Page 11 of Presidential Bargain
“Oh.” My heart dropped withdisappointment.
“Well, don’t look too sad. It’ll give us time for some girl talk.” She smiled mischievously, her perfectly white teeth practically glowing. We walked toward the bank of elevators and she handed me a small envelope that contained the key card formyroom.
I gave her a shy smile. “Thanks. I haven’t really had anyone to talk to about allofthis.”
“It’s intimidating, isn’t it? And I’ve been doing this a lot longerthanyou!”
Avon West was just as well-known as her husband. She, too, served the public as an amazing civil rights lawyer. She had won some landmark cases dealing with voting rights and immigration. She was kind of a judicialrockstar.
“I amveryintimidated by this. I feel like I don’t have any ownership over my own lifeanymore.”
The elevator stopped at my designated floor and we walked down the long corridor until I found my room. I noticed the absence of security. Shouldn’t a potential First Lady have some sort ofprotection?
“Can I give you a piece of advice? I learned pretty early on that you won’t have a life until you find your place within his.” That sounded cryptic as hell. How was my life supposed to fit in with Jameson’s? All of my own personal and professional goals were temporarily on hold while I participated in this arrangedrelationship.
“That might be kind of hard when he doesn’t even bother to include me.” I slid the key card in and with a beep, the door unlocked. I opened the door to nothing more than an ordinary hotel room. I turned and looked back at Avon, who stood in the doorway. That perfect little nose was scrunched up indisgust.
“Do you want to go out for dinner?” Avonoffered.
I shook my head. I just wanted to be alone. My suitcase waited for me on the bed, but I had no idea what was packed in it. I had brought a few items with me to Boston but not enough to last me very long on the campaign trail. I guess I would be doing some shopping. Was there a Target in Times Square? I didn’t even know where we were in NewYorkCity.
“I’ll see you in the morning then, Georgie.” Avon placed a comforting hand on my shoulder andthenleft.
I turned back around andsighed.
I walked through the room, trailing my fingers along the furniture. What was I supposed to do? Jameson and the spin doctors had left me behind. I went to the small desk in the room and found the booklet with the hotel information. Scanning it, I noticed there was a restaurant on the first floor. I grabbed my purse and room key, and headed down to thelobby.
The hotel lobby wasn’t that impressive. It was nice in the sense that this was one of the better hotel chains, but we weren’t staying in some swanky New York City hotel like the Waldorf Astoria or the Plaza. This was a presidential campaign, after all. I found the hotel restaurant easily enough, but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the deep booming laugh of Jameson Martin, my fake fiancé. I walked toward the bar but hid in the shadows of some columns. He was with the usual suspects: Sean, Lewis, Jenkins, and DeWayne, plus a few other men I didn’t know. They were all laughing and smiling, clearly having a fantastic evening. Probably celebrating. Jameson had much to celebrate. Now that he had a fiancée, his poll numbers would probably soar. Meanwhile, the fiancée, aka me, was leftalone.
I walked back to the hotel restaurant and asked for a table by the window. If I had to be miserable and alone, at least I could people watch. And eat chicken tenders.When you’re by yourself, no one is around to judge you for ordering off thekid’smenu.
Jameson and company were still riding high in the hotel bar when I left the restaurant. I stopped and stared, annoyed by their celebration. Bitterness filled my mouth. It was easy for them to be happy because to them, I was little more than a campaign strategy. Jameson must have sensed my eyes on him because he looked up and locked eyes with me. His smile faded for the briefest moment before he turned away, back to the celebrating and the goodtimes.
Tears burned my cheeks as I made my way back up to my room. I looked down at the ring on my finger, which now felt heavy and foreign. I couldn’t stop the memory of Jameson lifting my hand to his lips and kissing my ring, and the undeniable spark between us, from invading my mind. I slipped the ring off and tucked it into an inside pocket of my purse. I didn’t feel right wearing it when I was starting to think I had made a hugemistake.
It washard to continuecelebrating after seeing Georgie in the hotel lobby; looking at us, at me really, like we had just kicked her puppy. I slipped easily back into work mode once the event was over and even though I had more to do before this week’s events, I could have waited and spent time talking to her. But I didn’t because she was starting to get to me. The eyes. The full, red lips. The way her body moved under the silk of the dress. The subtle hint of cleavage. It was all starting to drive me crazy and I needed to remainfocused.
I paid the tab and made my excuses, leaving Sean and DeWayne with Lewis, Jenkins, and a few of my campaign aides. I needed to be alone and get Georgie out ofmyhead.
My phone rang while I waited for the elevator and looking down at the caller ID, I had to answer it. I couldn’t ignore my ownmother.
“Good evening, Mom,” Igreetedher.
“Hello, James! When were you going to tell your old mom about the lovely young lady you’remarrying?”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom. I can’t talk about this right now and you know that’s not really thesituation.”
“Well, we didn’t know you had found someone. She’s as pretty as a picture! And that name? Georgina Washington? You couldn’t have planned it anybetter.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It’s been a stressfulfewdays.”
“Are you saying she’s not a nice person?” The elevator arrived and I stepped on. Thankfully I was alone, so I didn’t have to worry about someone overhearing and making assumptions. Or worse, leaking falseinformation.
“No, she’s a wonderful person. She just needed some convincing,that’sall.”
“Well, no woman wants to give up years of her life for a man’s ambition if he doesn’t love her. I’m sure it required some seriousthought.”
“And a cabinet pick,” Imumbled.
