Adria stood behind them. She crossed her arms over her gray suit and glared at them with narrowed eyes. “Julian doesn’t exactly handle the media as adeptly as he should.”
Julian sighed. “You’re supposed to be boosting my confidence, not making me more nervous.”
“I don’t sugarcoat shit, Julian. You always get the truth with me, and we both know you suck balls when it comes to press conferences.”
“Well, there you go!” A huge smile spread across Cody’s expression as he tapped his big index finger to Julian’s lips. “You’re great at sucking balls, and I should know.”
Julian barked in laughter while Adria shushed Cody, surveying the hallway for stray reporters looking for a scoop. What a wonderful headline that would make!
Senator Canales Wins Olympic Gold for Ball-Sucking.
Fortunately no one was close enough to have heard.
“You need to censor yourself.” She closed the distance between them and pointed her index finger in his chest.
“You’ve got a bony finger. You do realize that, right?” Cody glared down his nose at her.
She sniffed. “And you’ve got a big mouth. You do realize that, right?”
“I do,” Cody said with a big, beaming grin. “That’s so kind of you to notice. I once managed to shove thirty marshmallows into my mouth during this one fraternity event. It helped when I came out of the closet and started dating guys. They really appreciated the practice.”
This conversation was too inappropriate to have in a public space and before a press conference designed to help his flailing campaign. Even so, Julian couldn’t look away. He was transfixed as though he was watching one of Cody’s soap operas. He had to hide his smile behind the back of his hand as Cody intentionally egged his nemesis on.
Adria was clearly gearing up for a fight. If her nostrils flared any wider, she’d be able to inhale a slot machine. “You need to comport yourself to this situation, Mr. Hayes.” Her words came out short and crisp. “You are not on some college campus practicing your oral skills for the countless suitors you’ve no doubt amassed. You are the husband to a senator, a politician looking to get reelected, and I won’t have your juvenile antics destroy those chances any more than they have already.”
Cody opened his mouth, but whatever words he planned to speak never fell from his lips. Instead he held his breath, and for the first time, Julian noticed the spark with which Cody greeted the world flicker.
Julian was not going to stand for that. “Adria, that’s enough.” He stepped between them and faced her. She rested the full blade of her scalpel gaze upon him. “I won’t have you talk to him that way. He’s my husband.”
“And you think the press is going to be any kinder?”
“No. They’re going straight for the jugular. I know that, but I won’t stand for it. From anyone.”
She locked gazes with him, trying to intimidate him with her silence, with her reproachful hazel eyes that never once faltered, but after a few minutes, they softened like honey and a grin teased its way across her lips. What the hell was going on now? “Good. Then you’re ready.”
“Wait. What?” Julian asked, glancing from Adria to Cody, who upturned his hands and shrugged.
Adria waved Julian aside and wrapped her arm around Cody’s bicep before dragging him farther down the hall and toward the doors to the conference room. “I’m sorry for being a bitch to you, but it was the only way I could think to shock Julian into being as prepared for this as he’s gonna get.”
“You baited him?” Did Cody have to sound so damn impressed right now? And why did he have to chuckle and rest his head on top of Adria’s as if they were longtime friends?
“Sure did. I have to do shit like that all the time,” she said to Cody as they strolled in front of him. “He’s so high maintenance.”
“Hello!” he said, trying to get their attention.
They both glanced over their shoulders at him before Adria dragged her gaze back to Cody. “Are you sure you want to take all that on? It’s one hot mess. Let me tell you.”
Julian mumbled, “That’s not very nice.”
“He is a hot mess,” Cody replied. “But I guess he’s my hot mess now, huh?”
Julian liked the way that sounded so much, it chased the storm of butterflies out of his chest and abdomen and straight into his rapidly beating heart.
OKAY, so Cody hadn’t been nervous before, but as soon as he, Adria, and Julian entered the conference room, the sudden roar of questions that assaulted his ears terrified the living shit out of him. The raucous din was difficult enough to deal with, but when it was paired with the wide, predatory eyes that glared at them over salivating, razor-sharp teeth, he suddenly felt like chum thrown into a shark-infested ocean.
What the hell had he been thinking? This wasn’t anything like college.
These people wanted to devour him and Julian whole and take pictures standing next to their strung-up carcasses. It didn’t help that the red lights from the many video cameras aimed at them reminded Cody of the laser sights on rifles. Maybe if he ran from the room no one would hear him scream.
But just as he reached the height of his newfound panic, Julian took his hand and led him up to the podium, and the raised voices fell silent.
“Thank you all for coming today,” Julian said into the mic. His voice never wavered, and the confidence Cody had noticed in Julian the first time he laid eyes on him suddenly returned. “I know you have many questions, and there has been a great deal of speculation regarding my recent marriage.”
“So it is true.” One eager reporter stood, holding his recorder toward them. “You are married.”
“Yes—”
The one-word answer sparked a hurricane of words.
“Did you even know each other beforehand?”
“Have you called your attorneys?”
“When will divorce papers be filed?”
“Exactly how much did you have to drink last night?”
Julian held up his hands and the never-ending barrage ceased. “I’d like to introduce everyone to my husband, Cody Hayes.” He gestured to where Cody stood at his side. “We are not calling our attorneys, and no divorce papers are being filed.”
“So this marriage isn’t a publicity stunt?” another reporter asked as she stood.
Julian shook his head. “I can guarantee you it is not. As I said in my first campaign and in the one I’m running now, I’m a firm believer in marriage. It’s the foundation of our society because it is a symbol of the unity and strength of the American people. All of us have the civil right to marry whomever we choose and to enjoy all the benefits that come out of a lifetime commitment.”
Another reporter stood. This one held a microphone with the letters of a conservative news station blazoned across its front. This question wasn’t exactly going to be helpful. “So you’re comparing your drunken courtship and hasty marriage to all the other wedded American couples made up of men and women, who entered into a serious matrimonial commitment that didn’t involve excessive alcohol and roughhousing on the Vegas Strip?”
Cody flinched. That was harsh. True, but harsh. He and Julian hadn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders when they traipsed down the aisle. How was Julian going to handle it? He sure as hell had no clue.
“I’m glad you asked that question,” he answered without hesitation. “Americans are as diverse in character as they are in their approaches to commitment. While my courtship may not resemble a good majority of them, that doesn’t make it better or worse than anyone else’s. It’s like saying two men can’t marry because they’re two men. Marriage is between two people who have decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Their gender doesn’t count any more than the length or perceived quality of their courtship. All that ultimately matters is what works for the couple in question.”
When Julian turned to face Cody, a huge grin plastered across Julian’s face, as if he was staring at the most precious gift
he’d ever received. “It’s true my husband and I didn’t know each other very long before I proposed to him, but I’m not the kind of man who hesitates. I found a man who was perfect for me and who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I saw no reason to delay what I knew to be inevitable.”
Cody held his breath. The flashing camera bulbs and rising din of voices suddenly disappeared. All he could see was Julian’s bright white smile reflected against his gorgeous brown skin. The big, dark eyes that gazed up at him made his belly flop and his body break out in a sheen of sweat. “And that’s why I said yes. Julian is as perfect for me as I am for him.”
“I’m sure Senator Canales’s wealth had nothing to do with it?” the same reporter asked. “Because our sources tell us you’re basically broke and work two part-time jobs to make ends meet.”
The question drew Cody’s gaze away from Julian. He locked eyes with the sniveling raven-haired prick he suddenly wanted to tear limb from limb. Instead he took a deep breath, replacing the anger that had so easily moved him to action in his youth with the goofy smile that always made friends and influenced people. “You’re right. I do work two jobs to make ends meet, but hey, how does that make me any different from many other Americans across the country that have to do the same in order to survive? It’s a fact of American life, and it’s nothing to be ashamed about, right?” Some of the reporters nodded and took copious notes. Cody even noticed a stray smile or two among the snarling throng.
“In an economy such as ours, should hard-working Americans really be judged by our bank accounts?” He returned his gaze to the reporter, whose nervous glances communicated he had also noticed the slight change in temperature in the room. “It makes me no less deserving of happiness or in any way diminishes my worth. What does diminish my worth is speculation about my intentions. I won’t deny that I’m not financially independent like my husband, but whether you choose to believe that or not will in no way affect our relationship. I understand the speculation and innuendo. That’s part of American life as well. Love it or hate it, that’s part of being a free nation. People are free to judge us, or hate us, or cheer our decision, and I realize some people doubt the authenticity of this relationship. Here’s the thing. Married people know that weathering each and every storm together only makes a couple stronger and more resilient. That’s what this is—a simple storm. Julian and I will make it through to the other side, and when the next squall heads our way, it will barely register as a blip on our radar.”
Julian beamed next to him and nodded. “That’s right. True marriage stands the test of time, and in time, you will still see us standing here together.”
“Well, maybe not here,” Cody said with a grin as he addressed the gathered crowd. “I like Vegas, but I would love to go home.”
Some of the reporters chuckled at his response and began asking if Cody was going to move to San Diego, if he was going to change his last name to Canales, if they were planning on adopting children or using surrogates, but the questions once again disappeared to him, this time displaced by the tempest of emotions that churned within.
“OH my God!” Adria exclaimed as she ushered them out of the conference room to the shouting complaints of the reporters who clearly had a jillion more questions. She switched her gaze from Julian to Cody, a look of complete and utter shock causing her jaw to practically hit the floor. “You’re a fucking natural. You had those sharks eating out of your hands.”
Cody dismissed Adria with a wave. “Just being me.”
Who was Cody kidding? Julian had never seen someone handle reporters like that before. It took all his strength to manage to be coherent, but Cody not only took on Walt Thomas, one of the biggest pricks in existence, but also managed to curry some favor with many of the reporters with his answers. Sure, some still weren’t buying what they were selling, but it was nowhere near the crapstorm it had been before.
Cody had downgraded the hurricane rating from a five to a two, and that was a fucking miracle.
“You were great.” Julian couldn’t stop smiling as he gazed up at Cody. His gut told him they would be a perfect fit, but until now Julian hadn’t realized how right he’d actually been. How had he gotten so lucky?
“I’m just glad I didn’t lose my temper.” Cody shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy blue trousers. He reminded Julian of a reformed bad boy who was seriously reconsidering returning to his more violent roots. Why did Julian find that so sexy right now? “Because I really wanted to strangle him with his own small intestine.”
Adria laughed, and it wasn’t one of those forced laughs she used around politicians or the media. It was loud and piercing, almost like a cackle. As hard as it was for Julian to believe, she really liked Cody, and Adria didn’t like many people. “I would’ve paid to see that. Someone needs to bring that jerk down a peg or five.”
“Not anymore. My husband did that already.” Julian wrapped his arm around Cody’s waist and pulled him close.
Cody returned the gesture. He slid his arm underneath Julian’s and hooked his index finger through one of the belt loops. The casual way Cody held him, the weight of his body against Julian’s, and the overpowering scent of bath soap, mint, and musk made Julian feel more intoxicated than he’d been last night.
Adria clasped her hands under her chin and smiled. “You know? This might just work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know I’m all about image.”
No shit. If Julian had a dollar for every time Adria used that damned word, he could fund the government himself. “And?”
“The two of you are just striking together. I thought that when I saw the first news report covering your wedding. I was so pissed off at you for getting drunk-married, but the whole time I was ranting and trying to get you to answer my damn phone call, I couldn’t help but see the gorgeous media images I could create with your two handsome faces. I was like, ‘If this hadn’t been the result of a bender, I could work with this. I could turn it into something great.’”
“You think you still can?” Julian asked.
“Even more so now.” She motioned for them to turn around. On the wall behind them hung a floor-length mirror. She positioned them arm in arm and then stood back and sighed as though she was seeing them for the first time.
“I don’t understand.” Cody regarded her with a furrowed brow.
“Don’t you see it?” She pointed to their reflection as they stared back at her. “The way the two of you look together is great eye candy, but the way you worked together in there and the way you looked at each other.” She swallowed hard. “It’s perfect.”
Cody’s face flushed, and his breath hitched.
They were perfect together. Adria saw it, the reporters saw it, and Julian felt it with every ounce of his being.
He would do everything in his power to get Cody to see it too.
LUCKILY for Cody, he didn’t have much time after the press conference to fret about Adria calling him and Julian perfect. Sure, he and Julian had a lot in common, and yes, having Julian on his arm made him feel like a million bucks, but to use Adria’s words, that was all about image.
If they were going to save Julian’s campaign and see if this lifetime partnership—because that was all it was, a partnership—would work, they had to be convincing. There was nothing more to whatever she might have seen than that.
He would have spent the rest of the evening convincing both of them of that, but he had his best friend’s wedding to get to. The diversion would do him good. It would give him time to calm down and catch his breath.
He got his wish. The ceremony, which happened to take place in a chapel extremely similar to the one he got married in last night, had been perfect. Sam had been all smiles when he said “I do” to Jenna, his blushing bride, while Mando and Brett spent the majority of the occasion elbowing each other and snickering at Cody.
His friends had the good sense not to take potshots at him during Sa
m’s moment because Sam made it clear this day was about him and Jenna. If any of them pulled their regular shit, he was going to make them sorrier than the Kappa Sigs who tried to crash their fraternity’s mixer their senior year. None of them wanted to suddenly find Nair in their shampoo bottles like those jerks had. But now that they were all packed into the club at the hotel, it was only a matter of time before the ribbing began.
He’d done his best to prepare Julian for his loudmouthed, inappropriate friends, but just like the press conference they’d survived, there was only so much prepping he could do. Julian had told him that he’d be fine, that he’d seen Cody and his friends in action already, but observing the disaster and being in the middle of it were two totally different scenarios.
“So I caught your little media event on the news.” Mando plopped down in the open seat to Cody’s right while Brett slid in next to Julian. “And I have to ask, what the fuck, man? After you hook up, you’ve usually got one foot out the door while you’re still trying to shove your junk back in your shorts.”
Well wasn’t that a lovely picture one of his dearest friends had just painted for his new husband? He had half a mind to head-butt Mando like he used to do in college, but Julian’s smile saved Mando’s front teeth.
“You got married?” Mando asked as if Cody wasn’t glaring at him. “And you announce it at a press conference. What the hell is going on?”
Cody leaned back in his chair, flashing his standard carefree grin. “Well, I did marry a US senator. It’s part of the package.”
“No, it’s not.” Brett shook his head. “For you, it’s only about the package. Once you unwrap it, you put it right back where you found it.” He gestured to Julian. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Julian replied. “I guess my package was too impressive to put back.”
Cody chuckled while Mando and Brett shuddered at the image. After they recovered, all merriment left Mando’s dark eyes as he leaned forward to speak without trying to yell over the blaring music. “You do realize that wasn’t part of the dare, right?”
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