The Convenient Wedding: a contemporary romance (The Rosa Legacy Book 3) (9 page)

Replaying their argument, Lucia wondered if he was telling her the truth. Maybe Brian was wrong. Maybe Anderson wasn’t involved with Marissa.

Lucia noticed she was no longer alone, another runner was making use of the college campus for a night run. It was probably just a student. As the runner got closer and closer, Lucia tried to quicken her pace but it didn’t seem to make a difference. She began to look for an escape route but realized it was a dark night and she didn’t see activity anywhere. She decided to get off the path and cross a street, silently chiding herself for letting another runner scare her off.

When she crossed the street, the runner caught up to her. When he grabbed her arm and pulled her around, she let out a gasp. Their eyes met and she realized it was Anderson. He had changed to running shorts, a white t-shirt and sneakers. His breath was barely elevated while she couldn’t pull enough oxygen into her body.

“You scared me.” 

“You are lucky it was me and not someone who wanted to do you harm.” 

She tried to get her breathing under control and move away from him but he held her arm tightly and pulled her closer. “Why such a risk, Lucia?”

“I often go running in the dark. I don’t see it as a risk but a way to unwind. But as you know almost nothing about me…” Lucia said.

“I know more than you realize,” was his enigmatic reply. “Let’s go home.”

She pulled out of his grasp. “No, I’m not done with my run.” 

“Being my wife puts you at an increased risk. You need to be careful if you are out.” He sounded so reasonable and logical but Lucia was set on having some control over her life.

“You aren’t even dressed adequately.” Even in the dark, his slow appraisal of her body made her more aware of him. “You are wearing a bra and the most revealing pair of shorts I’ve ever seen.”

She shook her head. “I’m wearing a typical running top and running shorts.”

He stood with his legs apart and his hands on his hips. “You need to learn some basic safety precautions. Such as wearing a white or reflective shirt, running with a partner and having a clear idea of your surroundings.”

“I refuse to let you control every minute of my life.” Pulling in a deep breath she could see Anderson’s attention guided towards her breasts.

“Come on, I’ll finish the run with you.” Anderson took off towards her original path.

Trying to keep up with him, she noticed he was oblivious to her stride or ability. He retreated into his own thoughts and rhythm. Lucia was about to call out she couldn’t continue when she saw their building come into sight.

She could hardly breathe as they passed the security guard and got onto the elevator. But instead of pushing the button for the top floor, Anderson hit the button for the basement.

When the doors opened, he said, “Follow me.”

The corridor was dark. She noticed a loading dock and mechanical room.

Anderson reached a glass door and punched in a security code. The large space was a well- equipped exercise facility with weight equipment, treadmills and a boxing ring. Beyond the double glass doors, a pool and hot tub were visible.

Lucia looked at Anderson in surprise and he said, “I guess the way to your heart is through a pool.”

She loved to swim and the feel of the water. But having access to a luxurious pool didn’t change anything. He expected her to support his campaign while he went out and indulged in an affair with an old girlfriend. Why hadn’t Arthur mentioned anything to her?

“Do the tenants in this building have access to this facility?” Lucia asked him.

“It was originally my intention to make it a selling point for leasing executive office space but I decided to keep it private.” Anderson told her.

“Would you mind if I went for a swim?” Lucia asked him.

“This is now your home so do as you wish. The security code for this door is the same as the apartment.” Anderson explained.

Lucia went in search of her suit and realized the run relaxed them both. Much of the tension between them had dissipated. But the issue was still there.

When Lucia returned after showering and putting on a black two-piece swimsuit, Anderson was already swimming laps in the pool.

She lowered herself down the ladder and enjoyed the refreshing sensation of the water. For an indoor pool, it was large; it spanned from four feet to twelve feet and even had a diving board. The pool was pristine, every surface was covered in cream-colored marble and there was a mural depicting the ocean on the far wall. Even the furniture surrounding the poolside was opulent. Lucia thought that the job of being a candidate’s wife certainly had a few privileges.

As she glanced around at the surroundings, Anderson asked her, “Is it to your liking?”

“Definitely an architectural feat.”

She made a determined effort to let go of any stress and gratefully slipped below the surface of the crystal clear water.

For almost an hour, they swam; floated gazing up at the mural painted on the ceiling and enjoyed the hot tub. Except for a few words, they barely spoke instead falling into a comfortable silence. Lucia thought that it was the most relaxed she had ever seen Anderson.

After a quick shower in one of the private bathrooms, Lucia emerged with her long hair brushed and wearing a loose white tank top and matching pair of cotton capri pants.

“I think that we may need a private elevator,” Anderson commented. He dressed in a black t-shirt and sweat pants.

“At this time of night, I didn’t think anyone would be in the building.”

The relaxed companionship between them had vanished and Lucia could feel the awareness between them returning. She began to wonder if she would ever figure out the subtle etiquette required of her at all times.

“Probably not. But occasionally someone works late or the Security Guard makes his rounds.” Anderson said but made no attempt to walk towards the door as he stood studying her.

Lucia returned his stare and simply said, “I think I look fine.”

Lucia expected him to challenge her assertion but he said, “You are so relaxed sometimes, it’s refreshing.”

When they returned to the loft, Lucia offered to make a snack. It was nearly midnight and she was famished after running then swimming.

She found some frozen yogurt in the freezer that she placed in bowls and topped it with fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Anderson was in the office checking email. She placed his bowl on the desk and slipped into the chair facing him. Without thinking, she asked him, “How did you know that I went for a run?”

“I was about to work out when security called to say that you left the building.” 

“Oh.” Lucia replied and wondered how much she was being watched.

“Don’t run alone. Use the exercise room or I’ll run with you.” Anderson said.

“I like to run alone.” Lucia thought about her life in California and the freedom she enjoyed.

“Unfortunately, it’s not safe. Until the election is over, you will need to be careful.” 

Lucia nodded. Her life was so different now. She had wanted a change but hadn’t expected it to come with so many new challenges.

Anderson glanced up from his email and said, “There is a request to have you speak to a local women’s group. Are you interested?”

“I’d like that but I need to feel more comfortable first.” Lucia said.

He stood up and picked up the frozen yogurt she had bought him. “You could touch on issues that are important to women and outline how our campaign plans to deal with those issues. And be available to listen to their concerns. Really any exposure is good exposure.” 

“Do you think that they might resent my being from California instead of Connecticut?” Lucia asked him.

He looked relaxed. “No. Because your grandfather was a past governor, I don’t think you are viewed as from California.” 

“I’ll reach out to them and accept.” Lucia stood up to leave his office.

“I’ll ask Marissa to find you a Press Secretary.”

She had been trying not to think about Marissa. “No. It’s not a big deal. I can handle it. And I would rather not have Marissa pick the person.” Lucia honestly told him.

“Marissa has a gift for placing the right people and handling overall strategic decisions.” Anderson calmly told her.

“I don’t like her.” She squared her shoulders and crossed her arms in effort to prepare for a battle.

“I know that she is little intense but her motives are good. She has a lot of connections and experience in politics.” Anderson said dismissively.

“I’m good at reading people and Marissa comes across as petty, manipulative and needing a lot of attention.” Lucia stood up, gathered the dishes and walked out of the office.

Anderson followed her into the kitchen. Without thinking, she turned towards him and said “If she is so wonderful then why didn’t you marry her?”

Anderson face remained expressionless, as he said “Jealously doesn’t become you.”

Lucia watched him warily as a flood of emotions washed over her. She was feeling insecure and lonely. As she tried to calm down it occurred to her that she was also feeling trapped in an intolerable situation.

He held her gaze. “If you want a more satisfying relationship, you just have to say so.”

“I’m not interested in a relationship with you.” Lucia let all the anger she was feeling into her voice, rejecting him again.

“Enjoy your solitude.” Anderson said to her.

Lucia walked up the stairs without a backward glance.

Why was he so maddening? She wanted to argue with him and prove that he was wrong. He had no real interest in a relationship with her. Why was he baiting her?

As she made up the sofa, she acknowledged to herself that if she was Anderson’s real wife then it wouldn’t be so difficult. She would want to help Anderson win the election. She had wanted him to win. Why did she feel so unsure of herself? Because their life together was based on deception. She decided to put aside her worries and throw herself headlong into the campaign, even if their marriage wasn’t based on love, she could help him get elected.

Lucia was awake before Anderson had a chance to bring her coffee again and walked through the deserted bedroom to slip into the shower. With a white towel wrapped around her wet head and another covering her body, she went into the adjoining dressing room. She chose a lime green print shirt with a cream skirt that was professional without being too conservative. She applied lipstick, eyeliner and mascara, and thought about cutting her long blond hair.

She needed a new look. The long style had worked well in California but seemed too casual for her current life. Lucia finished dressing and went downstairs in search of Anderson.

He was reading the newspapers.

Looking up he said, “I spend the early part of the morning working in my office. I’ll head to the campaign headquarters about noon if you want to join me.”

She made herself a latte with the espresso machine while Anderson retreated to his office.

Glancing around the loft, she thought about her next move. Normally on a Monday morning, she would arrive at work early to get a handle on the week ahead. She hadn’t been to the campaign headquarters yet. Had it really been only four weeks? Sipping her coffee, she decided that she would not be left on the sidelines. She came to Connecticut for a new challenge so instead of hiding out in the loft; she decided to go down to the campaign headquarters.

Leaving a note for Anderson, she called downstairs for a car.

Breezing in and expecting a cool welcome, she was surprised by the acceptance that she encountered. The morning evaporated as she helped organize the volunteers and campaign literature.

Brian introduced her to Will Brown who had just graduated college and accepted an internship with the campaign. When Will asked about working with her as a press secretary, she didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Will was not only very friendly and approachable; he seemed genuinely interested in making a difference in the campaign.

Within a week, Lucia established a working rapport with most of the twenty or so staff. She worked hard to find the right balance between being open to new ideas and sharing her knowledge and expertise.

At the start of the day, several staffers were taking a look at the press materials she developed with Will about herself.

Marissa picked up her summarized biography, saying “Surely you volunteered at a soup kitchen or helped out with a literacy project? For hobbies, you list swimming, running and golf. It doesn’t reflect well on you.” came Marissa’s pointed inquiry.

Lucia shrugged, “No, I have lived a fairly average life in the suburbs of California. I finished my education then went right to work.”

“You are almost 30 years old. Think back carefully, you must have donated your time or money to some charitable event.” 

Lucia faced her. “I haven’t lived that kind of life. It’s important to me that this information reflects who I am.”

“Well, put something down about helping at her local library and being interested in raising literacy rates among immigrants.” Marissa told Will.

“No Marissa, I will not invent details about myself.”

Marissa adjusted her tight skirt and said “We will see what Anderson thinks.”

When Marissa left the room, Will turned to Lucia saying, “Don’t worry about her. You’ll need to rush to make it on time for your photo shoot across town. The car is waiting to take you.”

Lucia gathered her handbag and phone. “Thank you. Wish me luck.”

Rushing downstairs, she nodded to the driver and slid into the backseat. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to savor the peace and quiet.

Arriving at the photographer’s studio a few minutes late, an assistant hurried her over to the hair stylist, a distinguished looking man in his fifties. He introduced himself and motioned for her to sit in the swivel chair and began running his fingers through hair. Instead of asking her questions, he merely made comments to his assistant about the texture, quality and style of her hair. The assistant took her over to wash and condition her hair. While conditioning her hair, the assistant talked incessantly about the models and actresses that frequented the studio. The chatter did nothing to ease her nerves. After several minutes, the assistant guided Lucia back to the stylist.

He began combing out her long blond hair and she told him, “I would like a much shorter style.”

He stopped at once and said, “No, no, no… your hair is brilliant. It is not only healthy but your natural color is perfect for you, which is unusual. I had my assistant condition for shine and I will add some long layers for depth but nothing drastic.”

Lucia nodded. She then went to a makeup artist who artfully applied makeup for the camera. An assistant had organized the clothes she sent over and had arranged them neatly on a rack along with many other garments.

By the twentieth outfit change, Lucia thought that she was going to go insane. Taking a deep breath, she walked back out to the white backdrop for another round of shots. The photographer called for refreshments and suggested a thirty-minute break.

Lucia joined the photography staff in the common area that was comprised of two beige sofas set at a right angle. The low table included a spectacular buffet of wraps, salads, fruit and desserts.  Lucia gratefully sat down on a sofa and began devouring a turkey wrap, slice of melon and a seltzer. She enjoyed all the conversations happening around her and had the general sense that the staff was happy with the day’s work.

When she returned to the photo session, she caught sight of Anderson standing off to the side. The photographer commented to her that she seemed more animated after lunch. He continued to photograph her, calling over to Anderson to head to wardrobe.

Lucia was wearing a light green wool suit with a cream blouse and her hair was left loose. She could see herself in the mirror and realized that the updated haircut and makeup made her appear more polished. Anderson joined her a few minutes later and the photographer continued to click away as he threw orders at Anderson. Within a few minutes, the photographer announced that the business shots were complete and asked them both to change into something casual.

Lucia selected her favorite pair of jeans and a white button down shirt. When she entered the studio, she was asked to remove her shoes and an assistant partially unbuttoned her blouse and tied the bottom in a relaxed knot and then ran a quick brush through her hair. Anderson appeared as well and dutifully removed his shoes but when asked to unbutton his shirt, firmly replied “no”. The photographer merely clinked his tongue then motioned for them to go over to the mat. Anderson was instructed to place his arms around Lucia and look into her eyes. Without any prompting Anderson briefly kissed her on the lips and smiled. Instead of making her feel self-conscious it had a strangely calming effect. Lucia relaxed her inhibitions and within an hour, the photographer called it quits.

It was nearly 8 o’clock at night so they remained in the casual clothes and headed home together. Lucia noticed Anderson was lost in thought so she suggested a pizza at home and he nodded in agreement. The evening vanished as they eat in virtual silence then Anderson disappeared into his office.

  The next morning, Lucia got up by six o’clock to go for a swim before work and noticed that Anderson had already left the loft. Even though she suspected that he was at Marissa’s house, she tried to distance herself from any negative thoughts and concentrated on the speech that she was scheduled to give that afternoon. But as she met with Will and headed for the luncheon, she couldn’t help feeling abandoned by Anderson. She could use his advice and presence at the event but he didn’t even call to wish her luck.

She had practiced the speech many times and felt poised and ready. It took less than fifteen minutes to go through the material she prepared so she opened it up to questions and answers. Most of the audience was comprised of working mothers and they raised questions on eldercare, healthcare reform and the glass ceiling. Lucia was careful to listen and show concern instead of outlining Anderson’s campaign strategy. Her role was to raise awareness on certain issues but not to speak for Anderson.

Stepping away from the podium, relief pulsed through her body and she hugged Will. 

A reporter came over and took her picture with the groups’ director then asked for a brief interview. He began talking about California and her views regarding immigration reform. Lucia responded off the cuff but then realized she should be more careful.

When the event began to wind down, Lucia and Will headed back to the campaign headquarters.

One of the staff members informed her that Anderson, Brian and Marissa had gone to Hartford and wouldn’t return until the next evening. Lucia headed back to the loft and decided to call her parents to tell them about her successful speech. After a quiet evening spent reading, Lucia climbed into bed exhausted.

As she lay in bed, an image came into her head of Anderson with Marissa. Lucia angrily threw the covers aside and began pacing the room. She kept telling herself she wasn’t jealous but offended by his callous behavior. Didn’t he realize how hard she was working to be a good wife? Then with calm reflection, she realized she was not his wife in any real sense. She didn’t know what his hopes and dreams were beyond wanting to be a Representative. She knew very little about his past and certainly the physical side of the relationship wasn’t happening. She was an image to him. When she searched their recent encounters, she realized that she was just someone to present to the media as a sign of normalcy.

The next morning, Lucia walked into the headquarters ready for battle and encountered complete and utter silence. When she looked around she noticed the staff shuffling papers and avoiding her eyes.

Only Will was willing to speak and said tentatively, “It’s not as bad as it seems. I thought you did a great job. It’s obvious they are blowing one comment about immigration out of proportion.”

“What are you talking about?” Lucia questioned him. He reluctantly handed over the local paper. She first noticed the picture of herself with the words Congressional Candidate Anderson Adam’s Wife believes in welcoming illegal aliens. Lucia read the entire piece before saying anything. Her body became very still while she repeated the mantra in her head – don’t take it personally.

“Don’t worry. It is just one reporter blowing a comment out of perspective. I certainly didn’t mean to speak out on immigration reform.” Everyone seemed to relax in response to Lucia’s brave words and began talking at once.

She asked Anderson’s assistant to get him on the phone for her. While she stood waiting, she began to wonder if Anderson would be angry with her or would he take it in stride. The secretary spoke briefly to Anderson then handed Lucia the phone.

She heard his clipped tone “Yes?” and realized that he was probably busy.

Instead of holding back, she said “Did you happen to see the unflattering story about me in Stamford paper this morning?”

“I’m in the middle of something. We can discuss it further tonight.” Anderson abruptly ended the call.

Lucia handed the phone back to the secretary and tried not to be hurt by the exchange. She had desperately wanted his understanding and sympathy. The rest of the day passed in a blur as the staff responded to questions about upcoming events and coordinated sending out press materials.

At the end of the day, Lucia declined an invitation to go out for drinks with some of the staff in favor of going for a swim then a light meal alone at the loft. She spent most of the evening working on upcoming events.

When she heard the elevator doors open, she left the kitchen to greet Anderson. He looked exhausted from his trip, for the first time she noticed the tired lines around his eyes and slow movements of his body. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit and upon walking through the door removed his jacket and began loosening his tie.

“Was it a tough trip?”

Anderson ran a hand through his hair. Anderson said in a teasing voice, “Spoke to any reporters, lately?”

Lucia looked away from him and tried to gather her scattered thoughts. She had made a predictable mistake. She should have had her guard up.

Anderson pulled her into his arms and ran a soothing hand down her back as he said, “It’s nothing. If anything it brought a welcome distraction.”

His kindness only intensified the worry that she had contributed to his rapid decline in the polls. He held her tightly in his embrace and she wondered what was wrong.

When her body relaxed, he led her into the living area and pulled her down to sit with him on the sofa. He gathered her back into his arms so her head was lying against his chest. Lucia couldn’t see his face but could feel his calm breathing. 

She whispered. “I’m sorry.”

He moved away from her. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Part of dealing with the press is that at times they will put their own spin on a story. There is something else I haven’t told you. But first, I need a drink. Would like one?”

She nodded and watched Anderson make two vodka martinis.

He came back to the sofa and handed her a drink. They each took a sip and she waited for him to explain the polls.

Anderson met her gaze. “The funding for the campaign had been steadily declining since our marriage as a reprisal from Marissa. I wasn’t concerned at first but slowly she has cut off most of the money coming from the party and private donors. I thought she would calm down but she used her position within my campaign to sabotage it.”