Page 105 of Dignity

The playful snorttells me I’m truly forgiven. She hugs me again, and we stand there for a moment, silent, breathing each other in.

“I worried you might kill yourself,” she admits without ending our hug. “When you blew up. After you went to Florida, I was scared I’d made the wrong call. That I should have had you come stay with me for a while.”

“Everything worked out the way it was meant to,” I assure her.

She finally steps back, wiping at her eyes. “Military, infrastructure spending, entitlements, health care, and deficit reduction,” she says, sniffling. “I will hammer her like a roofing nail, so she’d better be ready.”

This smile finally feels…easy. “She can take it. So bring it. Like I said, don’t hold back on anything else.”

“All right.” Laur takes a deep breath. “Be careful, okay? Please?”

I know what she means. “I will.”

She nods, and I start to leave when she stops me. “Hey.” I hold up, turn, find her smiling. “Dibs on you as a date to the inauguration. I better get to sit on the risers with you. You’ll still need a bearded lady if you really want to sell that circus to the public, Mr. Ringmaster.”

“You’re my girl. You always will be. My number one date. You’ll need a new dressand shoes.”

“Ha! YouhopeI will.”

“Nah, you definitely will. And a coat. January outside will be cold.”

“We putting money on this?”

“Dinner from Orin’s.”

“Deal.” She shoos me out. “I’ll catch up with you in a few in the green room. I need to get ready.”

I make it back downstairs to find that Christopher has arrived. They’re alone inside the green room, the Secret Service detail waitingin the hallway. I step into the room and close the door behind me. Chris and Shae arch eyebrows at me, but I’m no idiot.

This is a public space, even in private. I have no clue what fuckery might be afoot, if there are cameras or hidden mics planted in the room.

“We’re good.” I opt for a version of the truth that won’t harm anyone if I tell it here and it gets out. “She still cares about meand worries about me, the way I care about and worry about her. She’s not going to give you a pass just because you’re my boss. I told her to bring it, that I wasn’t asking for special treatment for you. Expect her to come in hot. Be ready.”

Our girl nods. “Not a problem.”

I make the mistake of locking eyes with Christopher, and he holds mine for a long moment before blinking and looking downat Shae again.

Not here. I cannotdo this here. I won’t risk Shae’s public image.

Instead, I pull out my phone and scroll through e-mails.

Christopher’s hand settles over my phone. He waits until I look up at him, and up goes the eyebrow again.

“Everything’sfine, Mr. Bruunt.”

He’s not happy with my answer, and I’m sure it’ll get taken out of my ass later. He withdraws his hand and I go backto pretending I’m reading my e-mail.

Because everything else in my life is on hold until that first Tuesday in November comes to a close.

Everything.