The Perfect Candidate (28 page)

“Because you’
re an idiot!
”
Ashley growled at herself.

That was certainly how she currently felt!  She should never have agreed to play along with Michael
’
s little game.  It had been impossible to refuse him though
…
and it had felt so real that she had stopped thinking of it as being wrong.

Romanticizing everything that had happened wasn
’
t helping. She needed to be hard and practical. She needed to make it impossible for Michael to dismiss her once he was in office!

23

“What do you mean, you want the wedding pushed forward?” Norm asked, as he frowned at Michael.

“I mean just what I said, Norm, I want the wedding pushed forward,” Michael said calmly, looking over some of the papers on his desk.

“Why?” he demanded suspiciously.  “You can’
t possibly be bored with Miss Kendall already.  Can you?
”
he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” Michael growled, hoping that the heat he could feel rising to his face wasn’
t showing.  He couldn
’
t imagine ever becoming bored with Ashley.  She held his interest more completely than any other woman before her ever had done.

“Well then, I don’
t see any necessity to move the ceremony.  The closer it happens to the election the greater the public sense of sympathy will be when they go to vote,
”
Norm pointed out sensibly.

Michael winced, and wondered how he was going to admit to Norm that there would be no public sympathy to count on?  The other man hadn
’
t finished speaking however.

“Besides, if you rush into marriage- or seem to be rushing into marriage- you know very well what the media will say.”

“I do?” Michael muttered, spirits sinking somewhat; he could
guess
what Norm was driving at
…

“Of course you do!  They’
ll all be saying that you
’
ve got her into trouble,
”
he snorted. 
“
And by the time it becomes apparent that this
isn
’
t
the case, it will be too late and the damage will have been done.
”

Michael clearer his throat awkwardly and loosened his tie.  Norm watched the uncomfortable behavior, suddenly paled and sat down opposite Michael.

“She’
s not-?
”
he croaked. 
“
You haven
’
t- you
wouldn
’
t
be that stupid?
”
he implored Michael desperately.

Michael shrugged his shoulders helplessly and managed a sheepish smile. 
“
It was an accident?
”
he said lamely.

Norm
’
s eyes flashed.  He couldn
’
t seem to find his voice for several seconds.  Unfortunately that didn
’
t last. 
“
I don
’
t think that
’
s going to wash with the electorate!
”
he bellowed. 
“
Oh my God, this is- oh my God-
”
he groaned, rubbing his temples and shaking his head. 
“
Well, you know what she
’
s going to have to do, don
’
t you?
”
he demanded.

Michael looked a little confused. 
“
Marry me?
”
he suggested, hoping that he didn
’
t sound too self-satisfied.

“Fuck no!” Norm swore.  “She’
s got to get rid of it!
”

Michael blink, and stared dumbly at the other man, convinced that he must have misheard what Norm had said- until Norm actually started naming clinics where the proposed abortion could take place.

“Ashley can have an abortion over my dead body!” Michael snarled viciously.

Norm looked up at him in amazement. 
“
Michael!  Think about what you
’
re saying?
”
he implored. 
“
Your political career
will
be dead if anyone finds out about this- this scandal!
”

Michael
’
s face was thunderous. 
“
Not if we
’
re married,
”
he barked.

“People can count Michael!”

“I don’
t care what you say, Norman, some things are just more important than winning elections.
”

“I- I can’
t believe what I
’
m hearing!
”
Norm cried. 
“
You can
’
t have thought this through?  What does Miss Kendall say?
”

Michael opened his mouth, but promptly shut it again.  He could hardly now tell Norm that Ashley hadn
’
t actually confirmed that she
was
pregnant.  He had taken the idea and run with it, but he wasn
’
t prepared to now give it up.

“Ashley agrees with me,” he said quietly.

Norm shook his head. 
“
If she had any sense at all she would have dealt with the matter before telling you,
”
he muttered under his breath.  Michael wondered bitterly if Norm knew how close he was to getting a broken nose?

“Look, I just need you to arrange the wedding,” he snapped, becoming distracted when the telephone started to ring.  “I need to take this,” he grumbled, reaching for the receiver reluctantly, unwilling to let Norm go before everything was settled between them.

“I’
ll speak to you later,
”
Norm said coldly.  He nodded his head and excused himself from the office.

24

Ashley looked over the speech that she had just finished putting together, and smiled at it with no little satisfaction.  She was to give a talk at the local orphanage, and was really rather pleased with how everything had pulled together.

“Come in?” she called, as there was a tap on her office door.  She smiled uncertainly when Norm, Michael’
s campaign manager, barreled into the room. 
“
Hello, Norm, is there something I can do for you?
”
she asked.

“Yes!  No!  I don’
t know-
”
he said wildly.

Ashley gaped at him.  She didn
’
t think she had ever seen the man in such a state before.

“What’
s wrong?  What
’
s happened?
”
she gasped.  She was confused when he glared at her accusingly.

“As if you don’
t know!
”
he snorted. 
“
I came here to tell you- but perhaps- it
’
s not my place, and Michael will be furious,
”
he said, muttering almost to himself. 
“
But if I
don
’
t
say anything
…”
he murmured, seeming to reach some sort of conclusion. 
“
You
do
realize that this is going to kill his career?
”

Ashley blanched. 
“
What
are you talking about?
”
she demanded. 
“
What has happened to Michael?
”
 

“Oh please!  What do you think I’
m talking about?
”
Norm spat. 
“
Your pregnancy of course!
”

“My- my what?” Ashley choked.  She had stood up when Norm charged into the room, but she sank back down into her seat as his accusation sank in.

“Don’
t pretend you don
’
t know what I
’
m talking about!  Michael
’
s told me everything!
”

Ashley just blinked at Norm blankly. 
What
had Michael told him? 
Why
did he think she was pregnant?  She glanced at her calendar.  It wasn
’
t April first.  She glanced down at her stomach.  It was still (she was a little smug to see) toned and flat.  This didn
’
t make any sense!  Yes, so
she
had been afraid that she might have been in trouble, but there was no way for Michael to know that!

Ashley licked her lips. 
“
Norm, what,
exactly
, did Michael say to you?
”
she asked.