Page 61 of Powerless

Bennett pinches the bridge of his nose, but finally capitulates with a deep exhale. “You’re so bossy.”

“Damn straight I am, mister. You’re gonna put yourself in an early grave if you stay holed up in here.”

“Where are we going?”

“Out to dinner. There’s that little Italian restaurant you like down near our old apartment.”

A relaxed smile stretches his lips as he rolls his shirt sleeves down. “We haven’t been there in such a long time.” Slowly, he begins to loosen.

“It’s been well over twelve months since we’ve had dinner there.” I glance outside to see if I can catch Mark’s attention. Thankfully, he’s standing outside the room—like normal—and enters when I beckon him to come in.

“Ma’am,” Mark says.

“Bennett and I are leaving. We’re heading to The Pasta Warehouse for dinner.”

“Ma’am, my team needs to do a sweep of the restaurant to make sure it’s clear.”

I leave Bennett and walk over to Mark. “I know you have protocol, Mark, but…” I look behind me and lower my voice. “He’s losing his mind, and on the verge of collapse. I need to get him away from this, even if it’s only for an hour.” I silently plead, hoping he understands how much Bennett needs the reprieve.

Mark is one fine Secret Service agent, and I hope when Bennett becomes president that Mark will keep protecting him. Mark looks to Bennett, then back to me. “I’ll get it arranged.”

I lift my eyes up toward heaven and release a relieved breath. “Thank you, Mark.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am.” Mark proceeds to take all the necessary precautions for us to be able to leave.

“Bennett,” I call as I walk over to him. He’s managed to turn one of the TVs on and has it muted. He’s standing in front of the TV, his legs hip-width apart, his left arm wrapped around his waist while his right hand is pinching his chin.

“Fuck!” he yells.

“What is it?” I look at the screen and groan when I see we’ve lost Nevada.

“Nevada,” he groans and places his hands on his head as he paces. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Mark give me a nod. The Secret Service certainly works fast. I reach for the remote and switch the TV off. “What are you doing?”

I lower the remote, walk over to where his suit jacket is slung over the back of a chair, and lift it for him to slide it on. “I told you.”

“But— ”

“That’s it, Bennett. We’re getting out of here.”

“They might call it while we’re out.”

“Liam will phone if they do.” I fix his jacket once he’s in it and run my hand through his hair.

“I should stay with the team just in case.” My jaw jumps as I stare up at my husband. He swallows and averts his eyes. “An hour won’t hurt.”

“Good.” I take my jacket and slide it on. “Let’s go.”

Bennett looks to the blank TV, then back to me. I extend my hand, which he takes and we head out of the massive office to the room where the team has gathered. The team quietens when they see us emerge from the office we’ve been in since the campaign started. “Esther,” Bennett starts.

“Yes, sir.”

“Kathryn and I are stepping out for an hour.”

Esther smiles broadly. “That’s a good idea, sir.”

She looks to me and I release Bennett’s hand and step in to hug her. I whisper, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.” Esther is older and more like a young grandmother to the entire team. She’s been with us since she came and saw Bennett speak at the start of his election run. She was staunch in her beliefs and was there to debunk anything Bennett had to say, but once she heard him speak, she injected herself into his campaign. Since then, she’s been an integral part of helping him stay on track with all his commitments. “You’ve been amazing.”

“It’s been my absolute honor, ma’am.” Esther steps back and looks at Bennett. “You need a good meal in your stomach, because before you know it, Liam or I will be calling you to tell you you’re the new president-elect.”

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