by Scott, Riley
Now he only had to figure out how to get that message to her without getting caught by the media in the process.
Chapter Twelve
Jo divided the last bit of wine from the bottle into two glasses. She and Madeline had decided to enjoy the bottle after Gabe had left.
There was no doubt that Madeline’s presence in her apartment had thrown Gabe for a loop. She had received three text messages after he left.
The first simply read, “I thought you were taking her to a hotel???”
Next came, “Well, anyway I look forward to seeing you at work tomorrow.”
The last said, “Hope you two enjoy your night.”
Finally she had given in and replied, “Thank you. It was very thoughtful of you to stop by. She stayed because of the press situation. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her phone had continued to beep off and on throughout the evening, alerting her that she had new messages. Gabe wasn’t going to give up easily. She had known as much, but his persistence tonight was especially annoying. It was interfering with her time with Madeline.
Another beep sounded.
“Oh, answer that poor boy,” Madeline said with a smile.
“I don’t have anything to say to him.”
“He’s a nice man.”
“Are you suggesting I forget everything I know about myself and give him a whirl?”
“No, I’m not saying you should date him, sleep with him and marry him. That never turns out the way you think it will.” Madeline took the glass of wine from Jo. “I’m simply saying that you should answer him and when the time is right tell him you’re not interested in him.”
“Fine,” Jo said, grabbing her phone.
As Jo read the most recent text message he’d sent, she tried to cover the look of concern on her face. She knew she had failed when Madeline asked, “Well, what did he have to say?”
“He wants to know why I’m so interested in spending time with you lately,” Jo said meekly. “I’ve explained to all of them that I just want to make sure that you are doing okay, but it seems like none of them—even Gabe—are buying it anymore.”
Madeline shifted her body on the couch to sit a little straighter. “So, why are you so interested in spending time with me lately?”
“I’m enjoying it,” Jo answered.
Madeline laughed. “They won’t buy that answer either, honey. I think you’re the only one on staff who doesn’t find me severe and intimidating.”
“They just haven’t given you a chance then, I guess.” Jo smiled back at her.
“I’m not sure you’ve given me a full chance either.”
Jo couldn’t figure out what Madeline meant. She had opened her home to Madeline, offered her friendship, given her everything she needed.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about…this,” Madeline replied. She took Jo’s phone out of her hands and set it on the table, set their glasses of wine beside the couch and ran her fingers up and down Jo’s sculpted arms.
Jo tried to keep her breathing even, but she wasn’t sure she could resist Madeline’s temptations.
“Could you…um…define this?” Jo’s reply was breathy and deep, and for the first time in years she felt unsure. She was entranced, a high school girl completely captivated by a crush.
Without another word, Madeline leaned in and kissed Jo passionately. Lips intertwined as Jo’s shock morphed into pure arousal. She deepened the kiss, massaging Madeline’s tongue with her own. Reaching up to cup Madeline’s face, she felt Madeline jerk back, saw the passion in her eyes shift into terror.
Madeline jumped up from the couch, shaking. “I can’t do this. I mean, we can’t do this,” she said in a rushed breath.
Jo fought to regain control of her emotions. Even though her hormones were telling her otherwise, Madeline was right.
“I’m sorry,” was all she could manage as her mind whirled. She let out a strained breath. “I’m so sorry, Madeline. You’re right. It can’t and it won’t happen again.”
Even as she said them, the words made her cringe. How many times had she denied herself true happiness for her career? For the protection of others? For the safer choice? In any case, Madeline’s face was hard as stone. Jo was sure that even if she tried to continue the make-out session, it was never going to happen.
“I need to go,” Madeline blurted. She rushed to the door, threw it open and slammed it behind her. Outside the door, Jo heard her clearly shout, “Shit!”
Hating having to do the mature thing, Jo stood, smoothed her rumpled clothes and reopened the door.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, staring into the distance. She couldn’t look Madeline in the eye yet. It was too unsettling.
“I don’t have a fucking car.” Madeline sighed.
Jo pressed her palms to her eyes, hoping that she could somehow relieve the stress of the situation. “I’ll drive you,” she answered. “Besides, you need to get your things. Come back inside and get them.”
When Madeline didn’t reply, Jo stepped away from the doorway, putting distance between the two of them. “I’m not going to maul you, I swear. Come back.”
Madeline’s eyes narrowed, and Jo wasn’t sure whether what she was feeling was attraction or anger. After all, she hadn’t started this. Mumbling under her breath, she returned to the apartment herself and started gathering up Madeline’s belongings. Taking no special care, she shoved clothes and toiletry items alike into a bag and walked back to the door.
“Here,” Jo said, handing her the bag. “You don’t have to act like I’m going to grope you. Besides, if memory serves me correctly, you have kissed me twice. I didn’t initiate any of this.”
When Madeline still didn’t speak, Jo threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Seriously, nothing has to happen,” she pressed. “Nothing will happen,” she corrected. “You don’t have to be afraid to be in the same room as me.”
“Yes, I do,” Madeline said weakly.
“Excuse me?”
“I am terrified of being in the same room as you,” Madeline clarified. “You don’t get it, Jo. I’m afraid of what I want when I’m with you.”
“Because I’m a woman?” Jo asked.
“Because I’m your boss, and because you’re a woman.”
The sincerity in Madeline’s eyes cut to Jo’s core. She swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay, then, I guess I better take you home.”
“No. I’ll walk.”
Before Jo could protest, Madeline added, “I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of me. So, please, Jo, don’t call me, text me or contact me except at work.”
Jo felt anger flood her body. She knew it was wrong to pursue her boss, but to be thrown out of the friendship they had been building stung. She gritted her teeth to keep herself from saying things she shouldn’t. Instead she simply said, “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
Madeline’s lips tightened into a straight line before she answered, as though she too was carefully choosing her words. “Yes, it does. And if you break my rules, I will fire you. This is wrong, and we need to keep our distance.”
Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Jo had watched many women walk away from her doorstep, but this time was different. This time her heart truly ached—as if it was magnetized, and Madeline was its matching half.
Chapter Thirteen
Controlled chaos normally filled the mayor’s office. Today, though, it was filled with a slew of confused staff members who were milling around in slow motion. The junior staff members looked bored out of their minds for the most part, not knowing any better, and the senior staff members were taut with tension.
Jacquelyn was sick of it. Gabe was pacing again, and even though he had been taking Jo’s side over hers, she felt badly for him.
“Let’s grab some coffee,” she said, reaching out to grab his arm.
“What?” He looked up at Jacquelyn, cl
early not having heard a word she said.
“Coffee. Let’s go. You are scaring the children.” She jerked her thumb in the direction of one of the office’s newest interns, who looked like she might cry.
“Okay,” Gabe conceded, glancing at the intern. “It’s not my fault she picked a crappy week to start working here,” he mumbled.
They walked over to the break room, where Jacquelyn poured them both a cup of coffee.
“Drink up. And tell me why you’re so upset.”
“It’s just…they said they would be here this morning and they’re not.”
“They?” Jacquelyn asked.
“Yes, both Jo and Madeline said that they were coming to work today.”
“Did Madeline email you? Or were you finally able to get her on the phone?”
“She was at Jo’s apartment last night,” Gabe admitted, avoiding eye contact. “I stopped by to check and make sure everything was okay. I wanted to find out how Madeline had been earlier in the day. But apparently, she is still staying with Jo.”
Jacquelyn lifted her coffee mug to her lips, masking her reaction. Inside, she was reeling, but she had made a decision not to show her anger to her co-workers anymore—especially Jo. A covert attack would be much better than one Jo could see coming.
Gabe was rambling, “I just want things to go back to normal, you know? I’m tired of sitting at my desk with nothing to do. I’m sick of rescheduling events, wondering when Madeline will come back to work. I’m tired of staying up late at night, trying to rethink my career path if for some reason she does not win the election next November. You realize that’s just a year away, don’t you? If she doesn’t snap out of it, this thing could ruin her career.”
“I’m well aware of that, thank you, Gabriel.” Madeline’s voice was amused.
Gabe jumped, spilling coffee down the front of his shirt. “Shit!” he yelled. The curse was followed quickly by a mumbled, “Sorry for my language, ma’am.”
Jo was nowhere to be seen, but the mayor stood confidently before them. Jacquelyn beamed from ear to ear at seeing Madeline without her new friend. “Good morning, Mayor Stratton. Gabe and I were just talking about how we hoped you would show up this morning. We have sure missed you around here.”
“It’s good to be back, even if only for a little bit,” Madeline said.
“Excuse me,” Jacquelyn said, scurrying to pour another cup of coffee. She added a cream and two sugars to it before extending the cup to Madeline.
“Thank you.” Madeline smiled and turned to survey the front office. “It looks dead in here,” she commented.
“It has been,” Jacquelyn admitted, then, her curiosity getting the best of her, “Where’s Jo this morning?”
Madeline shrugged as she turned back to face them, but the gaze she leveled upon Jacquelyn was piercing. “I’ll be in my office talking to Ian, but if you need anything let me know.” She turned toward her office, but stopped to add, “I don’t think I want to take any calls today, so if you can hold those, that would be great. I’m only staying an hour or so.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jacquelyn replied.
From the break room, Jacquelyn could hear the front office door swing open and closed, just as she could hear the familiar clacking of high heels on the floor.
“Speak of the devil,” she said snidely to Gabe, who shot her a puzzled look. Jacquelyn couldn’t help but notice the way Madeline’s hands shook at Jo’s entrance. After all, there could be little doubt who it was. Everyone else was in the office, working as they should have been.
All eyes turned to the entrance of the small room, as the footsteps approached. Jo rounded the corner, and Madeline moved to the side to let her enter.
“Good morning, Jo,” Madeline said, nodding in her direction before leaving for her office.
Gabe chimed in, “When did she stop calling you Josephine? I’ve been here for years and she still won’t call me Gabe.”
“Have you ever asked her to call you Gabe?” Jo asked, lifting an eyebrow.
He considered for a moment. “No, I guess I haven’t. Is that what you did?”
Jo nodded, taking another sip of her coffee.
“Okay, whatever,” Gabe replied. “So how is she doing? And why is she staying at your place still?”
Jo opened her mouth to respond, but Jacquelyn didn’t want to sit around and listen to Jo talk about being Madeline’s new best buddy.
“I would love to sit around and chat about the latest gossip with you two, but I think I will get back to work.” Jacquelyn could hear the bitchiness infusing her voice, but she didn’t care. “Gabe?” Ian’s voice boomed down the hallway.
“Looks like you won’t have time for your idle chitchat anyway,” she said, tossing the words in Gabe’s direction and watching his face fall as he realized that he wasn’t going to have a chance to be alone with Jo.
An unwilling but well-trained puppy, he headed to Ian’s office. She followed close behind him, stopping at her office, which was beside Ian’s. She let out a sigh.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” her intern asked, looking up from the files he’d been sorting.
“Survival,” Jacquelyn said dryly.
* * *
Jo busied herself at her desk. Like other staffers, she was accustomed to the air of chaos that usually engulfed the mayor’s office. With the press frenzy being largely handled by Ian and Madeline’s appointments all canceled, there was little for her to do aside from write letters for staff members to read on the mayor’s behalf. Days that seemed trivial were unsettling. Once she had finished prepping all necessary letters, she hammered away on her computer, outlining some of the speeches that would be needed in the coming months. She needed the distraction.
If she let down her guard for even a few seconds, her thoughts shifted straight back to Madeline. The past few days, she had been riding a roller coaster of emotions. Was it the thought of a forbidden love that had enticed her so completely? Or did she really feel this strongly about her? One way or another, everything that had happened had left her feeling confused and hurt, like a leper or a loser who had made a pass at someone and been rejected.
Cursing herself under her breath for her stupidity, she tapped her fingers anxiously on the desk. She wanted to see her—to talk to her and smooth things over.
She glanced at the clock on her computer screen. Only forty-five minutes had passed since she had arrived. She felt like she was in a cage. Scanning the office, she confirmed what she already knew—everyone was staring at her, trying to figure out the change in her demeanor or how to get a juicy piece of gossip.
“Did you hear that she’s staying with Jo?” an intern who had yet to learn how to whisper asked his neighbor in the corner cubicle.
Jo stiffened and, after a deep breath, stood. On her way to Madeline’s office, she rehearsed what she had to say. When she stood at the door, though, words escaped her. Forcing herself to be strong, she knocked gently on the door.
“It’s unlocked,” came Madeline’s voice from the other side.
Jo opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. “We need to talk,” Jo said quietly enough to thwart curious ears—but with enough assertiveness to let Madeline know that she meant business.
“We have nothing to talk about,” Madeline said. “Besides, Ian will be in to meet with me shortly.”
“You can’t shut me out.”
“I have to,” Madeline said, the defeat evident in her tone. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
“If that’s how you want it,” Jo replied and left the office.
Stopping in the hallway, she tried to steady her breath. There was no logical explanation for how her heart raced when she saw Madeline or how her entire body tingled when she smelled her perfume.
One day she would be strong, not give all this another thought. Jo Carson was not the type of woman to throw herself at the feet of someone who did not want her nor the kind to get involved
in an inappropriate work affair. Now, however, she could not be here.
She approached Ian’s door, knocked and stood in his doorway until he glanced up from his computer.
“Good morning, Jo.” Even though he smiled, the stress and worry remained evident in his eyes.
“Good morning, Ian.” Jo attempted to return his smile.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I think I need to work from home today,” she said, knowing she shouldn’t press her luck, but also knowing if she spent one more second here, she would go crazy.
“Is everything okay?” The genuine concern in his voice reminded Jo that she wasn’t entirely alone in this world, even if it felt like it.
“I’m fine,” she managed. “I’m just exhausted and need to catch up on a few things. Now that the mayor is staying at a hotel, I can put my life back in order. I’ll be back in tomorrow.”
“Take the time you need,” he reassured her. “I appreciate all you’ve done. Go take care of whatever you need to do.”
Jo nodded her head and, with a last fleeting glance toward Madeline’s closed door, she forced herself to walk away.
Gabe was waiting for her at the end of the hallway. He obviously wanted to know what was wrong, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet—or ever. Even so, she valued his friendship.
“What’s up, Gabe?” she asked, walking toward him.
“Want to get out of here for a little while? I thought maybe we could grab something at the coffee shop and talk about everything.”