Page 13 of The Mayor and the Mystery Man

“Why are you so against this?” Mitch asked when we were alone, with only the gush of the falls in the background. I knew he wasn’t talking about the election. That was the thing about Mitch. He knew how to cut through the bullshit in record time.

“When I was married, I felt like I was constantly making a choice between my relationship and my career. If I wasn’t hurting Deirdre and the kids, I was hurting myself. I’ve finally gotten into a groove as a single dad. I don’t want my life to get upended again.”

Mitch had an amused grin. “All I know is that a guy who keeps hooking up is maybe looking for something.”

I believed Mitch should be hooking up more. Between his quietness, strong work ethic, and lack of sex life, he was turning into a monk.

“Kids are still alive. Phew!” Cal wiped a hand over his forehead. Russ followed him outside. “Why don’t you pull up a dating app and let’s find you a boyfriend?”

“I’m not finding a fake boyfriend on an app,” I said firmly. “I’m not entrusting my political future to some random guy. I want to go with someone I know and who knows me. Someone I trust who won’t fuck up this ridiculous plan.”

“So that means you’re going to do it?” Cal’s eyes bulged as if he were a kid in a candy store. My sex life was now a candy store.

“Who’s someone you trust with this?” Russ asked.

I strummed my fingers on the railing. The idea had actually come to me at the beginning of this conversation, simmering until it seemed more logical. “There is one person.”

I didn’t know if he’d be up for something this crazy.

* * *

After we finished hanging out,I got into my car and pulled out my phone. I stared at it, going over multiple cost-benefit analyses in my head.

Leo:Can I call you?

Dusty: Uh-oh.

Leo: Is that a yes?

My phone buzzedwith a call from Dusty.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

“Why wouldn’t it be? Can’t a friend call a friend to see how that friend is doing?”

“You never ask to call. You call,” Dusty said, bringing up a good point about our relationship.

It was a shame he quit law school. He had the perceptiveness to be one hell of a trial attorney.

“I’m healthy and safe. So are the kids. But…” I laughed and rubbed my head, messing up my slicked-back hair. “This is going to sound absolutely crazy and ridiculous, and really, it’s an indictment on our political system when you get right down to it.”

“Go on.”

“You’re going to laugh.”

“I can’t laugh until I know what I should be laughing about.”

“But you’re going to. I’m warning you. It’s a real fucking gut buster. I hope you’re not drinking milk because it’s going to shoot through your nose.”

“What am I, six? Leo, spit it out.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. My stomach turned. “Do you feel like coming to Sourwood to be my fake boyfriend? I need a boyfriend to help turn around this media coverage, and I thought–”

“Sure.”

That was fast. And easy. “It’d be for about a month.”

“That’s fine.”

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