More Than Rivals (14 page)

His body stiffened as his mouth set in a hard line. He exuded a grim air, and she simply had to know why. She ventured into his privacy. “So how did that go? She seemed pretty possessive of you last night.”

“Yeah, I think she had some instinct that you were a threat. I’m sorry she brought up David.”

“Whatever. If it made her feel better, then good for her. When did you talk to her?”

“After the event, when I dropped her off. I’d say her reaction was mixed,” he said with a sigh. “For years, I don’t think either of us wanted to admit that I didn’t want to get married and she did.” He raised a finger as if making a point of order. “Correction. I didn’t want to marry her.”

“That sounds tough, but you say it was mixed. Why?”

“She was hurt, but frankly, she’s vain enough to want the world to think that she dumped me. I’m fine with that. I’d dump me, too, if I were her.” He chuckled.

“I’d dump you, too.”

He eased back in the deep bench of the booth and cocked his head. “You say you never go out. When was the last time you were on a date?”

“I dated a doctor at the hospital last year.”

“What was he like?”

“Dan’s an anesthesiologist. Rugby player. Amateur pilot.”

“He sounds interesting. So what happened?” Jack gave her a demanding stare.

She studied him for a moment, wondering what to say. If she told him the truth, it put her life on the table. He could take it or leave it. Part of her wanted to be like Bev and ignore the facts, but she and Jack weren’t the only people in the equation. She needed to be forthright, so she took a sip of beer and started the story.

“Well, Dan and I really hit it off, but then he spent time with Luke, and it went downhill.”

“Really? Why?”

“It was a different relationship when it was just the two of us alone, but when Luke was around … well … Dan became kind of tense, and Luke didn’t respond well at all. He acted out and was on his worst behavior.”

“That seems hard to believe. Luke has great manners.”

She smiled at the compliment. “My mom is from the South. She wouldn’t allow a grandson of hers to have anything but good manners, but he didn’t show them to Dan.”

“What do you mean when you say Dan was ‘tense’? What bothered him?”

“If you’re with me, you’re not with only one person. Luke and I are a package deal. Dan realized that he didn’t want to raise a kid who wasn’t his own, and Luke could tell he didn’t really like him.”

Jack knitted his brow together. “That must have been really uncomfortable for you.”

“Yes and no. It was sad things didn’t work out, but I’m not going to be with anyone who doesn’t love my son.” She gulped, awash in fear as she waited for his reaction.

“Of course. Why would you?” He gazed at her and then smiled. “For the record, I think Luke is great.”

“Thanks,” she said as relief replaced her fears. She beamed. “I do, too.”

They spent the next hour deep in conversation until Lily reluctantly checked the time.
 
Jack drove her back to her car as they chatted about the week ahead. When he arrived back at Cherry Street, she said, “I can just hop out right here.”

“Let me pull over so you don’t get yourself killed.”

As he found a parking place further up the block, she said, “Thank you for the beer … and popcorn.”

Turning off the ignition, he laughed. “I hope to do better next time.”

“Next time?”

“Yes, next time,” he said as he faced her.
 

She smiled, but it couldn’t match the glow of her heart. Her eyes darted to the tinted windows, only darker from the rain. She took a deep breath and leaned over. “It’s still raining so I can give you a kiss.”

“Please do.” He chuckled.

Taking her time, she crept her hand around the nape of his neck and softly fingered his short hair. She gave him a determined look before closing her eyes and kissing him. When she pulled away, his voice was gruff, but sarcastic. “Yes, I think it’s high time you leave.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you probably don’t want to get caught making out in front of your work.”

 
“Is that what would happen next?” She giggled.

“If you kiss me like that again, yes.”

Still grinning, she kissed his cheek. “Night, Jack.”

“Good night,” he said as he watched her leave the car.

***

On Monday afternoon, as soon as the waiter left with their order, Jack watched Bill look around them for prying ears. In a loud lunchtime restaurant, few could hear their own conversations, let alone someone else’s. Seemingly satisfied with their privacy, Bill declared, “So we never talked about what happened on Saturday night with Bev and Lily.”

“No, we didn’t,” said Jack. He smiled and took a drink of his Coke.
 

“What’d you think? I thought it went well. Lily was professional, and Bev was Bev. She was a little bitchy, but that’s her.”

“Bev was okay.” Jack dropped his smile and rubbed his hands together. “It also went okay when I broke up with her afterward.”

“You broke up with her?” Bill wrinkled his forehead in confusion. “You’re not really steadily dating her right now anyway. Why break up?”

“I permanently broke up with her.”

“Like never again?” Bill’s eyes bugged out.

“Like never again.”

“Holy shit…” Bill snorted. He glanced to his side and touched the arm of the nearest wait staff. “Excuse me. Could you please tell our waiter we actually do need drinks? We’ll both take a Macallan.” He turned to Jack and added, “And also an Anchor-Steam … for both.”

The waiter nodded. “Sure. We’ll have it right out.”

As the waiter walked away, Jack shook his head. “Whiskey
and
beer? Isn’t that a little much?”

“No. Not really.”

“Huh?”

“I need the whiskey to digest the fact that Bev is forever out of the picture and now a political liability, rather than an asset.”

“And the beer?”

“I’m guessing I need a beer for when you say you’ve set your heart on Lily.”

“I suppose you’re right about both.” He grinned. “Good thing you also ordered the beer.”

“So what’s going on?”

Jack held up his hands like he was helpless in the situation. “It’s pretty simple. I don’t want to be with Bev. I think both Bev and me wouldn’t face up to the fact that it wasn’t that I didn’t want to get married. The problem is I just don’t want to marry her.”

“But Jack …”

“Don’t worry. Bev’s not really an issue. This has been a long time coming. She’s telling her friends she broke up with me. If that’s what she needs to do, that’s what she needs to do.”

“And Lily? Does she know about this?”

“She does. We spent some time together yesterday.”

“Oh God. You broke her down. I was counting on her to stay strong and resist you.” Bill looked behind him, saying, “Where’s my drink?”

“Come on. It’s not bad, and you’re right. Lily is the responsible one. We won’t cross any lines. All will be fine.”

“Dude.” He pointed a finger at Jack. “Damage control like this is above my pay grade.”

“You don’t have a pay grade.” Jack chuckled. “You’re my best friend. You work for me for free.”

“And I said I’d stand by you no matter what happened, but you need to know you’re entering dangerous territory.”

“If Lily and I are friends, what does anyone care?”
 

“You’re not supposed to be friends. You’re supposed to be rivals.”
 

“So we’re more than rivals.”

“Maybe.”
 

“Are you saying that if you don’t sleep with her everything is okay?”
 

“Maybe.”
 

“You know … as far as PR goes, you may be right, but I don’t think that’s the critical issue.”

“What do you mean?”

Bill stopped to let the waitress place their drinks on the table and then waited for her to leave. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I think it’s equally dangerous, maybe even worse, if you fall in love with her, even if no one knows.”

“Because you think I’ll be compromised.”

“Exactly. When push comes to shove, you won’t take her on. You might not even take little shots along the way that you might’ve otherwise.”

“Isn’t that true for any candidate I become friends with?”

“Sure. It’s just a million times worse with her.”

“What if I tell you it’s a million times better with her?”

Bill smiled and exclaimed, “I say I’m happy my buddy is happy, and I even like the girl. She’s smart and cute.” He then looked to the heavens as if for guidance. “But I’m worried about your future—not with her, but your future in politics.”

“I’m pretty confident my future in politics is going to be fine, as will hers. That’s why I’m willing to chance it.”

“I know. You’re a golden boy. Life seems to work out for you.” Bill raised his glass and in a wary voice said, “But you need to be prepared for the worst.”

“What do you think I need to do?”

“First of all, don’t tell anyone else.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Not even Nelson.”

“Of course not. I’d want to keep him out of it just in case things did get messy.”

“Good thinking.” Bill laughed. “If the shit hits the fan, it also hits you and maybe me.”

“That’s right. That’s also why I’m not telling my parents anything more than I broke up with Bev.”

“They never really liked her that much anyway, right?”

“Not really.”

“So, second of all,” Bill said, raising two fingers. “Can you please always have an alibi?”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, you can have lunch together, but don’t get caught messing around with her in a hotel hot tub.”

Straightaway, Jack remembered being in the pool alone with Lily. “Sure,” he said and promptly camouflaged his guilt with a sip of whiskey. “What else?”

“Lastly, tell me if things get out of control.”

“Will do.” In order to press home his commitment, he repeated himself in a firm voice. “Will do.”

“Okay. I feel better about this.”

“You do?”

“Not really.” Bill chuckled. “But I’ll be okay. I’m banking on the fact you always land on your feet. I just hope she does too.”

***

Over the next few days, Lily and Jack kept in touch with rapid-fire texts throughout the day and a final nightly call. As she got to know him better, she enjoyed hearing from him even more, but another emotion bubbled up. She hadn’t yet told Jordan about what was going on, and the guilt weighed on her.
 

On Thursday, as they drove to Fort Bragg, she busied herself on her phone while Jordan was behind the wheel. When Jack sent her a silly text, she unconsciously giggled, and she heard Jordan ask, “What? Who are you texting?”

“Oh,” she said, realizing what she’d done. She looked over to him and decided the time was now. “I’m just texting Jack.”

“Just texting Jack?” He chuckled with sarcasm. “What are you saying to him?”

“A little joke.” She looked at him, and her eyes pled for forgiveness. “We’ve gotten pretty close.”

“I knew this would happen.” He eyed her with a parental reprimand. “What’s been going on?”

“It’s just happened over time.”

“But he had that date on Saturday.”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip. “He broke up with her that night, and we talked the next day.”

Jordan sighed. “And then what happened? You kissed him.”

She nodded silently.

“And it must have been good or you wouldn’t be texting him.”

“It was.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It’s a hard thing to bring up.” She laughed. “Oh, by the way, I’ve started going out with one of my opponents.”

“It’s a hard thing to bring up because you’re not supposed to do it.”

“We’re just going to be friends.” She couldn’t believe she’d uttered such a lie, and she snorted at herself. “That’s not true. I’d say a little more than friends.”

Jordan broke out into a bad song from the eighties.
 
“I know what boys want. I know what guys like. I know—”

“Hey! You’re gay. It’s different for you.” Lily chortled.

“Uh. No, it’s not. I’m a man first, and so is he.”

“I think I can handle myself,” she said with some sour in her voice.

“I’m sure you can, but Lily …” He shook his head and stared at the road’s winding curves. “Come on. Deep down, you must want Kingsley to win now.”

“No, I wouldn’t say that.” She was indignant. “I still want to win, and I think I’m the best candidate.”

“You still think you’re better than Jack?”

“Of course.”

He snickered. “Glad to see you’re still competitive.”

“Don’t worry. I am.” The certainty in her voice then softened away. “But, you
are
right in a way. I wouldn’t let this happen if it were a two person race.”

“Just don’t let too much happen. Be careful. I don’t want to have to work on a damage control plan.”

“You won’t have to.”
 

“Good.” He was quiet for a moment. “But I might anyway.”

Between their equally busy schedules and the hectic holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Jack and Lily didn’t see each other until the new year. He often suggested a meeting, which invariably conflicted with Lily’s calendar. Though they weren’t together, they were still in constant communication. Jack missed her, and she said the same of him, but he knew they both saw the bright side of each other’s physical absence. Their relationship could only grow so much if they didn’t spend time together.
 

One Monday in late January, he was going over his schedule for the coming week and saw an empty evening. He remembered Lily saying that she had a hospital shift that day. At once, he shot off a text to her.

How about you come to my place for dinner after your shift on Sunday?

She immediately replied.

Is it really a good idea for my car to be hanging out in front of your house for that long?

Jack chuckled and responded with a fact in his favor.

I live in the Marina. If you find a parking space within two blocks of my house, you’ll be lucky.