Page 15 of A Man of Power

My phone vibrates with a text, and I see it’s a message from Harriet.

Harriet: Looks like the cameras in the hallways weren’t working. But there were some teenagers on a field trip in the building earlier and they were on camera heading in the direction of your office. They will be questioned by the police. Looks like vandalism though. Having cameras installed everywhere. Better safe than sorry.

Aaron glances down at my phone. “Any news on the break-in?”

I clench my jaw. The fucking media has been calling it a break-in. “Turns out it was just some kids messing around.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

I nod.

“Thanks again for pushing this bill. I think the meeting went well,” he says in a low voice after looking around to make sure the other meeting participants aren’t in earshot. “Jason wants this bill to pass, so let us know if you hear of any other issues. He thinks it will be good for your campaign.”

“Will do,” I say. Our fraternity likes to keep its brothers in high places, so it’s not surprising that Jason is looking to boost my poll numbers with the passage of this bill. And I’m sure he has some campaign promises to fulfill.

I turn to grab my things and find Alexis standing in a corner with Leonard Fletcher, a staffer that I don’t particularly like. He tends to overstep, and Maria has more than once noted his forward and unwanted advances. I could easily end his career, but so far, I haven’t.

I’m about to head out of the room when Leonard reaches out and pushes some hair off Alexis’s face, and that’s all it takes for me to see red. I storm across the room, grab Alexis by the arm, and lead her into the hallway while saying something about us needing to leave. She stumbles along beside me for about ten steps and then yanks her arm from my grip.

“What the hell was that about?” she whisper-yells while glaring at me.

“That,” I say, pointing to the room, “was inappropriate.”

“What was inappropriate?”

“Men should not be touching you like that at a work meeting,” I hiss.

She rolls her eyes. “First, back the fuck off, Sebastian. Second, have you never once opened your eyes around here?” She motions around us. “Every man in power treats every woman that way. Does it bother me? Yes. Am I going to make a scene? No. Will I alert my fellow female staffers to stay clear of Leonard? Yes. Is it your job to act like a caveman? No. I was in no danger. Could you perhaps trust that I can handle myself? Now, I look even weaker in his eyes. I don’t need that.”

She turns on her heels and storms down the hallway. If I wasn’t surrounded by priceless art, there would surely be a hole in the wall. She’s lucky we are at the White House near people because the real caveman part of me wants to toss her over the nearest table and spank her ass. If she thinks for half a second that I would let a degenerate of a man touch her like that, then she has another thing coming. It’s not just her, if Leonard put a hand on any of my female staff, I would most definitely step in and remove them from his presence. But the fact that it’s Alexis…well, there’s something more to it that I’m not fully ready to admit to myself.

“Everything OK?” Aaron asks as he steps up beside me.

“Fine,” I mutter.

He puts his hands up defensively. “Just making sure. I’ll talk to you later.”

I nod as I follow Alexis. I look around when I get out to the car that’s pulled up for us, but she’s nowhere to be seen.

“I believe she decided to walk,” a man says as he opens the car door for me.

The car pulls forward, and about a block down, I see her. She walking so fast that it takes another block for us to catch up with her because of traffic. I roll down the window.

“Alexis, get in the fucking car,” I demand.

“No,” she says, not bothering to look my way.

“Alexis, I’m only going to ask nicely once more, and then we are going to have a problem.”

This time, she turns and puts her hands on her hips. I know she means to look angry but damn it if her anger isn’t a total fucking turn-on.

“I’m not getting in the car with you. In fact, I don’t even know if I want to work for you.”

That does it. “Stop the car,” I say, my jaw clenched as the driver pulls over and I open the door and leap out in front of her.

Her eyes widen at my sudden proximity.

“I will not say this again,” I state in a calm voice that wouldn’t sound at all threatening to passersby, but Alexis knows I’m not messing around. “Get. In. The. Car. Now.”

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