“Dinner,” she said in a soft, furtive voice.
“Dinner, eh?” Did she really not think it was a date? I cracked my knuckles. “Well, if you tell me where you’re going, I can tell you if Alan thinks it’s a date.”
“Really?” she asked, with some hesitation.
“Sure.”
“I think it’s called Manuel’s.”
“Hmm. I don’t know it. Let’s look it up.” I grabbed Larry’s iPad and tapped a few times on the screen, easily finding the restaurant. I swallowed my bitterness and said curtly, “It’s a date.”
“How can you tell?”
“It’s the kind of place I’d only take my mother or a date.”
“Oh.” She grimaced.
“It should be nice.” I couldn’t believe I was encouraging her.
Like she was giving in to defeat, she sighed. “I’m lousy when it comes to dating, or at least I am now. I didn’t used to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just that the more success I’ve had in my career, the harder it’s been to date.”
“My sister says the same thing.” Jessie’s beautiful light green eyes were so open and sincere that I knew she wanted to talk. But talking about dating meant that I might have to talk about my own personal life and I didn’t want to do that. It was too depressing. I still wanted to know more about her though. I chuckled. “Tell me about your first boyfriend.”
“My first boyfriend? Like in high school?”
“The first guy you dated.”
“Hmm. Mickey and I didn’t really date,” she said thoughtfully.
I hesitated about baiting her, but decided to go for it.
“His name was Mickey? Was he a mouse? That would be awkward, although eventually Stuart Little was able to find love.”
“No,” she said as she tossed a throw pillow at me and laughed. “Not because he was a mouse. Mickey and I grew up together. We were always best friends.”
“So what happened?”
“What’s the term? Friends with benefits?” Her mouth twisted into a smirk. “At one point we figured out there were a lot of benefits to being best friends.”
“Ah. I get it.” He laughed and nodded. “When was that?”
“I don’t know. Fourteen. I think we’d both wanted to for a while.”
Jessie was blushing again.
“Uh. Yeah.”
“What do you mean?” She giggled.
“I was a fourteen year old boy. I promise you he wanted something with you for years. He was just scared.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. What did your parents think?”
“It took them a while to catch on. They’re parents. They’d rather think we were still out catching frogs than messing around in the basement.”
We were on a roll and I tried to keep the conversation moving. I was having fun and she seemed to be enjoying herself, as well.
“Most parents would.”
“So he was my boyfriend at the beginning of high school, but his dad got transferred to Oahu after our sophomore year. We wrote a few mushy love letters, but then never saw each other after that. From what I hear, he’s married with three kids and living in Twentynine Palms, California.”
“That’s too bad you never saw him again, but who came next?”
Her expression tightened. “No one special. The next couple of years were tough. I suppose you could say I really didn’t start dating until college.” She shrugged and put her hands in her front pockets as if to end the topic. “Anyway, that’s probably more information than you wanted to know about me.”
“No, not at all. I like your stories.”
“Next time, you tell me one of yours,” she said in a hopeful tone.
“Mine are boring.” I finished the last of my beer and stated a fact. “I’m not as interesting as you.”
“That’s not true. Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know. It just seems that way.”
“How’s the game going?” Trish was deliberately loud as she walked in the room.
“Texas has been on a roll. They’re up by ten now,” I replied, before nodding to Larry, who had just sat down. “I’m gonna head out. Thanks for having me over.”
“Dude. Any time. This was great.” Larry’s eyes lit up. “How about tomorrow afternoon?”
“No. I’m sorry. I’ve got plans.” I’d said it decidedly, though it was an outright lie. I had to work, but I didn’t have plans. I just didn’t want to be anywhere in the vicinity of Jessie and Dr. Alan.
“Well, I’m going to be parked in this same chair on Sunday if you’re free then.”
“Sunday’s a possibility. Thanks for the invitation.” I stood up and turned to Trish. “Your cooking is amazing. Thanks again.”
“No problem,” she said, with a brief smile. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” I looked down at Jessie and smiled. “See you later.”
“Goodnight,” she said, though her smile was inviting. “Thanks for coming.”
“Have a good time tomorrow.” I winked just to be a jerk.
Her mouth gaped, but she shut it with a determined grin. “Come over on Sunday, and I’ll tell you how it went.”
“Maybe I will.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jessie
The next morning I waited for the slam of the upstairs door, signaling Larry’s departure for the gym. Setting the newspaper aside on my kitchen table, I looked down at Severus, who was in the middle of his post-breakfast groom. “Hey, buddy. I’ll be back in a just a few minutes.” Severus looked at me for the briefest second before resuming the cleaning of his right paw. He didn’t believe me. Smart cat.
The sun was bright and bounced off the daffodils and tulips. Usually, daffodils cheered me up, but not today. I was dreading the conversation I was about to have with Trish. As I climbed the stairs to the main house, I could see her through the glass door as she tidied up the kitchen.
She opened the door and ushered me in. “Morning. How are you?”
“Good,” I answered, as I made a beeline for the coffee. “And you?”
“Pretty good. Just thinking about what to make for dinner tonight.”
“That’s right. You and Larry get a romantic night alone.”
“Yeah. A romantic night in front of the TV watching basketball,” Trish quipped, retrieving the milk from the fridge for me.
“Still fun,” I said, as I poured my cup.
“You’re right, still fun.” Her face brightened. “And you’ve got a fun night ahead yourself.”
“Yeah, that was one of the reasons why I came over.” I took the milk from her and poured it in my coffee. “I wanted to check out that dress you offered.”
“Sure.” She smiled. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Trish and Larry had an awesome master bedroom suite that was as big as my entire apartment. The bed alone was the size of my kitchen. I sank into one of the comfy chairs in the sunlit sitting area by the window. While Trish hunted through her closet, she made idle chit-chat about where Alan and I were going. I answered her freely and happily, though I didn’t quite feel that way.
“Got it,” Trish said and presented me with the dress. “Isn’t it gorgeous? I wore only once to an NFL banquet.”
“Yeah,” I said, scrutinizing the scraps of material dangling from the hanger. “It’s a little slinky, though, don’t you think?”
“Of course, it is. Whatever you might say, you’re going out with a guy to a nice restaurant not with a mayor to a diner. You should enjoy yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I ignored the rest of her commentary and simply reached for the dress. “Let me try it on.”
“Here you go.”
After I had taken off my T-shirt and jeans, I removed the gown from the hanger. Trish shook her head. “No. No bra.”
I looked at her like she was nuts. “But my boobs are going to be totally hanging out there if I don’t wear a bra.”
“Yeah. That’s the idea with this dress.”
“Okay… but I’m not an NFL wife. I’m a congresswoman,” I said as I undid my bra. I slipped the dress over her head and zipped up the side. “How does it look?”
“Gorgeous,” she said, clapping her hands. “Come take a look in the mirror.”
I walked toward the full-length mirror by the closet, and Trish stood behind me, straightening the deep neckline. The loose silk hid my breasts, but it left nothing to the imagination. Trish patted my back. “Alan is going to die. You look so hot.”
“Thanks,” I said, though I really wasn’t certain if that was the reaction I wanted from Alan. Smoothing the silk over my hips, I tried to be grateful to Trish. “It’s a really pretty dress.”
“Told you it was perfect for you.”
“I think I’ve got shoes to match… somewhere.” I began to walk away, but stopped to take one more look in the mirror. “Are you sure it’s appropriate? It’s so revealing. Alan is another member of Congress. He’s a colleague and—”
“And what if you were going with
another
member of congress?” Trish huffed and sat on the bed. “Would you feel different? Would you want to show off your body then?”
“What do you mean?” I knew exactly what she meant. Unfortunately, Trish knew me too well, so I hid my face in the material as I pulled the dress over my head.
“Jessie, don’t be like this. What’s going on between you and Michael?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled.
Trish sat in silence and looked out the window while I changed back into jeans. How could I explain myself to her? I knew she wouldn’t let this go. What I was feeling was so inexplicable. When I finished and sat on the perfectly made bed, she looked me in the eyes and said, “C’mon. Talk to me. Before I walked into the living room last night, I heard you two talking, and you were giggling. Giggling! You really like him, don’t you?”
I sat motionless, waiting for some great explanation of my complex set of emotions. There were words in my head, but I wasn’t ready to share them with her. I had to say something, so I played with the fringe on one of the bed’s dozen throw pillows and said, “I do.”
“Oh,
Jessie
.” Trish took a seat next to me on the bed. “Let’s talk.”
“Sure,” I said with a tinge of relief in my voice. I supposed I was tired of keeping my feelings secret.
Trish propped herself up on a few pillows and leaned against the enormous upholstered headboard. Then she touched my arm. “It’s okay. The man is hot as hell, and he’s really sweet to you. Who wouldn’t like him?”
“What do you think of him?”
“I’ll get to that in a second.”
“What does Larry think of him?”
“Larry thinks he’s a great guy, but that doesn’t count because Larry likes everybody.”
I’d witnessed Larry get into multiple fist fights over the years, usually over something inconsequential. “That’s not true.”
“You’re right. Let me rephrase that. Larry likes anyone who’s worth liking. Otherwise, he hates your guts.”
“Now, that’s Larry.” Our eyes met as we laughed, and it encouraged me to ask, “So you kind of like Michael?”
“It’s complicated.”
“How?”
“Well, I’m really happy you actually have feelings for someone. It’s been a long time.”
I nodded. That was for damn sure. Then she snickered. “And it would be great if you got laid.”
“Yeah,” I smiled ruefully. “There is that.”
“But, I’ll be honest. I’m worried about something happening between you and Michael.
“Why?”
“Listen, I want to talk to you as your friend and as your chief of staff. Is that okay? I won’t mix the two together.”
“Okay.”
As I shifted on the bed, I braced for the inevitable lecture.
“Well first, as your staffer, I think it’s a terrible idea to start something with Michael. It could really hurt you politically.”
“It’s not like it’s really an idea,” I grumbled. “I didn’t have any designs on the guy. It’s kind of just happened over time.”
“But that’s why it can’t happen. Think about it. You need to be very careful who you date.”
“Of course. Just one of the reasons why I end up dating no one and why I’m virtually celibate.”
“Right,” she said, holding up a finger to make a point. “I just want to say that I don’t support the status quo, okay?”
My eyes rolled even though I was trying to be serious about her advice.
“Okay.”
“But a rich Republican in the middle of a nasty, public divorce is not the right person to solve your celibacy issue. It’ll look like you’ve gone off to Washington, D.C. and completely changed your ways. Plus, a lot of people will frown on you dating someone who’s still technically married.”
“When you say it that way it sounds awful.” I had to admit it.
“So, you agree that if you were to date him the political backlash would suck?”
“Yes. Of course, but does it have to be that way? He will eventually be divorced. It’s not like there are any rules against Republicans and Democrats dating. It happens.”
“It does happen…” Trish answered slowly. “But, can I give my opinion as your friend now?”
“Sure.”
Here it comes.
“I’ll admit I think he’s a better fit for you than some of the guys you’ve dated over the years.”
“That’s not hard. I’ve dated some winners in the past.”
“True. He’s educated and cultured and knows how to properly hold a fork and knife and he owns shirts with collars and—”
“Hey, my exes aren’t that bad.” I laughed and held up my hand to stop the tirade. “And I’m well beyond my bad boy phase anyway.”
“You are, but I’m worried that he’s bad for you in another way.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s obvious he’s got a thing for you.”
It was nice to hear some objective confirmation of what I’d been feeling. “I think we get along really well.”
“I can see it, but I’ll be honest,” she declared, her voice lowered to speak in earnest. “I don’t trust him. I think he’s going to hurt you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, think of the reverse of what we just talked about. He’s also got a lot to lose going out with you. He’s a politician in the middle of a divorce. He can’t be seen out with women. It’ll make the divorce more public and probably piss off his ex-wife, and it makes him look like a jerk.”
“I agree.” I nodded. “He shouldn’t be seeing anybody.”
Trish smiled, happy that I was agreeing with her logic. “Right, so I worry he’s not pursuing you for the right reasons. Because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, everything has always come easy to him. You’re just one more thing.”