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I may or may not have insinuated that my ‘medical emergency’ was of the lady problems variety, which, blessedly, made everyone too uncomfortable to ask me any questions about, so I didn’t have to lie to anyone’s face.
As much as I may not have bought into Michael’s politics like a lot of the people who worked for him did, I liked them all as people, and it didn’t feel right to lie to their faces. It was hard enough not to blurt out that this man they almost idolized was owned by the Bratva and was helping them get away with exploiting women.
Everyone seemed to be congregating in my office, so overwhelmed by the damage control we needed to do that they wanted to be close to me to make sure whatever wording they used on social media or to answer emails was crafted in such a way that no one could twist it into a different narrative.
That was my specialty after all.
For once, I was happy to have all the buzz around me, the crowd making me feel safe. Even if the energy in the room was frenetic and overwhelming.
Hey, at least it made the day fly by.
Especially because all I wanted to do was slip into a ride-share and go home to Elian. Maybe have a repeat of the little tub scene. And more.
“You okay?” one of the staffers asked, making me realize I’d grumbled aloud about my ever-present desire that was a constant dull ache in my core, no matter how busy I got.
“Yeah,” I said, exhaling hard. “How did his interview go?” I asked, waving toward the TV where several of the others were still gathered. I couldn’t bring myself to watch him use my words to get himself out of trouble for using his own.
“Great, actually. Better than we could have hoped. Even the interviewer was agreeing with him at the end, and she’d started off coming for his throat.”
“Nice,” I said. “Alright. What is he up to now…” I said, talking to myself as I tried to find my notes where I’d scribbled his schedule.
“He’s coming back here to be coached a little, then he has that one late-night show to do.”
Right.
That was the one we had to be the most worried about. That particular host was smart and very quick with comebacks and facts. Who would fluster and piss off the senator if he didn’t keep his cool and take his time to answer, staying on message.
“Okay. Perfect. We can all head out as soon as he does,” I said. “He won’t come back here after. And we’ve had a busy day.”
They all nodded, looking as tired as I felt. Shirts that had been buttoned up all the way were looser, their clothes wrinkled, their hair mussed. And I was pretty sure someone had gone on no fewer than five trips to the local coffee shop to keep us all energized and going.
I was sure Michael would be just as tired as we were, so he was likely to be grumpy and short-tempered when he came in, but I was still going to try to use the opportunity to get the confession out of him.
It felt like a good time, actually. I could put it in a ‘we just put out one fire, and I need to know if there are any more that could be coming’ way.
He’d been so close to telling me the last time.
I just had to get a few moments alone with him before he had to leave again.
Then all of this would be over.
For all of us.
No more running for my life through buildings or getting attacked in my own home.
And, for the staff, no more working their tails off on a campaign that wasn’t going to go anywhere.
Of course, the end of this also meant the beginning of my new life. Which included leaving Brooklyn, my apartment, and, well, Elian. Who was probably the first real connection I’d made since my grandfather passed.
True, he said I could stay there as long as I needed to figure out my next steps. But I was pretty sure he didn’t mean indefinitely. No matter how much I wanted that.
“He just pulled up,” one of the staffers said, coming in with another desperately needed coffee for me.
“You’re a god amongst men,” I told him, taking a moment to enjoy my first sip before the senator made it up here. “When he comes in, let everyone know I want a couple of minutes alone with him before we all gather,” I told him, getting a nod.
“Beth,” the senator said, coming into my office looking a little bleary-eyed.
“Senator,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously. “Did you stop somewhere on your way back from the last interview?” I asked.