Page 28 of The Senator

I’d escorted many widows to fancy parties in town, and I’d spent quality, expensive time with lawyers, judges, doctors, and politicians, sometimes at a function, but more often in a bed, against a wall, or on the floor. The money rolled from one person to another, and I’d taken my part of it along the way because those people who paid for my time? They were all jobs for me—not real with any feelings at all.

Of course, my opinion of the Washington upper crust changed when I met Spencer and Vanessa Brady. Suddenly, something else occurred to me.

“Damn! She’s gonna want the apartment back, I bet. I gotta find somewhere to live.” Now, is it all about me? Fucking hell.

Vani giggled. “Well, we have room here if you need it.”

I stared at her, taking in her demeanor. She meant it, and I couldn’t understand why. “You and Spencer have a life and a son. There’s no reason for me to get in the middle of all of that. Hell, Vani, we’ve only known each other for a week. Why would you give a shit about me?”

Vanessa placed a glass on the counter in front of me, slowly pushing it to me. “I don’t know what you drink, and I’m not a bartender, so it’s Glenlivet. It’s Spence’s favorite.”

I nodded and took a healthy swig, slowly swallowing down the liquor to help ease the nerves in my belly. It felt as though I was at a crossroads, and in the past, I hadn’t made the best decisions under those circumstances. I glanced in Vani’s direction to see she was sipping a glass of white wine and studying me carefully.

“I—I’m not—” I was trying to put the words together in a way that made sense instead of the jumbled mess in my head.

Vani nodded and placed her wine on the marble counter. She took my hand and offered a comforting smile. “You do what’s best for you. Spencer won’t commit to you because of me, but I’m moving out. We’re selling the house, and I’ll give him a divorce when he asks, but he needs to do it for himself—not for me and not for you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. She was spot on, though I wasn’t sure why it hit me so hard.

“That man is loyal to a fault, but I believe he’s also twisted up. Let him take you to drop off the car at the airport, and then have him take you home. You’ve got some things to consider as well, Nash. Yes, it’s fast, but that doesn’t make it wrong.” Vani was so sweet as she reached for her glass.

I slugged the rest of my drink, realizing she was dead on. Each of us had to do what was right for him or her. I had more than a little thinking to do.

CHAPTER 13

SPENCER

“I’ll be in touch. I gotta track down Caroline about my job and the apartment. You should think about what’s next for you, Spence. We’ve done nothing to be ashamed of, and I’d rather we keep it that way. You’re a good man, and Vanessa is a wonderful woman. I know you love each other, but it’s time to decide what kind of love you two have.” Nash was in preacher mode. I could hear a sermon from a mile away.

I started to jump in, but he wasn’t finished yet. “I won’t be another Blaire Conner. I don’t roll that way, and I don’t think you’re comfortable having another down-low relationship either. We’re all adults here. It’s time we made adult decisions.”

My SUV idled at the curb of his apartment building near George Washington University’s campus. He reached over and squeezed my right hand that was resting on the console before he opened the door and hopped out. He hauled out his duffel, giving me a sexy wink before he closed the door.

Stunned was a word to describe my current mood. I thought we were making headway, Nash and I, but it sounded to me as if he was pulling away.

Why, though? I had to know what Vani said to him before I returned from showering, so I shifted my SUV into drive and headed back over the river and out the GW Parkway toward home.

Just as I was about call Vani, my Bluetooth buzzed through the speakers. I glanced at the dash to see it was Mario, so I accepted the call. “Hey, Mario. What’s up?”

“Guess who called you? Give up? Frank Turner. He’s out of the hospital, and he wants to see you,” Mario informed.

Another revelation wasn’t what I needed. “He wants to—? Why?”

“Wouldn’t say. He only wants to talk with you. Should I call him back and schedule a time?” Mario didn’t give away his thoughts on the matter. He was careful that way.

I almost said that I should talk to Vani first—that was usually my go-to answer, but maybe it was time I started handling things by myself? Maybe that was the direction my life was headed? Vani needed a chance at happiness, and the life we were trying to live was a huge lie, which now, everyone knew. She’d been loyal to me through the chaos, but was that good for her?

“Tell him I’m in the area and can drop by now. What’s his address?” I knew the Turners lived in Potomac, but I didn’t know where.

Mario rattled off an address, and I pulled over to plug it into my GPS. After we ended the call, I exited the Parkway and headed toward the Beltway to find the large colonial hidden in a gated community where the Turners called home.

After I showed my identification to the guard, I was allowed to enter through the massive iron gates. I wound my way through the exclusive neighborhood that made Great Falls look like a trailer park. I found 3 Patriot Way, which seemed aptly named, considering the neighborhood probably gave off a red-white-and-blue glow at night, what with all the flags flying from large poles outside the mansions.

Don’t get me wrong, if someone were to cut me, I would bleed red-white-and blue because I loved my country—or the ideal of what my country could be. What I didn’t love were dishonest politicians, which, I supposed now included me in many people’s eyes.

I parked on the circle drive of the huge brick colonial with four large columns across the front porch. There was a massive brass light fixture hanging from the ceiling that could kill someone if it fell, and the mat at the front door didn’t say welcome.

I rang the bell, and about a minute later, a woman in a grey uniform with a white apron opened the door. “Good evening,” she greeted with an accent unfamiliar to me.

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