“Though, yes,” Nora said. “For those who haven’t seen them, the pictures capture Logan and Alexis here—” Finally, she nodded to me. “In a rather undressed state outside the Fleur de Lis hotel.”
“Remember? That’s the hookup spot where Morgan met that guy who was obsessed with her feet,” Cary added, and there were nods of recognition around the table. Everyone’s heads turned to me. Great. Now they were either imagining me in a state of undress or trying to guess what weird fetish I was concealing. Dear freak lightning storm from Saturday night, please have mercy and strike me now.
Nora cleared her throat. “Obviously, we’re not going to waste time giving our fearless leader hell for his personal choices.” She paused. “Because you can rest assured, I’ve already done that.” Snickers from everyone. Logan gave a tight smile that Ithinkwas supposed to pass for “Look at me, taking this in stride,” but instead looked more like “I am currently being tortured and you are witnessing an involuntary pain spasm.”
“So, damage control,” Nora said. “First thing we did was track down the woman before any reporters could get to her. We were going to run the picture through a reverse image search—”
“Wait.” A female staffer near Nora frowned. “Why didn’t we know her name if she was with Logan?”
Silence around the table as the pieces lined up: Caught in a state of undress. Fleur de Lis, the hookup spot. No name.Logan started coughing, and Cary leaped up and poured him a glass of water from a pitcher in the center of the table. I melted into my chair.
“Luckily,” Nora continued, ignoring the question, “Anita recognized Alexis as the younger sister of our very own Senator Lee Stone.” This at least earned me some looks of respect. Lee to the rescue again.
An older woman with close-cut white hair leaned over the table and thrust out her hand. “Anita Jones, director of research.” Her voice was so gravelly it sounded like she smoked at least a carton a day. I shook her hand and tried not to wince at her firm grip. “Your sister and I go way back. Helped her pass her big green energy bill, you know. I used to work for Mane untilthis onesweet-talked me away.” She slid a look at Logan and lowered her voice. “Not bad, eh?”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Keep it in your pants, Anita.”
“He’s much feistier than Mane,” Anita said with a wink. “I like it.”
“Uh...” How to respond? This woman was a walking, talking HR violation. I half expected an HR rep to drop from the ceiling and snatch her away.
“Anyway,”Nora said, shooting Anita a scorching look. “Now that everyone’s up to speed.” She turned her full and formidable attention on me. “Alexis. You’ve obviously picked up that this story is bad for us. We’ve worked hard to quell rumors that Logan is a playboy, all bluster and no substance, someone who’s only running for office for the fame and fringe benefits.”
Around the table, the staffers snorted or shook their heads, plainly offended on Logan’s behalf.
“Weall know that couldn’t be farther from the truth, but unfortunately, the public doesn’t.”
I darted another glance at Logan, because it was impossible to sit in the same room with him and not look. He was idly tracing a line over his palm as Nora spoke, his face still impassive.
“Logan is young compared to Mane, which could swing either way—it could be a boon for us or an Achilles’ heel. Mane’s team’s doing their best to present it as a flaw, and this playboy reputation plays right into their hands. If word gets out Logan was, uh, acting a little salacious, we’re worried it’ll sink his credibility.Especiallywith the female politicos we’ve been courting for endorsements.”
“Including your sister,” Anita added. And it hit me: of course Lee would catch wind of this. What if I hurt her reputation? What if I humiliated her? It wasn’t just my career on the line.
“We need to make this go away,” Nora said, as if she’d read my mind. “Take control of the narrative.”
“Yes.” My voice came out small, so I cleared my throat and tried again. “I mean, I’m all for that. I’m an elementary school librarian—I don’t exactly want my one-night stand blasted on the news. And, you know, there’s Lee to consider...”
“Perfect.” Nora beamed at me, and I winced. Her smile was a tad...predatory, like a cat grinning at a mouse who’d just walked into its waiting paws. I got the distinct impression I was about to get a sales pitch. “Then we’re all on the same page. Unfortunately, the pictures are out there and the pundits are clamoring. The truth won’t work, so we need a story.”
From the other end of the table, Logan crossed his arms tight over his chest. Nora ignored him, keeping her gaze on me. “What we propose—actually, I’ll be real—what we’rebeggingyou to consider is to tell the public that you and Logan are dating.Seriouslydating. Like, church bells ringing in the distance. We’ll say the photos caught Logan with his girlfriend, not his fly-by-night, because everyone knows Logan Arthur is a serious, focused,matureman who can commit to things. Like, say, a single woman. Or the entire state of Texas.”
“You want us to say we’redating?” My head snapped to Logan—and for the first time, he looked back. There was an unexpected vulnerability in his eyes as he searched my face for my reaction. Whatever he saw there made him swallow hard and lean away from the table.
“I told you this was a bad idea.”
“Don’t mind him,” Nora said. “Lying goes against Logan’s moral code, which is why we love him. But it’s my job to win, and a political campaign is won or lost on public perception. What people think of the kind of person you are is—like it or not—ten times more important than your fiscal policy. That’s why weagreed—” she looked pointedly at Logan “—that this was our best option.”
“I’ve built my entire career around telling the truth when other politicians wouldn’t,” he protested, but he sounded resigned.
“And no, Alexis.” Nora turned back to me. “We don’t just want you to say you’re dating. If no one ever sees the two of you together, it’ll look fishy. We’re proposing you and Logan pretend to be in a relationship from now until election day—upon which time Logan will win and we’ll roll out a public breakup plan. Irrevocable differences. Conscious uncoupling. Something vague and mystifying where everyone walks away with their reputations intact.”
I felt my jaw drop. “You want us to go on actual dates?”
“More like carefully staged appearances. Mostly attending campaign events together. Speeches, rallies, pancake breakfasts, fundraiser dinners.” She waved jazz hands. “It can be quite glamorous. And it’s only until November 7th—two measly months. Anyone can do anything for two months.”
“I once pretended I was Matt Bomer on Grindr for two months,” Cary piped in. He turned so I could witness his profile. “See? The resemblance is uncanny.”
Anita snorted, but her words were directed at me. “The truth is, cookie, you’re good for business.”
