The Arrangement (24 page)

“You can’t just let me live my life, can you?” She demanded answers.

“What are you talking about, Evie? I haven’t done anything,” he answered, his voice even and controlled.

“You haven’t done anything…except try to set me up again,” she said in a heated tone. “I told you and Mom both, Eli and I are giving ourselves some time before we decide whether or not we should date. Even if we decide not to go out, I’m definitely not ready for you to set me up again. Who is this Michael Hudson anyway? Another lawyer? Or was the firm fresh out of single rich guys?” Her voice grew louder and faster with each word.

“Who?” her father started and then answered his own question. “Michael Hudson? Evie, what in the world are you talking about? Michael Hudson is a married man with children.”

Married? Children?
She twisted her mouth to one side and then the other as she replayed their conversation in her mind. He definitely said her father told him to call her. But he did not say her father wanted him to take her out. She had just assumed. After all, the only reason any man ever called her on behalf of her father was because her father wanted him to take her out. “B-but,” she stuttered, “he said you told him to call me.”

“Yes, I did.”

Evie removed the phone from her ear and stared at it for a minute. “Wh-wh-wh-y-y-y?” She drew out the word for at least two syllables.

Her father laughed. “Michael is planning to run for mayor of Duncan in a few months, and I thought you might be interested in helping with his campaign. I know it’s not a major state race, only local. But it would give you a taste for a campaign and some really great experience. He was in the office a couple of days ago, and I suggested that he call you.”

“Oh,” she whispered. Such intense heat covered her neck and face that she was sure even her blond hair had turned blood red. “I thought…”

The words now seemed so silly, so self-centered.

“Why don’t you call him and tell him it was a miscommunication? I’m sure he’ll understand.” Her father’s soft words cooled her embarrassment.

She had given little thought to her professional life lately. She’d gone to classes, attended the Bible study, and participated in a few sorority activities. She knew God had plans for her beyond college, the sorority, and her friends, but she’d struggled enough just to say and do the right things day to day. She had not considered praying about God’s future plans for her. He seemed pretty busy just bringing her up to speed.

She turned her eyes back to the silent notebook and pen on her desk. She sensed something bigger coming, something God had been preparing her to do. Was this it? She imagined the fast-paced schedule of debates, public appearances, and policy meetings of state and national candidates.

What policy could a local candidate have to create? She anticipated the challenges and rush of adrenaline stemming from a close race with lives at stake. Her fingers no longer drummed incessantly on the desk in front of her. Her feet sat still on the floor. Peace slid through her veins like a warm bath over sore muscles. She smiled.

“I’d never really thought about a local campaign, but you’re right: it would be a good place to get some experience. But I’m a little embarrassed, though.”

“Why? What did you say to him?” her father asked with a hint of laughter.

“I didn’t say much at all. I simply told him I wasn’t interested and then he let me go.” She stopped, hesitating to reveal the whole truth. Her shoulders slumped as she mumbled, “I didn’t really give him a chance to explain what he wanted. I just assumed he wanted to ask me out because he said you told him to call me.”

Her father laughed. “Now you’ve learned to find out what people want instead of assuming what they want.”

“Yes,” she grumbled before saying good-bye. She leaned back in the chair for a minute and stretched her back. Her finger hovered over the redial. “No sense in putting it off,” she muttered to herself and took the plunge.

“Hello?”

She recognized the deep voice of the would-be politician.

“Hi, Mr. Hudson, this is Evie Barrett. I’m sorry I cut you off earlier. My father…” She stopped and considered her wording. “My father has had a number of people call me for various reasons I’m not interested in pursuing. I did not realize why he had you call me. I would very much like to hear about the mayoral campaign you have planned,” she said, her words articulate and firm.

“I’m glad you changed your mind, Evie. I’m actually having a dinner at my house Saturday night with a few of my friends who have agreed to help. Would you be able to join us?”

Evie pushed her rolling chair with her feet to the end of her bed and pulled her planner from her backpack to check the date, although she already knew was available. Without Ben around she often dreaded the dull, long days at the end of the week. She would head home tomorrow after her final and held no expectations of filling Saturday or any other day.

“I’m free,” she said, hoping it didn’t sound too desperate or pitiful.

“Great. We are going to eat around seven and then make some more definite plans for the campaign.”

After scribbling the directions to his house, Evie said good-bye and hung up. She pushed her chair back to her desk and resolutely focused on the pages of notes in front of her. She finally had a project beyond just keeping her life together. First she had to pass this final, and then…? Well, then she would see what this one task held for her. And maybe, just maybe, it would lead to something even bigger.

)

Three days later Evie drove her red BMW convertible into the circle drive in front of the Hudsons’ white farmhouse. Two bicycles, one red and one blue, leaned against the front porch. She checked her reflection in the visor mirror and took a legal pad from her bag on the passenger seat. When she looked up again, her pulse quickened. She drew in several short, shallow breaths. Directly in front of her sat a black sedan identical to Eli’s car. Her hand shook as she pulled her keys from the ignition and stood on the concrete drive watching the house.

Light glowed from the bottom floor windows. She gripped her purse and forced herself to breathe in deep.
It’s not him. It’s not him. It’s not him,
she reminded herself over and over as her boots clicked on the cold concrete. She pushed her shoulders back and adopted a smile before ringing the bell next to the bright red front door covered by a large green Christmas wreath. Almost as soon as she rang the bell, the door opened to reveal a stunning woman with dark shoulder-length hair and oval-shaped green eyes.

“You must be Evie.” She smiled and tucked a couple strands of loose hair behind her ear.

Evie nodded.

“I’m Elise, Michael’s wife. I’ve known your parents since Michael and I got married. I’m so glad to finally meet you. Your mom talks about you and Taylor all the time and shows us lots of pictures,” she gushed. “Come in, come in,” she invited as she moved into the large foyer and gestured for Evie to follow.

Evie stood beside Elise and rubbed her hands together in an effort to warm them from even the few minutes she spent outside on the wooden porch. She strained her ears to filter through the voices in the next room. Did she hear the intense sound of Eli’s voice, or did she just want to hear it?

“The men are in the den visiting before the real work starts,” Elise said as she walked through another doorway.

The voices grew louder as Evie followed her hostess into a small room lined with oak bookshelves. A brilliant shade of orange paint peeked from above the row of shelves. In the corner a fir tree spread its branches lined with white lights and cartoon ornaments. Eli and a man Evie did not recognize sat on a black sofa in the middle of the room. A wide coffee table matching the bookshelves covered the floor in front of the couch. To the side another shorter couch sat empty. The two men stood as Evie and Elise entered.

Elise made the introductions. “Michael, this is Evie, Thomas and Victoria’s daughter. Eli, we’ve been friends with the Barretts for years. Thomas mentioned to Michael a few weeks ago that his daughter is studying political science at the university and that she might like the experience of working on a local campaign.”

Evie locked eyes with Eli just long enough to see his eyes dart from Michael to Evie and back again. She too forced her eyes to turn to Michael before Eli saw her relief, her joy. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him but feared her eyes would convey the emotion she dared not show. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hudson,” Evie choked out as she reached to shake the hand of the man only slightly older than herself.

He took her hand in his. “Evie, if you are going to get me elected, you’ll have to call me Michael.” He raised his eyebrows. “It must have turned awfully cold out there. Your hands are freezing.”

Evie drew her hand back as heat blazed through her once cold body. “It
is
getting cold, but that’s the only thing that makes it feel like Christmas time to me,” she added, hoping to divert attention away from her and onto anything else. Reflex turned her eyes back to Eli. Would he tell them he knew her?

He cleared his throat. “It’s nice to see you again, Evie,” Eli said quietly.

Michael and Elise exchanged looks.

Eli turned his eyes from Evie back to his friend. “I’m doing some legal work for Evie’s parents, and we’ve met a couple of times,” he explained.

Is he embarrassed to tell them we dated? Would it make working together now awkward? Maybe I shouldn’t have come.
Evie’s thoughts rambled like the electric train making circles around the bottom of the Christmas tree.

“I just put dinner on the table if you are all ready,” Elise announced, bringing Evie back to the commotion around her. She followed Michael and Eli into a much larger room dominated by a shining cherry table covered with white china. “The boys ate earlier and are watching a movie in the family room,” she told Evie.

Evie nodded. Michael and Eli returned to their conversation as the group sat at the table and began to pass around dishes of steaming food.

“I’m so glad Michael added a woman to this campaign committee. I love him dearly, but he doesn’t understand women at all,” she gushed as she spooned pasta onto her plate.

Evie smiled, warmed by her words. “I’m excited to finally get to use some of what I’ve been learning.”

“So, Evie,” Michael asked from his seat at the end of the table, “what made you so interested in politics?”

Evie snapped her head in his direction, her eyes grazing the image of Eli sitting across from her. For a moment she forgot to breathe. Then Michael’s question echoed in her head. She smiled, the corners of her mouth twitching. “I’ve always been interested in how politics runs our world. Nothing is more powerful than a good politician…well, nothing except God. And finding a good politician who also follows God is a difficult task. I want to help good politicians find ways to do their work and honor God or help God-honoring politicians find ways to get elected.” Her eyes burned with the effort not to look at Eli, not to peer into his eyes, begging for his approval.

Michael nodded. “Wow, sounds like you have a big job ahead. Your dad said you were very interested in a state or national election, but that you might be interested in this one, too. What are your ideas for a local election?”

“Don’t worry, Evie,” Eli interjected. “He’s just grilling you for ideas. It’s not a real interview.”

Evie turned her eyes to Eli and her shoulders drooped at the sight of his smile. “I don’t mind,” she breathed. “I really hate hearing politicians talk bad about the competition, even if the competition isn’t good. I would start by thinking about how you are different from the other candidates….”

For the next two hours Evie, Eli, and Michael discussed the growth happening in the community, Michael’s visions for the city, and how to create the community buy-in necessary to win a local election. Elise offered a few suggestions, too, while they were eating. As the three continued to talk, Elise stacked the empty plates with just a little clinking and carted them to the kitchen. Sometime later she reappeared with coffee, cups, and a warm cinnamon bread. At fifteen after nine, Michael pulled off the glasses he’d used for reading and rubbed his eyes.

“Well, guys, I think that gives us a good start,” he announced as he surveyed the scattered sheets of legal paper and scribbled notes in front of him. “So, Eli, do we need to meet again just after the first of the year and see if we can put together a full campaign crew?”

Eli nodded. “You’ve got a list of potential councilman candidates whose ideas and agenda would complement yours. You’ll have a much more successful term if you have other elected officials who agree with your ideas. You contact those, I’ll put together some information for potential donors, and Evie will start rounding up some volunteers to help us get out signs, buttons, and door hangers.” Eli read their assignments and summed up their discussion from a list in front of him.

Michael pushed back from the table and stood. Eli and Evie followed his lead. “Thank you both so much for your help,” he said as they all walked toward the foyer again. Eli and Michael talked for a couple more minutes as Evie pulled her heavy coat on and tugged gloves over her fingers. With one last good-bye she and Eli stood facing each other, alone on the porch.

Evie listened to the wind swooshing through leafless trees. Her lungs burned as she breathed in the cold air. She searched for something intelligent to say, something to draw out the Eli she’d missed so much.

All that came out was, “I guess I better get home.”

“Do you want to go somewhere for coffee?” he invited at the same time.

They both laughed. “Your idea sounds better,” she agreed.

“Follow me. There’s a new coffee house downtown that stays open until midnight.”

Evie nodded and strode back across the chilled concrete drive to her car. Her hands shook as she started the engine and pushed the gear shift into drive. She wanted to call Brooke, but something stopped her. Brooke had enough going on to be worried about Evie’s on-again, off-again love life.