Page 5 of The One I Love

In response to an urgent phone call and a request to meet as soon as possible, Anson had driven to his campaign headquarters immediately after dropping off Eve at Silver Creek.

He and Eve had just finished doing a re-creation of a long-ago incident in order to trigger his memories. Which was why Anson was dressed so casually. It didn’t matter. His youth was part of his appeal with Denver voters.

In his jeans, T-shirt and hoodie, he looked more like a college student than a businessman running for a seat on the Denver City Council.

“There isn’t any sex tape.” Anson spoke confidently, leaning back in the visitor’s chair in Jerome’s office. “At least not one involving Eve.”

Eve, Anson knew, was just as determined to protect her privacy as he was.

“Didn’t you open the link I sent you?” Jerome, a balding man in his midforties, had his gaze firmly fixed on Anson’s face. “It’s definitely her.”

“I told you on the phone. I don’t open random links without checking them out first.” Everything in Anson stilled. “I don’t believe it. How can you be sure it’s her? People fake videos all the time to—”

“See for yourself.” Jerome pulled up the video, then held out his iPad.

“I’m not watching it.” Anson shook his head. “I’m certain it’s not her, and even if it is, I’m not going to judge. But I’d like to know who the guy is in the video. Is he the one who put it out on the internet?”

The calmly spoken question was at odds with the fury rising inside him.

“Some guy she apparently hooked up with when she was at Berkeley.” Jerome rubbed his chin. “Not sure why he put it out there now.”

Anson thought of Eve. She was strong, but the storm this would stir up would hit her hard. Eve valued her privacy. She didn’t trust many people, but she obviously had once trusted the man in the video with her.

Pushing up from his chair, Anson kept a tight control on his emotions. “I need to get to Eve. This is—”

“What you need to do is sit down and think,” Jerome insisted.

“Think about what?” Anson snapped. “How pathetic this guy is for holding on to the tape after they broke up? How spiteful it is for him to post the video now? How—”

“How much this will hurt your campaign.”

“Hurt my campaign?” Anson leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. “News flash. I’m not the one in the video.”

“But she’s your girlfriend, and you’ll be tainted by association.” Jerome’s look turned pitying. “I warned you about taking up with someone like her.”

“Someone like her?” Anson’s temper rose along with his voice.

“Listen to me, Anson. You’ve got more to lose from this incident than Eve does.”

“How can you say that? She’s the one who has been violated.” Anson closed his eyes. The video had gone viral, so every time the intimate encounter was viewed, Eve would be violated all over again.

“She’s a social media darling. This kind of stuff is what girls like her live for.” Jerome gave a little laugh. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she orchestrated—”

“Enough,” Anson snapped, the warning in his tone unmistakable. “I’ve warned you before. I won’t tolerate you speaking badly about Eve.”

Apparently reading the situation correctly, Jerome backpedaled. “Okay, let’s talk facts. Voters in your district skew conservative. You have a good shot at winning them over because of your family’s reputation and your philanthropic work. You’ve had your personal struggles, but you’ve never been in trouble.”

“The public has a short memory.” Anson waved a dismissive hand. “By next May, when the election is held, this will be long forgotten.”

“An optimistic viewpoint.”

Anson arched a brow. “You don’t agree?”

“Are you willing to take that chance? I don’t have to tell you that these videos live forever online.” Jerome blew out a breath. “Maybe people will move on, or maybe they’ll come back to it every time you make a public appearance. The Driskills and the Hawkinses are big news in Denver. That makes your association with Eve an even bigger liability.”

“Jerome.” Anson’s voice was a warning growl.

His campaign manager lifted his hands. “I’m just saying that I think it’s best forbothof you to take a step back. Let me explain why.”

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