A Political Affair (5 page)

After the copy-room incident, timing became everything for Anne. Scared to death of the feelings rumbling inside her, she made sure she was never in Senator McEvoy’s presence. She worried what he might say, and she feared even more how she would react. In order to avoid him, she was either late or early to wherever she was going and occasionally left conversations in midsentence. If she knew the senator was due in the office, she planned to be absent. If she saw him coming nearby, she’d skulk away so as not to be seen. Sometimes she’d become trapped, though, and she’d had to wait for him to leave an area.
 

Hiding behind a door or file cabinet, she would observe him from afar. Whenever she lurked, she ridiculed herself for being a stalker, yet she became so engrossed in him that she quickly forgot the creepiness of her behavior. With other elected officials and agency heads, he was congenial but guarded, and with staff, he was firm. His wall only came down when he was alone with Greg and his family.

Patrick and Lillian McEvoy had raised accomplished children who carried the family legacy of public service with a special
noblesse oblige
, but they were still a normal family. Patty and Megan teased and bickered with their brother like they were twelve. He snarled at his sisters’ torments and then dished it out right back, causing Anne to cover her mouth to squelch her laughter.
 

When he was alone, she noticed he seemed glum, his lips pursed in thought.
Why is he unhappy?
she would wonder.
 

She recalled their conversations and realized he may have given her a glimpse of the real Stephen McEvoy—maybe he was interested in her as a person. Had he sought her out? Was he looking for her now? Or was he also avoiding her? But because she steered clear of him, she didn’t know.
 

It’s better this way
, she reminded herself.
If I actually talked to the guy again, I’d be a goner.

The following week, Stephen walked back from the House side of Capitol Hill, having finished a late-morning press event in the Cannon Caucus Room. Enjoying the nice day, he took his time as he strolled along. His mind was on the sunshine rather than his long day ahead, yet his good mood hit a wall when he spotted Anne.
 

She sat in front of the Library of Congress's fountain, the
Court of Neptune
, reading a book. Stephen ranked the fountain the prettiest in the District. Neptune dominated the fountain, positioned in the middle, with his son Triton and two sea nymphs riding sea monsters at his side. The fountain’s anatomically correct figures made it a highlight for many school children touring the Nation's Capital.

Since the day they talked in the copy room, Stephen avoided her presence at all costs; it proved to be easy because she was never around him anymore. And if she entered his thoughts, he pushed her aside, but seeing her from afar that sunny day made him stop. He pulled out his phone and surreptitiously watched her while pretending to check his e-mail. He told himself it would only be a minute and then he’d get back to work.

Though he stood across the street, he heard the water cascading in the fountain. While the world walked by, Anne kept her head in a book. The sun shone on her bare legs, crossed at the ankles and angled to the side. They were seductively ladylike underneath her pencil skirt, and he wasn’t the only man noticing her. A young guy with a dog walked up and began talking to her.

Stephen didn't know him, but he knew the dog. It was Senator Henry Wilson’s English bulldog. Like many members of Congress, he kept a pet in his office. An elderly Republican from the South, Senator Wilson hated Communists and his foreign policy was steeped in the Cold War. He’d owned bulldogs for the last fifty years and usually named them after a Communist leader of the day or a perceived enemy of the United States. His lingering hatred of Russia showed in the name of his current dog: Putin. Stephen guessed the guy walking the dog was one of Wilson’s interns.

Though he couldn’t hear their conversation, Stephen was bothered simply by the fact they were talking. He studied the intern and admitted he was an okay-looking guy who was close to Anne’s age. Stephen didn’t like that. Remembering the intern worked for Senator Wilson, he felt a little better because the intern most likely shared his boss’s view of the world. Surely Anne wasn’t interested in a right-wing lunatic who thought Castro still had nuclear weapons pointed at the US?

When Anne shook her head at the intern, Stephen smiled and waited for him to leave. After another minute of conversation, the intern shook her hand. Anne also said good-bye to the dog, who repaid her pat on the head with a slobbery lick on her cheek. She cringed, and as the intern walked off, she splashed her face with fountain water.
 

Stephen chuckled at Anne’s reaction to the dog. He didn’t know many women who would wash their face in a public fountain. He looked at the water coming from the fountain and saw the statue of the sea nymph above Anne. It was a beautiful nude of a woman riding a sea monster. The woman’s head was tilted back in a somewhat erotic pose with her breasts prominently displayed. Something about the sculpture lulled Stephen into a midday fantasy of skinny dipping with Anne in a mountain lake.

It was during Stephen’s fantasy that Anne sensed someone looking at her. She glanced at the people on the sidewalk, but they were all occupied with their own lives. Just as she was about to return to reading, she spotted Senator McEvoy across the street.
 

His eyes were fixed on her, and she stared back, wondering what he was doing. Why was he watching her? After a moment, he waved—a brief movement of his hand from left to right. She smiled as she hesitantly waved back, and a small smile appeared on his face in return.

She couldn’t believe it. The whole silent exchange felt odd, but also exciting, and his warm expression made her ignore her better judgment. She pointed to her chest and then pointed to him, silently asking if he wanted her to come over.
 

Despite the distance between them, Stephen understood her question. He wanted so badly to nod his head and go on a walk with her. He wanted to talk, to see what she was reading, and maybe ask her about her favorite time of year to ride in those mountains she mentioned the first day. And he really wouldn’t have minded finding a secluded area to give her a kiss.

But he didn’t do any of that; instead, he mocked himself. He thought he could also ask Anne about her being an intern in his office. They might talk about the great political scandals involving interns—scandals that had tripped up many a politician before him. He could ask about her being ten years younger than him. Finally, he could ask about what it was like to grow up in a prominent Republican family.

He thought of everything at stake: a Democratic senate seat, his family’s legacy, his career, her career. It was too much. Instead of saying yes to Anne, he shook his head and walked to his office, dejected.
 

As he left her sight, Anne kept her face completely composed, but inside she fell to pieces. She couldn’t believe how foolish she was. She must’ve imagined what happened between them in the copy room. It was just a silly fantasy that they’d been avoiding one another. In reality, it was all one-sided, and she told herself he must know she had a crush on him.
How embarrassing. Why would he ever want to be with me? What was I thinking?

Chapter 4

“Who wrote this piece of shit memo?” Senator McEvoy grumbled as he strode through the office.
 

   
Like every other subordinate in the office, Anne’s head instinctively bowed. She hadn’t written the memo, but she felt for whoever had. In the past few weeks, the senator had become sullen and irritable. Everyone tried to stay out of his way.
 

Humiliated by their last encounter in front of the Library of Congress, she continued to avoid him, though she had run into him once. He’d given her an uncomfortable smile and a short “hello” before hurriedly moving on. Anne had assumed he’d brushed her off because he knew she had a crush on him. She was mortified.

Indeed, Stephen avoided Anne, but he couldn’t ignore her. Seeing her gave him a bout of regret and disappointment that wasn’t easily dispelled. Despite those feelings, he wanted to make her smile, yet his presence seemed to have the opposite effect. She always said hello, but immediately looked away, and if she was smiling, she stopped at once after she saw him.

“Where the hell is Greg? I need to talk about this memo,” he grumbled to Megan, who stood at his office door.
 

“He’s on the House side for a caucus meeting.”

“Tell him to come in when he gets back.” As he moved past her he muttered, “And close the door behind you.”

Shutting the door on her little brother’s pissy mood, Megan turned to see Patty.

“I need to talk with Stephen,” Patty said, pointing to the door.

“Believe me. You don’t want to talk to him right now.” She motioned toward her office door with a nod. Patty followed her inside, and with befuddled faces, they sank down on the couch.

“He needs to get laid,” declared Patty. “That’s got to be the problem. He hasn’t been with anyone since he broke it off with Jennifer and Helen.”

“But he
is
seeing somebody.”

“Who?”

“Diane Schultz.”

“She’s pretty,” said Patty. “But I’d rather watch paint dry than carry on a conversation with her. I sat beside her at a fundraiser last year. She was pedantic—just had to show us she was the smartest person in the room.”

“I know. Stephen thinks she’s tedious, too. He says they don’t have much in common.”

“He needs to find someone new. He’ll be happier.”

“That may be the problem.” Megan eyed her sister. “He’s found someone new, but he can’t be with her.”

“Who? The intern?”

“I think so.”

“Anne Norwood is not an option. Period. End of discussion.” Patty kept shaking her head while she spoke, unconsciously emphasizing her point.

“I agree.” Megan closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the sofa. “But I feel for him. I think he really likes her.”

“Are you serious? He barely knows her.”
 

“It’s just a guess. She’s his type—cute, outdoorsy, smart—all rolled into one.”

“Well, it’s not possible. Even if she didn’t work here, he can’t have a girlfriend in college. It doesn’t look good—especially compared to Langford’s perfect little family. Not to mention what happens when Elton Norwood hears his daughter’s boss took advantage of her.” She shook her head again. “It’s not happening.”

Megan was quiet for a moment as she stared at the ceiling, looking for an answer. She raised her head with an idea. “Can’t he at least talk to her? This could all blow over if he got to know her.”
 

“Talk? I don’t know . . . I don’t trust him. If he wants to see her after he gets reelected in a year, that’s okay. She’s so young. It’s not ideal, but at least she’ll be out of college.” Patty jumped up from her seat. “That’s my take. I need to run. I’m having lunch with Mom.”
 

Megan sighed as she watched her sister straighten her shirt. “Patty, how is it that you look so good in just a white shirt and pinstriped pants?”

“Thanks, sis.” Patty preened. “I may cuss like a sailor and have a mean streak a mile wide, but God blessed me with a porn-star body.”

“Well, you lucked out.”

“Please. Marco loves you. I have no one in sight.”

“That’s because you’re picky,” said Megan with a wave of her hand. “I liked Heather. She was nice.”

“Too high maintenance.”

“Whatever. You just need to compromise.”
 

“No way.” Patty guffawed.