CHAPTER THIRTY
Reynolds
“What do you mean the numbers haven’t gone up?” I asked my campaign manager a couple of weeks later.
She shrugged. “I can’t explain it. You’ve been appearing with Whitney everywhere. You’ve been seen leaving her townhouse in the mornings. She even did an interview as your girlfriend on West Bay Today.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
So, to do all that I had—reduced the time I spent with Nadine, spent almost every waking moment with Whitney as I paraded her all over town—was beyond infuriating.
“This sucks. Have Hill’s numbers gone up or down?”
Melda got a guilty look on her face. “They’ve gone up. I’m sorry, Reynolds. I thought that changing your public persona would get things back in your corner.” She flopped down in a chair in front of my desk.
I opened a drawer, took out a couple of Excedrin, and took the headache medicine with a Coke Zero. She made a face.
“You know you’re supposed to take those with a full glass of water, right?”
I nodded as I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth. “Yeah. But I thought the extra caffeine might help.”
“Things aren’t looking good headed into the debate.
” I said unnecessarily. We were only having one, and it would take place in two days.
October was quickly turning into November.
Election day was the first Tuesday in November, and that was upon us.
The debate would be the last chance for West Bay to see Hill and I together and make a decision on who would be the better mayor. I dreaded it, though.
His campaign had been dirty, and I was almost certain I had Thaddeus Clammett to thank for that. And for paying for all the horrible ads he’d run tearing apart my life and making me seem like nothing but a stereotypical rich guy.
“Nope.” She made a popping sound as she said the word.
We stared at each other.
“We’re only a week out from the election.”
“You are correct, sir.”
“Fuck!” I walked to the window. I leaned against the wooden frame as I looked down at the town green below. “I know I’m stating the obvious. I just… don’t know what to do. He might beat me.” I ran my hand along my jaw. “He might actually beat me.”
Melda looked pretty miserable. “I’m afraid it could happen. You should prepare yourself, but I want you to still hope for the best. Also, anytime you’re outside of this office, you should paste a smile on that handsome face of yours.”
I tried to smile, but I was in such a bad mood. “I will.”
Later, as Nico smashed his fist into my chest in the boxing ring at Saffron, I felt a little better despite the pain from the hit. Of course, Nico’s fist was covered in a thick boxing glove, but it still didn’t feel good.
“Just stay clear of the face,” I said as the two of us stalked around each other looking for a chance to get in a good jab or punch. “The last thing I need is for the press to think I’m the victim of a domestic abuse situation.”
Nico barked out a laugh and had to put his gloves up to protect himself as I tried to go for him during his moment of weakness.
“Time out,” he begged still laughing. He went over and leaned against the ropes of the ring where Byron was standing.
He was still sweating from his turn in the ring with me.
Byron laughed, too. “Who’s the aggressor in this situation? Whitney?”
Nico was hit by another round of laughter. “Her arms are like toothpicks. Can you imagine her throwing a punch?”
I grinned. “Well, it wouldn’t be good if the press thought I’d gotten in a bar fight either.”
“You could just tell them the truth—that you were boxing with your friend Nico Salazar at Saffron, one of his ultra-exclusive members-only clubs located in West Bay’s beautiful downtown area.”
I smirked. “I sense you care more about a free advertisement than the press’ opinion of me. Or Whitney.”
That got another laugh out of him. “Ah, I’m done Reynolds. You wore me out today.”
It was true. I’d gone into the ring like a maniac.
I’d needed to work off some steam, and, apparently, the only woman I wanted to do that with was Nadine.
I wouldn’t be taking advantage of the beautiful women who would be looking for pleasure at Cayenne later.
The only other way to burn up the energy was to beat the hell out of my best friends.
I felt better now. Nico and I were both dripping sweat and breathing hard. Byron’s breathing had returned to normal, but he was still sweating.
So, we were standing around like that trying to get up the energy to hit the showers, when Carmen came in.
I saw Byron perk up and had to hide a smile. I was sure I was right about why he’d broken things off with Natasha. He still had a thing for Carmen. I wanted to ask him about it so bad, but he still wasn’t talking. I didn’t want to press him.
Byron would talk to me when he was ready. It was the way he’d always been.
“What are you doing down here?” Nico asked. “We were just joking about how women can’t throw punches.”
She cocked her eyebrow. “Really?”
I backtracked. “Whoa, no, that’s not what we said. We said Whitney couldn’t throw a punch.”
Her face relaxed. “Okay. That, I can agree with.” She kind of chuckled. “I can’t even picture that.” Her eyes shot to mine. “But I’m getting distracted. I came to tell you that your campaign manager is here to see you.”
My eyes widened. “Melda?”
“How would I know her name?”
“What the hell is she doing here? Oh, God. She can’t see whatever is going on in Cayenne…” Visions of sweet little sixty-something Melda Rogers seeing men and women fucking publicly ran through my mind.
“Relax. First, you know there’s no one in Cayenne at this hour. Unless it’s the janitorial staff or the people who re-stock the bar. Besides, she’s in my office at Sugar waiting on you.”
“Good thinking. Thank you.” I gave her a grateful look. “Whatever brought her here must be huge. Fuck.”
“It could be good news,” Nico said.
“Right. Because that’s how this campaign has gone.” I climbed over the ropes and jumped down from the ring. “I just hope this isn’t about crime. I hope there hasn’t been another murder.”
“Quit hoping and just get over there,” Carmen said pushing me a little as I pulled a T-shirt on. “Gross. You’re sweaty.”
“I was working out,” I protested.
“That is the point of having the gym, right?” Byron asked, taking the opportunity to check her out.
Carmen shuddered. “I’ll walk around my neighborhood when I feel like working out. The only thing I use here at Saffron is the spa.”
Byron grinned, but said nothing. He tended to be kind of quiet, but he was especially so around Carmen.
Nico looked between the two of them briefly, then addressed me. “Would you go already? I want to know what this is about. Call us when we can come hear about it. Or support you.”
I bumped fists with him and hurried down the hall to the back corridor that connected all four clubs.
Only a few people were allowed to use it, and I was one of the lucky ones.
The bouncer at the entrance to the corridor gave me a strange look, and I realized I was way out of dress code.
Men were supposed to wear a suit at all times in Cinnamon, Cayenne, or Sugar.
Members were required to shower and change after working out at Saffron.
Of course, there was no way I was going to shower and change right now.
I was too focused on what Melda had to say. Why didn’t she just call me?
“Sorry,” I explained. “There’s an emergency.”
He just nodded.
I exited the corridor when I reached Sugar and hurried down the side hall to Carmen’s office. I burst through the door.
“Melda? What’s going on?” She was sitting in one of Carmen’s chairs with a dazed look on her face.
“You’re not going to believe this.” Her eyes were wide, and I couldn’t read the expression on her face.
“Oh, shit. Just tell me. How bad is it?”
“For us? Not bad at all. For Jasper Hill? Horrible.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Wait—what?”
“Our ‘family friendly’ candidate was quite literally caught with his pants down.” She used air quotes.
“He’s having an affair?” That was shocking. He had seemed so genuine with his wife and kids. “Oh my God.” I clutched my chest and sat down. “I’m glad it wasn’t another murder,” I said. “But that’s… crazy.”
“Oh, it gets worse.” Her face was grim.
“How?”
“He’s been carrying on with the twin twenty-two-year-old daughters of his best friend. And neither girl realized he was sleeping with the other one. Apparently, they’re both devastated. Each of the girls said he had promised to leave his wife to marry her.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope. He was caught in a very delicate position with one twin at his house while his wife and the kids were out of town visiting relatives. His friend and the other twin are the ones who walked in on him. His friend beat him up, and one of the twins called the police. The police called an ambulance once they saw him. That’s how badly beaten he was. ”
My mouth was hanging open.
“The police arrested the friend, and Jasper ended up in the hospital with a broken nose and jaw, several cracked ribs, and a concussion. His jaw is wired shut. He was unconscious when they took him in, but once he came to, he refused to press charges against his friend.”
I’d never wish something awful on another person, but I had to admit having a sense of karma being righted in the world. For Hill at least. He’d been such a sanctimonious asshole in the media. I was no angel, either, but what he had done was deplorable.
I felt terrible for his wife and kids. That’s why people who are going to cheat just shouldn’t get married.
I’d never even been able to date a girl without my eye wandering, so I would never…
Wait. Yes, I had.
The thought struck me hard. Not only had I not slept with anyone other than Nadine in months, I hadn’t even wanted to.
Could I be faithful to one woman?