Page 90 of The Renter

“We’ll find time,” the governor replies, then turns to me. “Adam’s so rude. What’s your name?”

“I’m Dani,” I say, feeling his eyes linger over me a moment too long.

“My girlfriend and I,” Adam quickly adds, “have been spending a lot of time on Geneva Lake this summer. Let’s get dinner soon at your place.”

The territorial use of the word “girlfriend” turns me on more than it should.

“I love that lake,” he says, not looking at Adam, instead holding intense eye contact with me. “I don’t get to spend as much time there as I’d like.” He breaks his stare. It looks like hesees someone he wants to speak with. “Your support has always been invaluable.” The governor shakes Adam’s hand again, a hint of tension in his voice. The coded language between them is subtle but clear.

As he walks away, I raise my eyebrows.

“Don’t be impressed, all he’s done in life is win the sperm lottery.” Adam huffs.

“I didn’t realize you were so into politics.”

“At this stage in my career, you have to be.”

I consider that for a moment until an older man approaches to Adam and begins asking him for his opinions on China’s housing glut and if there’s an investment opportunity there. As Adam dives in, excited to talk about this, he might as well be speaking Mandarin because of the amount of financial jargon he’s using. I excuse myself to explore the paintings and art that are up for auction. They are displayed beautifully along the sides of the room.

Wandering through the collection, one painting catches my eye. It’s a serene landscape, depicting a river flowing through a forest. Something about it stirs a memory deep within me, and I’m suddenly transported back to my childhood.

I flashback to the first time I walked into my dad’s rehab facility. I was a kid, barely understanding the complexities of addiction and recovery. The facility had a large painting in the lobby, similar to this one, and it felt so out of place in the sterile environment. That painting … I remember finding a momentary escape amidst the confusion and fear of that day.

Shaking off the memory, I return to the present, feeling a sense of pride for what I’ve been able to accomplish despite what the statistics would say about someone like me, especially my Adverse Childhood Experiences score, which basically says I’m fucking doomed.

I make my way back to Adam, who greets me by placing his hand on the small of my back as he continues his financial conversation. The older man nods like he’s absorbing all of Adam’s words before saying he needs a drink.

“Why do people keep asking you about China?”

“It’s my niche.” Adam shrugs, looking around the room. “We have the most extensive Chinese investor base.” I nod, not quite understanding. Then he mutters, “Just the man I wanted to see.” Taking my hand, Adam leads us over to a tall, dark, and handsome man. He’s older than Adam, but nothing about him reads old.Is he a celebrity?Regular people don’t age like this.

“Jeff,” he greets, shaking his hand. “Good to see you outside the boardroom. This is my girlfriend, Dani. She runs a PR firm.”

“Dani, nice to meet you,” Jeff says warmly. “You’ll have to meet my daughter. She put this event together and is on the board of a few charities. She’s always looking to connect with PR girls.”

“I’d love to meet her.”

The conversation with Jeff is a pleasant shift from the earlier financial talk.

“We should all do dinner soon. The girls could meet then too. How’s your son?”

“Law school is harder than he thought it would be.” Jeff laughs, and so does Adam.

“Have you put any thought into our last conversation?” Adam asks.

“I have. Let me think about it some more.”

“Self-made turned CEO of Pour. Single dad. Multilingual. You’d win.”

Jeff looks at me nervously, like I’m hearing something I shouldn’t. “I’ll call you next week,” he says coolly and excuses himself.

I look at Adam, questioning. “A little pet project I’m working on,” he whispers in my ear before kissing my temple.

I tilt my head, curious if he’s implying that Jeff should be the next governor. “Do you want another drink?” I ask him. He shakes his head, and I raise my empty glass, signaling that I’m getting one.

Waiting in the bar line, I take out my phone and search “Jeff Pour CEO.” I’m curious to learn more about this guy. Pour is a company most people in Chicago know. It employs thousands of people and is the largest alcohol distributor in the country.Oh, I laugh under my breath. It’s spelled with aG. Geoff Albert is the CEO of Pour. As I skim the results, I learn he built and sold a vodka brand before climbing his way up the company. Reading his bio, my intuition tells me that Adam wants him to be the next governor.

“Bored?” Declan’s voice has a way of commanding attention. I look up from my phone to see him standing there. There’s something about men in tuxedos. He looks far too good tonight, and his hand and neck tattoos are the only visible sign of his past.