The night of the charity gala seemed to genuinely be a turning point for the two of them.
So many of their truths were out on the table. Silly, sweet, or heartbreaking, they were learning to trust each other with their truths. Even if Finn was perhaps keeping the most important truth to himself still. That he not only had feelings for her but was pretty sure he was falling. Hard.
They would get there, he promised himself.
Unfortunately, though, the campaign trail was only heating up all the more. This meant Finn was spending all daylight hours in meetings, doing interviews, or even wearing holes in his shoes going door to door.
It meant Iris was home alone all day. Or, more likely, off wedding planning with Arden, exploring the city with Selene, going to yoga, or taking long walks through Central Park with Willow. And even, on occasion, going with Monty to celebrity-watch.
He knew he had to keep his eye on the finish line, but he couldn’t help but be jealous of the many hours her friends got to spend with her. While all he could do was fantasize about a time when he could do more than slide into bed with her at night and get lost in each other’s bodies for an hour or two before exhaustion claimed him.
It wasn’t how anyone dreamed an engagement would go. It was supposed to be the two of them picking out food, table linens, and flower arrangements. They should have been spending their days enjoying summer in the city or taking off on little weekend trips.
But when Finn had agreed to the engagement, he didn’t think it would be real. So there was no need to micromanage the arrangements or find time to spend with his fiancée.
“Finn, focus,” Henry interrupted his thoughts.
“We’ve been over the proposal fifty times this morning.”
“I get it. You’re riding high on being the gossip rags’ darling couple. But that’s not going to work on everyone. We need to keep sharp and continue doing outreach to people who aren’t falling for the ‘Mermaid and the Mayor’ headlines.”
“Henry, when’s the last time you got laid?” he asked.
Henry, so composed, so utterly unflappable, jerked back. His mouth opened and closed like a beached fish.
“What?”
“However long it’s been, I think it’s long enough.”
“Being ambitious has nothing to do with my sex life.”
“Go get laid and come back to me. It absolutely has something to do with it. There’s more to life than campaign funding and political talking points.”
Henry watched him for a moment before shaking hishead. “You went and fell for her, didn’t you?” He sighed, slapping his file closed. “That is a monumentally stupid thing to do this close to the election.”
He’d more than fallen. He’d sunk under, fully submerged. And he never wanted to surface.
“Just this once, Hen, I don’t care. I like Iris. She likes me. I don’t give a damn if that isn’t ideal for the optics.”
Henry sat with that for a second. “I’m not going to lie. Headlines have been a lot more favorable toward you since you and Iris went official. It’s made you more relatable and relaxed. There are even some people making up wild stories about you two online.”
“Like what?” Finn asked, immediately tense, wanting to make sure no one said anything nasty about Iris that might get back to her.
“Like someone claimed they saw the two of you coming out of a bathroom at the charity gala.”
“Oh, that.”
“You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t have sex during a campaign event.”
“It’s not like Iris is my subordinate. It’s not inappropriate to be sleeping with her.”
“In your bed, sure. The shower. On the couch, over the kitchen counter, even smashed up against the floor-to-ceiling windows. But not in public. You could nab yourself a public indecency charge.”
“It won’t happen again.” Probably. Unless the right opportunity presented itself.
Henry sighed. “You’re a good liar, Finn. But don’t forget who taught you how.”
“I will attempt to only be with Iris in private places until the election.”
