Page 4 of Presidential Bargain
“Think about it. Your school will be hounded by press once we make the announcement. It’ll be a zoo. Do you want that tohappen?”
Georgie gnawed on her lower lip, working it between her front teeth. I saw her imagining the scene I described and knew the moment she realized that I was right. She sat back in the wooden chair and lookeddefeated.
“What if you lose? What will Idothen?”
“You won’t need to look for another job. They’ll come looking for you.” I was confident that I wasn’t going to lose, though. I was only down in the polls by a few points, which could easily be made up now that I had a fiancée. Georgie was my ace-in-the-hole and once we announced our engagement, I knew my numbers wouldskyrocket.
“Give me a week to get thingssettled?”
“One week. I’ll have my team of spin doctors get started on your letter ofresignation.”
“Why? I can do thatmyself.”
“Because it will become publicrecord.”
“Oh.” Her mouth curved into a tiny frown and I resisted the urge to kiss her. Then, as if by magic, her face transformed into a huge grin and she began tolaugh.
“What’s sofunny?”
“You called Lewis and Jenkins ‘spin doctors’. That’s exactly what I thought when Imetthem.”
“Great minds think alike.” I glanced down at my watch. It was getting late and I cleared my schedule to drive out here and talk to her. I knew when she walked out of my hotel suite that she needed something more, something real from me, before she’d agree to this insane plan. Now that she took the leap, I had to get back to thecampaign.
“My press secretary will be in touch. And Sean Wallace, my campaign manager, will alsocontactyou.”
“Okay.” She suddenly looked scared, unsure of the agreement she had just made. I wanted to put the smile back on her face and the laughter back in her voice. But I had to win the election first. Maybe if we won… I stopped my thoughts from developing. I didn’t have room in my life for something permanent, onlytemporary.
“I have one very important question to ask you, though,”Isaid.
Her eyebrows immediately shot up, curiosity filling those huge green eyes that unmanned me whenever I lookedintothem.
“What’s the question?” Her voice was cautious, with a subtle defiant tone, like she was ready for whatever challenge Igaveher.
“What’s your favorite LedZeppelinsong?”
She laughed, a hearty sound that came from deep within her. Her head tilted back and she grinned, lighting up her entire face. Then she looked at me, shooting me right through the heart with two dazzling emerald green arrows. “Kashmir.”
Iapproved.
“I’ll see you in a few days.” And because I couldn’t help myself, I bent down to kiss her cheek softly before slipping my suit jacket back on and leaving her, looking like a deer in theheadlights.
Walkinginto school the nextday, I had a stomach full of nervous butterflies. I felt physically ill at the idea of telling Paul Danville, the principal of my school and a man I considered a second father, that I was resigning and engaged to Jameson Martin. I knew he wouldn’t buy some bullshit story about Jameson and me secretly dating, so before Jameson left last night, I secured his permission to tell Paul thetruth.
“I know.” His response shocked me. I had spent a good twenty minutes explaining how I had met Jameson Martin and agreed to be his fake fiancée. My hands were sweaty and shook the entire time I relayed the story, and the butterflies only got worse the longer Ispoke.
“What do you mean? How could you already know?” Disbelief flooded my voice because there wasnoway that Paul knewaboutthis.
“Because I’m the one who contactedJameson.”
Apparently, I was meant to spend the entire week in shock. I imagined this meeting happening very differently. I certainly didn’t expect him to admit that he had been the one to contact JamesonMartin.
“You contacted SenatorMartin?”
“Yes. I’ve been friends with his father for a very long time. We served together. When he told me about Jameson’s problem, I knew you were thesolution.”
“So have you just been waiting for me to show up thisentiretime?”
“Yes. In fact, we already hired your replacement.” The school year didn’t start for a few more weeks, so there was still time to find someone to fill my position. Apparently, Paul didn’t need a fewweeks.
