Page 99 of Ten Day Affair
“You, the king of evasion, suddenly lost your talent for bullshit when it came to telling my father you were screwing his daughter?”
I sit forward, hands braced on my knees. “He already knew, Sam. He came at me like he’d already put it together. He asked, point blank, and I froze.”
“You froze,” she repeats, the words bitter on her tongue.
“He would have seen right through me if I'd denied it.”
She lets out a hollow laugh. “That’s great.”
"I thought that would have been worse."
She stands, pacing now, wine glass swinging slightly in her hand.
“No, you're right. It's much better that my father thinks I slept with a board member to influence a vote. Perfect. Now he thinks I whored myself out to sway you.”
“Jesus, Sam. I didn’t say anything close to that. And he didn’t say that either.”
Is that what this was to her? Did she sleep with me, thinking she could somehow influence me?
“But he thinks it. That's all that matters. He all but toldme to stay away from you. I'm used to being a disappointment, so it's not all on you, but I wish you had denied it. That would have made my life a lot better.”
I rise slowly, fight or flight kicking in before I even realize I’m moving. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things worse for you.”
She looks up at me, arms crossed like a barrier I’m never getting past. Her eyes narrow, and her mouth sets into a hard, unforgiving line.
“Whatever, Cole. It's water under the bridge, now.”
There's no mistaking the message. She’s done.
"Is that why you slept with me?"
She blinks rapidly at me. "What?"
"You said that’s what he thinks. I’m asking if that’s what this was.”
She lets out a dry laugh. “Jesus, Cole.”
I stop pacing mid-step and turn toward her.
“You think I slept with you to influence your vote?”
I open my mouth, but I don’t have an answer. Not one that doesn’t make me sound like an asshole.
“I didn’t even know there was a vote coming. That nightyouwalked up onmydeck, I didn’t know shit about anything.”
She looks away.
“If I had been trying to sway you, I wouldn’t have let you leave the next morning without my number. I would’ve played it cool. Strung it out. Tried to make you like me.”
"You didn't have to do anything to make me like you."
She looks back at me now. She's not angry, I don't think. Not quite.
“I slept with you because I wanted to. Not because of what you could do for me.”
That hangs there a moment. Heavy, but honest. Neither of us speaks.
She exhales slowly, like she’s trying to shake it off. Then she turns her head.
