FIFTEEN
The limo was waiting, along with a slew of reporters and clicking cameras, when Jason walked out of the Jacksonville Police Department flanked by Carl Browning on one side, his attorney on the other. He answered no questions, as expected, but that didn’t stop the reporters from hurling them.
But if he thought the reporters were hostile, he was in for a rude awakening. His team, Stephen, Dexter, and DeeDee, were all waiting inside the limo, and their hostility trumped all others.
Even Carl, who got into the limo with Jason after saying his goodbyes to the attorney, was visibly shaken. “We were already on the Titanic,” he said, “just beginning our voyage out to sea. But you had the nerve, the temerity to go and pick up the iceberg, bring it all the way up to us, and wham. We’ve got a problem now for real, and I don’t see how we can overcome this.”
“The mayor arrested,” Stephen said. “And not just arrested for something simple, like speeding or even a DUI dammit, but for beating up his opponent. At his opponent’s house!
You can’t make this stuff up!”
“What were you thinking, Jace?” Dexter wanted to know.
“It wasn’t as if I planned to fight him, Dex.”
“But why would you go to the man’s house? What kind of sense is that?” Jason leaned his head back. “I plead stupidity, guys, okay? Satisfied?”
“Why did you do it?” Carl still wanted to know. “We were coming up with a plan. We were going to answer every one of Hamp’s lies. But now we can’t answer a damn thing.
We’ll be too busy answering charges for trespassing, for assault and battery!” Jason closed his eyes. He knew he blew it. He knew it. But he couldn’t let Hamp hurt Liz and do nothing about it. He hadn’t planned to jump on the man, but when he called her a slut he lost all restraint. Now he was screwed, royally, and he knew it.
Silence ensued when Jason’s staff saw that he was probably being harder on himself than they ever could have been, and the ride to his home took on a kind of calm desperation.
Especially for Jason, who knew he had blown it big time. Until they arrived at Jason’s home and he saw Liz’s mustang parked in his drive. All was forgotten, and his heart soared.
“Hamp had your truck towed,” Carl said, “but don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
“Whose Mustang?” DeeDee asked, but Jason was too busy getting out of the limo.
“You guys go home and get some rest. We’ll deal with this tomorrow.”
“Meeting in your office at eight?” Dexter asked him.
Jason looked at the Mustang . “You’d better make that ten,” he said and closed the door.
When the limo drove off, Jason began walking, nearly running toward his front door. As he passed the Mustang, however, and realized that Liz had not entered his home with the key he had given her, but was sitting inside of her car, he opened the passenger door and leaned inside. “Hey,” he said, unsure how she would respond.
“Hey,” she said without looking at him. When she did turn in his direction, his heart pounded. “So you’re Rocky now?” she said with a smile.
Jason smiled, too, and sat inside the car, closing the door. He turned and looked at her.
“How did you find out?”
“Carl phoned my cell. Said he was on his way to the police station to get you out of jail.”
“And did he tell you why I was in jail?”
Liz nodded. “He told me.”
“I couldn’t help it, Liz. That guy is a major a-hole. I’m glad you’re no kin to him.”
“So am I,” Liz said truthfully, and then looked at Jason. The tears began to well up in her eyes again, at the thought of all that had transpired, and she hurried over to him. He pulled her into his arms and sat her on his lap, his entire body aching for her, angry still that he and Hamp would put her through all of this distress.
He cradled her, and rocked her. “Oh, Liz,” he said, “I’m so sorry.”
“Just hold me,” Liz said and Jason’s heart seemed to stop. He exhaled, then urgency came over him. He opened the car door and carried her into his home. He didn’t stop until he had her on his bed, undressed, and underneath him. He had to have her in a way that made him feel as if life itself was on the line. He threw his shirt, his pants, his underwear off with the deftness of a man whose need to show his love was searing him. And when he entered her, he let out an audible sigh. Because he thought he had lost her. He thought for sure that Hamp Morgan and his antics had caused their fragile relationship to fray forever. Now he had her in his arms, kissing her, pumping her, releasing every ounce of himself into her because all he wanted now was to be with her, to experience her, to love her in ways she’d never been loved before.
When their passion finally subsided, he rolled off of her, and pulled her onto him. Liz lay peacefully in his strong arms. Jason had given her more than just his sex tonight. He had given her his essence. He had taken all that was good about himself, and given it to her. And she felt the transfer. She lay on top of him and closed her eyes. He rubbed her hair and held her as if he had stolen her and was refusing to let her go. And she was fine with the theft.
And she didn’t want to be let go.
***
The next morning, she woke up in a spoon position with Jason lying behind her. When she turned around to look into his face, she realized he was on an elbow wide awake and smiling at her. He placed his finger in strands of her hair and moved them out of her face. “Good morning,” he said.
Liz smiled too. The idea that she could have thought for a second that this man did not love her, was using her as Hamp had said, was ludicrous to her now. “What time is it?”
“Don’t know, don’t care,” Jason said.
Liz smiled. “You think the citizens of your town are waking up right now to learn that their mayor had been arrested?”
“Probably.” Jason was still smiling.
“And that’s funny to you?”
“Hilarious.”
“What’s hilarious about it?”
“Hamp Morgan got a beat down, and I got you. Sounds like living a dream to me.” Liz smiled, and then laughed. When she was able to compose herself, she turned serious.
“Yes,” she said, “and no.”
Jason thought about what she had just said. “Please let the yes be that you love me,” he said.
“I love you, but that’s not the yes.”
“Then what?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“Oh, Liz!” Jason said excitedly and pulled her into his arms. “Thank-you, baby! You won’t regret a day with me, I promise you you won’t!” Then he thought about it and pulled her back slightly so that he could see her face. “And what’s the no?” he asked her nervously.
“No, you will not quit the campaign. You are going to fight Hamp Morgan and his propaganda machine the right way this time: at the ballot box. And I’m going to lend every inch of my support to the cause. Deal?”
Jason laughed. “Deal,” he said. Then he looked at her sidelong. “You’re ruthless, you know that? You sure you’re no kin to Hamp?”
Liz thought about this, and then hit Jason playfully on his arm. “I got your Hamp right here!” she said and then rolled back on top of the man she now would declare to anyone was her man. Hers.
SIXTEEN
DeeDee Ramstead was so angry she wanted to scream. But she didn’t. She, instead, left City Hall early, drove across town, and entered Big D’s as if she were a regular. When she told the bartender she needed to see Hamp Morgan, he told her to get in line. When she told that same bartender that she was Jason Rascone’s assistant and she had some rather interesting information that Hamp Morgan would be very displeased if he didn’t hear, she was, within minutes, escorted up to Hamp’s suite of offices and eventually found herself standing in front of Hamp’s desk. His son Malcolm and Clay Davis, who was now fully onboard his election team, were with him.
“You didn’t press charges,” D
eeDee said as soon as she walked up to the desk.
“That’s right.”
“And why not?”
“Look, lady,” Malcolm said, “we’re taking a chance having you up in here to begin with.
Now get on with what you want. Why should we be answering your questions?”
“Because it’ll have a bearing on my answers,” DeeDee said and Hamp smiled. He liked her spunk.
“I didn’t press charges because, if I don’t press charges, I keep the advantage.”
“It allows you to play the victim you mean.”
“It allows me to stay on the high road I mean.”
“So it wasn’t because it would hurt your daughter?”
Hamp glanced at Mal. Apparently Jason had not told his assistant that Liz was no kin to them. Both father and son wondered why. Jason had to know it would be political kryptonite for Hamp, and he could take some of Hamp’s thunder by going public with the news himself. But Rascone was like that. Always unpredictable.
Hamp leaned back in his executive chair. “What do you boys think?” Hamp asked Mal and Clay. “Think I didn’t press charges because it would offend Liz?” Mal let out a one-syllable, meant to be sarcastic laugh. “Not hardly,” he said.
Hamp looked at Clay. He was becoming a very good ally, with very good connections.
“What about you, Clayton? What do you think was my motivation? To help my quote, unquote, ‘daughter’?”
“Your decision probably helped Liz, yes, and that’s a good thing,” Clay said, “but I don’t think that as your motivation. That was more like a byproduct of your motivation.” Hamp looked at DeeDee. “Now you understand?”
“Perfectly,” DeeDee said. “Now you understand this. I just received word that my boss, Mayor Rascone, has asked your daughter to marry him.”
Although Hamp, Mal, and Clay remained calm, all three were stunned witless.
“And she has said yes,” DeeDee said. “How’s that for motivation?”
“He’s going public with the news?” Mal asked her.
“Yes. On Wednesday at his weekly press conference he’ll make the announcement.” Hamp nodded. “Okay.” Then he looked at DeeDee. “And why did you feel a need to come all the way to Big D’s to tell me this?”
“Because I think he’s making the biggest mistake of his life.”
“His political life?”
“That too. But I don’t care about that anymore. That’s why I came here. Jason lose this election and that Liz person will hit the road, I guarantee it. It’s power she’s after. Jason will be making the biggest mistake of his life if he goes through with this nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” Mal asked, surprised. “Why is it nonsense? Because Liz is black?”
“Because Liz is the absolute wrong female for a man like Jason Rascone.”
“And I suppose you’re just right for him,” Mal continued. Then he smiled. “Or is it just white for him?”
DeeDee rolled her eyes at Mal and looked back at Hamp. “I’ve given you the information,” she said, collecting her purse that she had sat on his desk. “Use it as you will.
Do everything in your power to stop it, and not just for your daughter’s sake, but for your election’s sake. Because remember, it’s one thing for Mayor Rascone to parade a girlfriend around. It’s another thing altogether for him to parade his fiancée around. She becomes legitimate then. More black votes may come his way then.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Clay said. “African-Americans aren’t that shallow to vote for a right-wing Republican like Mayor Rascone just because he has a black woman on his arms.” DeeDee looked at Clay as if he had no clue about local politics. “I doubt seriously,” DeeDee said, “if Hamp shares your opinion.” Then she left.
“But it’s true,” Clay said after she left. “Blacks voters aren’t going to vote for a Republican just because he has a black girlfriend.”
“No, I agree with you, Clayton,” Hamp said. “But he’s talking about marrying her, if that chick is to be believed. And I think she is, because she’s in love with Rascone herself. That’s why she came here. She don’t give a damn if he wins or loses. Just so long he win or lose with her on his arm, which ain’t gonna happen. Not as long as Liz hangs around.” Clay smiled. “You make it sound as if he’s in love with Liz.” Hamp looked at Clay. “Of course he’s in love with her, what’s wrong with you? That man is head-over-heels.”
“But . . .,” Clay started, by now puzzled. “You said he was using her.” Hamp looked at Mal, both smiling. “This guy,” he said, shaking his head. “Yes, I said that, Clayton.” Then he added: “It’s politics, okay?”
Hamp, however, was already thinking ahead. “But now your boy Jason is talking about elevating Liz from girlfriend to soon-to-be-wifey, and doing so on television. That changes everything.”
Clay frowned. “How?”
“Because,” Mal said irritably, “that shoots our theory straight to hell. We say he’s just using her and will dump her as soon as he’s reelected. He’s coming back to say if I’m using her, then why have I asked her to be my wife? And knowing Rascone, he’ll make sure the wedding day is before election day.”
“Well before it,” Hamp added.
“But that still won’t win him any more black votes than he would ordinarily get.”
“Oh, my friend,” Hamp said, “it most certainly will. He’ll be one of us now, you see.
With a black woman in the family, and soon-to-be black children. It’ll win him quite a few more votes.”
Clay still shook his head. “I don’t believe the average African-American voter is that easily bought.”
“Every voter is that easily bought, forget the race! You dangle the right incentive and everybody’s up for grabs.”
“But what about the blacks who hate the fact that a good looking sister like Liz would fall for some white guy? They aren’t going to vote for him.”
“But you’re missing the point, Clay,” Mal said. “Those voters wouldn’t have voted for Rascone no matter what he did anyway. And, besides, he doesn’t need their votes. All he need to do is to peel off just enough black voters and liberal white voters away from Hamp and he’ll win the election. Point blank. And don’t you think Rascone doesn’t know that. That’s what this is all about.”
Clay exhaled and looked at Hamp. Hamp stood up and walked to the window behind his desk. Looked out as the crowd was slowly trickling into his club. “So what do we do?”
“We blow it up,” Mal said.
“Blow it up?” Clay asked. “With what?”
Hamp turned around. “With what we like to call, my friend, the trump card. The nuclear option. The idea that we’re willing to go, not where no man has gone before, none of that Star Trek shit, but we’re willing to go the last place Jason and Liz wants us to go.”
“Let me guess,” Clay said. “It has something to do with low blows, bottom of the decks, and sewage?”
Mal laughed. “Oh, you’re learning boy,” he said. Then added: “I’m gonna love this.”
“Yeah,” Hamp said with a smile of his own. “So am I.”
SEVENTEEN
Although it was nearly three hours before the press conference was scheduled, Liz was already dressed and looking at herself in the bedroom mirror one last time. She was still living in Jason’s penthouse apartment at the Birmingham and was so nervous she could hardly see straight. Shameika, who was by her side, smiled.
“Just relax, child, okay,” she said. “It’ll be fine.”
“But I don’t see why I have to be there,” Liz said, who was hoping to stay behind the scenes. “I didn’t have to be there when he announced I was his girlfriend.”
“If you don’t know the difference between girlfriend and fiancée then yeah, you need to stay put. Girl, you about to be the mayor’s wife. He’s even set the date. He’s serious and he aims to let this city know he’s serious. Besides, when he announced you as his girlfriend he didn’t have an opponent the
n.”
Liz looked at Shameika. “What is that supposed to mean, Meek? You make it sound like this is some kind of publicity stunt.”
“How can it not be with a politician involved, girl? Of course it’s a publicity stunt! But it’s the truth. Jason loves you and wants to marry you and it’s a publicity stunt to gin up him some black votes too. You’re what they call an all-in-one proposition.” If Shameika thought she was alleviating Liz’s fears, she was mistaken. Liz was sure that Jason loved her. She, in fact, had never been more sure in her life. But there was also the baggage of her past, when she was equally convinced with her ex, and he screwed her every way but good. Now she had thrown down the gauntlet with Jason, and just the idea of it, of giving her love completely to someone else again, was terrifying to her.
Knocks on the front door caused her to jump. Shameika laughed. “You have got to get a grip, girl, or you’re gonna be out there embarrassing the man.” Liz had to smile herself. “I know,” she said as she and Shameika headed for the front of the apartment. “Jason said the same thing. Only he said it with more compassion than you did.”
Shameika laughed. “You don’t like me because I’m compassionate. You like me because I tell your butt the truth.”
Which was true, Liz thought as she opened the front door and saw Jason standing there.
As soon as Jason saw her, however, his breath caught.
“Wow,” he said.
“Why didn’t you use your key?” Liz asked. “This is still your apartment, you know.”
“Not really,” Jason said, walking in. “Hey there, Meek.”
“What’s up?”
“What do you mean not really?” Liz wanted to know. “Just because I’m staying here doesn’t mean it’s no longer yours.”
“I changed it.”
Liz frowned. “You changed what?”
“The deed. Before you moved in here. It’s in your name and your name only. It’s yours.”
Shameika shook her head as she headed for the kitchen. “Some girls have all the luck. I’ll be happy to get a Big Mac meal out of my man. This sister gets a penthouse apartment out of hers!”
Romancing the Bulldog Page 15