CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Reynolds
I stood amidst boxes in the condo. Nadine was sitting with her legs crossed on the floor, packing things for the move to her new house.
We’d been hanging out together all day, partly because I felt guilty for not having been with her last night, on New Year’s Eve.
She knew I’d been the special guest at West Bay’s small ball dropping ceremony at the town square.
Jacie Jankins was the emcee, but I was the one who pressed the button that made the ball drop.
Whitney had been there with me. She’d stood to the side and waved for all the cameras. I wished it could have been Nadine instead.
“So, you know that talk we had about you staying off social media and not watching the news?” I asked, trying to keep my tone even and neutral.
“Yes,” she said, not even looking up at me as she put packing tape over another box of kitchen utensils.
Carmen’s housewarming gift to Nadine, besides having movers take everything over to the new house for her sometime next week, was to let her have whatever she wanted from the condo.
This included furniture, décor, dishes, glasses—whatever. It was really nice.
“Well, I just know how seeing pictures of me with Whitney upsets you. They’re all over the place right now. I don’t want you to get blindsided by them, so it’s best for you to just stay away from all of that, okay?”
“Okay,” she turned and smiled.
A wave of guilt rushed over me. I was with Whitney at the Christmas charity ball, the New Year’s Eve ball drop, and she would be at my inauguration with me in two days.
Now that I’d told Nadine I loved her and that I wanted us to make things work as a couple, it was getting harder and harder to keep my fake relationship with Whitney going.
I ran a hand over my jaw as I thought about everything.
I’d been with Whitney constantly over the last few months.
Nadine had my heart, but she hadn’t had much of my time.
Not really. While I’d been at the condo a lot, I hadn’t done the things that I’d really wanted to do.
I hadn’t been the one to take her to look at houses.
It wasn’t me who had helped her figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
I hadn’t found a driver’s ed course for her.
I hadn’t taken her out to nice dinners. I hadn’t taken her to galas, benefits, or balls.
It wasn’t her on my arm at the important events of the last few months.
It had been a woman I didn’t care about at all.
But I wasn’t taking Whitney to the inaugural ball in February. I couldn’t.
Going forward, I wanted Nadine to know she was the woman in my life. The only woman.
“Nadine, would you go the inaugural ball with me?” I blurted.
She stared at me, open-mouthed. “Seriously?”
I nodded.
She jumped up and threw herself at me. I laughed, catching her easily, and sitting her in my lap. “Yes! Of course I will.” She peppered my face with kisses. Then she pulled back. “But are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t Melda be upset?”
“I don’t care,” I said, though that wasn’t entirely true. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach, and I hoped I hadn’t spoken up too soon.
“I’ll get Madeline to go with me to pick out a dress,” Nadine was saying. I forced my attention back to her.
“Great,” I smiled. “You’ll be the most beautiful woman there.”
She rolled her eyes but looked pleased. “I don’t know about that, but I’ll be one of the happiest people there, for sure.” She sighed and laid her head on my shoulder. “This feels like a dream, Reynolds. Are you sure this is real? Stuff like this doesn’t happen to people like me.”
I shifted her on my lap so that I could see her face. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She shrugged. “I’m a former stripper you bought in a sex auction. I’m not the girl who gets to date the town mayor. I’m not the type of woman to go to an inaugural ball.”
I put a finger on her lips. “Stop. Don’t say things like that anymore.
You’re talking about the woman I love. I think you’re wonderful and perfect.
There’s no reason that you shouldn’t be beside me at the ball.
” My words started out firm, but they lost a bit of steam as doubts began to creep in.
I pictured her saying something off-color or inappropriate and felt a little sick.
She must have felt my tone shift, because she frowned. “But what about the people of West Bay? I thought you didn’t want to have them think you’d lied to them…”
“I know,” I interrupted, trying to convince myself that everything would be okay.
“But I’m ready to be with you out in the open.
The Mayor’s Ball won’t take place until the first week of February.
That’s plenty of time for me to break up publicly with Whitney and go on a strategic first date with you.
” It struck me as I was saying this that it would have been a better idea to tell Melda what I wanted to do and have her plan it all out.
That’s what I would do. I felt a bit better.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. And, like a fool, I actually believed it.
***
“That’s a terrible idea,” Melda said, shaking her head and looking at me as if I was the biggest idiot in the world.
“Why?” I countered. “It makes perfect sense. I’ll end my agreement with her right after the inauguration tomorrow.
You can release a statement by the end of the week.
I can wait a couple of weeks and then be seen in public with Nadine.
That would give me the chance to be seen out with her a couple of times before I take her to the ball. ”
Melda was giving me a look well before I finished talking.
“It will be much better to stick to the plan. Stick with the original agreement with Whitney and take her to the inaugural ball, wait a week, and publicly announce the split. Then wait a couple of more weeks to be seen with your girlfriend…”
“Nadine.”
“Nadine,” she acknowledged with a nod of her head, “in public. Then I believe the people will be satisfied that you didn’t pull the wool over their eyes.”
“But I’m tired of waiting,” I said, half-heartedly, as I walked over and looked down at my favorite view of the town green from my window.
“You know I’m right, Reynolds,” she said.
“I can hear it in your voice. Besides,” she added, “the Mayor’s Ball is not the best place to show her off.
She won’t be comfortable and neither will you.
She’ll be under intense scrutiny from everyone wanting to get a look at the mayor’s latest love interest. And from what you say, she’s not used to going to these types of events. I’m not sure that’s fair to do to her.”
Shit. Melda was right. She was absolutely right. I scrubbed my hand over my face. Why had I opened my big mouth to Nadine before I’d thought things through?
“You’re right,” I said, not turning to look at her. “I’ll stick with Whitney for a few more weeks.”
“Good. You won’t be sorry. If you handle this the right way, it will work out best for everyone involved. Including you and Nadine, Reynolds,” she said gently.
I said nothing.
How in the hell was I going to tell Nadine that I wasn’t going to take her to the Mayor’s Ball after all?