Author: K.A. Linde

“Hey,” Hayden said. His smile was full-on charm. “You look great.”

“Thanks,” Liz said. She appreciated his compliment in spite of her nerves as he pulled out of her driveway.

He looked good too. He wore a fitted black suit with a white button-down and a blue tie that matched her blouse. Brady would surely look better, though. Liz gritted her teeth at the thought. She hated comparing, so she racked her brain to find something else to talk to Hayden about.

“How do you think the paper is doing so far?” she managed to get out.

“Good. We lost a lot of seniors at the end of the last year, but the incoming freshmen are really stepping up. I was surprised to see Savannah Maxwell in the room. Weren’t you?”

“I was surprised.” Though for reasons he would have never guessed.

“You would think with her family’s history she wouldn’t have chosen reporting,” Hayden continued. “I was worried she would be a liability.”

“I think she doesn’t want to be under the shadow of her family. Big shoes to fill and all that,” Liz told him. It felt strange to have insight into Savannah’s head, but she was working closely with her now. Liz could kind of pick up on her vibe.

“Well, as long as you two work well together, then I don’t see any problem with it. I know how you feel about our politician.”

Liz tried not to cringe at the name Hayden still used for Brady. She needed to change the subject again, but worried that somehow it would always go back to Brady…especially today.

Finally Liz relaxed enough to just shrug. She wasn’t going to talk about Brady. She was too nervous for him at present.

“What do you think about the other freshmen?” Liz prompted.

Thankfully that incited a long-winded discussion of every new person Hayden had come into contact with. Some Liz had seen or heard about already in the first week and others she hadn’t, but she fed him a few questions here and there so she didn’t have to give much input.

Even though Hayden kept up a steady stream of conversation, Liz couldn’t keep from wringing her hands in her lap from nerves. When Hayden asked about it, she tried to brush it off. She was too invested in the race, since she had spent all summer on it. The outcome was really important and all that. But she was really just anxious for Brady…and for what it meant for them going forward.

They followed the directions to the south side of Raleigh, where a ballroom was to be the spot for the Senator’s victory celebration and his acceptance speech to run for office. The press passes she had received had Senator Maxwell’s Victory Celebration written on them. Liz wondered how well Brady was taking it all. She knew he wasn’t as certain of the title as his own party.

Hayden pulled up in front of the ballroom and then into the press parking lot. He flashed his press pass and then drove into their designated lot. The sun was sinking on the horizon when Hayden finally parked, which meant the polls would be closing, ballots counted, and results would be coming in soon.

Liz stepped out of the car into the balmy afternoon heat. She grabbed her bag, complete with notepad and trusted recorder. Hayden carried the camera equipment. Then they walked up to the grand building together.

They flashed their passes and were handed a press information packet, and then were directed to their section of the room. Liz smiled at the usher and followed Hayden into the ballroom.

Her breath caught at the sight before her. The campaign had pulled out all the stops for this event. The room was decorated entirely in the festive red-white-and-blue, with VOTE FOR MAXWELL banners hanging all around the perimeter. A giant staircase opened up on the opposite end of the room from two tiered balconies and led to the ballroom floor below, as well as to a stage that had been erected. A podium rested on the stage with an American flag across it, and another enormous Maxwell sign hung up behind it. A projection screen took up part of one wall and was broadcasting the news as they waited for election results to come in.

A crowd had already formed and people milled around the room, anxiously awaiting the results. Some of the press were interviewing partygoers and speaking excitedly into their microphones, but most were just enjoying the company as they waited to hear the fate of the man they had put their trust in.

She wished in that moment as she surveyed the room that she weren’t wearing a press badge, that she weren’t dressed in a pantsuit, that she weren’t here to work. She wanted to be in an elegant modest cocktail dress backstage waiting and stressing over the results with Brady. She wanted to be something that everyone said was impossible.

“Come on. This way,” Hayden said, touching the small of her back and guiding her into the ballroom.

Liz remembered the first press conference she went to with Hayden and what it felt like when he had touched her then. She had been exhilarated and excited, but now all she felt were her nerves threatening to bubble over. She needed to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and walked confidently over to the press section, which had a raised platform for the photographers to capture the speeches. Hayden pulled out the tripod stand and began setting up the camera as she dropped her bag on the ground next to his stuff. They would use some of the footage tomorrow in their post-primary reel online. It made her think of Justin…and how everything had changed after this summer.

A hush fell over the crowd just as Hayden got the equipment secured into place, and Liz bit down on her lip hard in anticipation. Were they already announcing results? Had the ballots already been counted? Could it possibly be that quick? It didn’t seem plausible.

The news commentator straightened his tie and spoke confidently into the camera. “Thank you so much for your patience in these matters. We’re all waiting to hear the primary results, and we’ll update you as soon as they start rolling in. We already have some winners popping up on the screen now. Follow below to see the list while the rest of us wait for the toss-ups that we have been tracking—the Hardy-Maxwell race over there in North Carolina in particular along with…”

Liz tuned out the rest of the commentator’s speech. They were still waiting. Toss-up race. She had used the phrase herself in her journalism in the past week while encouraging people to vote, but hearing it on the news made it even worse.

She didn’t realize that she had been staring at the screen until Hayden waved his hand in front of her face.

“We’re not getting to the results any faster. Are you all right?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Just zoned out, I guess.”

“Do you want a drink or anything? I was going to go snag a water,” he offered.

“Sure. Water sounds great.”

Liz watched Hayden leave the press area and then lost him in the crowd as he went off in search of refreshments. She took that moment to bend down and dig in her bag to see whether she had any text messages. Make sure Brady hadn’t messaged her while she was waiting.

“Oh, look,” a familiar voice sounded behind her, “you’re at another Maxwell event.”

Liz stood and turned swiftly, her blond hair flying out around her. She saw the flash of signature dark red hair before her eyes met bright green ones. Calleigh Hollingsworth. Liz dropped the questioning look on her face as soon as she saw who had uttered the accusatory sentence.

“Oh, look, you are too,” Liz said with a smile and a tilt of her head. To think she had once idolized this woman. But her naïve blinders were gone and she knew better than to trust Calleigh.

Calleigh smiled, showing her brilliant white teeth. She really was too beautiful for her own good. A skinny little thing with sleek hair and perfectly fitted clothing that accentuated her body in all the right places. Liz would never look like Calleigh, but really, Brady had wanted Liz for exactly who she was. So it didn’t matter.

“Are you excited about the results?” Calleigh asked, sidling up close to Liz. Closer than she would have wanted.

“Should be an interesting race,” Liz said diplomatically. “Everyone is calling it a toss-up.”

“And what do you think?” Calleigh asked, eyeing her coolly. She looked rapt with attention, which made Liz cautious.

“I think it’s anyone’s game, and the general election is going to be even tougher. So whoever comes out on top had better be ready to show deep pockets. I have a feeling this will be an expensive race.”

In fact, she already knew that it was an expensive race. That was why Brady spent so much time with donors and fund-raisers. Why he had gone all the way to Hilton Head to meet with people for a weekend.

“Oh, come on,” Calleigh said, nudging her. “Maxwell has it in the bag. You and I both know he does. We were there on the Fourth of July. His speech was very…moving.”

Liz smiled and nodded, all the while wondering where Calleigh was going with this. She was goading her. Liz knew that she needed to tread very, very carefully.

“Fitting for a Senator’s son.” Liz hoped it was the right thing to say.

Calleigh smiled wider and waved at someone over Liz’s shoulder. Liz took a breath and turned around, not knowing who to expect. With her luck it could be God knows anyone.

“Hey!” Hayden said, hopping up the steps and smiling at Liz and Calleigh. “Here’s your water.”

Liz took the water bottle out of his hand and tried to remain calm. Calleigh was hinting at something, but Liz didn’t know if she actually knew anything. And would she press further in front of Hayden? Liz couldn’t judge her next move.

“Hey, Hayden,” Calleigh said, lowering her eyelashes and staring up at him. “Liz and I were just talking about Senator Maxwell. We think he’s a sure winner. What about you?”

“Oh, I think he wins easy,” Hayden said with a lazy smile, turning to look at Liz instead of Calleigh.

If he had paid any attention, he would have seen the irritation flash on Calleigh’s face.

“That’s what you said all along, right, Lizzie?”

Liz inhaled sharply at that name. That was what Hayden had called her right before kissing her in D.C. The memory of his lips washed over her so suddenly she barely had time to recover.

“Uh, yeah. I think he’ll win,” she muttered.

“Even with the rumors?” Calleigh asked, her green eyes going wide.

“What rumors?” Hayden asked for her.

“Haven’t you guys been following all of the coverage?”

Liz had mostly been freaking out and refusing to watch or read anything. She’d had all her articles already written, and with Tristan and Savannah’s help she had been able to obsess all alone. She didn’t want to hear about a poll that had Charles Hardy ahead of Brady, back and forth, back and forth.

“Oh, the stuff about his girlfriends?” Hayden asked. “Do you think that’s all true, Calleigh? You don’t think the guy can be a bachelor politician without sleeping with every girl who walks past him?”

“Really, Hayden? How many women does he need to be photographed with for you to believe that the guy is dating multiple women while running for office?”

“The campaign came right out and said that he had no personal relationships with those women, and they were just friends,” Hayden reminded her.

“Convenient,” Calleigh said dismissively. “The campaign will make a statement in whatever way is most favorable to them. Whether the campaign wants to admit it or not, it just makes him look like a player.”

Hayden shrugged. “Probably. What do you think, Liz?” he asked, trying to include her.

Liz’s mouth had gone dry. Of all the days for that shit to surface, it had to be the couple days before the primary that she had refused to watch the news. The only thing she didn’t know was whether or not her involvement had surfaced. Someone surely would have said something if it had, right?