Chapter Fifty-Three Lorenzo
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Lorenzo
A s much as I want to spend the next few days with Lily, I have an election to win, so I resist the desire to hole up in my house with her.
She is always understanding of my busy schedule, and she doesn’t make me feel bad when I have to cancel our weeknight dinner because a city council member wanted to meet with me.
She asks for nothing except two things: that I continue going to my therapy sessions no matter how busy I get—I reassure her that I have no intention of stopping, although there are some days where I’m tempted—and that I start sharing my location with her on my phone.
I went from being the stalker to becoming the stalked, and I’m not mad about it since I still do the same with Lily’s bracelet app. Doctor Martin says we will have to work on my checking behavior eventually, but I’m still holding off.
I’d rather tackle my other compulsions first before I approach any Lily-related ones because I know those will be the hardest to manage. Her safety is on my mind often lately, along with her emotional well-being, which needs to be protected at all costs.
The only times Lily and I get together over the next week are always in public, surrounded by way too many people. People who like to politely interrupt us to ask us about our upcoming engagement party or chat with me about my stance on random topics related to the town.
I’ve always had people pull me aside to ask about small-town issues that relate to them, but now it is happening more than ever before, which is a positive for my campaign but a negative for my social life.
Lily is a good sport about it, and she never gets annoyed, even when I end up spending twenty minutes of our cake-tasting date talking to the couple seated next to us about the impact of Ludlow’s budget cuts on the recreational center.
Nor does she seem the least bit bothered when I get pulled aside during Trivia Night at Last Call because a constituent wanted to speak to me about affordable housing for seniors.
Next thing I know, we garner attention from a group of people sitting nearby, turning the double-date night with Julian and Dahlia into a mini town hall.
Last Call’s owner eventually brings out a mic for me to use, and I spend the night informally answering questions while Lily, Dahlia, and Julian watch from our booth.
Julian claps me on the shoulder as we’re walking out of the bar a couple hours later. “I do not envy you whatsoever.”
“Likewise.” I give him a once-over.
He ignores the jab. “I don’t know how you do it. If I had to stand up in front of that many people and speak…” A shudder rolls through him.
“I don’t think about it while I’m up there.”
“I’m honestly impressed.”
“Are you…complimenting me?”
He takes a deep breath and holds it.
I grin. “I’m sure it kills you to admit such a thing.”
“I think this whole conversation took five years off my life, yes.”
We both laugh, which makes Dahlia and Lily turn to face us.
“Oh my God,” Dahlia says.
Lily gasps. “Did they become besties?”
“No,” Julian and I reply at the same time.
Dahlia and Lily laugh.
“We’re…” Julian stammers.
“Poking fun at each other.”
Dahlia bats her lashes. “And now they’re finishing each other’s sentences?”
Lily nods with a smug smile. “Definitely besties.”
By the time Saturday comes around, I’m overstimulated and ready to take a break from socializing, but Willow scheduled a huge door-knocking campaign with all the volunteers, so I have to participate regardless of my desire to rot on the couch.
When I arrive at the campaign headquarters with boxes of doughnuts and coffee, I’m surprised to find seven new people waiting beside all the other volunteers.
Lily, Dahlia, and Rosa stand next to Josefina, who looks like she dragged Julian here against his will.
Ellie, who has always been supportive in my brainstorming meetings with Willow, smiles in my direction while Rafa watches her.
All of them are wearing Vote Vittori shirts, and I won’t say it makes me sentimental, but it does mean more to me than they’ll ever know.
I didn’t notice Daisy until Lily walks over to where I am standing, watching everyone with a slack jaw and raised brows.
“Hey.” She kisses me on the cheek.
“How did you get them all to agree to this?”
She shakes her head with a laugh. “It wasn’t me.”
Daisy rises onto her hind legs and places her paws on my stomach, giving me a better view of her bandana with a Daisy for Vice Mayor slogan on it.
“Cute touch.” I rub underneath Daisy’s jaw, which makes her tongue fall out of her mouth.
“Thanks. She’s part of my strategy today.” Lily winks.
I quirk a brow. “How so?”
“She’s an attention magnet, so all I need to do is sit in the park and people will come up to me in no time.”
I chuckle under my breath. “No one will be able to say no to talking to you—with or without Daisy.”
“Good! Because we all made a bet to see how many people we can get to talk to us today, and I can’t lose.”
“A bet?” I ask, amused by the idea of them competing against each other.
“Yes. Winner gets to pick a car from your collection and drive it around for a day. Loser has to wash dishes for the next four Sunday lunches.”
“Did you…”
“Also invite Manny and his mom to participate because he’s always asking to drive your Ferrari? Why yes, I did.”
“Lily…” I warn.
“You need all the help you can get!”
“I’m going to kill you.” With orgasms, I say to myself. Many, many orgasms, some of which will be delayed because what was she thinking, offering up my car collection like a prize on one of those game shows?
I fake a lunge, and she darts away with a squeal.
“See you later!” She disappears out the front door of the office with her clipboard, leaving me with the biggest smile on my face.
She’s lucky I love her, but not nearly as lucky as I am to be loved by her .
Halfway through today’s canvassing, I take a break and head to the Munoz house so I can meet up with a delivery man. I couldn’t have planned today better if I tried since Lily is going to be occupied for most of the day.
“Sign here.” He passes me the clipboard.
I sign the invoice while his team carries the last item into the backyard. I show them where to place it and take a photo of the garden, now that it is complete, and send it to Rosa, who has done a good job keeping Lily away from the backyard.
Thankfully Lily has been so busy with work and the campaign that she hasn’t wandered outside yet, and Rosa has assured me that she’ll make sure she doesn’t until the engagement party, which Lily still thinks is taking place at my house.
This entire plan, which has been on my mind for a while, feels more special now that Lily and I are finally on the same page.
I hope my actions leave no room for misinterpretation this time, because there is no question in my mind that I love Lily Munoz, and I’ll spend forever making sure she never doubts that—or me—again.