A Political Affair Read online

  As he left her sight, Anne kept her face completely composed, but inside she fell to pieces. She couldn’t believe how foolish she was. She must’ve imagined what happened between them in the copy room. It was just a silly fantasy that they’d been avoiding one another. In reality, it was all one-sided, and she told herself he must know she had a crush on him. How embarrassing. Why would he ever want to be with me? What was I thinking?

  Chapter 4

  “Who wrote this piece of shit memo?” Senator McEvoy grumbled as he strode through the office.

  Like every other subordinate in the office, Anne’s head instinctively bowed. She hadn’t written the memo, but she felt for whoever had. In the past few weeks, the senator had become sullen and irritable. Everyone tried to stay out of his way.

  Humiliated by their last encounter in front of the Library of Congress, she continued to avoid him, though she had run into him once. He’d given her an uncomfortable smile and a short “hello” before hurriedly moving on. Anne had assumed he’d brushed her off because he knew she had a crush on him. She was mortified.

  Indeed, Stephen avoided Anne, but he couldn’t ignore her. Seeing her gave him a bout of regret and disappointment that wasn’t easily dispelled. Despite those feelings, he wanted to make her smile, yet his presence seemed to have the opposite effect. She always said hello, but immediately looked away, and if she was smiling, she stopped at once after she saw him.

  “Where the hell is Greg? I need to talk about this memo,” he grumbled to Megan, who stood at his office door.

  “He’s on the House side for a caucus meeting.”

  “Tell him to come in when he gets back.” As he moved past her he muttered, “And close the door behind you.”

  Shutting the door on her little brother’s pissy mood, Megan turned to see Patty.

  “I need to talk with Stephen,” Patty said, pointing to the door.

  “Believe me. You don’t want to talk to him right now.” She motioned toward her office door with a nod. Patty followed her inside, and with befuddled faces, they sank down on the couch.

  “He needs to get laid,” declared Patty. “That’s got to be the problem. He hasn’t been with anyone since he broke it off with Jennifer and Helen.”

  “But he is seeing somebody.”

  “Who?”

  “Diane Schultz.”

  “She’s pretty,” said Patty. “But I’d rather watch paint dry than carry on a conversation with her. I sat beside her at a fundraiser last year. She was pedantic—just had to show us she was the smartest person in the room.”

  “I know. Stephen thinks she’s tedious, too. He says they don’t have much in common.”

  “He needs to find someone new. He’ll be happier.”

  “That may be the problem.” Megan eyed her sister. “He’s found someone new, but he can’t be with her.”

  “Who? The intern?”

  “I think so.”

  “Anne Norwood is not an option. Period. End of discussion.” Patty kept shaking her head while she spoke, unconsciously emphasizing her point.

  “I agree.” Megan closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the sofa. “But I feel for him. I think he really likes her.”

  “Are you serious? He barely knows her.”

  “It’s just a guess. She’s his type—cute, outdoorsy, smart—all rolled into one.”

  “Well, it’s not possible. Even if she didn’t work here, he can’t have a girlfriend in college. It doesn’t look good—especially compared to Langford’s perfect little family. Not to mention what happens when Elton Norwood hears his daughter’s boss took advantage of her.” She shook her head again. “It’s not happening.”

  Megan was quiet for a moment as she stared at the ceiling, looking for an answer. She raised her head with an idea. “Can’t he at least talk to her? This could all blow over if he got to know her.”

  “Talk? I don’t know . . . I don’t trust him. If he wants to see her after he gets reelected in a year, that’s okay. She’s so young. It’s not ideal, but at least she’ll be out of college.” Patty jumped up from her seat. “That’s my take. I need to run. I’m having lunch with Mom.”

  Megan sighed as she watched her sister straighten her shirt. “Patty, how is it that you look so good in just a white shirt and pinstriped pants?”

  “Thanks, sis.” Patty preened. “I may cuss like a sailor and have a mean streak a mile wide, but God blessed me with a porn-star body.”

  “Well, you lucked out.”

  “Please. Marco loves you. I have no one in sight.”

  “That’s because you’re picky,” said Megan with a wave of her hand. “I liked Heather. She was nice.”

  “Too high maintenance.”

  “Whatever. You just need to compromise.”

  “No way.” Patty guffawed.

  That afternoon, Keith and Anne walked back from lunch at a Mexican restaurant not far from the Senate. As they approached the large building of the conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation, Anne stopped walking when she noticed a group of men coming out its doors.

  One of the men in a cowboy hat and boots noticed her and smiled, saying to his friends, “I’ll meet you at the restaurant. I need to say hello to this little lady.”

  Keith’s eyes widened in fear, and he whispered, “That’s Dan Langford.”

  “Yes, it is,” she said regretfully. “And he’s coming over here.”

  “You know him?”

  “My dad does.” She nervously clenched her purse. “Langford doesn’t know who I’m interning for.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “ ‘Oh, shit’ is right.”

  Dan Langford approached them and called out, “Hello, Annie. I’m surprised to see you here. Why aren’t you in Boulder?”

  “Hi, Mr. Langford. Um, Dan Langford, this is Keith Jones. He’s also from Colorado.”

  Langford gave Keith a perfunctory handshake and nicety, but he quickly returned his attention to her. “So, Anne you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing in Washington?”

  “I’m here for an internship.” Smiling, she teased and tried to volley the conversation back to him. “I could ask the same of you. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m on a fundraising trip, and I’ve got some meetings. So where are you interning?”

  “The Senate.” She said it firmly and plainly. “With Senator McEvoy.”

  “Excuse me?” He leaned in as if she’d mumbled her words.

  “I’m working for Senator McEvoy.” She smiled again, hoping to defuse things. “I’m the black sheep Democrat in the family.”

  Langford straightened his stance and said in a clipped tone, “Anne, I’d like to speak with you . . . alone.”

  “Okay.” She looked at Keith, who raised his eyebrows as if to ask silently whether she wanted to be alone with the man. She nodded. “Can you give me two minutes?”

  “Sure, but we should get to the office.” He walked ten feet away and began tapping on his phone.

  With more privacy, Langford began his interrogation. “Now, Annie, what are you doing? Why are you working for Stephen McEvoy? And for God’s sake, does your father know?”

  “I’m sorry if you’re offended, Mr. Langford, but like I said, I’m a Democrat. My father knows what I’m doing.”

  “Well, I’m disappointed in you.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe your father is happy either.”

  “Frankly, I don’t think he considers it a very big deal. I’m his daughter, but I’m also an adult,” she reminded him. “I make my own decisions, even if he doesn’t like them.”

  “I doubt your father actually thinks that way.”

  “Actually, I know my father pretty well,” she said in irritation. “My parents raised me to think for myself.”

  “Well,” Langford huffed. “I hope you watch out in the office. The McEvoys aren’t decent people. That oldest girl is supposed to be a lesbian, the middle one is married to a foreigner, and well
, you know McEvoy’s reputation. I bet he’d take a liking to a young lady such as yourself. You’re not safe there.”

  Her lip curled at his offensive talk. She didn’t know where to start, so she kept it simple. “That’s nonsense, and regardless, I can take care of myself.”

  “I don’t agree, if this is the choice you’ve made.”

  “I need to get going, Mr. Langford.” She extended her hand. “It was good seeing you. I’ll tell my father I ran into you.”

  “I hope you do speak with him, because I certainly will. Have a good day,” Langford snarled. With a tip of his hat, he walked away.

  Keith appeared again at Anne’s side, and they started in the opposite direction from Langford. “Let me get this right. He knows your dad, and he’s pissed you’re working for McEvoy?”

  “That’s pretty much it.”

  “Are you going to tell somebody in the office? He was pretty offensive.”

  She cringed as she contemplated it, but she knew she should say something. “I guess so . . .”

  Later that afternoon, she gave Greg a brief rundown. He asked at once, “Do you mind telling Senator McEvoy this yourself? I think he’d be interested.”

  “Okay,” she replied in a small voice. Inside, she was excited to see the senator again, but she also dreaded telling him everything. She made light of it. “I don’t mind. There’s not much to say other than he’s a stupid asshole, and I hope he loses.”

  Greg led her into Stephen’s empty office, saying he’d go find him, and Anne took a seat on the sofa and studied the quiet room. She was impressed.

  It was different from every other politician’s office she’d been in. It didn’t have a “me wall”, with awards and photos of Senator McEvoy with famous people; nor did it have patriotic knickknacks. There were no American flags or models of fighter planes or reproductions of the Constitution. Instead, bookshelves and photography covered the walls. The books showed signs they’d actually been read, and the art was impressive. Ansel Adams photographs of Colorado hung most prominently, but there were other photos Anne guessed were done by a talented amateur.

  While Anne waited in his office, Greg told Stephen and Megan snippets of what he knew. As they entered the office, Anne looked up with wide eyes that bore a hint of resolve. Stephen thought her cute sitting alone in the middle of the couch, her legs crossed to the side. Somehow he’d been blessed with the opportunity to speak with her again, and it made him smile.

  After Greg shut the door, Stephen announced, “Thank you, Anne, for agreeing to talk. You know you don’t have to do this.”

  “It’s okay. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “Well, we do appreciate it,” said Megan as she took a seat next to Anne on the sofa. She side-eyed Stephen, as if she picked her spot intentionally.

  He smirked, nabbing the chair next to Anne. “Well, thanks again,” he said. “I’ve barely spoken to Langford. I’m just curious as to how his mind works.”

  “Well, his mind doesn’t really work. He’s not very smart.” Her eyes connected with Stephen’s, who laughed heartily.

  As his laughter slowed to a chuckle he asked, “So where were you?”

  “After lunch, Keith and I ran into Langford in front of The Heritage Foundation.”

  “But of course.” Megan giggled.

  “Yeah, the perfect place for him.” Anne snickered. “Anyway, he scolded me for working for Senator McEvoy and said he was going to talk to my dad.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. My dad won’t care, though I should probably warn him.”

  “Probably a good idea.” Greg nodded.

  “Did he say anything else?” asked Stephen.

  “Oh, he insulted you and your family,” Anne said with a wave of her hand. “What you might expect.”

  “How so?” asked Megan.

  Anne grimaced. “He said you weren’t decent people. You’ve got to understand. He’s really backward.”

  “Did he mention Patty?” Stephen asked with a sneer.

  “Or Marco . . .” Megan said as her eyes narrowed.

  “He did.” Anne shook her head. “He’s a bigot.”

  “Asshole,” snarled Stephen. “What did he say about me?”

  Anne frowned and spoke slowly. “Senator, it wasn’t complimentary of you . . .”

  “Well, I would expect that.”

  “Do you really want to hear this?”

  “Yes. I don’t know him. I’ve heard about his ways, and I’m curious about what he’d say in more . . . unguarded moments.”

  “This is a little hard, Senator, because I have a lot of respect for you.”

  “It’s okay.” He nodded to give her confidence. He wanted her to know she was safe regardless of how he ranted in the office. His outbursts weren’t directed at her; in fact, they were the result of his avoiding her.

  Gazing into his eyes, she waited a moment and took a breath. “All right, I’ll tell you what he said because he may use something like this against you in the campaign.”

  “Whatever he said, it’s not true, so it doesn’t matter. I only want to understand what he’s thinking.”

  “Well, he commented on your reputation with women and said I wasn’t safe here. I told him it was nonsense.”

  At that moment, Stephen’s annoyed dislike of Langford transformed into hatred. The man mortally wounded any chance he might have had with Anne. Langford had ensured that in the back of her mind, Stephen was only interested in sex with her. It would now be the proverbial elephant in the room.

  Finding his voice, Stephen searched for some connection with her. “I can’t apologize enough for you having been put in that situation. Of course it’s nonsense, but thank you for enduring the uncomfortable position of having to tell me. I now know what the man is thinking and is liable to do.”

  The chirp of a phone sounded from Greg’s pocket. “I’ve got to go to the Majority Leader’s office,” he announced. “Anne, I’m sorry I have to run. You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty. We really appreciate it. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Thanks, Greg.” Anne smiled. “Like I said in the beginning, it’s not a big deal.”

  “You’ve been great, Anne,” Megan said, patting her on the leg. Her eyes flew over to Stephen with a sharp look. “We should probably leave Stephen to his work. Don’t you have a meeting with Congresswoman Schultz?”

  Stephen stared at Megan. He was fully aware she was sending a message that he should leave Anne alone, but he wasn’t going to listen to his sister. He wanted to show Anne he was a decent guy. “No. I don’t have a meeting.” Turning to Anne, he asked, “Do you have a moment?”

  “Sure,” she squeaked.

  Megan’s phone rang, and her eyes widened as looked at the caller ID. “It’s The New York Times. I have to take this.” She glared at Stephen as she walked to the door. “I’m leaving the door open, okay?”

  Stephen nodded before leaning back in his chair. “So, Anne, can we talk about something else? Maybe something a little less sordid?”

  “Um, sure.”

  “Good. How’s your thesis coming along? Jefferson and Sally Hemings, right?”

  “Uh . . . working on it, but I’ve been distracted studying for the LSAT.”

  “When are you taking it?”

  “In three weeks. I need to work on the logic problems. I’m taking a prep class, but it’s not helping me. I guess my mind is illogical.”

  “There’s no evidence of that. In fact, everything I’ve seen of your work indicates the opposite.”

  “Thanks.” She looked down and smiled.

  In the few seconds of silence that followed, an idea popped in his head. He knew he should clear it with Megan and Patty, but he didn’t have time. The moment was now.

  “So are any of the other interns taking the test?” he asked.

  “Yes. Let me think . . . Keith, Sam, maybe Alicia. I can’t remember.”

  “You know, it wasn’t that long ago I took the LSAT, and I a
ctually liked the analytical reasoning part of the test. I’d be happy to help everyone study for it. I should get to know everyone.”

  “Wow. That would be great and very generous of you, considering your schedule.”

  “Are you kidding? I’d much rather skip another lousy reception to play around with logic games. And it’s the least I can do, considering all the work interns do here without pay.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Good. I’ll set it up with my assistant. If I’m not flying home, Thursday evenings are good for me.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell the other interns.”

  He was pleased his plan might work. “Well, if you’ll excuse me,” he announced, standing up from his chair. “I have to go call an irate mayor now. Thanks for everything, Anne.”

  “No problem.” She chuckled. “I guess I should call my dad.”

  “Will that be bad?”

  “Nah. He’ll be more annoyed than anything,” she admitted. “Frankly, he doesn’t really like Langford.”

  “Funny. I don’t either.” His blue eyes shone as he smirked, and she laughed with him.

  “Have a good day,” she said as she rose from her seat. “I’ll see you in study hall.”

  “Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it,” he replied, and grinned as she walked out the door.

  Later in the day, Stephen told Megan only the bare facts about his plan to tutor the interns on the LSAT.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, I guess there’s nothing wrong with it. It is for a group. And frankly, after the last few weeks, your whole staff could use some more kindness and conversation from you.”

  Stephen had to agree. He knew he’d been a jerk to his staff. They were all dedicated and hard workers who deserved better. “You’re right.” He decided to press her further. “But what if I wanted to spend some time with one person going over things a little more?”

  “Pfft. You’re relentless.” Megan snickered. “I’d say the door needs to be wide open at all times, and the rest of your staff needs similar access to you.”