“The truth is,” I said, feeling ashamed, “I don’t have the foggiest idea what I want.”
To my surprise, instead of giving me a pitying look for being an undriven, wishy-washy woman with her head in the clouds, Zoey shrugged. “No problem. Just ask for a blank check to be cashed whenever you figure it out. You’re holding all the cards. They won’t say no.”
My mouth dropped open. Was Zoey a secret political genius?
She stood up and neatly folded her blanket. “I should probably get back. Annie’s making eggplant parm tonight.” She nodded at the kitchen and grinned. “You keep the drinks. Get a little drunk on happiness, ya crazy kid.”
I followed her to the front door, sliding my fuzzy socks over the wood floor. “Thanks for coming over. It was really nice of you.”
She stopped in the doorway and turned to give me an appraising look. “You know, I might’ve been wrong about you. You might just turn out to be my wildest friend yet.”
Timestamp: 7:48 p.m., Monday evening. If later this whole thing blew up in my face and people were searching for answers, I’d point them here, to the exact moment I knew that, God help me, I was going to say yes.
I closed the door, found Nora’s business card on the counter, and picked up my phone.
8
Lolexis
The next morning I felt slick pulling into the last available spot inthe parking lot and slipping in the campaign headquarters’ unmarked back door. Especially since I opened it right as Logan was passing by, and he jumped back in surprise, almost falling into the wall.
“Boo.”
“Shit, you’re here.” He shook himself and righted his tie. “I thought you’d come in the front.”
“I have been told I’m a bit wild,” I said, trying it on. “Unpredictable Alexis.” I’d woken up in a great mood—perhaps because I’d gone on a euphoric beverage bender after I’d called Nora to say yes and she’d asked me to come in bright and early to discuss logistics, which I’d arranged quickly with Muriel, who agreed to hold down the fort at the library. It was either the liquid courage, the idea that Zoey—an actual human woman in her twenties—wanted to be my friend, or the fact that Nora had agreed to my terms, just like Zoey predicted, that was causing this warm, fizzy feeling in the pit of my stomach. And it had positively bubbled over upon finding Logan, the exact person I’d been thinking of, delivered on a silver platter.
What wasinthose drinks? There was no way this feeling was legal.
“You were supposed to come in the front,” he repeated. He looked like he was going to keep harping on it, but I leaned in and dropped my eyes to his chest, and he abruptly stopped.
“Is that the same suit you were wearing yesterday? Don’t tell me you slept in your office.” Two staffers in rapid-fire conversation hurtled by, giving me wide-eyed looks. Come to think of it... I peered around the corner. The whole office seemed to be in a tizzy. There were people buzzing everywhere, some of them speaking into walkie-talkies. Was this a normal day?
Logan stepped out of the way as more staffers hurried past. “It’s a different suit,” he said curtly. “But also the same. I don’t have time to think about fashion, so Nora made me a uniform. I own five of the same suits.” He looked at me like he was waiting for me to give him hell.
“Huh. You should talk to my sister’s chief of staff, Ben Laderman. He’s very fashionable. He could give you tips.”
“I know,” Logan said bitterly. “Nora used him for something calledinspo. Made a whole posterboard about it. Exceptionally annoying.” He tilted his head and gave me a suspicious once-over. “What’s got you in such a good mood? Did you look outside?”
“Did Nora tell you I asked for a blank check request? Anything I want?”
“Anything within our power,” he clarified, like the stickler for details I could tell, from Googling his policy proposals, he was. Logan shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “I didn’t think you’d say yes,” he added in a quieter voice. “I didn’t let myself... I mean, I was surprised. So, thank you.”
I think it occurred to both of us at the same time, because all of a sudden I could feel my face heat, and Logan swallowed thickly and looked away. “I guess we’re technically...”
He nodded, still not meeting my eyes. But his body leaned incrementally in my direction. “Dating,” he finished. “I mean, as far as the world is concerned...” His eyes slid to mine. Such a warm brown. Such long lashes. The way he was looking at me was like the first night in the hotel lobby, that moment of magnetic possibility when I’d wondered if he would reach out and touch me—
“There you are!” Nora hustled through the hall at an impressive speed given her sky-high heels. Logan and I startled to attention, and he took a discreet step back. “I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you were coming ten minutes ago, through the front!”
What was with this coming through the front business? “I was just talking to Logan—”
She whipped to him. “You told her?”
“Told me what?”
Nora shook her head, incredulous. “You didn’t—”
“I was going to!” Logan burst. “But then she...” He waved a hand. “Distracted me.”
