in disappointment as he dressed again. There was something wrong with the world that someone so utterly delicious could be such a jerk. Mariel’s irritation flared as she realized it took so little to completely forget how Dallas treated her.
Except she wasn’t forgetting. The thing she hated, even more than Dallas himself, was that some part of her craved his attention. Even though it was negative and belittling, he gave her more attention than he did anyone else in the office. It was confusing, never knowing whether more meant she was getting somewhere with him or if he just really had it out for her.
Lost in her thoughts and the memories of his spectacular abs, Mariel forgot she was peeking into his office. She didn’t remember until she heard him grunt in amusement.
“Like what you see?”
There was no crayon color red enough to describe her face then. Mariel froze.
“Uh--”
He crossed over to her, moving to block her escape. An arm went by her head, framing her face. “What are you doing here so late, E.B, aside from spying on me?”
Her voice was catching in her throat, but she managed to squeak, “I wasn’t spying, sir, just--”
“Just watching me undress in my office without announcing yourself.”
Her shame burned hotter. She had been spying, and she had loved what she’d seen.
“Your door was wide open.”
His shoulders shrugged a little. “I assumed everyone was going or gone. I like to go for a quick run after work. My door being open doesn’t answer why you are still here. I know for a fact you don’t have anything pressing to work on, because I am the one who gives you work.”
“You don’t give me work, sir. You give me menial tasks. I’m here because I have somewhere to be after work and it was too much trouble to go all the way home and come back into the city.”
“Where do you have to be?” He leaned in close. She felt dizzy, his nose and lips inches away from brushing hers. The shame she felt compoun
ded with his nearness; her knees were weak and her stomach tied in knots. Her fingers itched to reach out, close the short distance, and touch the rock-hard abs that were branded into her memory.
“That’s… that’s none of your business.”
His eyebrow raised a fraction. “A date?”
Her lips pressed firmly together and she nodded. Let him think it was a date. Let him think anything, so long as he moved away from her, because when he was this close--she couldn’t think straight at all.
“Fine, keep your secrets. Maybe I’ll keep yours, too, you little spy. Next time just come on in and enjoy the show.”
He left her, then, sweating and shaking, so turned on she couldn’t speak and so embarrassed she couldn’t move.
* * * *
As she walked up to the stoop of Paige’s apartment, Mariel’s chest was filled to bursting. While bumping elbows with the Washington elite had not been a primary goal of hers when she decided to study politics, it was still something she could get excited about. She also needed a serious distraction from her encounter with Dallas. It had left her more confounded than ever. It had also left her in desperate need of a cold shower. Paige and the fundraiser promised just the diversion she needed.
Paige answered on the first ring. She was still in sweats, but Mariel found herself jealous of Paige’s effortless beauty. The speech writer’s hair was dark and straight and her skin lightly freckled. She had a girl-next-door charm that Mariel could appreciate. Of course, she wouldn’t mind looking a little more like Ellen, either; Ellen was the kind of statuesque beauty every girl hated and yet so longed to be.
“Come on in. Have you eaten?”
She had, but when Mariel saw the cheese and crackers that Paige had thoughtfully placed out, she ate some anyway.
Quickly, though, she was ushered to Paige’s closet. Inside were a handful of amazing cocktail dresses. When Mariel looked around, she realized Paige’s apartment wasn’t shabby, either. Knowing what she paid for her own shit-hole, she couldn’t imagine the exorbitant rent Paige must pay.
Her hostess caught her looking. “My father is a pretty well-to-do lawyer. My mom likes to pamper me. This is one of the perks of being their only beloved daughter.” There was something a little cold in the reply. It didn’t sound like a topic Paige was up for discussing.
Mariel nodded as if she understood, but her mind was reeling with the thoughts of what growing up in wealth must have been like. Mariel was an only child, too. But her father had left them when she was just a little girl, and she had grown up in true poverty. Poverty so abject some weeks they ate potatoes and onions every night because that was the only food they could afford. Poverty so deep that you cover the holes in your shoes with duct tape because you couldn’t replace them for another year, even though they are painfully tight and you were still growing.
She shook her head, not wishing to be jealous or linger in the past. Paige was offering her friendship to Mariel and for that she would be forever grateful.
Together they rummaged through the dresses.
“This one. It’s perfect for you.” Paige pulled out a cream colored lace floor-length gown. She wasn’t wrong; it would look amazing on Mariel.
Mariel pulled it on. It was a little large on her, but Paige quickly added some discreet pins to fit it properly.
“Let me do your hair and makeup.” It wasn’t a request, of course. Mariel sat at Paige’s vanity, her back to the mirror. Paige opted for leaving her hair down, but curled it into long waves. For makeup she went bold—much bolder than Mariel would have—with black kohl liner and shadow and heavy mascara. She left Mariel’s lips nude with just a hint of gloss.
“Oh, gosh, you look gorgeous. Look!”
Smiling, Mariel looked in the mirror, surprised and pleased with the transformation.“No one would recognize me, even if they knew who I was.”
The girl who had moved to D.C. and was constantly mistaken for someone younger was gone. In her place was a woman who looked sexy and confident, the dress emphasizing the minimal curves she had. The makeup gave her an air of sophistication she had never known, her brown eyes appearing large and mysterious. Her hair, normally pulled back and off her face, rippled down in golden brown waves like an old Hollywood starlet. In fact, while Mariel was stunned by her appearance, she also realized she felt a little like an imposter.
“Probably not. You’re gorgeous, you know! No wonder Dallas pesters you so much.”
Mariel stilled at the last comment. “He pesters me because he hates me, Paige. He’s been trying to get me to quit since my first day.”
“I don’t think so. He’s always hard on new people. But the way he is always on you feels different. Don’t write him off so quickly; he really is a nice guy. It takes him forever to warm up to someone, but when he does, you’ll never have a more loyal friend. If you knew how loyal he is to Roger… to all of us, you’d forgive him.”
It was like Paige was talking about a complete stranger. Mariel had never seen any of the loyalty or warming up. The only thing that had warmed around him was her body heat, and she didn’t want to admit that the same things in his personality that enraged her also inflamed her.
Mariel changed the subject and they were off again, joking and gossiping. Paige’s delight was infectious and helped the rest of the prep speed by. Mariel watched her friend go from sweats to glamorous in less than an hour. According to Paige, the fundraiser had begun at seven, leaving them time to arrive fashionably late, and after the photographers had dispersed.
As they sat in the cab, Mariel fidgeted. “Who else is going to be there? Just Roger?”
“Roger, and most likely Ellen.” Paige spat the aid’s name like it was a bad taste left in her mouth.
Curious, Mariel couldn’t help asking. “What’s wrong with Ellen? She is nice enough to me, and she seems to be devoted to Roger.”
At the word ‘devoted’, Mariel saw the look of pain that quickly twisted Paige’s face, her mouth turning in despair. “Oh, she’s good to him, alright. Like a puppy that follows too close to the heels of its master.”
“Isn’t that what aids are supposed to do?”
Paige sank into her seat, her face blushing a pretty shade of pink. “No. Yes. I mean, she is supposed to be his assistant. But she is just always there. It is impossible to talk to him without her hanging in, adding her stupid input. And does she always have to look so fabulous?”
She’s jealous! Mariel realized, and stifled her own giggle. So, Paige had a crush on Roger. Mariel couldn’t blame her for that. She recalled how handsome he had been on her first day with his firm handshake. She hadn’t seen much of him since then--Dallas had made sure of that. Of course, he didn’t leave her feeling breathless and weak like Dallas did. He didn’t stand too close, or speak in that low, honeyed voice...
Don’t think that. Dallas is an asshole; a misogynist; a jerk who is out to take you down. Attractive or not, he is a nightmare.
There was something terrible about having a nightmare also be your hottest fantasy. Mariel needed to not think about Dallas. Ever.
“She does look amazing. But so do you, Paige. You’re beautiful!” It sounded hollow in the moment, but Mariel meant every word. Paige was beautiful. “And you’re super smart and kind. Roger’s speeches have more impact on his career than his schedule, you know. His press presence is critical, and he owes that to you! You’re the keystone to his career.”
Paige brightened a little. “Keystone?”
“Yeah, you know—the stone in the archway that holds everything up. If you’re removed, everything topples. I’ll bet Roger knows that.”
When Paige didn’t reply, but instead began to look out the window, Mariel knew the conversation was closed. Still, she hoped she had cheered her friend up a little. She knew what it was like to crush on someone unattainable. Well, crush wasn’t the right word. Desire. She desired someone unattainable. He hated her. And she should hate him more than she did.
From th
e cab, Mariel stepped out in front of the elegant old hotel that was hosting the fundraiser. There were gentle lights everywhere and an honest-to-god red carpet. Paige had been right, though; the event was clearly in full swing and they would be able to slip inside without attracting too much notice.
Taking a deep breath, Mariel worried the lace of the dress with her hands. This was exciting, of course, but other than Paige and Roger, she wouldn’t know anyone inside.
Her friend was just about to duck in.
“Wait.”
Paige turned, still smiling. “Nervous?”
“Yes. What do I do in there?”
Mariel bit her lip, afraid her naivety was going to put her friend off. She needn’t have worried. “I’d stick to the side lines, honestly. Watch and listen. You never know who you’ll see or what they’ll say, particularly if they don’t know you. Know how I got bumped up from an internship?”
“No!” Mariel hadn’t known that Paige had even started as an intern.
“I was able to bring information to the table that no one else had yet. Roger likes to look sharp, and knowledge is the key to that. See if you can get something tonight, something you can wow him with. Even Dallas can’t dismiss that kind of information.”
And with that, they headed in.
Chapter Five
The ballroom was splendid. There were elegant flower bouquets on every surface and waiters in tuxedos moving effortlessly through throngs of D.C.’s elite. Mariel may not have grown up in wealth, but she recognized it when she saw it.
A caterer passed by with a tray of champagne and she grabbed a flute. It was crystal—crystal! Not glass or the plastic fancy glasses her mother had used whenever they had a celebration of sorts.
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