Page 59 of Capitally Engaged

I hummed noncommittally. “I really can’t talk about this right now. Can we get through the day and plan to reconvene at home tonight?” My gut roiled in revolt at my use of the word home. I knew it would appease Preston’s anxieties for now and give me time to do exactly what he feared I would.

“After the softball game, right?”

I thunked my head on my desk in my mind. Fucking softball. “After the softball game.”

He walked up to my desk and leaned over, giving me a soft kiss. “We’re going to figure this out, babe. I promise.”

Knocking on the top of my desk, he offered me another smile and went back to his own space.

“Sometimes there just isn’t anything to figure out,” I muttered. I turned on my computer, and got down to my new to-do list for the day, which had nothing to do with communications management for a senator’s office.

Preston and the senator left for some engagement or another. I couldn’t be bothered to check beyond me knowing it would have them out of the office for the rest of the afternoon.I gathered my stuff, walking out into the outer office with purpose, hoping I could fake it and sneak out unquestioned.

“Where are you going? You don’t have any meetings this afternoon, and you have softball later. Are you okay?”

Damn those shared calendars and making friends with your coworkers. I turned to face Laurel.

“I’m great. I just forgot my tennis shoes at the apartment for this afternoon, so I’m going to run home and grab them.”

“Your shoes are right there. I can see them bulging in the bottom of your bag.” Laurel narrowed her eyes at me.

“Yes, but these are my dry weather tennis shoes. It looks like it might rain, so I need to go get my shoes that can get muddy.” Not bad for talking out of my ass. Like I had more than one pair of tennis shoes meant for exercising.

“I didn’t know it was supposed to rain.” Laurel turned her attention to her computer, presumably to check the weather since there were no windows in this part of the office. I took my opportunity and slipped out the door, hearing her “Hey!” as I shut the door behind me.

Much in the way I arrived at Preston’s, I left—my belongings in boxes and bags on a luggage cart. Life wasn’t quite cruel enough to match me with the same ride share driver, and I helped the woman load everything into her SUV.

“Headed to Adams Morgan?” the driver asked.

“Yup,” I responded, pulling out my phone to let Michelle know I was on my way and would be at her doorstep shortly.

Thirty minutes later, muddling through early rush hour traffic, I pulled up to Michelle’s building. She met us at the street, and the ride share driver accepted an extra twenty dollars cash in tip to help us load everything on the elevator just inside the entryway.

“So,” Michelle said, as she wiped sweat from her brow, putting the last of my boxes in her second bedroom. “Did youknow before I decided to become a meteorologist, I was studying psychology?”

I looked at her for a beat. “No, you weren’t.”

She had the decency to look slightly chagrined. “Okay, no, I wasn’t. But I’m an excellent listener. And the payment for harboring you in what feels like a slightly fugitive situation is the truth about what the fuck is happening.”

I couldn’t deny that was fair. “Okay, but I’m going to need some tacos and margaritas and confirmation you have a second bathroom because no matter the quality of Mexican food, it rarely agrees with me.”

Michelle sprang into action. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’m covering for the early morning meteorologist this week, so no margs for me, but the place next door does to go. Their food’s shit on weekdays. The weekend chef is much better, so we’ll get food from District Taco. Here, pick what you want.”

It was nice for someone else to take charge of my life for a few moments, even though I knew the consequences of my actions would come raining down on me sooner rather than later. I checked the time, noting the game should be starting soon, and Preston would realize I wasn’t going to show.

I couldn’t let him risk everything because of me, or worse, resent me in a few years when he looked back and realized what his life could have been. Tears trickled out of my eyes when I realized I pictured a life with Preston years down the line. All that was about to be wiped out because I liked to write dirty scenes in books about love and a humongous grudge from an awful woman.

I shook my head, wiping my tears. The actions of others wouldn’t dictate how I felt about my books. I loved writing. She and everyone who agreed with her were the ones who were wrong.

My inhale was a bit shaky and louder than I meant it to be, causing Michelle to look up in alarm. “Okay, I’m adding an extra order of chips and queso. We are about to get into it.”

I laughed, laying back on her couch, hugging a pillow to my stomach. Learning to open myself up to Preston allowed me to make true friends for the first time in my adult life. Never did I think I would be this grateful to have somewhere to turn. If I couldn’t have Preston, at least I wasn’t completely alone.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Preston

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