Page 12 of Since Always

He grins and moves in closer to me, my back pushing up against the wall. "Well, now," he says. "I never said that."

And I don't move away when he kisses me.

CHAPTER 4

Owen

We've moved into the largest sitting room, where the air is thick with cigar smoke. Conversations about stock prices and the previous administration's Chinese tariffs drift through the room. I set an empty glass down on a walnut table, trying to keep my focus on the surrounding talk, but my view of the bar keeps drawing my attention. People in their mid-20's take shots, and break out into cheers after someone chugs a beer. They are laughing, happy and carefree.

Was I ever one of them?

Stephanie has arrived, and she and Chris are curled into one another on a couch near me. He is keeping an eye out for his sister, who still doesn't know that Stephanie Kennedy has stepped back into our lives. I refrain from telling him that I know exactly where she is. She came to the bar a while ago, with some douchebag-looking kid, and now she's back outside with her friends.

I don't tell him I've watched her the entire time.

In a similar group, across the room, Senator Mark Reynolds puffs on a cigar and chuckles at something the woman next to him says. The woman is the heiress to the largest retail chain in the world. Even without being able to hear it, I can tell his laughter is fake. We said hello to one another as I walked into the room, both plastering on a facade as everyone watched our exchange. Then we retreated to our respective people.

"You happy to get back to work soon?" Deacon Kay says. Deacon is an attorney I met a couple of years ago who is now a partner at my old firm in Aurora.

"Yes and no. The break has been nice. I got to see my parents."

"Oh yeah, they're still in Paris, right?"

"Going on ten years. They love it. My mom thinks she's Audrey Hepburn."

"I bet it's nice to be past the election. Still five years before you have to do that again, right?"

"It's about a three-year break before I have to start gearing up for the next one. But yeah, I'm happy to be able to focus on doing the job rather than keeping the job for a little while."

"Reynolds over there seemed pissed that you won. I was at the same dinner as him election night. Guy's a real dick. You'd think you weren't in the same party."

"We barely are."

"Do you know what his issues with you are? I mean, he's more moderate than you but not as bad as his dad was. You think he just can't handle being the only young, good-looking Senator in the state?"

I crack a smile. "Aw, Deek. I knew you thought I was pretty."

"Don't let it go to your head."

"No, Mark's shit with me is personal. An old grudge."

"He's a fucker," Chris pipes in. I hadn't even been aware he was listening. "And really, he should be careful. I have enough dirt on him to destroy him." He is so casual about how he says it that for a minute I think I have misheard him.

"What?" I don't even try to mask the confusion in my voice. "What dirt do you have on Mark Reynolds? And how? And...why?"

He glances down at Stephanie, who is still curled up on his chest, and she nods.

"Over the past couple of years," she explains. "I've become best friends with his ex-fiancée, Jana. She's an attorney too. Our paths crossed awhile back, and we hit it off right away. She had just split up with Mark, and...well..." She turns to Chris and he finishes the story for her.

"We all had dinner one night, and I was talking about how I knew Mark and how you were my best friend. It was right after the election and I was talking about all the shit he had pulled during it. She laughed and said if he ever tried anything like that again, to just let her know. She had evidence of some career-ending shit he pulled when they were still together."

"Like..."

"You probably shouldn't know that," Stephanie pipes in. "And truthfully, we probably shouldn't talk about this here. But yeah, he's not a good guy."

"No, he's definitely not a good guy," I confirm.

"Was he always like that?" Deacon asks. “I mean, I would think you guys would get along better. You were married to his sister after all, right?”

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