I frowned. “What do you mean, weighted?”
“Obviously the people at the top of the ecosystem have been working on this issue the longest,” Kai said smoothly. “It’s only fair they get a bigger cut of any new money.”
Did Kai mean him and Sonny? “Um...”
“Let’s make a deal,” Sonny said, reaching in his pocket and producing a business card. “My cell’s on the back. You’re one of us. A union gal. Why don’t you keep us in the loop about Arthur’s thinking, huh? Can you do that for us? We can make it worth your while.”
I could practically feel the oil dripping from my hand as I took Sonny’s business card. “I’ll think about it.”
Thunderous applause came from the crowd. On the monitor, Logan smiled and waved as he turned and walked off stage.
“Looks like we’re up,” Kai said, straightening his TEA polo.
Sonny pointed at me. “Think about it.” Thankfully, the security team descended to usher them on stage. As they passed Logan, they shook hands quickly, clapping each other on the back, and then Logan strode toward me, face lit up.
“Did you hear that shout out I gave Muriel at the end?” He practically bounced with excitement, looking over his shoulder as if he could see Muriel from here. “Her whole family went nuts.”
“I was a little busy talking to Sonny and Kai.” Whoever saiddon’t meet your heroeswas right.
“What’s wrong? You’ve got that look you get when something’s eating you.”
“Are Sonny and Kai terrible?” I burst.
Logan frowned at the monitor, where the two of them took turns addressing the crowd. “I wondered if it was just me. Sometimes people are slimy when they think I can do something for them.”
“They were so...transactional.” That was the kindest way I could think to frame the two men who were supposedly our biggest allies.
Logan nodded, brow furrowing. “Most union leaders I’ve met are great. Really selfless. These two...let’s keep an eye on them.”
“Mr. Arthur!” someone shouted. “Hey, Mr. Arthur, it’s Caleb Gruber, ABC 24. Do you have a minute?”
We turned to find the young reporter from our first press conference—the one who didn’t look a day older than sixteen—standing on the other side of the barricades next to a TV crew. He waved rather desperately. Immediately, the security guards hustled over.
“I just want a quick interview with you and Alexis!” shouted Caleb. He was hidden behind a guard’s chest. “My boss said not to bother coming back unless I got you for the five o’clock.”
Logan looked at me and sighed. “Want to save a reporter’s day?”
I hit him on the shoulder. “Of course I do. Where’s that famous empathy for the working class?”
“Eh.” He shrugged. “Reporters don’t count.” But he was already walking up to the guards. “Kyle, Steve, it’s okay. We’ll give him five minutes.” The security guards backed off and Logan crouched under the barricade, then lifted it so all I had to do was duck.
“Thank you so much,” gushed Caleb the baby-faced reporter. He turned to his camera crew. “Ready to rock?”
“Ready to roll,” confirmed the giant, grizzled man behind the video camera. I stifled a laugh. It might’ve been all the middle grade fiction I read, but I’d always found motley crews endearing.
“Should I put my arm around you for the camera?” Logan whispered.
“Probably.”
He drew me against his side, arm circling my waist. I slipped my arm around him, too, feeling his solidness. We inched nearer until we were as close as humanly possible, touching from head to foot. His hand found mine and we laced our fingers together. There. Good. It was convenient how perfectly we fit.As friends, I reminded myself. You never knew when having a friend who fit you so comfortably you could melt against him would come in handy. Music festivals, definitely. Sporting events. Long lines at airports.
“I’m Caleb Gruber,” Caleb said into the camera, andright, we were rolling. “Here at the capitol with gubernatorial candidate Logan Arthur and his girlfriend and campaign partner, Alexis Stone, who—” Caleb winked. “He’s holding on to pretty tightly.”
“You have to soak up the opportunities you’re given,” Logan said.
“Speaking of the two of you.” Caleb’s voice turned brusque. “Logan, you’ve really jumped into the issue of education reform. Is it fair to say credit goes to Alexis for getting you to pay teachers some attention?”
Okay, fresh-faced Caleb had come to play.
