Page 43 of The Producer: Aaron

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When I call Tracy, asking to cancel all my appointments for today, I’m not surprised to find out that she has already done it. After my father left the office yesterday, a glance was enough for her to understand that the news shook me deeply. I chose her as an assistant because she can understand on the fly when I need time to put my head in order and start again. It doesn’t happen often, but when my father manages to get me on my knees, I need someone to help me take the time to get up.

I enter the club’s sauna and sit down, closing my eyes and enjoying the solitude of this place mid-morning. Being abusinessman’s club, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t work during the day. That’s why I’m surprised to hear the door open a few minutes later. I open my eyes and notice the sculpted physique of the future senator of California. Raphael Wyden, at just thirty-five, is running to be one of the youngest senators to rise to the Olympus of U.S. politics. When he recognizes me, he shows off a mischievous smile that he uses only behind the closed doors of his private life.

“In a completely empty sauna for twenty people, do you really feel the need to sit so close to me?” I make fun of him when he takes his place close enough that our thighs, covered with a towel, touch.

“Forgive me. After seeing you sulking all night, I thought you were crying in the bathroom like a teenager. I thought I was hallucinating when I opened that door.” The grin he shows off is almost manic.

I have a pretty good idea how he’s managed to deceive everyone and crush every political competitor that got in his way. This man is a wolf disguised as a lamb and has been feasting undisturbed in his flock for years. That’s why we wanted him in this club.

“Do you often daydream of me? You can say goodbye to your campaign if someone hears about it.”

The laughter that resonates between this place’s warm, damp walls is sincere. It comes from his chest.

“I see that the girl has managed to drain you but not suck all the humor out of your old bones.”

I raise an eyebrow and study him for a few moments. “I didn’t take you as someone who reads gossip newspapers.”

He intertwines his fingers on his knees and closes his eyes.

“It’s my job to know what’s going on in the lives of the most influential people I deal with. If I come to find out information through gossip newspapers, why not use them?”

Here he is, the cold calculator that emerges sinuous like a snake ready to devour its victim. Sometimes I’m happy to be on his side and not an opponent. With him, you never stop learning. He always knows how to juggle even the most unexpected resources. That’s why he’s perfect for politics.

“Because often the things they write are just bullshit,” I counter but without much conviction. I know he’s smart enough to read between the lines.

He opens an eye and observes me without abandoning the seraphic smile he manages to impose on his person. He would be able to tell you that he killed his mother with his bare hands without ever losing that expression.

“Isn’t it true that you live with a blond?” he challenges.

“Yes, but I don’t sleep with her,” I point out.

“Not even the newspapers say that you sleep with her but that you protect her from a stalker, but the fact that you felt the need to point out this detail makes me suspicious.”

I shake my head and smile.

“I’m glad I’m not one of your political opponents. It’s disturbing how you can corner people.”

He opens both eyes and shows off a grin.

“Remember this when you accept my advice and decide to go into politics.”

He is convinced that with my face and power, I can climb the peaks to the top, or almost. I think his goal is to become President and have me as his Vice President. It’s a fantasy worthy of a script that I could buy for a movie.

“It will never happen.”

“Too bad, you’re pretty good at taking the conversation away from your private life. But remember that I have been in this environment for much longer. I invented this game. Why don’t you sleep with her?”

I inhale deeply and tighten my lips before launching into aresponse that exposes me too much. Making yourself vulnerable in a place like this can have repercussions I don’t want to face. Personal information here is worth more than gold.

“She’s just shy of twenty-three.”

He frowns and studies me for a few seconds.

“So? It’s legal. She’s young, but she has been a legal adult for five years now.”

“She’s thirteen years younger!”

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