I shake my head. “No fucking way. Not getting rid of me that easily.”
I think about Saturday night, standing in George’s kitchen and holding him as he cried.
How I had to take the wad of plastic grocery bags from him and lead him upstairs to bed, where I held him while he finally fell asleep in my arms.
She studies me for a long moment. “EPU told me about the late-night shopping trip.”
“Yeah.”
“What brought that on?”
I shrug. “He wanted to go shopping so we had food for breakfast and dinner yesterday. I offered to go Sunday morning, but he wanted to go with me. Better late at night than in the middle of a busy morning.”
“How was he?”
I think about George almost kissing me when he returned to my car. “Careful,” I say. “And he stopped to take pictures and talk with people who recognized him.” I pull out my personal phone and swipe to one of the pics I took, his smile beaming in the shot, and show it to her.
She slowly nods and returns my phone. “I’m going to sit in on a committee meeting tonight. Fiscal Review.”
Disappointment rolls through me. I’d hoped to spend time with her tonight. “Do you need me to stay for it?”
She shakes her head. “Go home and get some sleep.” She smirks before she turns to head for the door. “I’m sure you probably didn’t get much sleep this weekend. I’ll call you later tonight.”
She leaves my office door standing open behind her.
Sometimes, she’s difficult to read. My default over the years has always been to take her at her word, because she’s not one to play mind games with me when it comes to work. She’s never passive-aggressive. She states her mind when there’s something on it.
I’m a little disappointed, sure, because I was hoping to snuggle with her tonight. It’ll feel weird sleeping in my own bed for a change.
Alone.
Except Icoulduse the damn sleep.
I stop by George’s office on my way out. He’s on the phone, but he mimes for me to close and lock the door after he waves me inside.
I do, then set my things on the sofa.
He finishes his call and stands, rounding his desk and pulling me in for a long, strong hug, followed by a kiss that hardens both of us.
“I told Aussie I’d meet her for dinner on my way home,” he says.
I rein in my growing disappointment. “No worries.”
A long, comfortable silence settles between us as his blue gaze stares into mine. “I’ll call you after I’m home.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He kisses me again, and despite knowing it’s impossible, part of me wishes we could just go out and be…open. Our lunch in DC and the grocery shopping trip both drive home hownot-normal our whole relationship is.
And if he wins re-election…
That’s four more years of keeping our heads down and sticking to the shadows. If I want to keep this job, that is. Because I can’t be publicly dating the governorandbe his deputy chief of staff.
It’s either/or.
Right now, the greater good—and George—is served by this staying in the shadows.
“Be my good boy,” he whispers, and I know what he means.
