The Perfect Candidate (23 page)

Michael cleared his throat, and hoped that he sounded calm and innocent when he spoke. 
“
I
’
m sorry, Norm, I didn
’
t quite catch that, do you think you could lower your voice a few decibels and repeat what you just said?
”

“Are you
trying
to ruin this campaign?
”
Norman barked savagely. 
“
What were you
thinking
letting Miss Kendall stay the night at your house?
”
he demanded, injecting each word with a burst of incredulous anger.

“Should I assume that one of the tabloids found out?” Michael sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

“Assume that they
all
did, Michael,
”
Norm spat. 
“
And not just the newspapers either.  You and Miss Kendall made one of the top stories on a number of TV stations this morning too.
”

“Fuck,” Michael swore, cursing under his breath.  He glanced at Ashley, who, if it was possible, seemed to have grown even paler.

“Quite,” Norm said dryly, dragging Michael’
s attention away from his lover. 
“
I took the liberty of making a statement on your behalf.  I know you dislike my inference, but I thought-
”

“Norm, just tell me what you said!” Michael snapped, losing a little of that hard won composure that he had been struggling so hard to hang onto since picking up the phone.

“I said that you and Miss Kendall slept in separate rooms, naturally.  I also said that she had stayed for purely practical reasons- her house being so much further away, and you being exhausted after your trip.”

“And did anyone buy that?” Michael asked doubtfully.

“I think we need to push the wedding forward,” Norm replied, which told Michael everything he needed to know.

“Norm… I think you’
re forgetting that there isn
’
t meant to be a wedding,
”
Michael pointed out, a little desperately.

He was prepared to do anything it took to win the election
…
but
…
marry
Ashley to gain a few more votes?  He didn
’
t want to think about why that idea didn
’
t have him running for the hills
.

“Obviously I’
m aware of that, Michael,
”
Norm sighed. 
“
But we have to seem as though we are preparing for your wedding.
”

“All right,” he said doubtfully, “but-”

“We’
ll have Ashley jilt you just before the big day.  Hrm, perhaps she could leave you standing at the altar?  I wonder how that would affect approval ratings?
”
he murmured thoughtfully. 
“
I might go and draw up some charts.
”

“Ugh-” Michael scratched his head.  “Okay… Norm?” he said, but the other man was already gone, so Michael hung up, and turned back to Ashley.

“Is it terrible?” she demanded. 

Michael was still digesting everything that Norman had told him, but he managed to give his head a wary shake. 
“
I think we
’
ll be able to get ourselves out of trouble,
”
he murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“You- you do?” Ashley asked, looking very hopeful and relieved. 
“How?”
she asked desperately.

Michael told her Norman
’
s plan. 
“
See, so all you need to do is jilt me at the altar and everything will be back to normal,
”
he said wryly.

Ashley
’
s eyes had grown steadily wider as she listened to Michael tell his story. 
“
You want me to jilt you at the altar?
”
she choked, looking decidedly
un
impressed with the idea.

Michael allowed himself a cheeky grin. 
“
Why not?  You
’
d rather go ahead and marry me?
”
he teased.

“Michael!” Ashley hissed, but a curious blush colored her cheeks.  “That’
s not what I meant!
”
she declared quickly. 
“
If I leave you standing at the altar, you might come away from everything smelling of sympathetic roses, but what about me?
”
she demanded.

Michael had to admit that she had a valid point there.  He shrugged his shoulders weakly. 
“
I
’
m sure people will forget about it pretty quickly,
”
he murmured feebly.

Ashley snorted. 
“
I
’
m sure they
won
’
t!
”

“Well what do you suggest we do?” Michael asked, rather harshly.  “Because I don’
t see that we have too many options to choose from.
”

Ashley placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. 
“
Don
’
t talk to me like that, Michael!  This isn
’
t my fault you know!  I-!
”
but she stopped when she realized that her purse was ringing.

“You going to get that?” Michael muttered, getting out of bed while Ashley searched for her cell phone.

“It’
s my mom,
”
she squeaked, staring at the calling display for a minute before plucking up the courage to answer.

Michael paused on his way to the bathroom to listen to Ashley
’
s half of the conversation, although she didn
’
t actually seem to be getting many word in- for most of the time she was silent, looking like she was getting the lecture of her life.

“No… no!  I- yes… yes, Mom.  No!  He- yes, I know that, but-” she sighed heavily.  “No, Mom, okay… yeah, I love you too, bye, Mom.”

“Problems?” Michael asked, standing in the doorway to the en suite bathroom, completely unconcerned by his nakedness.

Ashley shrugged helplessly. 
“
Mom wants me to go home,
”
she said weakly.

Michael couldn
’
t account for the clutch of panic that he felt squeeze his heart. 
“
You
’
re not going, are you?
”
he demanded.

Ashley frowned up at him. 
“
No, of course I
’
m not, I know I can
’
t go anywhere,
”
she snapped.

“But you want to go?” Michael asked, looking troubled.  It was selfish of him, but he had never really stopped to consider what an impact Ashley’
s relationship with him was having on her life.

“No… I don’
t want to go,
”
she said slowly. 
“
I just-
”
she paused. 
“
I just didn
’
t think things would turn out like this when we started this lie,
”
she mumbled.

“That makes two of us, sweetheart,” Michael smiled sadly.  “Look, I’
m going to have a quick shower, and then we
’
ll go down to breakfast together?
”

Ashley nodded her head unhappily. 
“
I don
’
t think I want to venture out and meet your housekeeper on my own,
”
she muttered.

“Ash, it’
s going to be okay,
”
Michael promised, casting a reassuring smile in her direction, before disappearing off into the bathroom.

Easy for him to say
, Ashley thought gloomily.  He wasn
’
t the one that the country was going to
hate
once all of this was over with and finished.  It was going to be hard afterwards, but maybe not as hard as actually jilting Michael
…
already Ashley wondered if she was strong enough to do it, and it was bound to get worse as time passed by and she let herself get even closer to Michael!

20

“Can’
t you leave me?
”
Ashley asked, the second that Michael emerged from the bathroom.  He had a towel knotted casually around his waist, and little rivulets of water were trickling through the hair on his chest.  It was an effort for Ashley to rip her gaze away.  Once she had managed it, she started studying her fingernails.

“Pardon?” Michael blinked.

Ashley knew it was a futile question, but she asked again anyway. 
“
Can
’
t you leave me?
”
she said weakly. 
“
You could jilt me?
”

“Sweetheart, I think that would defeat the purpose of the exercise,” Michael said gently.  “Besides, you might like to jilt me,” he grinned.  “Especially after everything I’
ve put you through!  Think of it as revenge,
”
he joked, but Ashley found it a struggle to muster a smile.