“Yeah. Winning is the only thing on his mind.”
Another lie. Tom didn’t come to her room to talk shop, and the only thing he wanted to win tonight was a dip inside Reagan’s panties. I couldn’t blame the guy for it. It’s on my mind every time I’m in the same room with her too.
“Shit, Lexi’s coming in. I have to run,” she says and waves at me. “Talk soon.”
Before I can answer, she disconnects the call, and I’m left with more questions than I had after Carl walked out of my room in a tizzy.
Does Reagan want to pick up right where she left off with Tom? Possibly… She could’ve just brushed him off because I could hear.
Is she playing me to win? Not improbable.
But there’s one thing I do know—I’m going to find out, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to win more than just the election.
Chapter 20
It’s been morethan three weeks of nonstop campaigning since I last saw Jude. All we have is texts and occasional quick phone calls. Well, I also have my mid-orgasm photo of him.
But it’s not enough. I want to be with him, and I’m so over sneaking around. He’s been on edge lately, and I don’t know if it’s because of the campaign…or me.
My campaign bus is on its way to Elmhurst now. I’m speaking to a group of high school seniors in the Chicago suburb.
Lexi tosses the dress she got from the bus closet to me, and I go into the bathroom to change. It’s a light, sleeveless navy dress that pairs well with nude heels. Hopefully, it’ll help me stay cool in the blistering late-August heat. I tie my hair back in a ponytail and carefully put on some pale pink lip gloss. I’ve learned this summer that applying makeup on a moving bus can lead to some interesting looks.
When I walk out, Tom eyes me approvingly. “I just got a text that Titan’s coming to this shindig,” he says.
“What?” My tone is sharper than intended. I want to see Jude badly, but not under the campaign-required pretense that I can’t stand him.
“The government teacher said they invited both of you and he couldn’t initially make it, but now he can.” Tom shrugs. “It’s not a problem. Some of these kids are first-time voters, Reagan. Just go after their votes like you would any other voter.”
Lexi speaks up from the other side of the bus. “Yeah, but…”
“What?” Tom asks her.
“I think you need to keep this low-key,” she says to me. “No debating. This should just be you talking to the students and him talking to the students.”
I nod in agreement. Tom’s shaking his head.
“You’ll get shown up again. Mark my words.”
“Well, then I will. I’m not going into a high school and slinging mud at anyone.”
The bus stops, and Roy calls out that we’ve arrived. Lexi and I head for the door of the bus, neither of us in the mood for an argument with Tom.
“How do you feel about seeing him?” she asks under her breath.
“I’m excited and dreading it at the same time.” I cock a brow at her. “How weird is that? He’s been off lately, and I’m wondering if it’s because there’s someone else.”
“You think so?”
I sigh softly. “I’m sure he wants more than I can give him. And sneaking around is dangerous for both of us. Maybe he found some Republican chick who thinks he’s the shit.”
“Stop that,” Lexi says, taking my arm. “If he just wanted a warm body, he never would have gotten involved with you. He found you worth the risk.”
I smile at her. “You always know what to say. You know what to pick out for me to wear and when I need some alone time and how to make me laugh.”
“You know me the same way.”
“Yeah, but…” I stop outside the high school’s main entrance and turn to her. “You’ve given up a lot for me. You could be living in the suburbs, working at a regular job, and you’d have evenings and weekends for yourself. Instead, you spend pretty much every waking moment working with me.”
