“Yes,” Mavis hissed at him. “What’s the alternative? We knew we were taking a risk when we started this, but it’s been worth it.”
“What if we just told this Teddy fellow to kiss my Black ass?”
“Then he would send all of our asses, Black and otherwise, to prison,” Derek said.
“What about all the people that depend on us? Mavis wouldn’t even be here if not—”
“Baby, that’s enough,” Mavis chided him. She tilted her head at me and gave him a pointed look.
“So, there isn’t any alternative?” Belinda spoke. “This man is a politician, isn’t he? He can be reasoned with. All we have to do is find out what he wants and open up the table for negotiations.”
“Well, Emma?” Mayor Cole raised his eyebrows at me.
I let out a deep sigh.
“Teddy just wants two things. Me, and to be president.” I shrugged.
“God help us if he succeeds in that second one,” Mavis muttered.
“What about Melissa?” Erica whispered. “We can’t go back to the way things were.”
The image of Melissa smiling at me when I walked past her atthe will reading popped into my head. She was the one person who had always been kind to me.
“I can fix this,” I blurted out without thinking. “Melissa’s going to be fine. Everything’s gonna be fine. I won’t let Teddy hurt anyone I care about.”
“Oh yeah, Emma? And how do you propose to do that?” Derek asked sardonically. “I’m the head of law enforcement. I have a sick child. I have a family that I love. There’s no room for wishful thinking here. I think the best thing to do is cut our losses and figure out our next moves.”
“Maybe we should give Emma a chance,” Erica said to her husband. Derek scoffed.
“How long do we have until the deal is finalized?” Mayor Cole asked.
“Ten days.” I swallowed and cast my eyes to the ceiling. There was a collective groan around the kitchen.
“And you really think you can change this guy’s mind in ten fucking days?!” Derek shouted.
“Lower your voice and watch your language,” Belinda admonished him before turning to me. “Emma?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I have to try.” I looked around at the faces of the people crowding my kitchen. Their expressions held as much confidence in me as I felt in my ability to change Teddy’s mind about the town, which was not much.
They slowly filed out of the house until I was left alone with my guilt and empty promises.
“Hey, girl!” Becks’s cheerful voice called from the speaker of myphone. “I was just thinking I haven’t heard from you in a while. That’s what good dick will do to you.” She chuckled. “Em? Are you there?”
I could only sob in reply.
“Take a deep breath. Start from the beginning, and tell me everything,” she said, and that’s exactly what I did.
Talking to my best friend felt good, but it also made me feel horrible. Recounting the events of the last week and hearing myself say them out loud was sobering. She offered to come down and stay with me. A part of me was tempted to say yes, but I declined. Dan was gone. Everyone in town hated me. My ex-boyfriend was torturing me emotionally. Worst of all, I was running out of wine. After my conversation with the mayor, the sheriff, their wives, Mavis, and Leonard, I couldn’t bring myself to go into town to get more.
I thought about my conversation with my mother, and I felt terrible. I was sad and lonely, and for one insane moment, I wanted to be comforted by her voice.
The phone rang and I held my breath. I was fully prepared to apologize, to tell her she was right about everything. The phone continued to ring, making me wonder if she was screening my call. Just when I was about to hang up, I was greeted by a familiar deep voice.
“Hi, Daddy,” I whispered into the phone.
“Hey, baby girl.” His voice was resigned, and I knew my mother must have told him about our last phone call.
“Is she there?”
