Page 2 of Am I the Only One

“Marry me,” his heart spoke.

Two simple words.

That was all he needed.

I knew he was it for me. His were the only hands I wanted on me, so without hesitation, my own heart replied, “Yes!”

We never made it out of the rain that day; instead, we ran through the flowers and escaped into the Orangery greenhouse where Tripp pushed me against the vine-covered wall. He couldn’t rein in his desire, and neither could I. Unfastening his pants in a rush, Tripp hoisted me off the ground, pushed the skirt of my dress up, and yanked my panties to the side. The two of us had made love in a frenzy of raw ecstasy.

That was then, and this is now.

Spontaneity has been exchanged for schedules. Lost are the days of decisions made purely from our carnal desires when we loved beyond love’s capacity to love—boundlessly and freely.

“It’s time to take the next step,” Tripp announces to the crowd, snapping me out of my remembrance. “It’s time to put a true anti-corruption expert in the governor’s mansion.”

The crowd’s applause spreads like wildfire, growing louder at each of Tripp’s strategically placed pauses.

“I am running for governor, and I intend to win. You have my word that, as governor, I will work for the citizens of Maryland with a level of intensity, tenacity, transparency, and rigor that this state has never seen before.”

Roars erupt when Tripp takes a step back to soak in the peoples’ encouragement. It’s a moment he’s been striving toward for a long time. After ten years of working for the state as one of its leading prosecutors, he won the vote of the people to become the state’s attorney general, but his term is coming to an end, and he has his eyes set on becoming governor.

He turns to me, takes my hand in his, and raises them up as a symbol of our united promise to the people. I knew my husband and I would be presented as a package deal. He will be running for governor, and I will, in turn, have to gain the confidence of the people that I can hold my own as First Lady of the state of Maryland.

So, I smile to the crowd and take the kiss my husband proffers, a kiss that was discussed and choreographed the night before. It wasn’t a spontaneous gesture of love and devotion, but rather a plotted act of American family values to give the perception that he’s a loyal and faithful husband—a man people can trust.

I wanted to express my concern that the kiss would look too staged, but I’ve learned through the years that any opinion of mine that contradicts Tripp’s parents’ was null and void. So, I keep my behavior proper just as my mother-in-law had pressed, and when Tripp pulls back, I gaze up and give him an adoring smile.

And with that, I nail the performance.

After the rally, we go back to the house for a little breather before we head to DC where Tripp’s parents are hosting a large celebratory party. While Tripp is on a call with his campaign manager, I slip out of my conservative attire and put on the deep-red dress that I bought for this very occasion. It isn’t my typical color, but this isn’t a typical day.

I’m able to take one glance in the full-length mirror before Tripp calls out from downstairs, “We need to go. Are you ready?”

“Coming.”

After grabbing my clutch, I head downstairs with a little more bounce in my step than usual, excited to show off my new outfit to my husband. I spot Tripp from across the room, wearing the new tie I picked up for him. He’s on his phone and barely glances my way when he grabs the car keys and mouths for me to come on.

Disappointment returns. It’s a feeling I’ve become familiar with, especially lately. Trailing behind him, I slip on my wool coat before we head out. The drive is a little over an hour, but Tripp spends the whole time on the phone.

I get it. He just made his big announcement and people are excited, but with how busy everything has been leading up to this point, and knowing that, moving forward, it’s only going to become even more hectic, I was hoping to snag a little of his attention on our drive.

Just because I’m irked beneath the surface, I go against my instinct to say something because I know it would wind up coming out accusing or snarky, so I opt to keep a tight lip. This is his moment, after all, not mine.

We hit some slight traffic in the city, so when we arrive, we are a bit late. Even though I’m exhausted and the last thing I want to do is to mingle with the influential people of Maryland and DC, I’m ready to dazzle.

Walking hand in hand as we enter the house that’s even grander than ours, we’re immediately greeted by Tripp’s father.

“There you are, son,” William says with a clap to Tripp’s shoulder. “And Caroline,” he continues, taking both my hands in his as I grit my teeth in distaste for the name he insists on calling me, as if sayingCarlywould stain his tongue in low-society tar. “Lovely as always.”

As he kisses my cheek, I hold my breath against his robust cologne before pulling back with a mock charmed smile. “Thank you, William.”

“Oh, you two finally made it!” Eloise, Tripp’s mother, croons with outstretched arms as she approaches.

After a kiss to her son’s cheek, she turns her attention to me. I’m not surprised when she gives me a once-over before hugging me and remarking in distaste, “Red is quite a bold statement.”

All I can do is force a smile. No sense in poking the beast.

Of course, she would only view me in red as whorish or cheap when my true intention is to give a fashionable, patriotic nod to the Republican Party, which the Montgomery’s are known to be a part of.

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