The Gentlewoman

by Lisa Durkin

  “Yes, thank you. You gave me your virginity, and I am honored.” He kissed her lips gently. “You make me feel better than anyone I’ve ever been with, Rory.”

  Her hand caressed his cheek. She leaned in and kissed his lips. Pulling back, she looked into his eyes again and he could see her amazed expression. “I feel the same way. I feel so good when I’m with you.”

  “Oh Rory,” he breathed as he hugged her tightly. He closed his eyes and relished those words. They meant so much to him. He knew the weight and meaning they held because of the courage it took for her to say them aloud. Jesus, he was falling so hard.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Oh come on, I’m sorry! You never hear anything good about Cleveland!” Jackson laughed as Rory flashed him her eat shit look. He had insulted her precious hometown.

  They were lounging in bed, as they had been all morning. They had taken a mid-morning catnap after breakfast in bed, which had been imperative after the late night and early morning free-for-all. They had talked for a long time in between rounds. Jackson had enjoyed listening to her and was happy that she was opening up to him.

  They had talked about politics, their high schools, colleges and their families. Rory had even told some stories about her mother and father and didn’t get sad or lapse into a panic attack. They had steered pretty clear of any discussion of her husband and the incident, but she had shared nonetheless. And all the while, they had lain in each other’s arms, held hands and caressed each other. Jackson realized he hadn’t needed this kind of affection with anybody he’d had sex with in the past ten years. But with Rory he craved it; it fulfilled a desire he hadn’t possessed until he met her.

  “I’ll have you know that everybody who comes to Cleveland and visits the different restaurants and sites in the eclectic neighborhoods immediately loves it. Not to mention the fact that the city, lake and surrounding forests are gorgeous,” she added, feigning hurt. “We have the largest theater and art district after New York City. Bet you didn’t know that.”

  “Sounds very nice. I’ll have to come and visit,” he offered, hoping she knew he was serious.

  She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Yes, you could do that.”

  He pulled her closer for the hundredth time that morning, tucking her head under his chin. “This is so nice.”

  “But we should start getting ready. I told Nicole we’d be there by four and it’s almost an hour’s drive.” She rose to head to the shower.

  “Mind if I join you?” He shot her a devious grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “I was going to suggest it.” She took him by the hand and led him into the giant marble bathroom. She turned on the water in the huge multiple-head shower and they both laughed as they tried to figure out the advanced mechanics involved. Finally they had several different shower heads cooperating at the desired temperature and embraced under the waterfall.

  “You know, a guy could get very used to this,” he breathed as he nuzzled her ear. With one hand in her hair, the other was slowly tracing a finger down her neck and over her collar bone.

  She breathed in and moaned softly. “Yes, this could become habit forming if we don’t watch out.”

  “Too late,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her gently, his tongue slowly dancing with hers. When they pulled back, she laid her head on his chest as he massaged her back.

  “You know, you are one hot congresswoman. You may be too hot for Congress as a matter of fact. I can’t get enough of you.” He pressed his erection into her stomach.

  She laughed and raised her head to look into his eyes. “Well, right back at you, Playboy Dorn.”

  “Oh no, there’s no playboy here.”

  “Oh no? I was enjoying having my own personal playboy. Although I think we’d better get washed and get ready to go. Nicole gets pissed if anybody’s late for Sunday dinner. And all this activity has left me a little sensitive; I might need you to give me a break.”

  “I was too rough with you, wasn’t I? I’m sorry, Rory.”

  She smiled up at him. “Don’t apologize. I might want a repeat later. Some things are worth being a little sore.” She grabbed the soap and lathered her hands. “Come here, I better make sure you’re squeaky clean,” she crooned as she wiggled her eyebrows and lowered onto her knees.

  Jackson parked in Nicole’s driveway and turned to Rory, grinning brightly. “I can tell you’re nervous, but it’s amusing as hell, baby.”

  “You really don’t have to do this,” Rory mumbled.

  “It’s my pleasure. I want to hang out with you and your friends.” He laughed as she rolled her eyes at him. “Why are you so nervous? What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Rory paused and ticked off a couple examples. “She can ask about your dick size. Or how you’re enjoying the sex. Or she could ask if I’ve blown you yet. Or any other raunchy question she can think of, although I made her swear she’d be on her best behavior.”

  Jackson laughed incredulously. “Well, I guess we’ll just risk it. I’m sure it won’t be as bad as all that. Why would she do that?”

  Rory sighed. “Because it’s what I’ve done to her all her life. You know how the saying goes…paybacks being a bitch.”

  “You and your friends are fun people.” They walked up the drive arm in arm.

  “You have no idea.”

  Nicole was waiting as they entered the breezeway. She greeted them warmly, shaking hands with Jackson and hugging Rory. She took their coats and led them into the kitchen where Jim and the kids were lined up to meet Aunt Rory’s new friend. Rory rolled her eyes and felt her blood pressure increase. At least with the kids around, Nicole would keep it on a G rating.

  Jim shook hands with Jackson and as it turned out, they knew each other from the Bureau. They had never worked a case together but had been in the same circles from time to time. They introduced the three older boys. Each one shook Jackson’s hand and hugged Rory before running out of the room. The baby was seated in his high chair and Rory immediately went to him.

  “How’s my Danny boy? Why has Mommy stuck you in this contraption again?” She teased and tickled him. She was rewarded with baby giggles.

  “Jackson, can I make you a drink?” Jim turned to the bar and offered him a stool. “What’s your poison?”

  “Gin and tonic would be great,” he replied, and they fell into a casual conversation about the Bureau and people they knew in common.

  While they talked, Rory cut slices of banana for the baby. She lavished him with attention, leaning in to give and accept kisses. She was in love with the kid and enjoyed fussing over him. She saw Jackson eyeing her and blushed. He smiled privately at her.

  “Let’s relax in the living room,” Nicole suggested. Jackson wasn’t self-conscious and wouldn’t allow Rory to be. He held her hand and sat close to her on the sofa. Jim sat on the opposite couch as Nicole put Danny into his playpen and handed him a few toys. She grabbed the newspaper and joined Jim on the couch.

  “Have you guys seen any news today?”

  Rory eyed her suspiciously. They had been best friends forever and she knew when Nicole was trying to pull something.

  “No, we haven’t seen anything.” Jackson turned and smirked at Rory as he sipped his drink. Rory caught Nicole’s sly look.

  “I wanted to show you this.” Nicole handed them the Washington Post society page. Their picture from the state dinner the night before was front and center. Jackson held it out so they could both review it. Their picture was the largest and centered on the page with smaller photos of attendees around it. The caption stated their titles and names. Rory stared at the photo. It looked very cozy. She immediately thought of Landon and the party and her anxiety rose.

  “That’s a nice picture,” Jackson said proudly, looking at Rory with a pleased smile.

  Rory took a swig of her drink and smiled timidly back at him.

  “There’s more,” Nicole announced as she swiped the remote. “Brace yo
urselves.” She beamed at them.

  The noon news blared and they caught the end of the weather. “Here it comes,” Nicole said enthusiastically. Rory shot her a pained look before turning back to the television.

  She recognized the footage of the state dining room. The reporter droned on about the visiting dignitaries and the lineup of events held in their honor. The story went on innocuously, covering the previous evening’s entertainment. And then, the focus of the report shifted to Rory and Jackson. Rory leaned forward.

  The loud, clear voice of the anchorwoman rang out. “On another note, Washington saw a glimpse of a return to Camelot last night at the state dinner. Two of Congress’s most eligible members stepped out together and turned the heads of all the attendees, including the president and first lady.”

  Footage ran of Rory and Jackson crossing the carpet and posing for their photo, greeting the president and first lady and dancing while people looked on as if they were the main event. Rory didn’t hear much of what the reporter was saying. She was too focused on the footage of Jackson spinning her in his arms and playfully bumping and grinding into her. It all looked very sultry and carnal and her mouth fell open. She did take note of how good they looked together. Jackson was his usual drop-dead-gorgeous self and she had to admit that she looked happy in the footage.

  Nicole clicked off the television as the report came to a quick end. By all accounts it was a nice story, if it were somebody other than herself. Panic rose inside her. She looked at Nicole.

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me. We weren’t the only ones at that dinner.”

  “You were the only ones who were newsworthy,” Nicole quipped happily.

  It annoyed Rory that Nicole was happy about the story. She looked at Jackson and he was smiling too. “What the hell are you two smiling at? This isn’t good news coverage.”

  “Why not?” Jackson asked, rubbing her back gently.

  “Yeah, why not?” Nicole added goadingly.

  Rory looked back and forth between the two of them and tried to contain her anger.

  “Come on, baby, what’s so bad about that? You looked beautiful. I told you that was why everybody was staring at us.” Jackson seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, which just pissed her off more.

  “Well, for one thing, I’m not used to making the news because of who I’m fucking. I’m used to making the news because I’m damn good at what I do.”

  Jackson blanched at her words and Rory immediately regretted them. She didn’t mean to hurt his feelings or make him think she wasn’t proud to be with him. She took a deep breath and turned to him.

  “Jackson, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that how it sounded. I was very proud to be with you last night. What I meant to say was that I’m not used to having my personal business broadcast.” She stopped and thought for a moment. She squeezed the bridge of her nose as she thought about what she had just said.

  Everybody remained very quiet. Rory closed her eyes and tried to be honest with herself about her panic. Perhaps she should put this in its proper context.

  “Okay, obviously I’m being obtuse. Let me try again. Perhaps my reaction is brought on by the fact that my experiences in my personal life have never led to news coverage that I have enjoyed. I prefer to only be covered for my career.”

  Jackson recovered himself and took her hand in his. “Rory, remember, I told you about this. You’re a single member of Congress, as am I. You will be in the news. You’re a matter of interest for the people you serve. They’ll be interested in your personal life as well as your body of work.” He made it sound so logical.

  “Rory, it was good coverage. Jackson’s right, the two of you looked great and you were having a great time at the White House. Ohioans would be proud of you. This is the kind of coverage we want. If you’re worried about Roy or Landon…” She trailed off.

  The party added to her anxiety, but her concern for those two was dwindling. Landon’s warnings of political loyalty aside, she hadn’t appreciated those folks and their games of late.

  “I’m not too worried about the party. They seem to be too distracted with their own selfish games to pay much attention to anything real.”

  She felt Jackson tense beside her and turned to him. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.”

  “It’s okay, baby,” he quipped and kissed her quickly on the lips. “First news report in ages that didn’t refer to me as ‘the Playboy’.” He made air quotes. “You’re bringing me up in the world.”

  Nicole leaned forward on her elbows. “So, Jackson, did you know you’re dating a living legend?”

  Rory dropped her fork. “Oh Jesus,” she muttered as she dropped her forehead into her palm. “Let’s not go there, please?”

  “A living legend?”

  “Indeed. You are in the presence of the Bobcat Streaker.”

  “No, Nicole!” Nicole completely ignored her.

  “Streaker? Do tell!” Jackson sat sideways in his chair and encircled Rory’s shoulders, pulling her against his chest. “Sounds juicy,” he said, kissing her head.

  “I’ll get you for this, Dailey.” She placed her hands on Jackson’s arms.

  “I’m sure you will.” She smirked before happily continuing. “So we were sophomores at Ohio University. Rory and I roomed together in one of the co-ed dorms. One day while Rory was in the shower, somebody pulled a fire alarm.”

  Jackson craned his neck and looked at Rory with a half grin. He could tell where this was headed. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  “Well, as you can imagine, it was pandemonium. Everybody ran out of their rooms, slamming their doors closed as we were all trained to do when a fire alarm sounded. That was the protocol in those old buildings. In the event of fire, you shut every door so it wouldn’t spread as easily. Anyway, everybody slammed their doors and left the building as instructed. We all gathered out in front and waited for the fire department. It only took them a couple minutes to get there and they entered the building and started going floor to floor.”

  “Must we tell this tired story?” Rory complained.

  “Yes, we must,” Nicole continued. “I became alarmed because I knew Rory had been in the shower but I couldn’t find her out on the lawn, so I told the firefighters that she could still be in the building.”

  “Ever the concerned roommate that she was.”

  “Yes. So the firefighters radioed to the ones inside saying that she was potentially still in there. They went floor to floor looking for her.”

  Jackson was in total suspense, looking between the women, anxious to hear what happened.

  “Ten minutes later we were all worried and really starting to get upset that there was no word from inside the building. I turned my head to look around when the front door of the dorm burst open and instead of the firefighters we expected to see exiting the building, one very naked Rory Morgan ran as fast as she could out the door, across the lawn, up the hill and disappeared into the neighboring dorm!”

  Jackson gasped and let out a shocked laugh, his mouth hanging open in astonishment.

  Jim was laughing and adding commentary where he felt it necessary. “I was in the crowd. It took everybody a minute to realize what they were seeing. It was hilarious!”

  Rory narrowed her eyes threateningly at him. “I have shit on you too, James. Don’t push it.”

  Jackson was aghast. “No towel? You couldn’t grab something?”

  Rory filled in the rest sarcastically. “No, Jackson, I couldn’t. You see, when the doors of those rooms were slammed shut they all automatically locked. At least all the ones I tried as I ducked and weaved to stay away from the firefighters patrolling the floors while I was parading around in my birthday suit.” She still seemed miffed at the experience.

  Jackson threw his head back and laughed out loud.

  She continued sourly. “Yes, it was fucking hilarious, let me tell you. Every door I tried was locked. It was warm, so no coats were lying
around anywhere. There was nothing. I panicked and ran out as the firefighters were flushing me out to seal the whole building off!”

  “Wouldn’t it have been better to ask the firefighters for help?”

  “Well, yes, but it’s very difficult to think clearly when you’re running around naked and panicked. Everybody always asks that when they hear this story.” She rolled her eyes at Nicole.

  Nicole was chuckling hard, Jim was trying to contain his snorting and Jackson was shocked and open-mouthed. After a moment he finally asked again. “Didn’t you have a towel?”

  Rory raised an eyebrow, cocked her head and glanced coolly at Nicole. “Well isn’t that the million-dollar question. Care to answer that, Mrs. Dailey?”

  Nicole straightened herself and tried to contain her laughter. “You can’t prove a thing. Neither could the fire department!” She broke into laughter again.

  “No, but you were questioned, weren’t you?” Rory pointed out accusingly. She turned back to Jackson. “Although neither the Athens Fire Department nor I have ever been able to get a full admission from her, it is alleged, and widely believed, that one Nicole McCleary, as she was known prior to wedding the handsome James Dailey here, removed said towel from the shower.” She turned back and arched an eyebrow to Nicole. “Before pulling said fire alarm in an attempt to flush me naked from the shower, exposing me to the hundred or so people we shared the building with. Not to mention the passersby and all the people in the surrounding dorms.”

  “From that day forward Rory was known as the Bobcat Streaker. The story is still told on campus to this very day,” Nicole added.

  Jim added his two cents. “There were other names too, remember, honey? I can’t remember all of them but my favorite was Miss Squeaky Clean 1998. We still call her Squeaky!”

  “You can all go straight to hell,” Rory announced.

  “I think that’s when she took up running,” Jim added.

  “Fuck you both.” Rory hid her laugh.

  Jackson took it all in, highly amused and entertained. “Damn, I wish I had gone to college with you ladies. What made you do that to her, Nicole?”