“Senator Downing,” I say.
“Hello, Missy.” The former senator looks at me with a congenial smile, stepping out of the office as if he owns the place.
Disoriented, I look from Mr. Whitaker to Senator Downing, wondering why these two people, from two very different worlds, are together at this moment in this building. Then it dawns on me exactly why Senator Downing is here.
“It was you,” I accuse, unable to hide the betrayal I feel from someone I’ve known nearly half my life. “You offered double on The Red Curtain?”
Senator Downing steps forward, buttoning the top button of his suit coat and commanding all the air in the room. “May we have a moment, Mr. Whitaker?”
Mr. Whitaker humbly nods, subservient to Senator Downing’s wishes, and slips back into his office after sending me one last look of apology.
Senator Downing stands tall and impenetrable before me—the unyielding jaw, the focused eye contact, the hands crossed loosely in front of his body—his whole person is a study of calm confidence. The kind of confidence that lulls you into a false security up until the moment he has your vote, your money, and your building.
In general, I try my best to keep my emotions close to the vest, but the moment the office door closes behind Mr. Whitaker, I can’t stop the words that fly from my mouth. “Why—why would you do this to me?”
“It’s nothing personal against you, Missy,” he says, looking at his watch as if I’m wasting his valuable time.
“It sure feels personal. Wait, are you going to bulldoze The Red Curtain?”
“No. I’m not going to bulldoze it.” Senator Downing exhales through his nose, a movement so small but brimming with unspoken annoyance. I feel like a bug that’s just inconvenientlysplattered across the windshield of his flashy sports car. “As a father, it’s my responsibility to watch out for Colton’s future.”
Colton’s future? What does The Red Curtain have to do with Colton? I open my mouth, not sure what I’m going to say but ready to say something when I’m cut off by a simple hand wave, one that says very clearlyI’m not finished.And just like that, I fall silent—submissive, just like Mr. Whitaker.
“Despite the monster you likely think I am at this moment, I have some good news for you that I think you’ll be eager to hear.”
Stuck under his piercing gaze, I say nothing.
“You can save your money, Missy, and I’ll give you this building as a gift.”
I narrow my eyes. I know fishy—I’ve been eating fish every day for weeks, and this “gift” he speaks of, it reeks like dead tuna under the hot sun.
“Why?” I ask skeptically, feeling sick with how desperately I want to jump into the palm of his hand and feed off every morsel of hope he’s giving me.
He must sense my desperation, because a budding grin lifts the edge of his lips, revealing the person beneath the passive façade. “Why? Because you and I are not that different, Missy. We both want what’s best for Colton. He has the potential to be a promising politician. He’s living a legacy. One that has been fought for for generations. And to be frank, it’s a legacy that won’t be tarnished by a girl with an alcoholic mother that’s been detained by local law enforcement three times in as many years.”
Alcoholic mother?
My teeth clench. “You looked into my mama?”
He doesn’t respond; instead, the silence speaks for him. But there is no apology on his face.
For a moment, I’m unable to hold his stare. My eyes feel pushed to the ground until I’m looking at Senator Downing’s shiny shoes and the gold-and-red carpet beneath his feet. I feelas old and worn as the weathered woven threads he stands on. I’m suddenly all too aware of my inadequacies, my family, my upbringing. I am not enough for Colton’s father.
Colton’s words from our closing interview strike a new chord inside me. One that says “You were never good enough for me, and you never will be.” My bottom lip starts to quiver. The broken record from my nightmares is back, playing its two greatest hits:AStrategic RomanceandIt Was All for Show.
“My offer is simple, Missy: Leave Colton alone, and the building is yours.”
“No.” The word barely squeaks from my lips.
I don’t know where Colton stands with his feelings for me, but like my mama said, I need to give him the benefit of the doubt. And whether he does or doesn’t feel for me like I do for him, I’m not going to build my dreams off of a bribe from his father.
Senator Downing chuckles as if I am one big joke. “You’re a brave girl—I like that about you. And truth be told, I’ve always liked you. That’s why I’m going to make this decision even easier,” he says, as if I haven’t already given him my answer.
Senator Downing pulls his phone from his pocket, makes a few taps with his finger, then plants a picture right in front of my face. And then the tears flow. I hate myself for crying, giving Senator Downing the satisfaction of this moment.
I bite my lip, anything to stop the added humiliation from pouring out of my eyes when I look at the picture featuring Colton and the brunette in the olive pantsuit from the airport this morning. Colton has his arm around the beautiful woman as they stand in front of an elegant sign that reads Downing & West, Senator Downing’s old law firm. The woman’s wrapped around Colton’s waist, looking as if she belongs there. Colton smiles down at her, a bright glimmer in his eyes.
“As of this morning, Colton has chosen to become an attorney for the new sports law division at my old firm, as has JaneSpencer. You may have heard of her before, Colton’s ex-girlfriend. Or should I say current? I know that must be hard to hear. I know you two had a little … fling on the island. But now we’re in the real world, with real choices, real consequences, and real futures. So take this advice from me. Colton’s moved on, so should you.”
