In Bed With the Opposition Page 13

  “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m kind of laid up,” Blain said, motioning to the casts on his limbs.

  Senator Halloway appeared in the doorway. He folded his overcoat on one arm and removed his bowler hat. “Did he tell you, Grace? We want you to take over the campaign.”

  Grace laughed uncontrollably. Her boss was such a kidder!

  But Blain wasn’t kidding. “I can’t run a campaign from a hospital bed. So that means you’re it, Grace.”

  Grace got her laughter under control. “I’ve never managed a campaign in my life. I can’t do it. I couldn’t even finish law school. You need to hire a professional, sir.”

  Kip Halloway shook his head. “You are a professional and I want you.”

  Grace felt an enormous weight pushing her to the floor. “You’re making a huge mistake.”

  “I don’t want to work with anybody else, Gracie Girl.”

  She was shaken. “This is a really bad idea. Horrifically bad.”

  “It’ll be your show,” Blain promised, unconvincingly. “But I’m just a phone call away. I can help.”

  “You’re the one I want,” Senator Halloway said.

  “Then you’ve lost your wits, sir!”

  “No, he hasn’t,” Blain insisted, shifting uncomfortably in his hospital bed, skin paler against the sheets. “You believe in him. When reporters talk to you, they’re not going to hear an edge of cynicism in your voice. You used to call roving political operatives mercenaries. Well, what do you think the press thinks of them? When you speak for Kip Halloway, you speak with conviction. You love him and you’ll make the voters love him, too.”

  It was an incredible honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was, at long last, a way of moving forward out of her stalled career. And yet, Grace was torn—and not just because she worried about her own competency.

  If she became the campaign manager, she’d be working directly against Ethan. They’d be battling each other. And there was no way she could keep seeing him. This would ruin her relationship, just as she was finding a love of her own…

  “You have to do it, Grace,” Blain said. “If not for him, then for me.”

  “Don’t guilt me,” Grace said.

  But he didn’t have to.

  If Kip Halloway needed her, she couldn’t say no.

  …

  Could there be worse romantic timing than breaking up with someone before Valentine’s Day? Telling Ethan over the phone would have been cowardly. Certainly nothing worthy of either Wonder Woman or Pocahontas. So Grace mustered up her courage and knocked on the door of the camper.

  Some college kid answered. “Are you the pizza girl?”

  Ethan hurried forward through a throng of volunteers, muscling the kid out of the way. “Whoa, I thought I was picking you up tonight at eight. I’ve got reservations at The Prime Rib.”

  Grace’s inner foodie wept. She’d be missing out on escargot and chocolate mousse pie. “I have to talk to you but I guess now is a bad time?”

  “Nah,” Ethan said, hustling her inside. “Hey, everybody! This is my gorgeous girlfriend, Grace Santiago.”

  His girlfriend. How she wished she could be. Grace waved to all his volunteers, but her smile was strained. “This is quite an operation.” It wasn’t just Wii Boxing and foldout couches anymore. Ethan had the walls covered in precinct maps and calling lists.

  He puffed up a bit. “I do what I can. It’s nothing like Halloway headquarters. You’ve probably got heat and projection maps overhead.”

  “Also, gold-plated office chairs,” she quipped.

  Ethan gave her a look that said he wanted to be alone with her. “Hey, everybody, that’s a wrap. Take off for tonight.”

  “We’re not getting pizza?” Morris asked, despondent.

  Ethan shooed them out.

  For a few moments, Grace and Ethan listened to the static of a small television set crackling in the background. Then Ethan wrapped his arms around her. “So you couldn’t wait another couple of hours to see me?”

  His voice was husky. He looked good. He smelled great. And he felt amazing. Why had she tortured herself by doing this face-to-face? She bit her lower lip and tried to get a grip.

  He noticed. “Grace, you okay?

  She took a deep breath. No, she wasn’t. How was she going to tell him? “It’s just, Blain has a really long recovery ahead of him. He’s not going to be able to manage the campaign.”

  Ethan made a face. “It’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who totaled a perfectly good sports car. I do that kind of thing in video games, not real life. But I’m really sorry to hear he’s not doing well. I hope he gets better.”

  Grace fought back tears, and he touched her cheek.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” He kissed her and she groaned. He took one of her hands and gently guided it to the small of her back until she was helpless and open to him. Maybe if she just let him do this, maybe if she just had this one last night with him…

  “Grace?” he whispered by her ear, biting the hollow in her neck just beneath it. “Do you have any idea how much I want you? How hard I’m falling for you?”

  What was she supposed to say to that? She was falling for him, but none of that mattered, because they couldn’t be together. “I really care about you, too, Ethan.”

  He pulled back, a touch of hurt in his eyes. “You care about me? Don’t be flip.”

  “I’m not,” Grace protested.

  “You are,” he said, his expression darkening. “You’ve always been like that. Light and guarded, unless I’m having my way with you. That’s the only time you’re raw, the only time you let down your walls.”

  It was true, but what could she do about it? Her world was upside down, and the last thing she wanted to do was talk. “Can’t you just kiss me?”

  “And if I kissed you, what would you do?”

  “I’d kiss back,” she said.

  “And if I touched you?”

  “I’d touch back.”

  “And then?” he asked.

  Her lower lip quivered. “I’m sorry.”

  Ethan lifted an eyebrow. “Is there something I’m missing here? I’m fine with taking things slow sexually, but I feel like we’re taking things slow in other ways, too. I already know how you kiss, how you taste, how you feel. I know you love waffles and holidays. I know you can’t get out the door in the morning without making a list and that you can’t sit at a table if the salt and pepper shakers aren’t lined up. I know you keep a lint brush in your purse to obsessively brush off the cat fur on your clothes. But I want to meet the cat. I want to spend time with your friends. I want to see where you live. Let me in.”

  “I want to,” she said, tears brimming. “But it can’t happen now.”

  He looked her right in the eye. “Is it Blain?”

  Yes, it was Blain. But not for the reasons it used to be. And not for the reasons Ethan thought. “Senator Halloway wants me to take over the campaign.”

  Ethan stared. She couldn’t tell if he was surprised or if he was going to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Grace Santiago, the girl who couldn’t finish law school, running a campaign? It was pretty ludicrous. “And what did you say, Grace?”

  “I said yes. It’s going to be you against me. We’re going to have to duke it out, so we can’t keep seeing each other. Even if we tried to keep it quiet, I’m not sure it would be ethical.”

  Ethan ran a hand through his dark hair and his jaw clenched. When he spoke, it was loud and angry. “I don’t suppose it ever occurred to you to turn the job down?”

  She made a helpless sound. “The Halloways are family to me. Don’t you understand?”

  “No. I don’t. Family is about blood. It’s about putting up with people and sacrificing for them because they share your DNA. It’s about trying to help them through their problems, even when they disappoint you a million times.”

  “Family is about more than blood, Ethan. But I agree with that last part and that’s why
I put up with the senator’s antics. That’s why I’m taking this job.”

  “You’re taking this job because it’s an opportunity to get ahead professionally.”

  Grace flinched because he made it sound so horrible, but didn’t people do it every day? She was the daughter of a housekeeper, but she’d made something more of herself. And this was the kind of opportunity that might never come along again. Didn’t successful people, dedicated people, important people, put other things on hold so they could succeed? Hadn’t Ethan done just that, all his life? “My career is just as important as yours.”

  His expression fell. “You said you were afraid I’d give up on you, but now you’re just quitting on us. Again. You and me, we’re just over. Just like that?”

  “Only because of the campaign,” Grace said, miserably.

  He literally put her at an arm’s length. “That’s your excuse this time. When the campaign’s over, you’re going to find another reason.”

  Grace’s verbal defenses failed her completely. She didn’t know what to say. “It’s just for now. Until the election, we have to keep things professional and do our jobs.”

  He was hurt and withdrawing, she knew. His eyes became unreadable. Crossing his arms over himself, he leaned back against a counter and stared at her. “You know I’m going to beat you, right?”

  Coming from someone else, it might have sounded bitter, but from Ethan it just sounded like a statement of fact. “What makes you say that?”

  “Because your candidate is a gaffe machine and now there’s a third party in the race.”

  Her hackles went up. “I thought you said Dr. Dark Ages didn’t have a chance of winning?”

  “Well, our relationship isn’t the only thing that’s changed, Grace.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was the worst Valentine’s Day ever, and not even an entire box of chocolate and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s AmeriCone Dream could make her feel better. She’d only meant to put her relationship with Ethan on hold, but the look on his face when she’d broken things off had said it all.

  He was done.

  She used to think he was the worst mistake she ever made, but now she wondered if breaking it off with him was the most epic mistake of her life. Unfortunately, there was no way to take it back. Maybe she could try to fix things. When the campaign was over, she’d go to Ethan and tell him everything. She’d tell him about the pictures, about the blackmail, and about how miserable she was without him. She hoped he’d forgive her and that he’d let her make it up to him in all sorts of sexy ways. But what if the damage couldn’t be undone?

  To keep herself from brooding in the style to which she’d grown accustomed, she threw herself into the job that was currently ruining her love life. She moved her office to the Baltimore campaign headquarters, which was pure culture shock. Unlike the hallowed marble halls on the Hill, campaign headquarters was a disordered obstacle course of telephone cords, white boards, and conference rooms. Grace was used to a frenetic work schedule, but this place had a quirky and unpredictable pace that dizzied her. She didn’t like the untidiness of it, and found it difficult to work surrounded by a storm of Post-it notes and index cards.

  Directly below her office was a room filled with televisions, computer terminals, and newspapers all dedicated to scanning the media for any mention of the campaign or the candidates. She had a staff working under her. A strategist, a communications director, a financial manager, a spin doctor, and even someone Blain called “The Plumber,” who was in charge of something nefarious. Probably spying.

  But it was on Grace’s shoulders to win or lose this—and she was up against one of the most talented, experienced, and celebrated rivals in the business…who also happened to make her heart go pitter-pat.

  Overwhelmed, Grace was glad for Molly, who, in a show of solidarity, had dyed her hair the same distinctive shade of green Senator Halloway used on all his campaign signs. “Hey, no tears, Grace. I know this has been rough on you, so just tell me what to do.”

  Touched by her friend’s gesture, Grace said, “I thought you didn’t like Senator Halloway.”

  “I’ve been talking to Malibu Ken and the volunteers, most of whom would walk on broken glass for the guy, so I figure there’s gotta be something to him. You can win this election, Grace. You’re Supergirl. You can do it.”

  “Wonder Woman,” Grace sniffed. “Not Supergirl.”

  “WhatEver,” Molly said, sitting in Grace’s chair and propping her boots up on the desk. “So, for this glamorous job, you really have to put things on hold with the Coat Check Casanova?”

  “His name is Ethan,” Grace said.

  “I know. I’m just trying out titles. The Diner Don Juan? Your PlayStation Paramour?”

  “He’s more of a Wii kind of guy.” If she didn’t put a stop to this, Molly could go on all day.

  “You should meet him in secret. Think of how exciting and adventurous that would be.”

  “I’m not exciting or adventurous.”

  “You could pretend to be! This guy really rattles your cage. I approve.”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think he wants anything to do with me right now.”

  Molly sighed. “Guys like girls who play hard to get, so maybe he’ll come around…hey, is that your mom?”

  Grace peeked out her office window to see Mama clad in a Halloway for Senate T-shirt, delivering a dulce de leche cake for the volunteers. Sugar couldn’t solve all life’s problems, but at the moment, Grace thought it might solve a few. Welcoming Mama into the office, Grace said, “You don’t have to go out of your way just for me.”

  “I’m very proud of you, mija. But I’m here for Kip.”

  In all the years her mother had worked for the Halloways, never once had Grace heard Mama call him by his first name. “Kip?” This practically demanded an interrogation, but Grace’s phone started ringing and that was the end of that conversation.

  …

  Ethan had taken his best shot with Grace and flamed out spectacularly. Now he had to get her out of his head. There was only one surefire way to do it: focus on his job. Unfortunately, that was hard to do when he saw her sitting two rows in front of him in the crowded auditorium.

  He’d driven all the way to Ocean City for the governor’s town hall meeting, in which various public officials had been invited to speak, including Senator Halloway and Comptroller Nancy Jackson, both of whom had the knives out for the other. He’d come here to scope out the competition, but his attention kept drifting to Grace, who was pretending not to notice him, but wasn’t very good at it.

  Every time she caught him looking her way, she dropped something. First her purse. Then a notepad. Then a pen. Meanwhile, his awareness of her drowned out everything on the stage. Goddamn, he was pissed at her. But he also missed her. All he had to do was remember how good they’d been together and his palms started to sweat.

  Perched on the edge of his folding chair, Ethan noticed that the crowd cheered Nancy Jackson just as loudly as they did Kip Halloway, which was a bad sign for Grace’s campaign. Marylanders loved Halloway, there was no doubt about that, but many thought his time was done. They hoped Jackson would give them an opportunity to take and hold the seat for another decade, and her campaign was picking up steam. All Ethan had to do was take advantage of that split in the party faithful and he could win this thing.

  Grace looked miserable. He should’ve taken some solace in that. Good. Let her be miserable. She’s the one who decided a job was more important than their relationship. She’s the one who broke things off. But just because they weren’t together didn’t mean they couldn’t be civil, did it?

  He took out his cell phone and typed a message.

  If I took the empty seat next to you, would you think I was a shady stalker? -EC

  But before he could hit the send button, it happened.

  Later, Ethan would remember it as a sort of slow-motion political train wreck. But in the moment, it felt like the blink
of an eye…

  “Miss,” Senator Halloway called to a pretty young assistant who filled his coffee cup. “Would you come back here?”

  The governor’s assistant returned, crossing the stage. “Is something wrong with your coffee, Senator?”

  In full view of the press and an auditorium full of witnesses, Halloway grinned like a naughty schoolboy. “No, honey, with legs like yours, I just want to watch you walk away again.”

  Ethan actually heard Grace choke from two rows away. Gurgling in an effort not to spray her water on the people in front of her, she swallowed, then coughed and wheezed. Meanwhile, the town hall meeting went quiet.

  For a moment, nobody spoke.

  Not even the governor, who was never at a loss for words.

  Then people tittered nervously. Some booed. The governor’s assistant turned scarlet even as her lips whitened. To her credit, Ethan thought, she turned on her heel.

  The press corps was on Senator Halloway the moment the meeting was adjourned. “Senator!” a reporter called. “Wasn’t that comment to the governor’s aide out of line?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kip Halloway said. “She’s a pretty little girl. I’m in my eighties and the day I stop flirting with pretty women is the day I die.”

  And that, Ethan thought, is how a campaign falls to pieces.

  He actually felt sorry for Grace. No amount of spin would ever fix this. This was going to be a story. A big story. Hell, he wouldn’t even have to make it a story. And there was nothing Grace could do about it.

  …

  So this was it. Grace had finally seen Kip Halloway at his worst. Nothing he’d ever done before made her so want to hide in shame. She tried to send a telepathic message to the senator that he should just apologize, but her boss gawked like a fish out of water.

  Dale Delmont had been the reporter to ask the question—the slimy little bastard. But any reporter could have asked it. Now Dale was laughing and Grace could tell it was a laugh of triumph. Reporters had their story and they weren’t going to let it go.

  In the car, Senator Halloway said, “Damn, I left my favorite pen back there.”

  “Along with your dignity,” Grace snapped.