Page 50 of Unfriend Me
I flipped it open and drilled the first page with my index finger, feeling like a badass Nancy Drew. “Dates that one M. Smith checked into Hill Hotel.” I let his gaze scan the page before flipping it dramatically to the next. “Dates new business projects of yours have been greenlit by the city council. Note the one- to two-month delay after each and every visit by one M. Smith.”
Next page flipped. The condom in all its blown-up, eight-by-ten full-color glory.
The mayor sucked in a breath and I knew deep down in my bones like I knew flats were for sissies, I had the man’s attention now.
“M. Smith keeps a man’s company on each of her visits.” In all honesty, I was speculating here. It could have been a different man each time. But I was the betting sort and I placed all my chips on the mayor being her one and only paramour. “Thankfully, they left evidence. Evidence that I turned over to Lucille Sutter, a purveyor of sperm, if you will.”
Now this part was the flat-out lie, not that my ace poker face would ever give it away. I’d sealed that used condom up in a Ziplock and stashed it under my bed like a total weirdo. But if Ihadgiven it to Lucy for examination, she could have done all kinds of tests on the sperm, coming back with DNA evidence that any jury would have a hard time disputing.
The tick-tock of the antique clock on his desk kept time while Mayor Bennett swallowed repeatedly, gaze trained on the photo.
“DNA evidence should be coming through any time now.” I put both fists on the desk and leaned in, a rush of adrenaline making me feel high as a kite. I hadn’t watched CSI all these years for nothing. I knew how to intimidate a suspect. “Question is, what shall I do with this evidence? Turn it in to my father? Or…?”
The mayor’s gaze swung up to mine, anger, embarrassment, and desperation mixing together, each warring for center stage. His nostrils flared. My own rage recognized his. Oh yes, I knew what it was like to be angry and desperate. Two could play that game.
“What do you want?” he spat.
I stood straight and then sat down in one of the chairs opposite his desk, reclining like I had all the time in the world. “It’s not really about what I want, Mayor. It’s about what we can achieve together.” I laced my fingers and set them in my lap, cool, calm, and collected.
The dirty look he gave me would wither a lesser woman, but as it was in my rage, I was untouchable. He sat down in his chair, the leather creaking as he shifted, unable to find a comfortable spot. Hard to get comfortable when a “young lady” has your nuts in a vise you can’t escape.
He made a rolling motion with his hand, so I continued. “You agree to never allow the town of Auburn Hill to do business with Daire Beneventi. In exchange, I make this”—I waved at the folder on the desk—“disappear.”
He was silent for a moment, digesting my simple demands. Then he put his hands on the desk and some of the rage left his eyes. “That’s it? No business given to Daire and you destroy all this?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Pretty simple. I’m not here to extort money. I’m asking for very little, in fact. I hope you’ll take the generous offer.”
“How do I know you won’t just release this information later anyway?”
“Because if I do, you’ll start handing off future projects to Daire in retaliation. We both have to keep our ends of the bargain to get what we want. See? We achieve together.”
The mayor’s thumb tapped the table in a tell he probably didn’t even realize he had. Then he stood abruptly, the chair rolling back. I stood too, every cell in my body waiting on the edge of its seat to hear if my little game of chicken had actually worked.
“Deal,” the mayor stated, putting his hand out to shake on it.
I cringed. “Deal. But I prefer not to shake. I know where that hand’s been.”
The mayor blanched and looked down at his own hand hanging there in the space between us. With that parting shot I grabbed the folder and its contents and left the office with my head held high.
By the time I reached Hell Hotel, my heels weren’t even touching pavement. I was floating on a cloud of accomplishment I’d never felt before. I’d threatened the most powerful man in town and come back unscathed. Not only that, I’d shut down Daire.
And that? Shit, that was cause for celebration.
I’d take the day off and have a little party in my room. Maybe text Titus and see if he wanted to come over and party horizontally with me.
Rage?
Bitch, please. Rage was so last season. Blackmail was the new black.
* * *
“I’d like a jelly filled and a mocha with extra whip and drizzle.”
Lukas took my order at Coffee the next morning. I tipped him double for being willing to step up against Daire the other day. He was almost ten years younger than me, but the guy had certainly stepped up when he was handed his man card. He’d stood up to Jayden when he treated Lenora badly a while back. And he’d stepped up to help me with Daire. Lukas was good people in my book. If things didn’t work out with Titus, maybe I’d have to consider the cougar angle. Kidding, just low blood sugar making a bad joke.
I sat down and scrolled through my texts while I waited for my celebratory breakfast. As high as I’d been off my victory at the mayor’s office yesterday, there was a bubble of foreboding in my belly too. Titus had taken over an hour to text me back yesterday, telling me he wasn’t available to come over. And that was it. No sorry or how about a rain check. Just “not available.”
What kind of guy says no when sex is a pretty damn sure thing?
