A Political Affair (2 page)

“Where?” He also loved those meadows—every one of them.
 

“Oh . . . I like the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness.”

Stephen wanted to blurt out, “Me, too,” but he saw all the eyes in the room drifting back and forth between him and Anne. He realized he must’ve paid her too much attention. It was high time to end the meeting and any more interactions with her.

With a final smile for the whole room, he said, “Thank you, everyone, for—” Something clicked, and he turned and pointed a finger at Anne. “Wait. You’re from Summit County? And your last name is Norwood? Are you related to—”

“Yes,” she said in a firm tone. “Elton Norwood is my dad. He’s the district attorney for the county.”

“And your grandfather was once attorney general, correct?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

“He was.” She smiled. “Yes, my family
are
Republicans, but
I’m
not.”

Without skipping a beat, he returned her smile and lied, “We won’t hold that against you.”

As everyone broke into laughter, he closed the meeting graciously, while Patty, Greg, and Megan gave one another anxious looks. They followed him to his office, where he took his seat and waited for Greg to close the door.
 

With his office sealed, he grumbled, “So,
she’s
the intern you wanted to tell me about.”

“Yeah, I tried.” Greg took a seat and clasped his hands.
 

“Why is Elton Norwood’s daughter an intern in
my
office?” Stephen’s eyes roamed the room searching for an answer.

“If we hadn’t hired her, it would’ve looked bad for us,” Megan said matter-of-factly.

As he considered her assessment, Stephen leaned back against the chair and touched his shock of black hair in absentminded thought. It was true, the Norwoods were a respected Republican family in Colorado, and Elton was a popular district attorney in Summit County. At the very least, it would be impolite to reject his daughter for an internship.
 

He muttered, “Okay. You’re right.”
 

“You know,” Greg said as he leaned back in his chair and held up his hands in a plea. “The Norwoods are moderates, and Elton and my dad are in Rotary together back home, and they’re friends. Elton is—”

“A Republican nonetheless, and I’m sure he’s friends with Langford, too,” Stephen said with palpable distaste.

“He probably is friends with Langford, but he really is a stand-up guy. He knows I work for you, but he didn’t even say anything to my dad when Anne applied for an internship. When I told my dad about it, he asked Elton why he didn’t mention it to him. Elton said he didn’t want it to appear like he was looking for favors for his daughter. I gotta tell you, that’s just like him.”

“He is known to be a fair person,” Megan said.

“And Anne is just a smart, nice kid, who happens to be from a Republican family. It will be fine,” Greg said with finality.

“
Kid
is not the term I would use for her.” Patty chuckled. “She’s definitely a woman.”

Thinking back to how Anne looked and carried herself, Stephen agreed with Patty, but he didn’t want to announce it.
 

Greg grimaced and shook his head at Patty. “Whatever. She graduated from high school with my youngest brother. She’s a kid to me.”

“Well, regardless,” Patty said as she turned to Stephen. “I bet Elton Norwood
is
friends with Langford. I didn’t want Anne in this office either, but we couldn’t say no to her. She’s most likely not a rat, though I’ll still watch her. You shouldn’t worry about it.”

“I can feel her out,” Greg offered. “Just to be sure.”

Stephen’s cell phone vibrated again, and as soon as he saw
Helen
appear on the screen
,
he motioned toward the door. “I’d appreciate that, Greg. If you don’t mind, I need to take this call and talk to my sisters.”

“No problem.”

The chief of staff was only involved in part of the senator’s life; the family controlled everything else. It was an unorthodox arrangement—having not just one, but two family members as part of a senator’s most senior staff, but as a McEvoy, Stephen was no ordinary senator.

As Greg closed the door, Stephen answered the phone. “Hello, Helen.”

Rolling her eyes, Patty put her feet up on the coffee table and began twirling her red, Irish curls. Megan scrolled through her phone’s e-mail and tapped her foot. It was a loud warning for Stephen to hurry.
 

After less than a minute of conversation, he ended the call and turned to his sisters. “I bet this is the last time.”

“Good. I still can’t believe you screw around with a Republican, especially
her
of all people,” Patty said as she crossed her arms and smirked. “Well, I can believe it. It just disgusts me.”

“Helen Sanders really is the Wicked Witch of the West.” Megan cringed.

“Now come on. She’s much prettier than that.” Stephen chuckled. “Though I agree she has an evil side.”

“
An
evil side?” Patty sneered. “What side of her isn’t evil?”

“Amen,” said Megan. “I just heard she refused to do a fundraiser for Michaelson unless he cosponsored her stupid militia amendment
and
gave her top-billing on the invitation—even above the governor of his state.”

“And her staff hates her. She has the worst reputation as a boss of anyone in the Senate.” Patty snickered. “That’s quite an achievement considering how many pompous assholes there are around here. The sooner you stop seeing her, the better. I don’t trust her.”

“Are things ending because of Matt Smythe?” Megan asked. “I just checked the wires. An AP story says she campaigned with him this weekend. They’ve been together a lot lately.”

“I think they’re getting engaged,” Stephen replied. “Frankly, I’m relieved to be done with this. It’s been difficult to break off.”

“So it’s not easy having an affair with another senator?” Megan smirked. “Especially from the other party?”

“No, not easy. But it’s not an affair. We were just . . . dating.”

“Bah!” Patty laughed. “Since when are dates only in a bed?”
 

At nine o’clock sharp that night, Senator Helen Sanders pressed the intercom button outside the giant wrought iron gates of the McEvoy residence. In her home state of Idaho, such a house would be landmark, and she would want her arrival to be in a limousine and televised. In Washington, D.C., the building merely blended in with the rest of the mansions and embassies on Massachusetts Avenue, and she preferred a discreet entrance.

Seconds later the gates opened for her, and after she parked her car out of sight from the street, the house door swung open. She strode inside, enjoying the ease of entry and knowing her favorite amusement awaited her.
   

As Stephen closed the door, he welcomed his expected guest. “Good evening. It’s nice to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too, but I don’t have much time tonight.” She walked into the foyer, turned, and smiled when she saw his jeans. He wasn’t much younger, but in jeans he made her feel like Mrs. Robinson, and Helen liked every scrap of power she could get. She saddened once she realized this would be their last encounter—at least until she was safely married. With a few steps, she closed the space between them and touched his T-shirt. Her voice was sweet, but husky. “You’re smart enough to know why I’m here.”

“You’re leaving me for your own kind.” He chuckled.

“Something like that. Matt wants to settle down.”

“Is it what you want?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. Very much. Tick-tock, you know.” Helen controlled everything in her life, and she wasn’t going to let her biological clock get away from her without a marriage. Matt Smythe was the remedy. He was the perfect husband—conservative, unobjectionable, and easily pliable.

“Then I’m happy for you,” he said, crossing his arms.

“I want something else right now, though,” she said as she unbuttoned her coat.

“What’s that?”
 

She tossed her jacket on a chair and walked into the adjacent dining room. In the unlit room, she slipped out of her dress, revealing a black bustier, silk stockings, and lacy panties.
 

Stephen shook his head and laughed. “Helen, what would the good people of Idaho think about this?”

“The good people of Idaho will never find out about us.” She sat atop his mother’s antique table and spread her legs, giving him a better view. “Besides, it’s just one more time to remember you. And for you to remember me.”

“But what about Matt?” he asked with reproach.

“Oh, he’ll never know about you. No one will ever know about you because neither one of us will ever tell.” She beckoned him with a finger. “That’s why we’ve been perfect for one another.”

A little after eight the next morning, Stephen sat in the back of his Lincoln Town Car reading
The New York Times
, while his driver, Jim, maneuvered through the streets around the Capitol building. When they stopped at one of D.C.’s interminably long stoplights, he glanced to his right. Standing on the sidewalk near his car was Anne Norwood. The dark windows allowed him to stare unnoticed, and the timing of the light gave him a full minute to study the young woman.
 

It was a steamy, early-September day, and she dressed like your average Capitol Hill staffer walking from the Metro to work. She wore a suit, but the jacket hung on her arm, and a sleeveless top kept her cool. Stephen again admired her figure; her arms were toned, and a belt accentuated her small waist. Her hair was up off her neck, with stray tendrils damp with sweat. The heat also made her tanned skin pink. She turned her head for a moment, as if she sensed she was being watched. He observed her profile and decided she wasn’t generically pretty as he’d thought. There was something both unique and familiar about her. With freckled cheeks and the body of an athlete, she looked like a girl who loved the outdoors, and it was a look he’d always found attractive. Her legs were bare beneath her skirt and, like many women walking to work, she wasn’t yet in heels. Instead, she wore a pair of lime green Converse low-tops, which made him smile. He thought she seemed like she’d be fun to be around—to maybe go on a hike with.

As the crosswalk sign signaled the light would soon change, she looked directly into the window of his sedan. Similar cars swarmed the streets of D.C., each one a sign of someone important inside. Though she didn’t know it, their eyes met. The light soon turned and his car rolled past her.

The image of her bright and curious eyes stayed with him, making Stephen wince in frustration. When he thought back to the little show Helen put on last night, he felt ashamed. He shook his head in disgust, but quickly shook it faster in disbelief.
What in the hell am I thinking?

There were always pretty young things as staff and interns in his office, and he treated them all the same way; he avoided them. Those women were off-limits; political self-preservation required it. If Patty ever caught him even glancing at a staff member for too long, she’d mutter, “God damn it, Stephen. Don’t shit where you eat.”

He grimaced. It would be one thing if he simply was admiring an intern for her looks.
For Christ’s sake! I want to go on a
hike
with her?
He hated hiking with other people. Being in the outdoors alone was one of his greatest pleasures. The only person he had liked hiking with was his father. Why would he ever want to hike with her?

Looking out the window, he wondered what kind of girl she really was. Even if Elton Norwood was a moderate Republican, he was still a Republican. He’d endorse Dan Langford. Anne might stupidly mention something she heard in the office about Stephen’s campaign to her father, who might tell it to Langford. Then he’d have direct knowledge of how Stephen planned to defeat him.
 

The girl was trouble in every way. He shook his head and turned back to his paper. The less he thought about her, the better.
 

Chapter 2

That morning, Anne sat in her cubicle and sorted through constituent mail. Out of nowhere, she heard a friendly voice.