“Get out of my way, Gray. And stay out of my personal life.”
Anger flared in his eyes. “Why? You’re in mine. Shouldn’t that give me the same right to be in yours?”
“No. Now move.”
He hesitated, then took a step back. She slid in her seat, started the car, and drove off, a vision of Gray standing in the parking lot firmly planted in her rearview mirror.
NINE
THIS HAD BEEN SUCH A STUPID IDEA. SHE WAS ABOUT as interested in going out with Cal McClusky tonight as she was in switching political affiliations. But she’d had to be stubborn and show Gray that he couldn’t boss her around.
Since when did she get so reactive? She’d always been so calm and unruffled, the perfect demeanor for a career in politics. A few days around Gray Preston and she was acting like a fourteen-year-old.
And now she was going out on a date with a guy she wasn’t even attracted to. A nice enough guy, but still, a man she normally would have given a polite no to. In fact, she had said no, until Gray had gone all caveman on her and started issuing commands, as if she were some stuffing-brained Barbie Doll. That had set her off, and now here she stood, in front of her closet, wondering what the hell she was going to wear, when instead she could be curled up in bed reading her favorite Maya Banks romance, or unwinding by watching reality TV, her guiltiest pleasure. Or she could go over her boss’s agenda for the next month. You know, performing the functions of her damn job like she should be doing.
Ugh.
She chose a basic black dress with a covered neckline and short sleeves, finishing off the outfit with a bland pair of black pumps. Conservative, not sexy, and would in no way lead Cal to believe she was giving him any signals. In fact, it was the perfect outfit for attending a funeral, or an appearance on the congressional floor.
What a boring outfit. She wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this thing on a date— not typically, anyway.
The poor guy. He’d been so nice to her, too.
When he knocked on her hotel room door, she grabbed her purse and her phone, noting the time.
He was punctual, too. She pasted on a smile. “Cal.”
“Evelyn.”
He wore jeans, a button-down shirt, boots, and a cowboy hat. Even in her funeral dress, she was overdressed.
“Am I overdressed?”
“No. You look gorgeous.”
He had to be lying. She looked like a freakin’ pilgrim.
He held out his arm for her. She shut the door and he led her toward his car, which was a pickup truck, so he had to help her climb into that, too.
“Sorry. I trailer it and bring it everywhere we go. It’s my favorite ride.”
“It’s no problem,” she said as she buckled up her seat belt, then held on when he fired up the engine, which sounded as loud and rumbly as a race car.
“Sweet, huh?” he asked with a grin.
She offered another benign smile. “You bet.”
Dinner was at some swanky steakhouse, dark and private. He seemed to know the people there, because they led him to a private, dark corner booth. The waitress set him up with a beer and whiskey as soon as they were seated.
Evelyn felt the beginnings of a headache in her temples, so she ordered an iced tea.
“Sure you don’t want anything stronger, honey?”
“No, the tea is fine for me.”
“Maybe after dinner, then. I thought we’d hit a club.”
Oh. Joy. “So, tell me about your race career.”
He leaned back and puffed up his chest. “Won the championship three years ago.
Third in the standings right now, so it’s only a matter of time before I win it again this year.”
“That’s great. I’m sure a lot of that is having a good race car and a great team behind you.”
The waitress came over with menus, which Cal pushed to the side. “You might as well bring me another round, honey. It’s been a long day. And keep ’em comin’, too.”
The waitress nodded and Cal downed his beer in about four quick swallows, then focused his attention back on Evelyn.
“A good team is great and all that, but a lot of my success comes from having a damn good driver behind the wheel. I didn’t get where I am by not knowing what the hell I’m doing. I’ve worked my ass off the past five years, ever since I got to drive in the big series. Winning the championship three years ago has given me a taste of what that’s like. I want it again.”
She heard this over and over again in politics. Winning was everything. The competitive spirit fired the blood of so many politicians, so this wasn’t new to her.
“Drive and ambition will take you a long way.”
The waitress sat Cal’s second beer down in front of him, along with the shot. He downed the shot first, then took two quick gulps of beer. “Like I said honey, keep ’em comin’. It was hot out there today.” He gave the waitress a wink and she scurried off.
Evelyn arched a brow and made a point of opening her menu. “Would you like to order dinner?”