Page 44 of Marriage (Red, White &) Blues

“You’ll give them a complex. Every woman who sees you tonight will know down to the very depth of her soul that she will never be as beautiful in her life as you are tonight.”

“Smooth talker.”

He shook his head. “Not smooth. Truthful. Glory, you’re a vision.”

“You clean up nicely, too, Blake Parker.” And he did, wearing his full, formal black tux. Here, I thought he looked good in a suit. In a tux, we were talking otherworldly, next-level, sophisticated hotness. “How did I get so lucky?” I asked.

“I’m the lucky one.” He held his hand out to me. “Shall we, Mrs. Parker?”

I smiled at him again, taking his hand. “Lead the way.”

The night went… exactly how one would expect a fundraising dinner to go. We entered a gorgeous ballroom with one half of the room set up for dinner and the other for dancing. They’d hired a small orchestra for the evening. Rich old men and their wives milled about the room congratulating each other on being so obscenely rich. Or that was how I imagined the conversations were going. Blake pointed out a younger man whom he knew and steered us in his direction.

“Blake.” The man greeted my husband. He wore a black tux but had draped a white scarf around his shoulders and wore his sandy-blond hair slicked back as if he were in one of those extravagant parties fromTheGreat Gatsbyrather thanat a pretentious dinner. They shook hands and the man patted Blake’s arm at the same time. “I’d ask what you’ve been up to, but it’s been all over the news.”

“Yes,” my husband said. “Alexander, this is my wife, Gloria. Gloria, this is Alexander Rake. We attended Harvard together.”

The way Alexander looked me up and down left me feeling ten kinds of ick and like I needed to shower, like he was undressing me with his eyes. “Gloria,” the man said and revulsion trilled down my spine. “I hope you’ll save a dance for me tonight.”

“Sorry, man,” Blake said, coming to my rescue. “We’re on the campaign. She can only dance with me. PR rules.”

“I get it,” he replied, winking at me and I wanted to leave. Or puke. Blake understood without me ever having to say a word. He escorted us to a table, where his sister and Emily sat. No puking required. I wasn’t all that crazy about spending the evening with Emily, but I smiled brightly at Jupiter.

“Why would you subject your wife to Alexander?” Jupiter asked instead of greeting Blake with an appropriatehello.

He shrugged. “We know each other. Isn’t that the point of this dinner? He’s the current CEO of his father’s multi-million-dollar corporation.”

“He was looking at your wife like she was a juicy steak and he came ready to eat.”

“Ugh…as if,” Emily said under her breath. “Alexander Rake is a dog in a tux. He’ll sleep withanythingwith a vagina.” She made a point to look directly at me when she emphasized the word ‘anything.’

“You both look beautiful tonight,” I said rather than comment back because what was the point? She hadn’t been this outwardly hostile in the time I’d known her, but I figured it wouldn’t be the last time.

“Don’t mind Em,” Jupiter said. “Alexander hasn’t hit on her in years.”

I threw a hand to my mouth trying to conceal a laugh. Wrong thing to do. Bad, bad Gloria. Emily glared at me. The death kind. Oh, boy, we were in for a fun night.

Before dinner, I dutifully worked the room with my husband. Thankfully, I had Von Dutton and McCain connections. I discussed how I’d known both families most of my life and spent time with them last year at Penelope and Stanton’s wedding—only a partial lie. I spent time talking with Pen and Ant, but kept well away from their parents.

This part of the game I knew how to play. Thankfully, they announced dinner would be served, so Blake and I found a table with Jupiter away from Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Brockton, and Emily.

“Who was a little social butterfly tonight?” Jupiter said to me. “Better watch out, brother. Half the men in here are looking to charm your little wifey out of her pants.”

I coughed, choking on my drink. “That’s not going to be a problem. My pants only come off for Blake. Besides, have you seen the pool here tonight? Forget that most are old enough to be my grandfather. You have to have noticed that Blake, and to a lesser extent, Brockton are the most attractive men in the room.”

“You don’t have to remind me,” she replied.

“I know I don’t. It’s why you’re sitting here with us right now—” I threw my hand over my mouth, shocked that I’d made such a dig. But Blake and Jupiter both laughed, so I guessed it was fine.

“I like your spunk,” she said. “We just might make a Parker out of you yet.”

“She’s as much Parker as she ever needs to be,” my husband corrected. Okay, so maybe tonight wasn’t as bad as I’d built upin my head. I wouldn’t call it a roaring good time, but with Blake and Jupiter around, I didn’t hate it.

But by the end of the night, with all the dancing and schmoozing, I felt ready to drop. As we were heading out, we stopped off to let the rest of the family know about us leaving. Brockton and Emily never even saidthank youfor coming.

Mrs. Parker said to Blake, “Candice will be delivering the travel itinerary.” Nothing to me.

Mr. Parker, however, he spoke to me—oh, boy. “You didn’t screw up tonight,” he said. “Maybe bringing you along on the campaign won’t end up a colossal mistake.”

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