He held out his hand and I shook it firmly. “I’m doing well, thanks. How are you? Please accept my condolences. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” He pulled out his cell phone and glanced down at it in a distracted manner. “Listen, I know Peter should be here by three. Would you like to break away for a working lunch before he arrives here in DC? I could really use you to catch me up about what’s been going on. I would also like to bounce some ideas off of you.”
I stood and grabbed my handbag. “Yeah, that sounds great. Would you like to go now?”
“Yes, if you’re hungry.”
I smiled instead of confessing I’d only had coffee and water since I arrived to work. My nutritional regime didn’t really seem like anything I needed to concern a virtual stranger about.
We walked outside together and Russell had parked near the entrance of the campaign office. I sized up the late model Chevy Avalanche thinking the vehicle didn’t suit Russell at all. Somehow, I thought he would be a latte-drinking, liberal east-coaster with a Toyota Prius. He was almost effeminate in his looks and certainly looked like he could have easily been bisexual. His truck, rugged and middle-class, certainly didn’t fit the image he’d cultivated.
“What’s the matter?” He smiled in my direction, making his blue-green eyes light up. “Something wrong with my mode of transportation?”
“Well, it’s a massive truck that uses up loads of fossil fuels. I don’t know, excuse me for thinking you would give a fuck about the environment. Then again, maybe that’s just me,” I snapped.
Russell stole a glance from me with bright aquamarine eyes though he was more bemused than pissed off per se. “Gordon Biersch okay? For lunch I mean? There’s one not too far away from here on F Street.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Oh. My. God. What the fuck was wrong with me and why was I snapping at a guy I barely knew? I truly didn’t care what kind of truck or car he drove so why was I making a mountain out of a molehill?
He disabled his alarm before he walked over to the passenger door and opened it for me. I thanked God I’d worn a pair of jean capris instead of a skirt or shorts. Russell still stood behind me as I climbed into the truck. He closed the door behind me before he walked over to the driver’s door and joined me in the truck.
“I’m glad you approve of the restaurant,” he mused once he pulled into traffic.
I studied his profile. “Sorry about earlier. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with me.”
“What kind of car do you drive? Let me guess…either a Smart car or one of those ultra tiny Fiats. They are rather girlie cars.”
I laughed out loud. “No. Actually I drive a Mini Cooper. It was a present from my parents for completing law school.”
“Have you taken the bar exam yet?” Russell inquired.
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. I’m not sure if I’m going to stay here in DC yet. No use taking the bar somewhere you’re not going to call home. I might end up back in Silver Spring…I haven’t decided yet what I plan to do.”
He glanced in my direction with a coy smile. “Aren’t you just a ball of fun? Are you always this prickly with every guy you meet?”
“No, just assholes who think they know me after five fucking minutes.”
I didn’t know why I was treating Russell so bad. Shouldn’t I have shown him some sympathy since his mother recently died? He didn’t deserve this kind of treatment from a bitch who didn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground.
My companion grabbed my shoulder closest to him. “Hey, look at me.”
I glanced at my shoulder with his hand on it to his face. “Yes?”
“Listen, I don’t know what Kylie told you but this is merely a ‘getting to know you’ lunch. You’re a gorgeous woman but it’s obvious you’re the type who falls for powerful men like the governor. I know I’m out of my league tryin’ to get anything started with you. Hell, I only went to Yale.”
My eyes automatically rolled. “Right. There you go judging me again and you don’t know me. I didn’t bring my kneepads to Washington, Russell. You think I ran up over twenty grand worth of debt to be some politician’s kept woman? You’re dumber than you look if that’s all you think of me and the type of person I am.”
Russell didn’t say anything and I stole a glance at his face. He certainly was easy on the eyes with a strong Roman nose, sculpted features, full kissable lips and those gorgeous eyes, which looked almost completely blue, drowning out the green in them.
“Is this your idea of foreplay because I want you to know it works for me. Your green eyes light up when you’re annoyed.”
I smiled although I didn’t know when that stupid expression had worked its way into my features. “They’re hazel. Sometimes they look yellow-brown, other times yellow-green, sometimes green-brown. They change colors.”
“They suit you.” He reached over and tucked a lock of my sable brown hair behind my ear. “You have the most gorgeous face and even if you’re the biggest bitch in the world, I truly think it would be worth putting up with your shit attitude. Do you look as good naked as you do clothed?”
I glanced in his direction again. “Are you sexually harassing me?”
“Well, is it really sexually harassment if you enjoy it?” he questioned back with a smirk on his face.
“Um, yeah, because you’re still my superior and we aren’t off the clock.”
“Fine. Can I pick you up tonight off the clock? You’re free to talk as much shit about me and my truck that is destroying the environment, and what ever other topic strikes your fancy.”
I shook my head. “Seriously, do you think I still fall for powerful guys?”
Russell didn’t meet my eyes immediately. “Definitely. I know for a fact four years at Harvard and two at Georgetown is a six-figure education and you only owe twenty thousand. That’s a lot of sexual favors, honey.”
I laughed out loud over the huge assumption he happened to make. “I qualified for grants and scholarships you know. The twenty grand was for a loan I had to take out because I didn’t apply for certain grants before deadline.”
“Your dad didn’t take care of that?”
“No. He wanted to but my mom wouldn’t hear of it. She said I was smart enough to take care of myself and there was no reason why she and my dad should have to take money from their retirement to pay for my education. In case you missed the memo, I can go into corporate law. My minor was in in pharmacology and I planned to be a suit at a pharmaceutical company.”
“How’s that working out?” Russell inquired with a hint of playfulness in his tone.
“Fine, as far as I know. If I’m lucky, after finishing up this whole campaign aide business, I’ll probably become a pharmaceutical lobbyist here in Washington and take the bar exam here after all.”
“Whoa, a woman with a game plan. How ambitious.”
I looked out of the window and studied the buildings of the capital as we drove past them. “Don’t think I don’t know it.”
After lunch with Russell, we drove back to the campaign office in time for the arrival of Governor Coburn. It was great to see him again but I knew my fondness for him went beyond the professional level. If I wasn’t careful, I would screw everything up big time. This was not part of the plan and I couldn’t let a few moments of lust destroy everything I’d worked so hard to achieve.
I knew why I’d snapped at Russell, and part of it filled me with joy while another part of me wanted to snap myself out of it. For several weeks, I’d been in complete and utter joy at liking the Governor from afar and imagining us together sexually. However, he was married with children.
Then this new guy came on to the scene and was just as attractive but happened to be only a couple years older than me, stable and single. He obviously had poached on territory that I considered sacred between the Governor and me. I couldn’t imagine having a fling with Russell but maybe I should, if only to
put my priorities in order.
A relationship with my boss was risqué but not entirely unheard of. An affair with the governor could increase my moral turpitude to an off-the-charts level, and leave me persona non grata in a town where everyone knew everyone. Did I really want my whole life reduced to a cheesy tell-all and a made-for-television film on HBO if I was lucky? However, with my lack of luck, I’d probably only get Lifetime because the executives at Home Box Office would think me too unsavory to touch.
Nope, I wouldn’t end up another D.C. cliché or punch line joke. Not after all the money, time and effort I’d sunk into achieving an education in the first place. Plus, I knew the damage an affair could do. I’d been involved with one during my time abroad and still had nightmares because of it. I wouldn’t allow my lady parts to ruin my life a second time by repeating the same stupid mistakes I’d made at nineteen.
Therefore when work ended and Russell sidled up to me to make sure we were still on for our date, I agreed and smiled, much to the Governor’s chagrin. He didn’t look too happy but at least Kylie beamed at me as I left work.
Andrea flitted around the apartment, loud music playing in the living room, as I showered and got ready for my date. She whistled and displayed two thumbs up as I walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water.
“Wow, you look amazing. Who’s the lucky fella?”
“Russell Berkeley. He’s my immediate supervisor but he’s single, attractive and funny so those are three really good signs in this town.” I sipped from my water and set the bottle on the kitchen island.
“Do you have to steal all my ideas? I told you me and my editor are fooling around. You couldn’t have run into a random guy to date?” Andrea questioned in an acerbic manner.
“Listen, single men in this town are scarce, period. Cut me some slack. At least he’s not ten plus years my senior. He’s only twenty-eight.”
Andrea glanced at me oddly. “My editor’s thirty-two and I’m the same age as you, honey—that isn’t ten years.”
“I wasn’t talking about you.” I studied my sexy red dress in the hallway mirror. “I’m talking about my wildly out of control infatuation with Peter Coburn. It’s gotta end and I have to get it through my thick skull he’s married with children therefore he’s hands off. It’s not as easy as you think it is not to go around in circles with the situation. I’m going to end up making myself crazy but it’s better to be dating a man within my reach than trying to pursue the unattainable.”
“Well, in that case, good for you. I totally thought you were going to go one of two ways—one, you’d end up making a fool out of yourself by going after a married guy or two, you’d pine after him and wish for something to happen. When nothing happened, you’d end up bitter and depressed. Neither scenario is worth mentioning since they didn’t happen. Know I’m happy for your spunky resolve, honey. You deserve to be happy too.”
“Thanks,” I replied before I applied tinted lip-gloss to my lips. “I’m really hoping this works out because he’s cute and charming and I went total bitch mode on him today.”
Andrea sighed out loud. “Oh, Sigourney, it’s true love.”
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up. I go total bitch mode on every guy I’m attracted to—”
She poured herself a glass of wine. “Nope, not every guy, only the ones with promise. I like this Russell guy already.”
“So what are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing much. Jeff is coming by and we’re gonna watch cheesy movies and drink too much wine. It’s a quiet night since we’re going to Martha’s Vineyard for Independence Day weekend,” Andrea explained as she walked past me and sat on the sofa.
“Wow. I guess it’s a good thing I found Russell. When were you going to tell me about Martha’s Vineyard?”
She shrugged her shoulders as she balanced her iPad on her knees. “When it was convenient. It’s not like we don’t spend time apart, Sigourney.”
I wanted to respond with something equally snarky as the doorbell rang.
“Have a great night out.”
“Mmm hmm,” I mumbled as I walked to the front door and answered it.
Russell looked great in a pair of black slacks and a cerulean blue dress shirt that brought out an expressive swirl of color in his blue-green eyes. His dirty blond hair was slicked back, seemingly wet from a recent shower and slightly curled beneath his ears. He could use a haircut but he still looked very sexy in post-college graduate way.
I smiled as he kissed my cheek. “Sigourney, you look lovely.”
“Thank you,” I responded demurely. “You look great as well.”
“Should I meet your roommate—”
“Nope. Let’s go.” I turned toward Andrea, and she held up her wine glass to me with a smirk on her face.
Gah! I could only hope this freaking night would vastly improve for the better.
Chapter Six
Peter
“Did you encourage them?”
Kylie wore a small Mona Lisa smile on her lips. “Of course not. They went to lunch together and found one another fascinating enough to want to go out. I’m not my brother’s keeper or a pimp, Peter.”
He paced around the campaign office and realized he wasn’t just pissed off but rather angry to the point where he clearly couldn’t control his temper. How could this nymph, this woman he barely knew arouse these kinds of emotions in him?
“No, you aren’t a pimp, but God knows you haven’t liked Sigourney from the start. Why are you so gung ho she’s with your brother? Is this some sort of petty backbiting going on?”
“For Christ’s sake, Peter, get a fucking grip! The world doesn’t revolve around you and your emotions toward some slip of a girl who happens to be your campaign aide.” Kylie poured herself a stiff whiskey and downed it in one swallow. “Listen, I have a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cake Batter and Fast & the Furious 6 calling my name at home. What’s the point of this discussion, Peter?”
“The point, Kylie, is I think you are purposely undermining any sort of relationship that might result between Sigourney and I—”
“My God…have you become completely deluded?” she questioned in a heartless tone. “You’re married, you have children and you’re running for President of the United fucking States, Peter! Why the hell are you trying to screw up the whole program by trying to get into some twenty-something’s pants? Sigourney is nothing in the grand scheme, and you’re willing to screw up everything else just for her? Tell me, what is so special about this chick you can’t see the forest for the trees?”
He shook his head adamantly. “You’re just angry I don’t want to fuck you, Kylie. You’re a beautiful woman and you can have any man you want so why the hell are you bothering yourself with me and why do you care who I’m lusting after?”
She sat down and tried to calm her nerves. “Peter, I believe in you. I think you have what it takes to go all the way despite your youth. You could be the JFK of our time but not if you continue with your predictable shenanigans. Sigourney was—is—attracted to you. Russell agreed with my assessment. She’s woman enough to take a step back and decide she doesn’t want to ruin her life ambitions. She’s dating a man who’s single, stable and doesn’t have any obligations. The fact that he’s my brother is highly irrelevant to this particular situation.”
“They had to hook up as soon as he got back from New York?” he questioned belligerently before he threw himself into an office chair opposite from hers.
“Is Elizabeth still carrying on about not wanting to be First Lady? Is that what this whole outburst is about?”
“Not really. Everything in my life just happens to be really crappy at the moment,” Peter began in a subdued tone. “I don’t know if I want to be married to Liz any longer and everything seems to be falling apart. Hell, I don’t even know if I’m running for office because it’s what my parents want or if it’s what I truly want. I’m so fucking confused right now. Do the ends always justify the means?”
“Always.” Kylie’s expressive green eyes held his gaze before she stood and strode around to his side of the desk. “Peter, I don’t know exactly what you want from me but I can honestly tell you I didn’t set anything up. Whatever Sigourney and Russell have is organic and authentic. They became attracted to one another in the space of time I sent them out to have lunch together. Her only job was to get him caught up on what’s happening with the campaign and nothing else.”
“I know.” He covered his face with his hands in self-pity. “You’re not that vindictive, Kylie, and this is a situation where I have to blame someone for this happening. I’m sorry I’m putting the blame on you. Russell is a slippery little prick and she certainly isn’t the first woman he’s seduced in this office. I can only hope whatever it is they have will be over soon enough.”
She massaged his shoulders, working the knots out of his upper back with careful hands. “Peter, I think in this particular situation you might be wrong. Russell really likes Sigourney. Hell, she insulted his truck and he thought it was ‘cute.’ Sorry, but he loves that stupid truck and he’s left a couple women on the side of the road due to it but in this instance, he felt the female in question was charming.”
“That means nothing, Kylie.”
“To you maybe but what I’m trying to say is…don’t assume this is going to be a quick fling and they’ll go their separate ways. Sigourney isn’t stupid—she knows you’re off limits and let’s just leave it at that. Why would you bother stirring up a hornet’s nest? You might end up getting stung…badly, and in more ways than one.”
Peter stood abruptly. “Are you done with your speech making? Jesus, woman, you’re worse than me.”
Kylie faced the Governor and crossed her arms against her breasts defensively. “I couldn’t ever be worse than you.”
“Go home to your Ben & Jerry’s and your dearly departed Paul Walker. I’m sick of going round and round in circles with you.”
DC Affairs Page 4