Page 46 of The Senator

“I’ll be down in a minute.” Nash went into the ensuite to style his hair since I’d hogged the bathroom with my primping that morning.

It was an odd setup, the three of us living together, but we were working it out as we went along. It would only be a few weeks before Vani moved, and Jay was coming home for Christmas, bringing his boyfriend before the two of them went to Cole’s parents’ home for New Year’s. It would be our last Christmas as a nuclear family—more or less—and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Too much change, too fast? Probably.

“Coming Mom.” I rushed downstairs with Nash behind me.

Vani and Nash were dropping me off at the metro in Tyson’s so I could take the silver line to the Capitol South Metro stop, which was about two blocks from the Capitol building. I was planning to take the car service home that evening for the last time, but I wanted the memory of taking the metro that morning, just as I used to do when I was a shiny new Senator on my first day that January after I’d won the November election in 2008.

Maybe I’d gotten too big for my britches when it came to my private life, thinking I was above discretion regarding who I spent time with and what we did. I’d have never done anything so stupid when I was beginning my career, so when had I let my guard down and become so damn careless as to get caught, literally, with my pants down?

I walked into the kitchen to see Vani with a cup of coffee in her hand. There were two cups on the island, and she had a smile on her face. “You look handsome,” she offered before she handed me a cup.

I kissed her forehead and stepped back, hearing Nash on the stairs behind me. He walked into the kitchen, and Vani picked up his mug, handing it to him. He kissed her cheek and the three of us stared at each other as we sipped our coffee.

“You know, there are a lot of poly couples out there.” My gaze flicked between the pair as I spoke. Vani cackled, which wasn’t really a surprise. Nash looked at me with concern, so I stepped over to him, kissing his lips before we both turned to look at her.

“That sense of humor will take you far, Spencer Aaron Brady. It’s a beautiful idea, but I’m not interested. I love you both, but I don’t see us being a big, happy trailblazing family. I’m looking forward to a new start and knowing that I’m always welcome with the two of you makes me so happy. The three of us being together that way wouldn’t ever work for me but thank you for the half-assed invitation.”

Nash and I both laughed as the three of us had a group hug before Nash collected the empty mugs and put them in the dishwasher. The three of us left the house, and when they dropped me off at the metro, I could see we had a bright future as a family—just not as a poly family.

Vani was on her new path, and I would be happy for her—eventually. I was worried about losing her friendship, but I should know better. Vani would never let that happen.

I exited the metro station, pulling my topcoat closed and sliding my hands in my leather gloves. The train had been hot, so I’d unbuttoned my coat and shed my gloves, but when I arrived above ground, it was like the fucking wind could cut me in half.

As I walked toward Sean’s office off Seward Square, I ran all the questions through my mind that he might ask. I couldn’t officially start working for him until after the first of the year, but he wanted to meet that morning, and I wasn’t one to stand up my potential boss.

I walked into the former row house on North Carolina Avenue where Sean had his offices, seeing the atmosphere was very casual. What had been the dining room was now the waiting room, so I approached the ornate desk where a handsome young man was sitting with a headset, listening intently as he made notes on a laptop. When he saw me, he hit a button on the earpiece. “Good morning, Senator. Sean will be with you in a moment. Can I get you something? Coffee or water?”

“No, I’m fine.”

He rose from the desk and offered to take my coat, so I gave it to him before I went to sit down on an antique sofa that faced a gorgeous fireplace which was blazing brightly. It was a gas log set, but it looked authentic enough, and the stockings with everyone’s name embroidered on the cuff were a nice touch.

I reached for the current copy of The Hill, the newspaper that focused on all the events that happened on Capitol Hill and scanned the cover. It was a comprehensive list of everything that would be taken up after the holiday break, and I wasn’t sorry I wouldn’t be returning to that bullshit in January.

Not a minute later, I heard the distinct sound of Sean’s voice, the volume becoming louder as he descended the stairs. “Thank you, Megan. Have a wonderful holiday and give my best to your mother. Goodbye.”

Sean ended his call and walked over to where I sat. I folded the paper and placed it on the table before rising to address the man.

“Good to see you, Senator,” Sean greeted.

“Glad to be here.” We shared a strong handshake.

“Let’s go to my office. Byron, I’m not to be disturbed for the next hour, please. Take messages. No exceptions.”

The handsome young guy nodded at Sean’s barked orders before he turned toward the stairs, and I followed him to the second floor.

There were four offices from what I could see as I stepped onto the second-floor landing where there was another staircase to a third floor. Two of the offices were occupied. One was empty, and one—the biggest one—was decorated with elegant French provincial furniture, the walls a calming grey and the ceilings and trim a stark white. That was where Sean led me, closing the door when I was inside.

“Please, take a seat. Can I get you some coffee or perhaps, an espresso?” Sean offered, refilling his demitasse cup from a small French press.

“No, thank you. So, if I were to take the job with you, I wouldn’t be available to officially start until the end of May. I could offer consulting assistance behind the scenes, but nothing forward facing until then. Is there anything in particular?—?”

“What have you found out about your unceremonious outing?” Sean asked abruptly. I was taken aback for a moment but recovered quickly.

“Uh, accusations have been made about a member of my staff as you know, but thus far, I have nothing concrete to back them up. I’ve engaged someone who is trying to track the photographer.”

Sean sat down in a large chair across from me, sipping his espresso for a moment before he placed the saucer and cup on the glass table next to him and sat forward. “I’ve always admired you, Spencer. My boyfriend, back then, thought you were incredible, and as a small-time stringer at the Washington Post, he tried like hell to get time on your schedule for an interview. Oh, he was damn sure it would put him in the big time because you were a new mover and shaker in DC, and I guess he thought he could ride your coattails to fame.

“I helped set him up with powerful people to build his resume, but for some reason, I refused to set him up with you. Something told me it was a bad idea, so I kept telling him it wasn’t going to happen. You were a busy man and didn’t have time to sit with a reporter wannabe for an interview. That was when he started blowing me off for our dates, telling me he was busy.”

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