Ben glanced up at me and shrugged. “Not if you keep me in the loop. This is business, Drake, it’s nothing personal. I think you’re being a bit paranoid.”
“Nothing personal? Every time I mention Lucy or you see her, something in you changes. We were having a good time until you appeared, and she felt the need to excuse herself.” My tongue swiped my top teeth in frustration. “Care to explain that?”
Ben put his phone away and stood up to leave. “You heard her. The wine got to her head.”
Before I could say more? I smelled Lucy’s perfume and looked up to find her smiling at me.
Maybe I was being paranoid, but Ben had a way of making people feel uncomfortable, and that was precisely why I’d hired him. He was known for being a cunning man, honest, but cunning. Thankfully, he’d agreed with me when I told him I wanted to run a clean campaign, with no mudslinging whatsoever. I didn’t care what my opponent did wrong; I wanted the constituents to know that what I did was right.
Politics was just that—politics. Sadly, those of us who worked for the government had the reputation of lying or covering shit up to save themselves, but that could lead to hurting others. And I wasn’t about to trade my integrity for a position, no matter how high that position might be.
I stood and pulled the chair out for Lucy. Before she sat, I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.” She leaned in and I thought she was going to kiss me, but instead she whispered in my ear. “Ben makes me nervous.”
I knew it. She sat down, and I shifted toward her. “He makes me nervous too.” When I smiled at her, she let out a quiet laugh.
Four more people joined our table, all supporters of the GOP. We chatted about what events we had coming up. A woman who was seated next to Lucy, Eleanor, started up a conversation with her. I was happy to see her laughing and having a great time. Turned out they had something in common, as Eleanor’s granddaughter was studying to be a teacher.
Eleanor’s husband turned to me. “Senator Prescott, what do you have on your platform this year?” He and his wife had been supporters of mine since I first ran for the Senate.
“Charles, I still stand by my beliefs, and those haven’t changed since I ran six years ago. We can discuss the economy until we’re blue in the face, but nothing will change unless we bring jobs to our country and to Virginia. We need to make it affordable for companies to thrive so they can hire within the US, and not be tempted to outsource part of their business beyond our borders.”
I glanced at our tablemates and as usual, all eyes were on me, including Lucy’s.
“Then there’s reducing poverty, which goes hand in hand with strengthening our economy.” I swept my gaze around the table to engage everyone there. “How often do you drive down a street and see a homeless man or woman? I’ve seen families holding cardboard signs asking for money. We shouldn’t see that in a country as rich as ours, because it shouldn’t happen.”
Charles nodded. “You’re a good man, Senator Prescott. I hope you run for president one day. You’d certainly have our support.”
“He’s so wonderful, dear.” Eleanor patted Lucy’s arm. “A good family man. You should hold on to that one.”
Lucy smiled as did I, even though I was sure her comment wasn’t intended for my ears. Or maybe it was.
A woman seated next to Charles asked, “What about abortion?”
Lucy began to cough, and I placed my hand on her back. “Are you okay?”
She set her wineglass down. “Yes, thank you. I just swallowed wrong.”
Our salads arrived and the conversation lightened. Although this was a political fundraiser, I wanted people to enjoy themselves. I was all for debates and often encouraged them, but I also wanted to enjoy the evening.
After the first course, the band began to play, and I didn’t hesitate to take Lucy’s hand in mine and lead her to the dance floor. I spun her around once before pulling her into my arms.