I left the locker room leaving Kit with her head hung down nodding as she whispered a barely audible, "I know, Claire."
Checking myself in the mirror by the showers I felt and looked like I was a trophy wife setting off on a weekend trip to the Hamptons. I was far more used to the standard black polyester suits of an agent during my work days, then old tired jeans and nice t-shirts from the Gap. I pulled back my hair into a loose ponytail, with the clothes Claire provided me, I now looked like I stepped out of an Ann Taylor catalog. The clothes were nice, but far from my taste and comfort level.
I did smile as I put my ratty jeans and t-shirt in the duffel bag, Claire did have an eye for what looked good on me and the perfect fit. She also had a dedicated eye when it came to scanning over my half-naked body when I tossed the towel aside to finish dressing while she spoke about emails and Ivan.
The excuse to myself for the blatant display was we were in a locker room, giving me free reign to stand naked as the day I was born if need be. Then maybe it was payback for the awkward moment when I walked in on her standing in her room running her slender fingers over toned abs I knew I would dream about.
The honest truth was I wanted to test Claire, bring out that slight sparkle in her eyes I had seen in the seconds after we kissed. I had not seen it since I lost my cool at the house and I wanted to know if I could still spark her interest. It was a dumb childish move but it was a small victory when I saw her blush and unable to tear her eyes away from me. I needed something to grasp onto, hold onto while I slowly grew the balls to talk about Montreal with her. I knew was being lippy and an insufferable dick to the one person who had given me just about her everything since that first day I sat awkwardly on her fancy couch.
My smile faded when my hand wrapped around the duffel bag strap, Claire's last words before she left the locker room hanging in my head. My fear was testing her patience.
I knew it and had known it when I cooled down before we came to Davey's building then reaffirmed with his big brotherly advice on the gun range. His advice was the catalyst to confess my feelings about the stubborn and kind Senator. I was in love with her; I knew that for a fact now, I could not talk myself out of it even in the shower and the first few minutes of sitting on the cold bench in front of the locker afterward. I could not come up with any excuse or reason why it was anything more than just love. Pure, simple yet very complicated love for another person.
Claire had me completely, but I was still petrified.
I hefted the duffel bag, closing the locker; I had to make a decision. A decision that was one of the hardest I had to make in a long time and I had to do it before Rebecca came back to the fold and the three of us headed back to D.C.
One thing was for certain, I did not want to sit through another minute of puppy dog looks from Rebecca directed at Claire.
I chuckled, "Jealousy. The first sign of defeat in keeping my heart locked away."
I had never been jealous in my life. Minutely envious as a child and a teenager when my friends showed off their new toys or the latest pair of fancy sneakers, but never fully jealous. I was raised to understand that jealousy was plainly born out an inability or lack of want to work for what others had. Instead I worked hard and reaped my own rewards, in turn I made others jealous of what I had achieved in my life. I was even never jealous of Callum when his attention was distracted from me, especially near the end.
Now I was harboring jealous feelings, primarily towards Rebecca. All because she once had what I now wanted. Claire.
The jealousy I carried was leaving me feeling different, different in the way one feels when they discover a new food or a new flavor of one never before experienced.
For me, jealousy was that new flavor and I was trying to find how if fit on my taste buds and if I could hold onto the bitter aftertaste or man up and spit it out.
I found Claire standing outside by the car with Davey, both leaning against the trunk of the Cadillac, chatting easily as lifelong friends did. I squinted and brought my hand up to block the sun from my eyes so I could actually see where I was going.
Once shaded from the bright sun, my eyes moved on their own, catching how the light seemed to grace Claire like perfectly angled stage lights. She turned to face the sun, her aviators reflecting back sharp bursts of sunlight as she laughed at what I could only assume was one of Davey's dumb jokes, the light wind fluttering around her linen shirt and it took me a minute to realize I was staring hard at her even though I was walking towards her, taking in the small features the sun painted out for me. Like the small dimple under her bottom lip when she grinned, the way she slowly tucked loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear then smoothed it out nervously to maintain the prim Senator look she was trying to maintain, and finally the way she slowly turned my way, the muscles in her neck staining with the growing grin on her face when she saw me.
Even though I couldn't see her eyes, I felt them on me, forcing my lungs to suck in a sharp breath and swallow my heart back down my throat.
Jealousy had been step one, step two was shortness of breath and a heightened heart rate.
"There she is! I was beginning to think you were going to sulk in a corner all day about coming in second place, Kit." Davey's dumb mocking grin flashed at me as he looked in the same direction with Claire.
I rolled my eyes at Davey, dumping the duffel bag in the Cadillac's back seat, "I don't sulk, Davey."
"Actually I can recall one or two times I caught you crying in your ginger ale during your first few weeks in the field." Davey squinted at me after pulling his glasses down to the end of his nose, "Particularly when Adams pulled the Congress detail over you."
I folded my arms, giving him a dirty look, "Only because his dad was golf buddies with the Minority Whip at the time. I tested higher than him." I fluttered a hand at Davey, "Moot point now."
He chuckled, "Sulking. Anyways, you girls are all set." He shoved off from the spot he leaned against, "Kit, your gun is in the middle console, cleaned and I replaced the front sights. You were off to the left a hair." Davey pushed up his sunglasses, "Claire, always a pleasure to see you. I hope you stop by before you truck it back to old man winter in D.C.”
"Of course I will, Davidek." Claire quickly accepted the open arms of Davey, hugging him tightly.
When the two parted, Claire moved to the driver's side door, and I went to suggest I would drive her to the zoo but was interrupted by Davey.
"Kit, remember, first on your doorstep." He threw me one of his secret don't fuck it up looks then grinned, "You should also stop by before you leave. I have a few shooting tips that might get you out of second place." He winked at me, tugged on his tie and left the lot. I rolled my eyes at his perfectly tailored back as he disappeared into the black building.
I reached into the open passenger side door, opening the middle console to reveal my gun sitting in its holster. Clean with brand new night sights on it. I removed it, shifting to secure it in my waistband before I sat down in the plush leather seat.
Claire wasted no time in starting and backing the car out of the parking space, she also wasted no time in not starting a conversation. Leaving the air in the car between us, thicken.
The air did turn heavy and awkward between us, the normal for the two of us lately. We would go from easy breezy conversation, to so thick you could cut it with an axe. I felt compelled to break the tension by turning on the radio, but Claire beat me to the touch screen, tapping a few buttons as she drove out of the lot and towards the main road, the screen quickly filling with a photograph of a middle aged man with slicked back salt and pepper and a deep bronze tan.
"That is Robert Fields. He owns just over seventy-five percent of the oil fields and processing plants in Texas. He is a staunch conservative new wave republican who has supported me from day one." Claire pressed a button on the steering wheel, causing the screen to flicker and cast a few more images on the screen. Overhead shots of land, images of Fields standing next to Cl
aire shaking hands on a stage draped in Americana, and lastly there was scrolling threads of texts along the far right edge.
“Fields loves me because I am pro-military, pro-freedom of choice from Planned Parenthood all the way up to deciding if you want marry your cow. That's where the new wave of his conservative ways come in, he is a mix of libertarian and republican, always touting that we should have our own free will and choice in life, instead of relying on one party or leader to govern us all."
I looked at the man who looked more like a greasy car salesman than a billionaire oil man, "Does he know about your work at the Criterion Centre?"
Claire shook her head, focusing on the traffic before her, "No one does outside of you, Rebecca and the handful of trusted employees at the Centre. Everyone else barely remembers that I am a doctor. They just focus on my Senator title and use that to their advantage." Claire pressed the button allowing the images to shift on the screen, "Fields is trusted, not trustworthy, he constantly throws money my way not understanding that my campaigning is funding privately by my inheritance. I usually just funnel his contributions down to whatever veteran charity that needs it most." She looked over at me quickly, "When I mean he loves me, he loves me. He tends to get handsy and grabby." Claire shrugged like it was a normal everyday occurrence, a billionaire groping her like a cow, "Just listen to him when he talks, Field is deeply tied into the military and loves to boast about the secrets he hears. I need to find out through him if there is a little more interest in my work at the Centre that I should be worried about."
I turned back to the photograph on the in car screen, the sudden urge to punch the man filled my body. Jealousy and anger filled my body at the thought someone would dare to lay an unwanted hand on Claire. "Great." I mumbled under my breath, I had heard the rest of what she said and it was filed away into my mind to pick up on any keywords spoken in my presence at this event. I would also have to refrain from lashing out if I saw a greasy billionaire place one hand on Claire, or any part of her body where polite company would not necessarily appreciate.
"Kit, I can handle it. Usually a firm word will get him to keep his hands to himself." Claire picked up on my grumblings, frustrating me more that she was able to decipher almost everything I did and thought was hidden. Claire pressed another button on the steering wheel, and the screen changed back over to the GPS map. "The rest of the guests, I will fill you in on as we meet them. Aside from that, this should be an easy and fun event."
I looked out the window as we pulled into the front gates of the zoo, "Nothing is ever fun and easy at politically geared events."
Kit stood next to me, closely. I felt her elbow brush mine as we exited the car and I handed the keys off to the valet. I glanced at her, watching her scan the crowd. She stopped on clusters of Secret Service agents crowded around a side entrance. It was obvious they had been asked to stay on the outside of the event to allow those they protected inside to move freely and drink as much of the free booze provided without a chaperon. I knew there would be at least one other Senator and a couple Congress members at the exhibit opening since Fields supported much of the Republican Party and it would show in the political power faces that drifted past any of his parties or events.
I set my hand on Kit's elbow, grabbing her attention, "Let's head inside. Tell me if you see anything."
Kit nodded, moving away from my hand, "I just see some old co-workers that I would like to avoid if possible" She smiled tightly, motioning for me to go first through the main reception area of the zoo.
The reception area was decorated with a polar ice cap theme, cool blues and whites with large banners of the zoo announcing the newest exhibit with photographs of the pair of polar bears that would now call San Diego home. There was a large ice sculpture in the back of a massive polar bear on its hind legs surrounded by fruit and other random food items.
The room was full of the rich and the powerful doing their best to mingle and network. This was a typical event that I had attended a hundred times in the years I became Senator, and because of that, I hated these types of events, but understood they were necessary.
I took a deep breath, sliding into my Senator persona and grabbed the first vodka on the rocks that was offered to me by a smiling waiter. I heard Kit clear her throat and when I looked at her, she was raising an eyebrow motioning to the drink in my hand. "Drinking on the job?"
I laughed, "I won't actually drink it. I'll pour some of it out in a plant or two, but people get curious when they see me without a drink in my hand." I swirled the drink with the silly polar bear stirrer in the glass, "It's all part of playing the part."
Kit gave me a look before stopping another waiter who was carrying a tray of water in silly ice-cube shaped glasses. She grabbed the glass of vodka in my hand, setting it on the tray to replace it with the glass of water. Taking one herself she thanked the waiter, sending him on his way. "Sometimes you don't always have to play the part so true to character." Sipping on the water she winked at me, "Plus god forbid if someone saw you dumping vodka in a plant, the headlines would have a field day with the plant killing Senator."
I laughed again, taking a large sip of my water when I heard the slow, deep southern drawl come my way.
"There she is, the belle of the ball! Senator Claire Avondale!"
I turned to see Fields making a beeline for Kit and I. He was grinning to the point his bleached white teeth almost blinded me when they reflected snippets of the sun filtering through the skylights.
I swallowed, throwing on my best smile for the tanned man coming my way. When he was close, I took his massive tanned hand, shaking it, "Mr. Fields, always a joy to see you."
Fields winked, grin still shining bright, "Senator Avondale, the pleasure is and should always be mine. How many times have I told you, Claire! Call me Bobby, we are in polite friendly company here." He casually glanced at Kit before returning his focus on me. "I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was when Suzy told me you had finally replied to the invites." He held onto my hand a little longer when the handshake had definitely come to its end. "I know you are on vacation from the capital, but I could not resist having the most beautiful and brightest Senator this republican has ever seen at this great event!"
Fields stared at me in a way that made my skin crawl. I had done my best to avoid him for almost a year when I had last seen him and was last groped by him at the President's ball right before last Christmas. I instantly knew he would not be leaving me alone as easily as before, it would be a day full of firm words and enduring inappropriate comments and touches. I gently pulled my hand from his, motioning to Kit, "Robert, I would like you to meet my new assistant. Caitriona “Kit” Witmer, this is Robert Fields, CEO of Starfield Oil incorporated."
Kit had the biggest fake smile on her face as she held out her hand to Fields. As she greeted the man politely and shook his hands, I could see her eyes bore into him. She was taking him in all of his greasy glory and trying to hold back something I could not quite place.
She gave me a dirty look as Fields told her she was prettier than a June bug in the heat of the cornfields, almost making me burst into laughter. I half listened as he commented on how strange a name Kit was for a girl and how she looked too pretty to be just an assistant.
Fields was flirting with Kit and she was having none of it, but holding it in for my sake.
My reprieve from Fields attention didn't last long, I soon felt his hand on my elbow, tugging at me. "Let me show you around Claire and you can get me caught up on what you have been up to since we last danced together."
I smiled tightly, allowing the man to lead me towards the massive outdoor polar bear exhibit. I didn't have to look back at Kit to know she was right behind us, I knew that the way Fields was already staking a claim on me would cause her building jealousy to keep an watchful on eye on us. I was extremely happy, for once, at the whole idea of jealousy.
"Claire, we need to get together more. I was starting to think your old ass
istant Rebecca was hiding my emails and phone calls from you. I never hear from you anymore." Fields had managed to get my arm linked into his, allowing him to pull me closer. I hated the way his overheated body made my linen shirt stick to my body. The zoo had placed outdoor fans and air conditioning throughout the exhibit to ease the fair and gentle body temperatures of the rich, but it was doing nothing to the almost two hundred plus pound man who was doing everything to rub up against me.
I pulled away just enough to let a breeze pass between Fields and I, "I apologize for that, Robert. Rebecca and I both had very full agendas from the minute last Christmas break was over until now. We had the defense budget to work with, the medical reform bill to write and of course I hate ignoring my charity work."
Fields bumped his hip into mine, "Ah of course! And how is the Criterion Centre doing?" Fields looked at me with his blue eyes, the grin still on his face, "You know the buzz about that place and you has moved around the circuit lately."
I played dumb and smiled, "Oh really? I wonder why?" I sipped from my water, "The Centre is just a high-end treatment center for the rich and some pro bono cases I fund them to take on every year."
Fields leaned closer to me to whisper in my ear, "Rumor has it that some of those kooky German doctors working there are doing all sorts of weird science experiments. One of my buddies told me a grand tall tale about them trying to grow arms and legs in test tubes, or organs. I can't remember exactly which, we had drunk quite a lot of tequila that night."
I swallowed hard, hating the way his tobacco laden breath hit my neck and filtered around to my nose, assaulting my senses and overloading them with expensive terrible cologne and illegal Cuban cigars. I steadied myself and laughed, turning away from his breath to look at the wall, feigning interest in one of the dioramas, "That, my dear Bobby is some silly science fiction if I have ever heard it." I threw him my most charming gaze, "The Criterion Centre is nothing more than a cancer treatment facility and can I tell you a secret?" I leaned closer to him, batting my eyelashes.
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