by K. A. Linde
“She’s coming?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “Herself?”
“Yes. She said that she’d be there. She seemed…shaken.”
“It’s an act,” he said without skipping a beat. “She’s only thinking of the campaign.”
“I don’t think so. She didn’t mention the campaign on the phone.”
But I could see that Penn was second-guessing his assumption. I was the asshole who had thought of the campaign first.
“My car is out front,” he said. “We should probably follow them.”
I nodded. “All right. Are you okay?”
“No. No, I’m not.” His eyes were sad and distant. “You?”
And I realized…I wasn’t. I wasn’t okay with any of this. My best friends weren’t speaking. Everyone was arguing. Court had just been arrested. Leslie was even upset. Leslie, who was impenetrable.
I wanted to put it all back together. Just like with my now-nonexistent relationship with Sam. If I’d tried to put it back together then…maybe we wouldn’t be here. Or maybe we would.
All I knew was that things weren’t okay. I fixed things for a living, and I didn’t know how to fix this.
11
Sam
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
“Sam,” Claire hissed. “Your phone is ringing. Silence it or answer it or something.”
I blearily opened my eyes and reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up again. I squinted at the name that appeared on the device. What the hell? Why was Lark calling me at one o’clock in the morning? Was she drunk?
I silenced the phone and set it back facedown with a yawn. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine,” she muttered, already half-asleep.
But then the phone started to ring again.
I snatched it off the nightstand with a curse. I threw the covers off of me and stumbled out of the one bedroom and into the tiny living space.
With a deep breath, I answered the phone, “Hello?”
“Sam,” Lark said in relief, “you answered.”
She didn’t sound drunk. Not even a little. She sounded…uncertain, almost soft…vulnerable.
“It’s one in the morning, Lark. What’s going on?”
“I know. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t an emergency. Court has been arrested,” she got out in a rush.
“Arrested?” I gasped. “What for?”
“It’s complicated. Apparently, his girlfriend, Jane, is being booked for fraud, theft, possibly…I don’t know…grand larceny.”
“Holy shit!”
“Yeah. It’s, fuck—” She broke off, clearly shaken. “It’s horrifying. I knew her. I mean, we weren’t friends, but I’ve been to a lot of events with her. She was close with Natalie.”
“Who is Natalie?”
“Sorry. Penn’s girlfriend. I’m getting off track. We’re at the police station. It’s a fucking nightmare here.”
“Jesus, Lark,” I breathed. I could hardly believe this was happening.
“Yeah. Court claims he didn’t do anything and that the officer put him in cuffs because he’d mouthed off to him. But Penn said that he might be an accomplice because he was giving Jane money.”
Fuck. An accomplice to grand larceny. Yeah, that was going to be a fucking field day for the office.
“We’re waiting for the mayor to show up. And I’m totally freaking out. I feel worthless. I have a law degree. I’ve passed the bar here, but it was years ago. I’m not practicing.” She was beginning to ramble. Getting more incoherent as she went.
I knew what she wanted but hadn’t asked.
“I’ll come down,” I told her.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Yeah. It’s part of the job, right?”
“Right.” Her voice got this far-off quality. “The job. Yes.”
“Plus, I like Court. He doesn’t seem like the type of person to do this.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I really don’t.”
“Look, hang tight. Shoot me the address, and I’ll grab a cab.”
“Thank you,” she told me sincerely. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
I hung up the phone and ran a hand over my face. What a night. Court and Jane arrested. This was going to be a nightmare. I couldn’t even imagine what the office would look like tomorrow. And I was in legal. I’d probably have to handle some of this shit. Fuck.
I slipped back into the bedroom and went to the small closet to grab one of my suits.
“What are you doing?” Claire murmured from the bed.
“That was Lark. The mayor’s son was just arrested. She asked me to come down to the station.”
Claire shot up in bed. “Oh my god! That’s horrible.”
“Yeah. You don’t mind, do you?”
“What? No, of course not. This is your job. You have to go.” She rubbed her eyes. “Do you want me to come too?”
I shook my head as I pulled on a suit. “That’s okay. You should sleep. You have rehearsal tomorrow. I’ll just go. I’ll text you when I’m done.”
“Okay,” she said, lying back down and getting comfortable again. “I hope it’s all just a misunderstanding.”
“Me too.”
Though I didn’t think it was.
I watched her already falling back asleep as I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys. I hurried out of our apartment and out to our barely mediocre Brooklyn neighborhood. Thankfully, this was New York, and cabs were out at all hours. I flagged down the first one that I saw. It had been idling out front of a nearby bar. And I was in Manhattan and at the police station within a half hour.
I strode past a half-dozen people at the entrance, who appeared to either be reporters or paparazzi, and into the building. For one thirty in the morning, the station was pretty busy. I supposed they dealt with a lot of petty crimes on the weekends—underage drinking, turnstile jumpers, public indecency, et cetera. But there was a buzz in the room. As if what had happened with Court and Jane was something else altogether.
I found Lark in a poufy plum ball gown. Her dark red hair had been tamed and fell in soft waves almost to the middle of her back. I’d never have guessed it was that long when it was in those unruly curls. Her gaze shifted my direction, and I saw she had on heavy makeup, but her eyes were wide with alarm.
She stood abruptly at my presence, and I walked over to her.
“A little overdressed for the circumstances, don’t you think?” I asked with a smile, hoping to break the tension.
“What? A custom-made designer dress isn’t how everyone goes to a police station?” She brought her bottom lip into her mouth, betraying her unease. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.”
The person seated next to her sighed and then rose to his feet. He was nearly as tall as I was but trimmer through the shoulders. And he was in a tuxedo that probably cost more than my monthly salary. Even if I hadn’t known who he was, it was obvious right away because he almost looked like an exact replica of his older brother.
I held my hand out. “You must be Penn.”
Penn looked me up and down with the attention of someone who knew my history with Lark before he took my hand. “And you’re Sam. The Sam.”
My eyes flicked to Lark’s once, and she just shrugged guiltily.
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
Penn’s eyes darkened. Oh, he didn’t like me. He had definitely heard Lark’s side of the story.
“I hear that you’re working for the campaign now.”
“Legal counsel. That’s why I’m here.”
“And you’re just friends,” Penn said in a way that made it seem like Lark had told him that.
“Penn,” Lark said with a sigh, “it’s really not the time. We’re dealing with your brother.”
“We’re just friends,” I told Penn even though he didn’t believe me. “But I agree with Lark. We’re not here to discuss the past. We’re here because your brother was arrested. Have
you heard what’s going on so far?”
“Leslie stormed back there a few minutes ago with another attorney,” Lark said. “They wouldn’t let Penn or me do anything. We’ve just been waiting.”
Lark had barely finished her statement when the door burst open, and Mayor Kensington sauntered out of the police station as if she owned the place. Which, as mayor…it wasn’t too far off.
Behind her was a diminutive man with almost completely white hair in a boxy suit, who must be their attorney.
And behind him…was Court. His shoulders were back, and he looked like he was on top of the world. But I could see the strain behind his eyes, the forced set of his shoulders, and the way he walked like he was going to collapse at any second. It was there, and it wasn’t. As if he were two people overlapped. The real Court and the fake Court.
The mayor stalked right over to where Penn stood with Lark and me. “We’re putting this ridiculous mess behind us. Court did nothing wrong, except perhaps act with some stupidity. They’re not going to file any charges. We’re leaving. Are you coming with us?”
Penn nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”
Leslie’s eyes shifted to Lark. They softened in a way they hadn’t quite for her sons. “Thank you for everything.” She reached out and gripped Lark’s hand. It was then I realized the mayor was trying to keep herself from trembling. “Could you call Shawn and get him caught up? We’ll need everyone in the office bright and early. This is going to be a circus.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll call Shawn,” Lark told her. “I’ll take care of it. Go be with your boys.”
Leslie nodded once and then released her. Like a hurricane, she left as quickly as she’d arrived, sweeping everyone else out with her.
Slightly delirious, Lark and I hustled out in the wake of the crowd, avoiding the reporters who were camped out front. Without a word, we started together down the sidewalk. Away from the media circus that Leslie had already predicted.
This whole thing wasn’t really in my job description. I primarily did campaign finance law. I didn’t even know if I would have been able to get Court released. The mayor had so much clout. I should have considered that. But instead, at the sound of Lark’s shaky voice and the knowledge that my friend had been arrested, I’d bolted.
Even though…it was clear that I hadn’t ended up being needed, I didn’t feel like this was a waste.
I walked side by side with Lark as she clutched her phone, trying not to lose it. I’d seen her exhausted and sleep-deprived and sobbing from anger at the election. But I’d never seen her like this. She was so strong. This was…unnerving.
“Are you okay?” I finally asked.
She nodded. “Yeah,” she lied. “I mean…I have to call Shawn.” She stopped and turned to face me. Her hands were visibly trembling now. She looked down at her phone and tried to get it to work. “I have to…tell him what happened.”
“Hey. Hey,” I said. I put my hand over hers. She flinched, but I didn’t let go. I pried the phone from her hand. “How about I call Shawn?”
“No, I need to do it. Leslie told me.”
“Yeah. And you’re delegating.” We passed a bench, and I veered her toward it. “Have a seat. You’re shaking.”
“Am I?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“It’s just that…I’ve never seen Leslie upset before. Not really,” she admitted. “I don’t know why I’m so freaked out.”
“It’s okay. It’s normal. Just sit.”
So, she sat. She sat the entire time I was on the phone with Shawn, explaining the situation and why I was talking on Lark’s phone. It didn’t take long, but now, Shawn was in charge. By the time I handed the phone back, she was a little more composed.
“Shawn is on top of it now,” I told her.
“Why are you taking care of me?”
I sank into the seat next to her. “Because…we’re friends.”
Her impossibly green eyes found mine. They were wide and watery and disbelieving.
“Friends,” she repeated. “Can we be that?”
No.
I didn’t think that we could. But I had to be around her for the next six months, and I didn’t know how I’d survive it any other way. The last week of cold shoulders and anger hadn’t helped. And we couldn’t be more. We just…couldn’t. Not with our history. Not with the pain between us. Not with…Claire.
“Yeah. Friends,” I lied to her.
It was a simple lie. One that was hardly even there. Meant to comfort someone. It shouldn’t have made me feel like an asshole for saying it. But it did. Because I was a total jackass. Lark and I would never just be friends.
She was trying to read my expression. To see the lie I’d told. But I hid it the best that I could. Let her see that this was possible. Because she needed it tonight.
“Okay,” she finally said.
And even I wanted to punch myself for the break in her voice on that word. The lie she had just accepted as truth.
12
Lark
The mayor’s prediction came true. As I had known it would.
The press latched on to Court’s arrest like leeches trying to suck us all dry. They were camped out in front of the campaign office, City Hall, the Kensington residence. Court was under unofficial house arrest. Which I’d gathered meant his mother had threatened him within an inch of his life if he left his penthouse.
It wasn’t ideal.
A week ago, we’d joked about the opposition using the word feminism against us for a sound bite. Now, we had this mess.
I could already see the television ads screaming how the mayor claimed to be tough on crime while she had a delinquent son. Whether Court had done anything or not was irrelevant. It was the headline, the flashy story, the sensationalized side of it that sold newspapers. And so that was what would be reported.
We’d all had to show our campaign clearance to get into the building, passing the reporters. What a nightmare.
“We just have to make it clear to everyone that if they talk to the press, they’re fired,” Christine said. She swiped her blue hair out of her eyes. “It’s already in their contracts, and we coached everyone, especially field workers, on it when we brought them in. But this is different. And we need to be vigilant.”
I nodded absentmindedly, writing notes onto my legal pad. We’d been in this meeting for an hour. Leslie had only slipped in a half hour ago, after she got away from City Hall. She’d scheduled a press conference that afternoon to address what had happened.
The party line was, Court had done nothing wrong. The arresting officer had made a mistake. Justice would be had.
Not that the media gave two fucks what she said. I’d seen the press conference and still cringed. How she’d kept her composure before letting her press secretary take over was beyond me. I knew she was furious. I was furious. We’d worked so hard to get to where we were. No scandals in almost four years. And now…this.
Christine continued speaking about what we could and couldn’t say while Matthew kept chiming in with messaging information from the political department.
But my eyes drifted out the glass door to the offices beyond this conference room. I still couldn’t believe I’d called Sam last night. I didn’t know what had possessed me to do it. One minute, Penn and I had been waiting for the mayor to show up, and the next, I’d felt like I just couldn’t sit there and do nothing. So…I’d called.
Or at least…that was what I’d told myself and Penn when he asked. Though he hadn’t been any more convinced than I was.
I’d confessed to Penn that Sam was in New York. That we were just friends, just working together. But he remembered the mess I’d been after I came back from Madison. He remembered the shell of a person I’d been as I forced myself to work for my parents. Before something had shaken loose and I’d realized it was all a mistake and come back to the campaign.
Penn didn’t want to see me become that person again. I didn’t either.
Sam wasn’t needed, but in some way…he was necessary. He didn’t look put out when he realized that he’d driven all the way down from Brooklyn for nothing. He’d just silently taken care of me and handled the campaign while I shook like a leaf on a park bench.
It was the first time in my career I hadn’t been able to handle my job. It wasn’t because of Court’s arrest. I’d seen many a friend get arrested and immediately leave the police station because we all had wealthy parents who could make things disappear. It was the worry that Leslie had. The worry that said…this one would stick.
Sam had taken care of me. We’d walked back to my apartment. Me in my ridiculous ballgown. Him in a rumpled suit and messy hair.
Friends.
Or at least, sort of. Closer to that than anything else. Closer to that than we’d ever been.
I’d always thought we were either in love or we weren’t. There was no in-between for us. Especially not with him having a girlfriend. But last night, he’d been my friend when I needed one. Just like I had been Penn’s because he needed me. It had been a relief.
I hadn’t seen him today. I’d been stuck in this meeting since the dawn of time. I wondered if last night would stick for us too.
“That’s fine. That’s all fine, Christine,” Shawn said. “There’s another announcement. Leslie has brought on Jay Neville for strategic consulting after this.”
My ears perked. “He agreed?”
I knew that Leslie had been courting him for months now. That she’d wanted him last election too. He’d said he wanted to stay in Texas and remain near his family. But this Court situation must have been serious enough for him to finally get on board.
“He did,” Leslie said. “Which is wonderful. I think we need him. He’s working with his own pollsters to see how this will look. But we won’t know until the end of the week. In the meantime, I’m working on finding someone else to…handle Court full-time.”
“That’s smart,” Shawn said. “We should have had that last election.”