A Political Affair (27 page)

Inside the tent, Anne’s wide eyes stared in shock at Stephen, who lay on top of her. Not two minutes before, he had yelled her name in orgasm. Closing his eyes, Stephen smiled. When he opened them, his voice was loud. “Actually, Judge Clements, it is a McEvoy.”

“Judge? A local judge?” she whispered in panic.

“Federal,” he murmured.

She closed her eyes and threw an arm over her face.

“Stevie? Is that you? What are you doing out here?” the judge asked.

Stephen donned his shirt, propped himself on his elbows, and zipped open the door of the tent enough so he could peer outside. Judge Clements, a dear family friend, poked his head into the tent’s rain-fly; the man’s blatant curiosity brought a smile to Stephen’s face.
 

“Morning, Judge. I’m sorry. I must’ve crossed over onto your property.”

Judge Clements laughed. “Well, it’s good to see you, son. Are you here alone?”
 

Stephen caught the hint. The judge knew full well he wasn’t alone, but as a southern gentleman, he asked for the lady’s benefit. Stephen grinned.
 

“No. I have a friend with me.” He turned to Anne, who’d raised her arm only enough to glower in complete disbelief. “Anne, I’d like to introduce you to Judge Worthington Clements.”

Glaring at him, she grabbed her own shirt. Once clothed, she rested on her elbows as Stephen further unzipped the tent. “Judge Clements, please meet Anne Norwood. She’s a very good friend of mine and my family.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Norwood.” The judge grinned as she shyly peeked out and waved.
 

“Good morning, Judge Clements.” The judge’s dog pushed his nose in between his owner’s legs and Anne smiled. “I see you’re not alone either. Your dog is pretty.”

“This is Buster. He’s a mutt just like me.” He played with the dog’s ears. “Why don’t you two strike your camp and head over to the house? I’ll make you breakfast.”

“Oh, Judge, that’s very kind,” said Stephen with a glance at Anne.
 
“But—”

“Please,” the judge pressed. “Breakfast is the one thing I know how to cook well.”

Well-mannered Anne nodded to Stephen, and he smiled. “Then we’d be honored, Judge. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes or so.”

When the judge went on his way, Stephen zipped the tent door. He turned back to Anne, though she wasn’t to be seen. Her body was hidden in the bag as her voice filled the tent. “I. Am. Mortified.”

After they arrived at the judge’s cozy lodge, Anne straightaway took him up on the offer of his guest bed and bath. Given her nervousness, Stephen guessed she was as interested in the opportunity to escape from further embarrassment as she was in the hot shower.
 

While he assembled the makings of steak and eggs, the judge struck up a conversation. “So, Stevie, I haven’t seen you up here for a while now. Is the busy life of a senator keeping you away?”

Stephen leaned back in his chair at the kitchen table. “In part.”
 

Judge Clements nodded silently as he seasoned the steaks. “And Anne? Who is she?” he asked, his attention remaining focused on the food.

“She’s special.” Stephen smiled, but his tone had a serious edge.

The judge met Stephen’s eyes and returned the smile. “Well, that’s obvious.”

Worried Judge Clements was jumping to all the wrong conclusions about Anne, Stephen rallied behind her. “No, it’s not what you’re thinking, Judge. Anne is different. She—”

“Of course, she’s different, Stevie. All evidence points to that.” He threw two steaks in a cast-iron skillet and turned to Stephen. “I’ve never seen you hike out here with anyone besides your father—let alone go camping with a woman. I’m a confirmed bachelor with eighty-six years to prove it. I was pretty certain you’d be a lifelong bachelor as well. I know if you’re bringing a woman into a part of your life which has always been solitary, she’s very special to you.”

“You’re right.” He smiled.

“She’s lovely, and she’s got to be smart to hold your interest.” The judge turned his attention again to the steaks. “She’s a little young, though. Correct?”

“Correct.” Stephen took a drink of strong coffee before he elaborated. “And I should tell you, our relationship isn’t public.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s an intern in my office at the moment.” He said it matter-of-factly and trusted the judge to keep quiet until he told him otherwise.
 

Judge Clements raised his eyebrows to the point of crinkling every bit of wrinkled skin on his forehead. “But you said she’s a friend of the family. I’m guessing Lillian knows? What does she think of all this?”

“I’d say she’s cautiously accepting—more so every day.” Stephen nodded. “It hasn’t been long, but Anne has become part of our family.”

Without skipping a beat, the judge smiled again. “Well, if that’s so, I also approve.”

Pleased with the warm acceptance in the judge’s voice, Stephen quieted for a moment while his mind sped ahead. “I’m glad to hear it. In fact, I wonder if you’d be willing to do a favor for me one day.”

Chapter 19

The energy debate raged on in the Senate through February, which forced Stephen once again to keep long hours, and after the previous close call with Helen, Anne rarely stayed late at work. The office was particularly quiet at night since Megan cut back her hours. Her pregnancy had brought joy to the whole family as well as exhaustion and morning sickness for her.

   
One evening, Greg watched as Helen again strode through the office as if it were her own; he was alone as he chased after her. “Senator Sanders! Senator, can I help you?”

She made it to Stephen’s office door, turned, and smiled. “No. I need to talk to Stephen.”
 

“But—”

“I’m sorry. It’s an urgent Intelligence Committee matter; it’s classified. You understand.” She slipped into the office and shut the door in Greg’s face.
 

When he saw Helen open the door, Stephen quickly told Anne he’d call her back. He put on his suit coat as if it were a flak jacket and mentally prepared himself for whatever Helen might be up to. “Good evening, Helen. I’m in a hurry. I was just about to get a Coke with Greg. Do you want to join us?”

“Not really.” She smiled as she slowly took off her own suit jacket and threw it on a chair.

“I’m very sorry,” he said with a smile, hoping to charm his way out of the situation. “I don’t have time. I need to return a call.” He pointed to his phone on the desk.

“Oh, you have time.” She unbuttoned her blouse.
 

“I really don’t.” He soon realized what she was doing and panicked at the thought of being alone with her. “Helen, stop. You shouldn’t do this.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t, but you know you want it.” She let the blouse drop off her shoulders, exposing a black lace bra which barely covered her nipples.

Stupefied into silence, his mind reeled at the scene playing out before him; it was one he had seen before—but not recently. More than once in the past, Helen had pranced into his office and shed all her clothes, while he’d drawn the curtains and unbuckled his belt for their usual office quickie. This time, he closed his eyes and exhaled his words in a punctuated cadence. “Helen, please put your clothes on. This isn’t happening.”

“Why not?”
 

He opened his eyes to see Helen standing with one hand on her hip and the other dangling her bra as if she were in a burlesque show. Objectively, she was a titillating sight. She was a beautiful woman wearing a form-fitting—if conservative—skirt with sheer stockings and high heels, and she was naked from the waist up. Only months earlier, Stephen would have eagerly explored her body, bringing them both pleasure. That night, though, he found nothing appealing about her. He only wanted her to leave.
 

Yet Stephen knew better. She was a dangerous woman who’d made herself vulnerable before him. While he’d like nothing better than to toss her out on her ear, he had to walk a delicate line. What he’d initially said wasn’t helpful to his cause. He needed to backtrack and let her down gently—and believably, as if he were the Stephen of old.

“Baby, you know I want it, but I can’t,” he said in a smooth voice. “You’re so fucking hot. But you’re engaged, and I’m up this year. I can’t have any scandal and neither can you.”

“Oh, no one will ever know.” She tossed her bra over the chair where her blouse and jacket rested, and came closer. “It’s just like old times.”
 

As she neared him, Stephen backed up and to the side. He decided he had no choice but to be firm. “It’s not like old times, Helen. Things have changed. I asked you to put your clothes on.”

Her demeanor stiffened immediately, and she took a step back. Arching an eyebrow, she put a hand to her hip. “Exactly how have things changed, Stephen?”

“There’s too much at stake for both of us. It’s more than just my election. You’re engaged. You’re exposed now, too. “

“But this is private.” She gave him a brief smile and reminded him of their common predicament. “And more to the point, we’ve always had mutually assured destruction. Both of us lose if this gets out, so neither one of us will let it happen.”

“Come on. That doesn’t mean others aren’t ready to pounce on anything they can get on me, even if you’re collateral damage in the process.”

“You’re talking about Walter, aren’t you?” She shook her head. “He wouldn’t jeopardize my seat just to get Dan Langford elected. Besides, he’s a friend of mine.”
 

Stephen frowned at how she’d called Walter a “friend”; it sounded like they’d been more than friends. He covered up his concern with a quick retort. “That may be the case, but anyone could hurt us—not just Walter. I’m not going to risk it . . . for both of our sakes.”

“Humph.” Her eyes narrowed, and her voice became accusatory. “You say you’re worried about things between us getting out, but I think there’s something more. You’re seeing someone else. I can tell. And that’s the reason you won’t touch me.”

“Of course, I’m seeing someone else. I always am.” His mouth twitched as he said it, betraying his assertion that nothing had changed for him. He worried he’d given something away, so he waved his hand in nonchalance. “So what?”

“No. This is different. If you were only screwing someone else, you’d at least touch me. I’m standing in front of you half naked, and you’ve done everything to keep looking me in the eye instead of my breasts. I know you—that’s not normal.”

“I told you—”

“I’m not buying it.” She crossed her arms so her breasts rested on them. “Who are you seeing?”

“We’ve never asked that of one another. Why start now?” He felt like he was losing control of the conversation.

“Because I want to know about this woman,” she said with determination. “You’re acting differently. She must be special.”
 

“I don’t know . . .” He shrugged.

“Then why won’t you tell me who she is?”

He grasped for a reason. “Maybe you could say I don’t want to jinx it.”

She gave him a cold stare. After a moment, she sneered and huffed. “Fine.”

The look in Helen’s eye left him unsettled. He couldn’t trust her at all anymore, and he needed to salvage the situation. “Baby, I’m sorry,” he said as he stroked her naked forearms while avoiding her breasts. “We had a good thing. Let’s not wreck it right now.” For good measure, he stepped back and gazed at her. Despite her singular self-confidence, she had always responded to a well-timed appeal to her vanity. “And you’re still gorgeous.”
 

She smiled and sighed as she reached to the chair for her bra. “Oh, all right. I’ll leave you alone. For now . . .” Placing the bra over her breasts, she turned around. “Can you help me with the hooks?”

Facing her back, Stephen rolled his eyes undetected. “Sure,” he crooned. Once her bra was hooked, he patted the closure, hoping to put the matter to rest for good.

“So you’re really worried about keeping your seat?” she asked as she found her blouse.

“Of course. You’ve seen the polls. I was ahead but now we’re dead even. Add that to the fact that it’s a bad year for my party, and it doesn’t look good.” Lines of worry creased his brow.

“Well, if they ask . . . and they probably will, I won’t go to Colorado and campaign for Langford. I’ll sit this one out. It’ll piss off the party, but I’ll make an excuse.”
 

“I appreciate that, Helen. I’d do the same for you.” Stephen wasn’t lying, but after he said it, he wondered if she was being truthful.

She tugged the ends of her jacket straight and stepped closer. With greed in her eyes, she placed her index finger on the center of his tie and grinned. “I know you would. And I expect
this
,” she said, waving her finger between the two of them, “to resume the day after the election. Think about it.”
 

She abruptly turned and strutted away without looking back. “I’m very curious about this woman. You know I’ll find out who she is.” As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she turned and smiled. “And she can’t be as good as me.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” he replied with a nervous snicker. As she closed the door behind her, he muttered, “She’s better.”
 

His feigned good humor instantly vanished as he sank into the nearest chair he could find. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he grappled the impending disaster. He stewed on the matter only a few seconds before yelling, “Fuck!”

Straightaway he furiously pressed numbers on his phone. He skipped all pleasantries when Patty greeted him on the other line. “I need to talk now.”

“I’m getting ready for bed. Whatever it is can wait until the morning. I’ll see you in the office early, if you want.”

“No. It can’t wait”

“Why not?”
 

He relayed a twenty-second, yet still graphic, synopsis of his encounter with Helen.

After hearing the words “Helen” and “tits,” Patty responded, “Eww. Gross.”

“Can we skip the commentary?”

“Hardly! Wait ’til everybody else hears. So, did you and she—”