Page 11 of Powerless

Jen sits straighter and smiles brightly. “Hi, Charli,” Jen replies. “Wow, I love your dress.” Jen’s voice has a slight crack.

“Thank you. I saw you walk in and thought whoa, you look amazing.” Charli looks to me, then back to Jen. But Jen is caught up in staring at Charli.

“Bennett Adams,” I say as I stand and offer her a handshake.

“Bennett Adams?” Charli’s brows furrow as she stares at me. Hesitantly, she reaches across and places her hand in mine. “Are you Senator Adams’s son?”

“I am,” I reply.

“Oh.” She arches a brow and stares at me in disgust before shifting her gaze to Jen. “Him?” she asks without fear of offending me.

“It’s complicated,” Jen replies as she gazes toward Charli.

“Drinks?” I ask both girls.

“Yes, please,” Jen replies without looking at me.

“Not for me.” Charli moves forward in her chair and begins to speak with Jen in a low voice.

I walk away from them and now understand why Jen is so opposed to this. I take my time getting drinks, leaving the girls to talk and sort out whatever is going on between them. However, I do keep an eye on them, because judging by Charli’s body language and Jen’s slumped shoulders neither look happy about our arrangement. Charli stands and gently places her hand on Jen’s shoulder causing Jen to lean into her touch.

Shit.

I take my cue to return when Charli leaves and Jen can’t tear her eyes off of her. I return with the drinks and place Jen’s on the table. Her eyes are glassy, but she straightens and offers me a small smile. “Thank you.”

“Your parents don’t know, do they?”

Jen reaches for her drink, brings it to her lips and takes a sip. “About what?” she asks as if I have no idea about her and Charli.

“You’re in a relationship with Charli.”

Jen turns quickly. “No, I’m not,” she says with determination, though the sadness in her eyes tells another story.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Jen. I could see it. You two are together.”

She lurches forward to take my hands in hers. “Please, don’t say anything.” Jen gulps and she purses her lips together. “Please, you can’t...”

“You should be with her.”

“Huh,” she scoffs and releases my hands. “Sure, because that’ll happen.”

“Do your parents know?” Jen drops her chin and wrings her hands together in her lap. “Jen?”

“They do know. And they said it’s a phase I’ll grow out of. They said that I’m too young to know if I’m really gay and that all I need is a good husband and he’ll straighten me out.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I close my eyes and think about this intense, horrid situation we find ourselves in. “Jen—”

“No, don’t say anything. I don’t want your pity.”

I lower my hand and open my eyes to stare at her. “You don’t want my pity? Well, too bad, you’re getting it. I feel like an asshole.”

“Like I said, at least you’re kind to me. If you dump me, they’ll set me up with someone else, and who knows how they’ll treat me.”

I scoot my seat closer to hers and wrap Jen in my arms. I kiss the side of her head while holding her. “We’ll figure this out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out, Bennett. I marry you and become an incubator so we can show the country what a perfect politician you are with a stable home, or I’ll have to do that for someone else.”

“This isn’t right, Jen. But, let’s not make any decisions that’ll be hard to back out of for now. We’ll figure it out. I just don’t know how yet.”

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