"I can back you for a governorship," I added, leaning forward. "And you’ll be by my side when I take my seat on the Supreme Court. Don, this is the cleanest 'washout' we’re ever going to get."
"And where does Kelsey fit into all this? You two seem... pretty involved," Donald noted, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction.
"It was partly her idea," I replied, crossing my ankles and straightening my posture. "We can set a timeline for anengagement, then a wedding. We’ll share a house so we both have our own private wings. Otherwise, we’ll share meals and keep up appearances in social circles."
"So… I don’t meddle in your private life, you don’t meddle in mine, and we keep our home as a personal sanctuary? Not a bad plan at all," he mused.
"I just need you to be more discreet, Don. Kelsey found out you were a sugar daddy within days of being here. I’ll admit, I didn't believe it at first."
"I slipped up on discretion over the holidays. Maybe I got a little more carried away than I should have," he confessed with a shrug. "I can have my lawyers draw up a contract. Your counsel can review it, and we’ll go from there."
"I’ll have my image team come up with a strategy so I don’t come across as the villain who just abandoned her husband," I added.
"You’ve already put together an image team? Now that is what I call determination. I’m usually too lazy to have people bossing me around like that," he joked. "But you can tell your lawyer to include a specific clause. I don't want to end up looking like the cuckold again."
"Do we have a deal?" he asked, extending his hand. I shook it, a satisfied smile playing on my lips.
"We do. It’s going to be a pleasure marrying you, Don." We both laughed, and he gallantly kissed my fingertips.
"Since when have you been in love with Calama?" he asked, letting go of my hand and leaning back against the armrest.
"It’s a healthy, functional relationship. I'm not in love with her," I countered, perhaps a bit too quickly.
"Right. And I’m the one looking at her with a smitten look on my face. For God’s sake, Megs," he laughed, throwing his head back.
"Oh, just let it be. But before you start with the mockery, I need to understand the situation with your boyfriends..."
"They aren't boyfriends," he corrected. He took a final sip of his whiskey before walking over to the bar to pour himself another double.
"I like to keep a few... how should I put it? Reliable hookups on standby," Donald explained, finally finding the words.
"And you support them how? You cover everything?" I asked, leaning in.
"College, cars... I just make sure they're comfortable. In return, whenever the mood strikes..."
"You get a blowjob," I finished for him. I burst out laughing as his eyes widened in shock.
"Since when did you develop such a dirty mouth, Megs?" He laughed along with me, finally sinking back into the cushions of the sofa. "But yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. So, are you and Kelsey actually dating? Like, in the teenage sense of the word?"
"Yes and no. We’ve agreed on an open relationship," I replied, watching the wine swirl in my glass. "Our schedules are far too complicated for exclusivity. Especially the sexual kind."
"I’ve always believed that emotional exclusivity is far more important than the physical kind anyway," Donald mused, taking a slow sip of his whiskey. "Which is probably why I don’t bother with either."
I pointed my glass at him in a silent toast of agreement before refilling it.
"Exactly. You found the words I couldn't quite formulate," I agreed. "Although I am convinced that emotional exclusivity is something that has to be earned over time."
"One by one, the pieces are falling into place," Donald said, clearing his throat and giving me a playful wink. "Starting now, your emotional exclusivity is officially with me."
"If Sarki hears you say that, I’ll be in the middle of a war zone," I joked.
"Wait… are you sleeping with your best friend too?" Donald asked, eyes wide. I shook my head quickly. "Thank God. I just remember the mess you two got into back in college and how desperate your father was to clean it up."
We talked for a while longer until lunch was announced. Just as we took our seats, Kelsey returned. She caught my chin, pulling me into a calm, steady kiss before finishing with a tender peck on my forehead. She sat beside me, her presence immediately grounding.
"I’m glad you two made up," she noted, her hand resting possessively on my leg as the staff served what looked like a perfect duck escalope with orange sauce and glazed vegetables.
"Megan could convince a nail to become a hammer if she wanted to," Donald remarked. Kelsey shed her jacket, draping it over the chair beside her. "We just agreed that we need a kind of freedom that’s usually stripped away from us early on freedom we’re expected to sacrifice for the sake of our careers. The discourseof public and legal representation is beautiful, but it puts us in a spotlight that’s incredibly limiting."
