Page 72 of Capitol Matters

I didn’t trust her smile or the way she appraised me, but I held my peace until she said, “Damn, Farrow. You might change my mind about blonds.”

Her assessment prompted me to consider my outfit for the evening: a black and gold embroidered coat with black slacks, a black shirt, and a gold tie. It matched the table linens and coordinated with Holland and Preston—so I’d heard.

I tugged on my lapels. “Wedohave more fun.”

Vesper’s red lips curved into a smile.

Over her shoulder, I spotted someone else approaching. Holland wore an off-the-shoulder dress as white as her hair, with gold beading that echoed the necklace sparkling across her décolletage. The tomboyish girl I’d grown up with was no slouch in her work attire, but here—walking through downlights with her smokygray eyes fixed on me—she was fully in her element.

Vesper turned to allow Holland entry into our tight circle, but only long enough to nod toward me and comment, “Nice arm candy, Holl.”

Holland barely registered the words in time to protest. “He’s not my…”

But Vesper had already dipped into the crowd and left us alone at the front of the line.

I glanced from Holland to the bartender waiting for our orders.

“Old Fashioned,” I told him, fishing my money clip out of my jacket’s inner pocket as he set to work. “You want anything?” I asked Holland and gestured to the server muddling the bitters and water.

Holland shook her head. “I shouldn’t. I’m speaking tonight.”

“You?” I raised a brow. “Congrats. What about?”

“The vote. This is my father’s last push to ensure it passes.”

The last push was, in fact, what I would be doing tonight while stuffing bodies in the back of Donovan’s Bronco, but a speech probably wouldn’t hurt.

Holland gestured to the party in full swing. “He told everyone this is about the hundredth anniversary, but it’s not entirely.”

The bartender set my drink on the counter. I nodded thanks and dropped a bill in the crystal tip jar.

Time to address the elephant notably not in the room.

“Where’s your plus one?” I asked.

“Pres got called away at the last minute,” she said. “It’shisspeech I’m giving.”

That was bound to be a doozy. Rambling about how amazing humans were and how privileged we would be to fraternize and bear hopefully human children with them. I, for one, had not missed the gates being open. It turned our city into a tourist trap and its citizens into walking attractions. I drew enough attention from my own kind; I didn’t need guests lining up to see Marionette in action. Though, I had been known to sign my share of autographs.

I thought belatedly to respond. “Too bad for him. Missing the event is one thing, but seeing you in that dress…” Smiling, I gave her an appreciative onceover.

To my surprise, she stepped back and posed. The sheer sleeves of her gown billowed as she drew close again. “What about you? I find it hard to believe you couldn’t dial up someone from your little black book.”

I took a sip of the Old Fashioned. I couldn’t exactly tell her that I arrived alone but didn’t intend to leave that way. Abducting two people at once would keep me busy enough without a date sending me for drink refills and hors d’oeuvres all night.

“Didn’t want the distraction,” I answered honestly. “But now that I am faced with another distraction, I may have changed my mind.” The curve of my lips prompted her cheeks to pink, but she shook her head.

“What’s gotten into you tonight?” she asked.

“Someone recently reminded me of another side of myself. I thought I’d let him out to play for a while.”

Holland blanched. “About that. I didn’t mean—”

I lifted a hand to stop her. “Maybe it was what Ineeded to hear.”

Her mouth hung open, barely withholding protest as I continued.

“Now, you may not want arm candy, but I’m happy to keep you company. We happen to be seated together, and…” I gave her gown another meaningful look, followed by a pose of my own. “We make a nice match.”

---