Page 75 of The Mayor and the Mystery Man

“Any tips or advice?” Or endorsement you could provide?

Harlen hesitated a moment before answering, something weighing in his eyes. “The main thing is to stay focused. You can’t let anything, or anyone, distract you.”

I read between the lines. Dusty.

“Rita came out of nowhere with that story. It has nothing to do with the issues.”

“Leo, I’m here for coffee, not bullshit. We know how campaigns work.” Harlen pressed his fingertips together, thinking through his next question. “Did you vet him before you started dating?”

“Vet him? He’s my best friend.”

“I was lucky. I met my wife in high school. We knew everything about each other and have been together for fifty years.” He cleared his throat. “You’ve been through a lot, Leo. Marriage, divorce, coming out, a sex scandal. But you’re not Teflon. You don’t want to take any more chances, especially with greener pastures on the horizon.”

Governor.

Could I be governor?

“You asked for my advice. Cut your losses with Dusty.”

Get rid of Dusty? My stomach dropped to my shoes. I didn’t want to cut Dusty out of anything.

“I can’t do that. He’s my boyfriend.”

“You said that you were friends first. If he is your friend, then he’ll understand.”

“Understand that I’m dumping him?” Maybe Dusty would understand, but the thought of doing this sent my mind into a nuclear tailspin.

“Politics and romance don’t always go together,” Harlen said with a wince. He obviously had never watchedThe American President.

I wasn’t the guy who believed in magic. You better believe I was the one eyeing magicians closely, looking for the tells behind their tricks. But being with Dusty had been magical. Yeah, I’d call it fucking magical.

“This seems extreme. Harlen, this will all blow over.”

“This will, but what about the next thing? I know I’m asking something big of you, but I will make sure the sacrifice is worth it. You’ll have my endorsement.”

I drank the rest of my coffee and tossed the cup in the trash, sinking a three-pointer. I stood up. “Well, Harlen, I guess I don’t have your endorsement then.”

His eyes lit up in rage and shock. Nobody said no to Harlen Carruthers. “I’d be careful, Leo. Give this some thought. This is your future we’re talking about.”

“I have, and the answer is no.”

I thanked Harlen for this time and left. I wasn’t going to throw Dusty under the bus, no matter how big the prize was. But the hard truth was that our fake relationship was spiraling out of control, my feelings for Dusty were spiralingwayout of control, and it was up to me to get everything under fucking wraps.

21

DUSTY

Leo knocked on my door at the buttcrack of dawn the next morning. Time for another run. I laced up my sneakers as he opened my door.

“See, I’m up,” I said.

“I do see that.” His running shirt stretched across his chest, and his tight running shorts did not leave much to the imagination. “Ready to run?”

“Actually, kinda?” I didn’t dread running like I did when we started. This had become one of those morning routine things people praised to high heaven that I could never get into. I wasn’t one for routines. Fortunately, Leo had enough discipline for both of us.

“Kinda? That’s better than the hell no I usually get. Are you enjoying running now?” Leo leaned against the door, his thick hairy arms and legs showing off from his shirt and shorts.

Yeah, there was a reason I was enjoying running, and it wasn’t the endorphins.

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