Loving the Candidate (Capitol Affairs #2) (18 page)

I was not in love with a sixteen-year-old. Seven years later, my wife, Prudence, went to work on my senate campaign. I had no idea at the time she was the same little girl I had tried to rescue. I fell in love with Prudence the woman, not the teenager. Prudence the woman, was whom I asked to marry me when she was twenty-five years old. My marriage is always open for discussion. We have nothing to hide or nothing to be ashamed of. Thank you for asking, Governor Phillips. I love the opportunity to talk about my wonderful wife.” Alex winked at me and smiled.

He won America over. The one question aimed at ruffling his feathers, made him look stronger. I saw the defeat in Phillips’ face. From that night on, Alex was on fire. He took on each debate and trounced his opponents. We were a shoo-in.

Chapter 20

By the final primary in June, Alex Conrad was the leader on the Democratic ticket and on his way to being nominated at the Democratic Convention. I was at home helping Thomas on a case too big for him. I had been run-down and under the weather, and I went to my doctor to confirm my suspicions. Against my better judgment, I had quit taking the pill a few months back. I was Prudence again. With my mind and body in sync, I decided that whatever happened, happened. It happened.

Doctor Flinch had been my doctor since Beulah brought me home. He was about six-feet-five inches, skinny, and bald, and always chewing gum. Over the past ten years he had seen me through my first exam as a woman, the swine flu, a broken finger, and a rash on my arms. He was a gentle man and easy to talk to.

“Well, Prudence, it is official. You’re pregnant. I would say about twelve weeks. I’m sure Senator Conrad will be thrilled,” he said.

“Oh, he will be, Doctor Flinch. He has wanted this for a long time. I guess it will be perfect timing for the election, the young, virile, senator and his young, pregnant wife going into the White House. I will be compared to Jackie.”

“Prudence, you don’t act too happy about this. Do you have any questions?” he asked.

My head spun so much I didn’t know what to ask. I was sure a thousand questions would pop into my head as soon as I left his office.

“Not now, Doctor Flinch, but I’m sure I will soon. When do you think the due date is?” I asked. I touched my stomach, knowing something was alive and growing inside of me

“By the looks of things, I would say around Thanksgiving, give or take,”

“Perfect. I should be nice and huge for the election,”

“Prudence, think of this as a good thing. It is a wonderful time to be pregnant and you are at the perfect age. Alex isn’t getting any younger and you are in excellent shape. A far cry from what you were when you came to see me ten years ago.”

“Thank you. It is a lot to take in.”

“I know it is, Prudence,” he said. He wrote a prescription and looked at his laptop. I hoped the prescription was for a sedative because I would need it.

“This will be the toughest and most important job you will ever have, even if you are first lady.”

How well I knew. He handed me a prescription for prenatal vitamins, no sedative unfortunately. He also gave me a list of everything I should be eating, and I scheduled an appointment for a month later.

The receptionist was beyond excited, and I hoped she would settle down before people figured it all out. As I left the office, I became excited. The love of my husband grew inside me and would be a little of both of us. He had wanted this for so long. I went back to my law office and tried to get my work done. Alex was in Florida for a debate. I wanted to tell him, but not over the phone. I decided to fly down and surprise him after I finished with work.

My secretary arranged a ticket and a car. I almost made it through the day without telling Thomas. I tried to avoid him as much as possible so I wouldn’t spill the beans. After Alex, Thomas, Veena, and Beulah would be the next to know. Of course, Thomas could sense something as soon as he saw me. We ate lunch in my office with the door shut.

“You had sex last night, didn’t you?” His salad with shrimp made me a little sick.

“What? No, Alex is out of town.”

“And? Don’t you still have toys?” He smiled.

“Don’t be stupid. I slept well for once.” Thomas sat on the edge of my desk shoveling in shrimp and trying to read me.

“Something’s up with you. Tell me, or I will get you drunk tonight with Alex out of town. Let’s see if we can get him riled up. We could go out and have a blast, or better yet, stay in and be good. We can give each other makeovers.”

“No, I can’t drink. There will be none of that for a while.”

As soon as I said it I flinched. He picked up on it right away. He threw his plastic salad container down on my desk and jumped up.

“Oh, hell no,” he yelled, covering his mouth with his hands.

“Oh, hell yes,” I yelled back, trying not to laugh. Thomas jumped up and down, squealing.

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Please call me Uncle Thomas.” Now he was spinning around.

“Alex doesn’t know yet. Settle down. They can hear you out there, Thomas. I’m flying to Florida to tell him tonight. Don’t tell anyone or I’ll kill you. You and the doctor are the only people who know.”

“Oh my God,” he cried. I think he was more excited than I was. In fact, I know he was more excited.

“Thomas, you need to calm down.”

“Do you know how gorgeous this child will be? Do you have any idea? This is going to be great for the campaign, Prudence. We have to go shopping soon.”

“Fine, but first I need to tell my husband. Now will you drive me to the airport or should this poor pregnant woman get a cab?”

***

The flight to Florida went quick and smooth. Alex didn’t like me to fly commercial, but I had to if I wanted to surprise him. The person at the front desk of his hotel told me where I could find him. I had the bellhop deliver my suitcase to Alex’s room, and I walked over to the room reserved for his primary.

A couple of his guys looked surprised to see me.

“Hi, Prudence,” they said in a chorus.

“Hi guys. Where’s Alex?” I asked. I thought maybe he’d decided to stay on the bus.

“I think he’s in the hallway. He has to give his speech soon and I think he’s going over it with his aides. I’ll go get him,” said Max.

“No, I will find him.”

“Do you want a drink?”

“No, I’m good.”

In the hall, Alex stood in front of a woman with his back to me. Not just any woman, but Coletta Gibbs. She had on a short miniskirt and a T-shirt with Conrad written across her huge, surgically altered tits. She reminded me a lot of Jade, but older and skankier. I hated her pointy, too-long, bright orange nails that matched her lipstick. She looked like the homecoming queen, rode hard and put away wet. She had a lot of miles on her and it had started to show. She was the woman all the guys went crazy over.

Rumors swirled she had slept with this one or that one since she had started working on Alex’s campaign; she had already slept with Ashe, and a couple of other workers. I’d seen Alex look at her a couple of times, but I didn’t think she was his type. I never thought Alex would let her anywhere near him, but she had her tall, curvy body pressed up against my husband and she kissed him.

“Alex,” I said his name in almost a whisper. He spun around, shocked to see me.

Mark jumped up from a corner table where he was working on his laptop. He came over to me when he heard my voice.

Coletta whipped her head around and smiled at me. Her super long extensions hit Alex in the face.

“I gave him a good luck kiss, Prudence. He needed it since you weren’t here. It was nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she said, still smiling and stepping away from Alex.

“Oh, I’m not worried in the least. You are nothing I need to worry about, Coletta. You’ve had your lips on everyone working for Alex,” I said.

She laughed at me and snorted. I was ready to tear into her. “Get away from my husband and go do what we are paying you for, Coletta. I’m here, now.”

Coletta huffed and Mark guided her away from me. I was a time bomb ready to go off.

I needed to sit down. Everything spun around me. I remembered I had not eaten all day and I knew it was not good for me or the baby. Alex lips had been on someone else. What if I hadn’t shown up? Would he have slept with her? His lips and his body were mine.

“Baby, come here. You are just who I wanted to see,” he said, walking up to me with his arms out.

“Don’t touch me, Alex,” I put my hand up to stop him from coming any closer.

He looked desolate.

“I need to sit down. I need a chair.”

“Come in here,” he said. He opened the door to a hotel room they had converted into his private office. A couch was up against the wall and I plopped down on it. I was angry with him, but mostly at that slut who thought she was entitled to kiss my husband. What gave her the right to do what she did?

He knelt in front of me and tried to take my hands. I jerked away from him.

“Don’t touch me right now, Alex.”

“Prudence, don’t do this. Please. It’s nothing. She has been coming on to me for some time now, but I swear, it’s nothing.”

The pain ripped through my body like a hot dagger, along with the need to rip the extensions out of her head. “I guess it’s too bad I showed up. You might have had a pretty wild night,” I said, as glared at him.

“Prudence, come on. Jesus Christ, she is a glorified whore.”

“What about the next time, Alex? Will it ever stop? Beulah was right when she said to be prepared to share you with other woman. It is happening already, and I’m already getting tired of it.”

“Enough, Prudence,” he said, looking in my eyes.

The tears spilled over and ran down my face, which was hot and flushed from anger. “Enough, Prudence? What is enough? I didn’t think this would happen between us again. Remember the speech you gave me in Hyannis? I love you more than all I have worked for. You are my life. Did Mark write that one, too?”

“Prudence, we have to let this go. It meant nothing. It has not happened before this and it will never happen again.”

I said nothing. I already knew it was nothing. I just didn’t expect to be faced with that when I wanted to surprise him with my good news.

Someone knocked, and Mark opened the door a crack. “Alex, you have to be out here in ten minutes.” Mark glanced over at me and I turned away from him.

“I’ll be right there, Mark. Give me five minutes.”

He shut the door. Alex grabbed my ice-cold hands. His touch burned me. What if those hands had been on someone else’s body? He smelled like Alex, yet a whiff of Coletta’s cheap perfume hit me.

“Prudence, look at me. I have to go out there and sell myself to America. I have to be strong. I need to know you believe in me and everything is okay with us. You have no idea how happy I am that you came here. I was about to call you before you walked in”

I looked away again.

He put his head in my lap and kissed my fingers. “Baby, please give me the strength I need to go out there. I can’t do this without you.”

The tears stung my eyes. My cell phone rang in my coat pocket. It was Thomas. That reminded me of the wonderful news I wanted to share with Alex. It didn’t seem so wonderful at that moment. I turned off my phone.

His head laid in my lap, so close to our baby and he didn’t know. A part of him and me was there between us. I reached up to touch him, but I hesitated. I stroked his head. He sighed. I knew he felt my love and he could go out and face the world.

“Wait for me. I want to talk to you more. Please don’t leave.” He kissed my hands and looked into my eyes. “I love you so much. Thank you for being here,” he said.

The door opened and Mark stuck his head in. “Alex, we need you now.”

“Please wait, Prudence, I won’t be long,” he said, walking to the door. I wanted so badly to tell him why I was there. But, it had to wait a little while longer.

I put my head back on the couch. Everything Beulah had said was coming true. I knew it was inevitable. I considered going and looking for Coletta, but I didn’t have the strength. I had something more important to worry about for the next six months.

I thought about leaving. I thought about getting back on the plane and going home. It would have been a lot easier. Alex didn’t want me to go. I knew he didn’t. I could tell by his eyes and the way he spoke to me. I had to be here for him. But did I want to?

Chapter 21

The crowd applauded after Alex gave yet another amazing speech. I could hear the muffled sound of the crowd chanting ‘CONRAD’ repeatedly.

A knock startled me.

“Come in.”

It was of all people, Coletta.

What could she possibly want with me? If she wanted to smart off again, I was ready. I didn’t care. I glared at her and decided I would take the high road. “What do you need, Coletta?” I asked, sitting up and getting myself together. My eyes were swollen and red and my hair was a mess from laying my head back on the couch.

“I wanted to apologize. I know you think I am, I don’t know, whatever you think. It was me that kissed Alex. I’m sorry. He didn’t kiss me back. I lost my head standing next to him. You are one lucky woman, and he loves you. You’re all he talks about. I needed to tell you that. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” she said.

She stood at the door waiting for me to assure her I wasn’t mad. Any other time I would have let it go and accepted the apology. Not this time. Not when it had to do with Alex. I glared at her and she walked back out. Enough said.

Within a half hour, Alex and his crew came back, whooping and hollering. The primary was the next day, and it was almost in the bag for Alex. There were high fives and Mark opened a bottle of Sambuca for a celebration shot. Everyone but Alex was happy. He fixated on me, evidently relieved I had stayed. He knelt in front of me.

“Thank you. Thank you for staying,” he said, as he took my hands.

I nodded, still too overwhelmed to respond. He told the guys he was heading to his room. They wanted to celebrate, and I wanted him to go and have a good time. He deserved it. This was his time. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted and hungry. I tried to encourage him to go out, but he insisted he needed to be with me.