The Hot Guy at the GOP Debate (5 page)

“
What
the hell happened to you?” Mac asked. “You're a
trainwreck!”

She
just stared at him, knowing she was a disheveled, pathetic mess!

“
Oh
dear God, Jacey, what is it?” He said softening.

“
I...I...don't
know. I mean -- I ruined everything!”

“
What?
Did you find the guy?”

“
Yes,
I found him.”

“
Did
you talk to him?”

“
Yes.”

“
You're
a tough cookie, what the hell did he do to you?”

“
Nothing.
That's not it.”

“
What
is it then Jacey?” He asked.

“
I'm
sorry, I can't talk about it.”

“
You're
a reporter Jacey, and I'm your boss, you don't have the luxury of not
talking about it!”

“
I'm
sorry Mac, I can't do the story,” she blurted.

“
Now
you've got to tell me everything!” He demanded.

Jacey
collapsed onto the chair behind her, and through tears and
exhaustion, she proceeded to tell him everything.

“
I
feel so sick, Mac,” she said, feeling faint.

“
Go
home, go to bed, rest up over the weekend, and you'll be good as new
Monday morning,” he advised.

“
I'm
so sorry, Mac,” she said, as she grabbed her bag to leave.

When
Jacey got home, she opened the door and collapsed on the couch in
tears once again. The couch of tears, she thought. Does heartache
never

stop?
Will anything ever work out for me? She wondered.

Normally
when she went through a break up, she bounced back quickly. Breakup?
They only just met -- and here she is trying to make this a
relationship! This must be all the backlash from her real breakup,
the rawness of it all has left her crazed! Why didn't she just tell
him who she was up front? If only she had been open and honest, none
of this would have happened!

I
need to make this right, she thought. I need to make this right

...I
will make this...Jacey fell into a deep, helpless sleep.

*
* * *

The
early morning light peered through the curtains and fell across
Jacey's blotched and puffy face. She pulled the covers over her head
to deny the sun's cheerful nudging. She felt anything but cheerful,
as she remembered the events from the previous evening.

“
Oh
my God!” She hid her face in her hands. “I must make this
right...,” she said, continuing her late night mantra. I must
at least explain and apologize. I was wrong and I need to humble
myself. That's the least I can do, she decided. Thank goodness it was
a Saturday, so there was a chance he'd be home today. Jacey went to
her computer and looked up his name. There were only 3 people with
his last name in the city, and only one with his first initial and
his approximate age. 31 Busch Street, that has to be him, she
thought.

She
showered and dressed quickly, fixing her hair and makeup in minutes,
before racing out the door. Traffic was light for a Saturday morning,
thank goodness! She had only one quick stop to make on her way.
Within 25 minutes she found herself sitting in front of a large two
story McMansion, with an SUV in the driveway.

This
is not at all what I had expected, Jacey thought. I assumed he lived
alone, but come to think of it, he never actually said that. I'd just
assumed. Bad reporter! She scolded herself. Maybe he inherited the
family house, she thought. Well, whatever happens, even if he refuses
to see me, at least I know I tried to set things right.

Oh
well, here goes nothing, she thought, taking a deep breath of
courage. Jacey grabbed the package she had picked up on the way over,
and walked up to his front door and boldly rang the bell. There was
no answer. She tried again, but still no one came to the door. She
could hear voices coming from around the back of the house. It
sounded like there was a small party going on. She placed her package
down on the doorstep, and decided to take a quick peek around to see
if he was there and unable to hear the doorbell.

Jacey
walked cautiously around the side of the house, hoping to get a
glimpse of Alex before he saw her. She could see what looked to be a
family party with children running around and grownups mingling with
drinks and catered food.

“
Alex,
come over here for pictures,” a beautiful brunette woman called
as he rose from his chair and took his place by her side with his
hands on the shoulders of a young boy posing awkwardly in front of
them. Oh My God! Jacey thought. He is married! The wife, the child,
the huge house, the SUV!

I
need to get out of here! Her heart raced as she turned to make a
quick escape, accidentally knocking over a large porcelain planter
which went crashing to the ground. The brunette woman looked over and
came running towards her. “Are you alright? Did you hurt
yourself?” She asked with concern. “I'm sorry,”
Jacey said in a panic. “It's alright, please don't worry about
the planter,” she said.

“
Can
I help you with something? Are you looking for someone?” she
asked.

Jacey
tried to pull herself together and put on her professional hat. “No,
I...I rang the bell, but then I heard people and so I came to –
I mean, hi, I'm Jacey Smith. I'm a reporter with the 
Main
Street Journal
,”
she said, extending a handshake.

The
woman shook her hand warmly. “I'm Elizabeth. You're a reporter?
Why are you here? What's going on? Maybe I should call my husband
over for this.”

“
No,
no that's okay, I--I think I have the wrong house!” Jacey
stammered. “I was looking for a Mr. Jeremy Wilson, I think I
have the wrong address. I'm so sorry to have disturbed your party,”
she said, as she slowly backed away praying that Alex would not look
her way.

“
Jacey,
you're welcome stay for a while if you'd like, have a drink and some
cake.”

“
No,
thank you. You're very kind, but I've got to get back to work. I have
to get the scoop. You know...”

“
Of
course, well, good luck with your story Jacey.”

“
Thank
you, and I can pay you for that planter...”

“
That
won't be necessary. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt.”

“
Yeah,
me too...” Jacey said. She turned and raced back to her car,
then sped away like she was in hot pursuit!

Damn!
Damn! Damn! She pounded her fist against the steering wheel. He's
married! Of course he's married! Talk about deceit and betrayal! He
acted so self-righteous and was so upset that I

deceived
him, and he was the one deceiving me all along!

What
the hell was I thinking just showing up on his doorstep like that! Oh
my God! His doorstep!!! I left the package on his doorstep! The
package with flowers and a note attached! Oh my God! The note! What
if his wife reads the note!

She
knew she had to double back and grab the package before anyone else
brought it to him and his poor wife saw it!

Jacey's
heart was pounding as she made a screeching u-turn, and raced back to
his house. Please God, please let the flowers still be there, she
begged. She felt as if she might pass out from the anxiety, guilt and
fear of the pain she might have caused his wife. HE might have caused
his wife, she was completely innocent here, she told herself. She
never flirts or encourages married men, and she certainly never would
have kissed him had she known he was a married man!

Jacey
slowed her car to a crawl as she drove passed the side street and
peered over to his front stoops where she had left the package.
Nothing. There was nothing there. A sickly feeling began to rise from
her stomach as she tried to hold back her tears. Oh my God, she
cried. It is gone!

I've
got to get out of here, she thought and stepped on the gas! Her heart
was racing. Oh Dear God, please let it be Alex who found the flowers
and note, she pleaded. Please let it be him! Please don't let his
wife find out about them, she begged. She drove on, her eyes blurry
from tears, until she arrived home and threw herself once again back
onto her couch of tears, where she cried herself to sleep.

*
* * *

“
Dear
Alex,

Please
forgive me for not telling you upfront that I was a reporter. Please
believe me that everything I told you was true. I was just getting
over a breakup. I had been heartbroken and devastated. My boss put me
on this assignment, and I reluctantly came to the convention hall to
cover a story about you. When I first saw you in the office, I was
caught off guard, and I probably should have – no, I definitely
should have told you who I was right then and there. For some crazy
reason, I thought it might be a good idea if you didn't know, so that
you might be more candid with me. I never expected to like you so
much, and I certainly never expected to kiss you, and to have the
feelings that I felt for you when we held each other. I think you are
an incredibly kindhearted, caring, intelligent and extremely handsome
man, and I would love the opportunity to get to know you better. I
understand if you do not wish to see me again. Mostly, I wanted to
let you know that I will not be writing a story about you. Please
accept my apology again. I hope you will choose to forgive me.

p.s.
Yes, I did swoon!

Jacey
Smith”

Why
did I have to mention that we kissed? Jacey admonished herself. If
only I had left that part out, and the hugging and ugh the friggin'
swoon! That word is going to haunt my dreams forever now! If only I
had given a professional apology like any normal person would have
done, his wife would have had nothing to worry about. On the other
hand, It's not my fault that he lied to me! She screamed, suddenly
replacing guilt with anger! He never told me! He wasn't wearing a
ring! He kissed me back! How was I supposed to know? Her self
flagulation was suddenly interrupted by the ring of her cellphone.

“
Hi
Mac,” she said trying to sound natural.

“
Jacey,
I need you to go to convention hall to do a story to accompany
Seaver's story about the debate. I want a piece on the history of the
hall, and some of the people who work there. I'm sending Ray to meet
you there to take photos. He'll meet you today at noon. Got it?”