“Who is that?” Jackson asked.
“Just listen,” Teresa mouthed as she pressed the speaker button on her phone.
“All right, T,” a female voice said. “Channel Fourteen just aired an interview with Dayshea Brown, who has several arrests for prostitution, and she said that Robert Montgomery paid her for sex. Should I tweet the link?”
Jackson chuckled. “Maybe this is why he keeps bringing up call girls.”
“And,” the voice on the phone said, “there are pictures. Not some grainy, maybe-that’s-his-forehead pictures either.”
Jackson swore under his breath. Was this why Liza was missing?
“Thanks, Tabitha. And no, do not tweet the link to that story from the campaign’s account,” Teresa said, then ended the call. “Looks like the tide is turning in our direction and we have clean hands.”
Jackson was about to say he didn’t know how clean their hands were since he knew the pictures came from Liza. “What?” Teresa asked.
“Nothing. I need to go,” he said.
“Wait, I’m pretty sure the—”
“I’m not commenting on this,” Jackson said. “If he has to buy sex, that has nothing to do with—”
“It speaks to his character. And it’s illegal. We can’t sit by silently and send a criminal to Raleigh. That should be our statement,” she said excitedly.
“Sounds like a decent statement. Besides, we have enough criminals in Raleigh already,” Jackson said.
“So why send another. That will be your one and only statement, but we have to say something.”
“We can send it out in an e-mail, but I won’t be talking about it on camera. Besides, with the election so close, why don’t we show the people what I’m going to be focused on if they send me to the General Assembly.”
Teresa nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.” Her cell phone began vibrating and chiming with indications of text messages. “The circus has begun.”
Shaking his head, Jackson tried to hide his smile. Though he wasn’t going to comment on Robert’s troubles, he couldn’t help but think it couldn’t have happened to a better person. The lies he’d told on Liza had turned around and bit him on the ass. Still, Jackson wished Liza hadn’t shared those pictures with the media. But he understood why she did it. Sometimes you had to fight fire with fire, and if Robert doubted that Liza could bring the heat, he knew better now.
Jackson pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Liza.
Where are you?
Liza felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket as she and Chante sipped coffee at Amelie’s. Figuring that it was another reporter—the reason she’d turned the phone off anyway—she decided to ignore it.
“You have to admit,” Chante said, “Robert couldn’t have picked a worse time to call you out when his skeletons are real and . . .”
“I really don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Liza said with a sigh.
Chante nodded. “But what did you expect Jackson to do? Defend your honor?”
“That’s what the illogical side of me wanted. He could’ve said something other than ‘Liza Palmer is not working on my campaign.’” She fingered the lid of her coffee cup and realized that she really should’ve been drinking tea tonight. Forget the tea, she needed something stronger.
“But didn’t you do a press conference with him to say that exact thing? Oh, my. You’re falling in love with him. Your feelings are hurt.” Chante burst into laughter, and if she had been anyone else, Liza would’ve hurled her half-eaten éclair in her face.
“And yours wouldn’t be? This is exactly why I don’t date. These emotional roller coasters aren’t who I am. I know what he was doing up there. And if he were a client of mine, I would’ve told him to do the exact same thing.”
“It’s just different when your heart is in it,” Chante said. She picked off a piece of her torte. “That’s why it was so easy for me to believe everything Robert said about those pictures. I thought I loved him.”
“I never said I love Jackson!” Liza exclaimed.
“You don’t have to say it; it’s written all over your face. I’m actually happy to see you like this. Well, not near tears because that man didn’t risk what he’s been working for all of these months to defend your honor. But happy that you’ve opened your heart to love again.”
Happy would be the last word that Liza would’ve used to describe how she was feeling. Foolish, maybe. Like a schoolgirl with a big crush, definitely. But happy? Not unless she had his arms around her. Not unless . . .
“Liza.” She looked up and saw Jackson standing in front of her. Did she just think him up out of thin air?
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’ve been calling and texting you and didn’t get a response. I figured I’d try my luck and check here.” Jackson glanced over at Chante. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting?”
Chante smiled and picked up her empty coffee cup. “Not at all. I was just going to get a refill and check out some of the new pastries. Please sit down.”
Liza closed her eyes. Chante was about as subtle as a brick through a window.
“Do you mind if I sit?” Jackson asked when he noticed the frown on Liza’s face.
“Are you sure you want to be seen with me?” she snapped. She didn’t mean for it to come out like that. But damn it, she was mad.
“You did catch the debate?”
Liza folded her arms as Jackson sat down beside her. “Yes, I did. Thought that denial of you and I working together was spot on.”
Jackson touched her arm. “My natural instinct was to reach across that stage and choke the living shit out of Montgomery. But you and I both know that couldn’t happen. And I’ve already told you that I want my personal life separated from politics.”
Reluctantly, she nodded. “And,” he continued. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“I-I didn’t do a thing that wouldn’t have come out sooner or later. I just made sure Ms. Brown wouldn’t be dragged through the mud like so many women who get caught up in political sex scandals.”
“You’re going tit for tat with Robert and . . .”
“It doesn’t concern you, because Liza Palmer is not working on your campaign.”
“It does concern me, because if you get hurt in all of this I’m going to be the one picking up the pieces. What you’re doing is personal with Montgomery.”
“And what he’s doing to me could ruin my business. Saying those things about me in a public forum like that and he’s the one buying sex, I can’t and won’t allow him to get away with it. You want to play it clean and run your campaign with no dirt, that’s fine. But whether you become the first senator of district forty-five or not, I have to keep my business going.”
Jackson stroked her cheek. “I almost believe that. But I know you. You like to destroy people who hurt you. And I know Robert has hurt you. How far are you willing to go with this?”
“As far as I have to. Again, Jackson, this isn’t about you or this race. You talk about me taking it personal—there is no other way for me to take it. I’m not running for office.” Closing her eyes, she sighed. “I can’t and won’t let him try to destroy everything I’ve built. I’m not going to be like my mother.”
Jackson wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug, then kissed her on the cheek. “Liza, I’m here for you but I don’t want your vendetta to harden you to the point where . . .”
“Where it affects your campaign? You know what, Jackson, I see where this is going and I’m not going to go there with you. You want to win this election and I’m not going to stand in your way.” Liza rose to her feet and started for the door. Jackson followed her, not wanting to make a scene in the bakery, but he damned sure wasn’t going to let her walk out that door with so much between them unresolved.
“Liza,” he said, touching her elbow and forcing her to turn around and look at him.
“What?” Anger flashed in her eyes, fo
llowed by a bolt of sadness. Then it hit him: Liza was trying to hide what she was feeling. And she wasn’t doing a good job of it. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her softly.
“I’m not letting you go,” he said. “How can I when I’m falling in love with you more every day?”
“You’re what?” she whispered.
“Falling for you.”
She stroked his face. “Can we do this? I know you want this senate seat, and with everything that Robert is saying about me . . .”
“I don’t give a damn about that. Do I want this seat? Yes, I’ve worked too hard for it and I’m not going to insult your intelligence and pretend that I’m going to give everything up and we’re going to sail off into the sunset.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But,” Jackson said, “I’m not going to be robbed of a personal life because I want to be a senator.”
Liza lifted her chin to Jackson’s lips. “But what if your personal life costs you the chance to be the senator that this district needs?”
“That’s for the voters to decide. I’m not going to borrow trouble. And I’m not doing anything illegal.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest.
“I think we need to take this behind closed doors.”
“As much as I want to,” Jackson said, “I have an early morning meeting and . . .”
“That’s too bad,” she said, then nibbled on her bottom lip. Liza tried to hide her disappointment, because she understood that things were about to get really busy with Election Day creeping up on them. Still, you don’t tell a woman you’re falling for her and hit her with the “I have an early morning” line.
“Let’s have dinner tomorrow,” he said as if he read her mind. “And you bring the dessert.”
She smiled. “Chocolate?”
“Of course,” he replied, then kissed her again. When their lips parted, Jackson almost wanted to say forget the morning meeting and ask her to stay with him. But he had to focus. He had to make sure he would be the winner of the election. “See you tomorrow, babe.”
“Bye,” she said as he dashed to his car. Liza wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. How could she feel so good and so bad at the same time?
Returning to the table she and Chante shared, she saw her friend was waiting there with another cup of coffee and a salted caramel brownie.
“Are you trying to gain back all of the weight you lost to fit in your wedding dress in one night?”
“Ha,” Chante said. “I just figured you needed some chocolate since Jackson left without you. You two have more sizzle than a steak on a grill.”
“I wonder if that’s all we have,” Liza said quietly, then broke a piece of the brownie. She toyed with it for a moment, thinking that she was borrowing trouble because of the thoughts she was having about Jackson, then popped it in her mouth.
“You love looking for shadows when none are there,” Chante said. “Don’t make me take my brownie back. That man is trying to win an election that’s about six days away. I bet he has a lot of work to do. And he needs to be focused.”
“You would’ve been a great political wife,” Liza said with a laugh.
Chapter 25
By the time Liza arrived home, she was feeling a lot better. Chante had given her a much needed reality check, and the infusion of chocolate had the right touch of mood-lightening chemistry.
For once, Liza intended to go home, not worry about media coverage or Google alerts, and head straight to sleep. She was about to get out of the car when she saw headlights behind her and a strange car pulling into her driveway. Panic gripped her. Who was that? Had she been followed? Was she about to become a victim of a random crime? Oh, God, she thought. Maybe I should’ve watched the news a little more closely. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw a tall figure emerge from the car. As he stalked over to her vehicle, Liza’s panic turned into rage. What in the hell was Robert doing at her house?
She opened the door as he approached her car just so she could slam it into him. “What the hell do you want?”
He bent over in discomfort and then stood up and looked at her. “You selfish bitch,” he spat.
“The same could be said about you,” Liza said as she got out of the car. She kept her finger on the panic button just in case she needed to get her neighbors’ attention.
“Why did you find that woman and—”
“Stop! Just stop. You’re going to show up at my house in the middle of the night after you called me a former call girl and you have the unmitigated gall to be upset because I found the woman you paid to bend over your desk? You want to be upset about something, be upset that you can’t keep your pants zipped. Be upset that you didn’t cover your tracks better. And definitely be upset that you found a prostitute with morals.”
“You are a piece of work, Liza. All these years you made me believe you had my back. Told me that you believed in me and would always support me. When I needed you the most, you turned your back on me. Who does that?”
“Seriously? Who goes on television and calls his friend a hooker? Who cheats on a woman and can’t take getting caught like a man? That would be you, Robert. Why would I continue to support a loser like you? You’re that same non-responsibility-taking frat boy from college. Have you ever respected a woman? Or did you think your mouth would always get you out of everything? I was fooled for so many years. You raped that girl in college, didn’t you?”
“Shut up! You’re pathetic, and guess what, even if I lose, people will still wonder if you were or are a hooker. And let’s see how many celebrities will be seeking your services—well, you know what I mean.”
Liza slapped him. “You’re nothing but a power-hungry piece of shit and I wish I’d known this years ago. Then I wouldn’t have wasted so much time believing that you were someone special. I guess you’re just the son of a crackhead seeking revenge on all women because your mother didn’t want you.”
He stepped toward her and Liza gasped. “And you wonder why no man, not even your father, wants anything to do with you. You’re right about one thing, women—especially ones like you—aren’t worthy of my time or effort. You’d better stay out of my way.”
“Go to hell, Robert. And maybe you need to stay out of my way, because I have way more dirt than you paying for sex. Don’t make me use it.”
“This isn’t a Twitter beef, Liza. I will destroy you, because lies travel just as far as the truth.” He spat on the ground, then walked to his car. Liza slowly counted to ten, because she wanted to march over to his car and toss bricks at the windshield. Instead, she watched his car leave her driveway and then she headed inside. If Robert wanted to start a war, he’d messed with the wrong person. And he should’ve known that. Sleep was now the last thing on her mind as she walked into the house. She grabbed her laptop and sat on the sofa. After booting up the computer, she looked for links to stories about Robert and Dayshea. Liza wasn’t the least bit disappointed that every news agency in the state had picked up on the story. However, an Op-Ed piece in the News and Observer gave her pause. She read where the author talked about her alleged connection to the South Park Madam and questioned if she’d been the one who’d set Robert up with the prostitute he’d been photographed with.
“Asshole,” she muttered as she clicked on another link; this one was about Dayshea and her criminal past. “Of course we’re going to blame the victim.”
The next link was an exposé about Robert’s disrespect of women, including the alleged rape of the college student. There were former secretaries from the law firm who said Robert had sexually harassed them, but they settled with the partners to keep it quiet.
“Thank God for the Huffington Post,” she said as she retweeted the link and shared it on her Facebook page. She thought about writing a blog about it, but that would require more energy than she had at the moment. Yawning, she closed her laptop down and wrapped her afghan around her shoulders, then drifted off to sle
ep. When morning came, she had plans to drop the hammer on Robert and his chances to be a senator or even a damned sanitation director.
Jackson couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned until about three A.M., when he realized that the reason sleep wouldn’t come was because he missed Liza. Her warmth next to him and the faint sound of her breathing, it amazed him how quickly he’d grown used to that. How comfortable she made him feel in the midst of this election cycle. And he was nervous. Wondering what the morning would hold with all the allegations about Montgomery, and the final get-out-the-vote rallies that he was expected to attend to sway more people to his side. Then there would be the media’s questions about Liza and Montgomery. How many “no comments” would he have to deliver tomorrow?
Flipping on his back, Jackson stared at the ceiling. Was he built for this? Had this senate campaign been in vain? What was he going to do if he actually made it to the General Assembly? He may have won the debate, but Robert did touch on some insecurities that he didn’t want to admit he had. Maybe he didn’t have the experience that a senator needed. Maybe he wasn’t ready to tackle all of the issues that politicians had to deal with while they were in session. He couldn’t just push through sweeping changes for veterans and their families alone.
Closing his eyes, Jackson decided that all he could do was go to sleep and let tomorrow happen when it was time. Still, as he drifted off to sleep, he yearned for the touch of Liza’s soft hands.
The ringing of his cell phone woke Jackson from a deep sleep and a delicious dream of making love to Liza. It was a little after six and he was sure that it was Teresa.
“Yeah?” he said when he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry,” he heard Liza say. “I figured after last night’s debate you’d be up and doing the morning shows.”
Rumor Has It Page 21