I didn’t have time to wonder at the warm pressure of his hand, the way calm spread through me, because Logan was grimace-smiling and striding toward the podium at the top of the stairs, tugging me along. He stepped behind it and tilted the microphone with his free hand. Below us, the reporters fell quiet. I looked at them, heart pounding. There were a few faces I recognized—like there, in the corner, CBS 12’s Trisha Smith. Actual news celebrities had turned up to hear us speak.
I was grateful for Logan’s strong grip, keeping me tethered.
“Good morning.” Logan’s deep voice rang out, carried by the microphone. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. I’m sure you all had busy days planned chasing ambulances and trying to get the attorney general to say something about his office brothel scandal on a hot mic.”
Oh, God, was he—insultingthem? But the reporters only chuckled and shook their heads like they were used to this.
“Compared to that, this statement about my love life is going to seem pretty tame. Fewer sordid details, I can guarantee.”
Open laughter. I stood straighter. He was charming them?
“I wish there was this much interest in my plan to improve public data infrastructure, but alas. Since you’re all so keen to know: yes, Alexis Stone and I are dating.” He paused and looked at me. In my sheer nervousness, with my heart beating like a hummingbird’s, I smiled so wide there was no way I didn’t look deranged. “It’s been six months now. Though, to be honest, she’s had my heart since the first day I saw her across the room at a town hall, wearing this ruby-red dress. I thought to myself: now that is the most beautiful, most fascinating woman I’ve ever seen. I would be lucky to know her. It took me a while to work up the nerve to say something, which—” his gaze shifted back to the reporters “—you jokers know is rarely an issue for me.”
More appreciative laughter. It was surreal: Logan spoke the lies so effortlessly that I was half convinced myself. With his thumb rubbing a comforting circle on my hand, it was hard to distinguish fiction from reality. He was very good. I was grudgingly impressed.
“We weretryingto keep our private life, you know,private. Including the evening we spent at the Fleur de Lis.” This time Logan practically growled the words. “But since Governor Mane is attempting to make mountains out of molehills by going after me personally—a clear sign he knows he can’t compete on policy—” More snickering. “I’m here to nip this in the bud and introduce you to Alexis. Since my girlfriend is quite capable of speaking for herself, I’ll let her tell you. Alexis?”
My turn already? Logan was looking at me in a prompting sort of way, and the eyes of the gathered reporters had turned to me, their expressions anticipatory, so all signs pointed to yes. Naturally, all thoughts flew from my head.
“Uhhhh...” There was a lump in my throat. I couldn’t form words around it. “Hi, I’m... Alexis...as Logan said... And we are, um...dating. Obviously.” In slow motion I floated outside my body to watch the train wreck unfold from a safe distance. He’d said to tell them about me, right? But what would they want to know? What was important about me? “I’m a librarian. Lee Stone’s younger sister. Senator Lee Stone, that is. I like reading and, um, children...” I likechildren? Who was I, Willy Wonka? I was bungling this so badly. I looked at Logan in desperation.
He gave my hand one quick squeeze and smiled at the reporters, who wore looks of confusion. Which was only appropriate after witnessing a grown woman struggle to string twelve words together. “It’s just like Alexis to be so modest. The truth is, she serves our community in a lot of ways: as a children’s librarian, an adult literacy tutor, one of Austin’s yearly book drive volunteers. And as a member of Senator Stone’s campaign team, where she worked to increase voter participation.”
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who’d done some Googling last night. When he said it like that, I did sound rather nice.
“Most important, though, is who she is. Alexis has a warm, tender heart and a mountain of compassion.” I snapped my head to him, caught by surprise. “She’s the real deal, and I’m proud to be dating her. So now that you know, I hope we can get back to discussing more important issues than my dating life, like the changes Texans deserve. Thank you. Have a good day.”
I didn’t have time to linger over what he’d just said because, like in Lee’s press conferences, the reporters took Logan’s curt dismissal as an invitation to start hurling questions.
“Logan, what do you make of the governor’s claim that you’re too immature to govern?” a man in a baseball cap yelled.
“What do you think of Lolexis as your couple name?” called a woman near the front, with hair so stiffly styled it looked like a blond helmet. “Loganna? Alexagan?”
We had a couple namealready? Why did they all sound like the name of an evil witch from Arthurian lore?
“Alexis, what do you think about the rumors that your boyfriend’s a playboy?” called a reporter who I swear couldn’t be older than sixteen. Was it even legal for him to be here, saying the wordplayboy?
But Logan ignored them all, turning away from the podium with seasoned indifference.
“Alexis!” A familiar voice cut through the din. “What’s Logan like in bed?”
The crowd quieted. Logan stiffened midstride, then turned and marched back to the podium. He dipped his head close to the mic. “That’s strike two, Trisha. One more and I’m banning you from my events. You’re going to be stuck covering Mane’s boring-ass, two-hour-long speeches at country clubs. Do you want to drink Arnold Palmers and eat Jell-O salad, Trisha?Doyou?”
Lights popped as the cameras flashed. The reporters were cracking up, and all heads turned to local news celebrity Trisha Smith, who merely shrugged, unapologetic. “The people want to know, Mr. Arthur. Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
Logan rolled his eyes in a way that made it clear he very muchcouldblame her, then spun away. The reporters exploded once more, tossing questions at our backs. I flinched every time I heard my name, fighting the natural instinct to turn. But Logan strode determinedly to the office, and the double doors swung open. Staffers pulled us inside and shut the doors tight.
“Really, Logan?” Nora didn’t miss a beat, waiting at the entrance with her hands on her hips. “Boring-ass speeches? You know that clip’s going to play on every TV station in the state. You couldn’t just leave well enough alone, could you?”
Someone thrust a water bottle at me, and I took it gratefully, chugging cold liquid down my burning throat.
“She crossed the line,” Logan growled. “I think I was exceedingly nice given the circumstances.”
“Oh, yes, you were a teddy bear. Such a Kennedy moment for you.” Nora’s eyes flicked to me. “Andyou...” I gulped the last mouthful of my water. “I can’t even start on you. There’s not enough time. The important thing is, the governor canceled his presser. We scooped him.”
A staffer rushed up, sweat on his brow. “Logan, there’s been an oil leak in the gulf. We need to get out a statement ASAP.”
“Shit,” he said, and the whole room exploded into motion.
