The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (19 page)

“Because
you are?” he responded, somehow turning the statement into a question.

“Remind
me why I'm doing this,” I pleaded. The lack of progress was killing me.

“Because
it’s the right thing to do?” Jonathan suggested over the top of his cubicle.

“Just
think, Kri… if you can get just one of those bills passed, you’ll be helping
hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people,” Patrick speculated rather optimistically.

I
leaned back in my chair. “Okay. So, that
might
be a good reason to bang
my head against the wall. How long does it usually take to get a bill passed,
anyway?”

Patrick
looked at his paperwork. “About nine years on average.”

I
stared at him in complete disbelief.

He
glanced at me. He looked completely serious.

Jonathan
sidled up to my cubicle. “That’s not the real problem. The problem is… by the
time you get your bill passed, it’s not what you proposed.
That’s
the real
problem.”

I
raked my hand through my hair and unconsciously began untangling the curls. “That’s
beyond depressing. What are the odds I’m going to accomplish any of my goals in
the one and only year I’m working on the Hill?”

Jonathan
and Patrick exchanged glances.

“Slim
to none,” I replied despondently.

Jonathan
perked up. “Hey! I know something that will cheer you up. Chinese food. There's
a really good place in the food court at Union Station. Let’s walk over there
for lunch.”

The
three of us grabbed our coats and made our way outside. I was anxious to shake
the dark cloud that was looming over me. The air was crisp, but the sky was blue,
and the sun was out. The trees still boasted a beautiful palette of red,
yellow, and orange leaves, but quite a few leaves were now blanketing the
ground.

As
I admired the patchwork quilt beneath my feet, I was reminded again of how
unexpectedly beautiful DC was. The historic architecture was artfully framed
with pale pink and white blossoms in the spring and rich earth tones in the
fall. The city was truly breathtaking. I wondered how it would look in winter,
dusted in snow.

I
tuned into the saxophone player, who was performing in his usual spot in front
of Union Station. I dropped a couple of dollars into his case as we walked by.

He
nodded appreciatively, without missing a beat.

I
loved listening to him play while I walked to and from the parking garage every
day. He eased me in and out of work. I knew my day wouldn’t be the same without
him, so I made it a point to tip him at least once a week.

Union
Station was packed, especially in the food court downstairs. We decided to
order our food to go, so we could escape the noise and chaos. As soon as we got
our food, we crossed into the park between Union Station and the Senate Hart Building.
All of the benches were occupied, so Patrick sat on the ground next to a tree. Jonathan
and I plopped down next to him. We ate in silence, simply enjoying the food,
the sun, and the music.

Jonathan
eventually broke the silence. “What do you guys have planned this weekend?”

“Not
a single thing, and I plan to keep it that way,” Patrick responded determinedly.

I
laughed. “I'm participating in a cookie bake-off at Kadyn’s friend’s house
tomorrow.”

Patrick’s
chopsticks stopped just short of his mouth. “Is that the guy who took you to
King Street Blues last weekend?”

I
nodded as I swallowed a mouthful of food. “Yes. Two of his friends were arguing
over who made the best chocolate chip cookies, and I managed to get sucked into
their competition.”

Jonathan
brightened. “Hey! If you have any cookies left over, you should bring them into
the office on Monday. I’ll make sure they don’t go to waste.”

My
eyes widened in mock surprise. “Wow. That’s very generous of you.”

He
laughed as we began packing up our little white boxes.

Patrick
stood. He glanced at me as he dusted his pants off. “We’re throwing another
party next weekend. You should come and bring your
friend
Kadyn.” He winked.

Jonathan
pulled me to my feet. I shoved Patrick in the shoulder before brushing leaves
off my own slacks. “Stop winking at me! I told you we aren’t dating. We’re just
friends.”

“Yeah,
right,” Patrick snorted. The three of us walked toward the office. “Either way,
you should bring him to the party.”

I
rolled my eyes. “Okay, okay! I’ll invite Kadyn.” I hooked my arm around Patrick
and gave him a hug. It felt good to have a social life again.

*
* * * * *

I
downed an entire pot of coffee Saturday morning while chatting with my parents,
Lexie, and Kimme on the phone. I didn’t bother showering or changing out of my
pajamas until noon. I took Cade for a long walk after lunch. Then I mixed my
cookie dough so it could chill before Kadyn picked me up.

Kadyn
arrived at my house at five o’clock. He was wearing faded blue jeans, a Chicago
Bears t-shirt, and white athletic shoes. I was wearing blue jeans, a navy long
sleeved scoop neck shirt, and chunky brown shoes. I didn’t bother
accessorizing, since I pretty much sucked at accessorizing.

I
grabbed my jacket and followed Kadyn out to his car. He held the passenger door
open for me. I scored a whiff of citrus and sandalwood as I slid past him and
settled into the seat. I really liked Kadyn’s cologne… maybe a bit too much
because all rational thought fled my brain when Kadyn settled into the driver’s
seat.

I
placed the cookie sheets, parchment paper, and a gallon size Ziploc bag of cookie
dough on the back seat.

When
I turned back around, Kadyn was staring at me with an amused look on his face. He
still hadn’t pulled away from the curb.

“What?”
I asked nervously.

He
chuckled as he pulled away from the curb. “Nothing. It’s just nice to see you
again. Are you ready for the cookie bake-off?”

I
smiled, remembering just how competitive Cenia and Troy had been about the
cookies. “I think so. It’s not like it’s rocket science.” My smile slid into a
mock scowl. “I’m still not sure how you managed to get me roped into this.”

Kadyn
laughed. “You’ll do great. My friends really like you.”

“I
like them too,” I replied. I stole a glance at Kadyn. He’d obviously been
talking to his friends about me. Did that mean
he
liked me? I froze when
I realized where my thoughts were taking me. I reached for an imaginary rubber
band and snapped it against my wrist.
Still not dating, Kri!

Kadyn
merged onto the highway. “How are things on the Hill?”

I
winced. “Not good. Nothing’s moving, and no one will agree to anything until
the budget stalemate is resolved.”

Kadyn
nodded. “That’s all anyone’s talking about in my office. We're making
contingency plans in case the government shuts down.”

I
shifted in my seat so I could face him. “How badly would you be impacted at the
Pentagon?”

Kadyn
glanced at me. “There’s an unspoken expectation that essential staff will work
without pay. Most of us are willing to do so, but it violates the
Anti-Deficiency Act.”

I
shook my head. “That is so messed up. What about military personnel who are
deployed?”

“The
government will continue to pay them because it costs less money than bringing
them home,” he replied.

I
nodded. “Well, if anyone’s going to get paid, it should be them.”

Kadyn
merged onto an exit ramp. “I agree. What about you, Kri? Will you still get
paid?”

“Yes.
The John Heinz Foundation pays my salary, not the government. So, I’ll still
get paid to work. Most legislative staff will continue to work even if they
don’t get paid.”

Kadyn
looked surprised. “They’ll be violating the law if they do… same as the rest of
us.”

“I
don’t think federal employees want to violate the law, but they’re worried
about how this might impact vulnerable populations if they don’t continue doing
their jobs,” I explained.

Kadyn’s
cologne enfolded me as he leaned over to turn down the heat. “I think they’ll
pass a continuing resolution next week. I don’t think anyone wants to see the
government shut down.”

My
cheeks heated. I was completely flustered by the longing inspired by his
cologne. I shook my head as I tried to focus on the conversation. “The impact
on federal employees is bad enough, but can you imagine the implications for
people dependent on social security, veteran’s benefits, or Medicare?”

Kadyn
frowned. “No, I can’t.”

I
sighed. I was so disappointed by the lack of collaboration and leadership I was
seeing on the Hill. I stared out the window. My eyes widened when I saw the
rainbow of colors that danced along an endless stream of trees. “It’s so beautiful,”
I exclaimed.

“Yes,
quite beautiful,” he whispered huskily.

I
looked at Kadyn, intrigued by the change in his tone. He wasn’t admiring the
trees. He was looking pointedly at me. I tried not to panic.

Kadyn
turned into a large parking lot in a heavily treed housing complex. “We’re
here.”

I
glanced at my watch. “This must be quite the commute on weekdays. I can’t
believe she lives this far out.”

“Cenia
slugs in so she doesn’t have to drive,” Kadyn explained as he parked the car.

I
stared at him. “What do you mean ‘she slugs?’”

Kadyn
hooked his hand behind my seat as he turned to face me. “Slugging is like
legalized hitchhiking. People who live this far out drive to commuter lots
where they can stand in slug lines to catch a ride with someone who needs
additional passengers to drive in the HOV lanes. It speeds up the commute for
everyone because there are less cars on the road. There are slug lines at the
Pentagon too. So people can slug back home.”

My
eyes widened. “Cenia gets into a car with a total stranger every day?”

Kadyn
laughed as he opened his door. “She gets into cars driven by other Pentagon
employees. Besides, she’s military. She has good instincts, and she knows how
to defend herself.”

By
the time I gathered the baking supplies from the back seat, Kadyn already had
my door open. He reached for my elbow as I stepped out of the car. Then he reached
for the baking supplies. “Here. Let me help.”

We
walked toward one of the buildings. “I know she’s military, but I don’t think I
like the idea of Cenia slugging,” I confessed with growing concern.

Kadyn’s
eyes softened as he studied me. “Cenia’s safe. I did some checking around when
she first started slugging. No one’s ever been hurt or victimized when
slugging. If a driver doesn’t feel right, then she can always decline and wait
for the next car. Besides, she typically rides with other women.”

I
nodded, marginally reassured.

Kadyn
stopped in front of a door on the ground floor. He ignored the doorbell.
Instead, he rapped on the door.

Cenia
yanked the door open. “It’s about time you got here. What took you so long?”

Kadyn
chuckled. “Miss me?”

Cenia
rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She turned
on her heel and led us into the living room where Marie, Phil, Troy, and Roger
were sitting.  

I
waved at Marie as Kadyn nudged me toward two people I hadn’t met before. “This
is Matt. He’s an intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense. Matt, this
is Kri. She works on health policy for Senator Rockefeller.”

Matt
was Kadyn’s height. He had broad shoulders, dark brown hair, and brown eyes,
which contrasted nicely with his fair skin. Matt switched his beer over to his
left hand. Then he wiped his right hand on his jeans so he could shake my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Kri.”

I
shook his hand. “Hi, Matt. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kadyn
nodded toward the other man. “This is Shawn. He was my roommate at the Air
Force Academy. He’s a pilot for the Air Force.”

Shawn
stood a few inches taller than Kadyn. He had broad shoulders, jet black hair,
and deep brown eyes. A mischievous look sparked in his eyes as he shook my
hand. “Hey, Kri. What are you doing with this low life?”

Kadyn
thumped him in the chest.

Shawn
stumbled back laughing.

Matt
watched the exchange with an amused look on his face.

Cenia
reached for my arm. “I need to borrow Kri.”

I
laughed at the stunned look on Kadyn’s face as Cenia led me into the kitchen.

Cenia
reached for a wooden spoon. She dipped it into a large metal pot, then held it
up to my lips. “Taste this.”

My
eyes met Cenia’s as I tasted the chili. “It’s good.”

Her
eyebrows furrowed as she tossed the spoon into the sink. “It’s okay… something’s
missing.”