Chapter Fifty-Five
Kwame
Home
“Where have you been?” she grumbles as soon as I walk into the house. She’s sitting at the bottom of the bifurcated staircase in the same dress she’d been wearing when I left her here nearly twelve hours ago.
“The interview went long and threw my whole day off.”
She stands on the second step from the bottom and cups either side of my neck.
I glance around the foyer for signs of life. I’m not sure I’m ready for PDA in front of my dad. “Where is he?” I whisper.
“Out,” she says with a wide-eyed smile. “He has more energy than I do.”
“He’s always worked hard and played even harder.”
“Have you been waiting long? I thought you would have gone to bed.”
She yawns and lets her head fall forward to rest on my chest. “I didn’t want to go upstairs without you. This house is huge and after the stories he told me today, it’s got to be haunted.”
I roll my eyes and use my arm to turn her so we’re both facing forward. “I need a shower, food, and sleep.”
“Hard day?” She hooks her arms around my waist and we start up the stairs together.
“Long. I had a meeting with the Governor.”
Her step falters. “Of Virginia?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” she asks with naked incredulity.
“He used to be our neighbor. Technically, he still is. He’s my mentor, sounding board.”
“That feels like a pretty major detail to not tell me.” She lets go of me and continues up the stairs ahead of me.
I could kick myself. I’m tired, hungry, and not thrilled to be spending the night here again.
I take the stairs two at a time to catch up with her.
“Sorry, Sin. I talk to him infrequently these days and see him even less. But he asked to meet with me today. I promise I’m not keeping it from you.
I’m just exhausted and have so much on my mind. ”
I open the door to our room and walk in ahead of her. She sits on the bed and drops her head into her hands. “I know you’re not. I shouldn’t have said it like that. We’ve still got a lot to learn about each other. I forget we’ve only met a year ago.”
I shake my head in amazement. “It feels so much longer.” I walk over, massage her shoulders and breathe a sigh a of relief that we didn't escalate that landmine. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention it.
You’re going to meet everyone who is important to me this Sunday.
But this world isn’t where I feel at home and I kind of…
don't want it to intrude on what we have.”
“I understand that. Let’s cross that bridge when we get there, okay? Or at least when I’m not exhausted and hungry.”
“Shit, of course. How was your interview? I hope my dad wasn’t too much of a jerk.”
She yawns so big her jaw pops. I wonder if that’s why she’s so drained.
“Sorry. Gosh,” she smiles. “I had a great conversation with your dad. Better than I expected. He's fascinating. So much of what he said really resonated with me.”
I don’t know why that makes something in me recoil, tighten. “That’s amazing. I’m glad you’re not running for the hills.”
“Hardly. He’s charming and elusive at the same time. I’ve never met anyone with so much self-assurance.”
“And you likely never will.” I’m glad she liked him. I wanted her to.
So why does my skin feel tight?
“Tomorrow, we’ll get photos, and then I can start putting the package together. I think it’s going to be an easy pitch.” She looks like a kid who’s getting ready to meet Santa. I don't want to be her Grinch.
“I’m glad you’re happy.” I tug my tie off and sit on the bench in front of the bed to pull off my socks.
“Now that you’re back I am. It’s nice here but I miss home.” She sits on the bed behind me and rubs my head.
Her calling our lives outside of here home is music to my ear. “Two more days,” I murmur then groan when she digs her fingers into my neck and rubs the tension resting there. “I love that.”
“I know. Even though you kept me waiting and hungry, I can tell you needed it.” She leans over to press a kiss to the spot behind my ear.
“How long did I keep you waiting?”
She cocks her head to the side, her smile fading and eyes darkening. “My whole life, it feels like.”
I climb up onto the bed and lay next to her.
The minute our eyes meet and I see my whole heart in hers, I forget my hunger, forget the disastrous meeting I had today and just breathe.
I slip my arm around her waist, savoring the way she curves into me and fits like she was made to.
I press my forehead to hers. I take her hand in mine and hold it between us so that we’re chest to chest, thigh to thigh, heart to heart, and right now I would risk it all for her.
“Well, isn’t this nice?”
At the sound of Alice’s voice, we jump apart and off the bed.
She stands, her hands clasped in front of her smiling. “I knocked but you didn’t hear me.”
“Oh, no worries.” I tuck my shirt back in and walk over to her and turn her around so she’s not looking at Sin anymore. “How are you?”
“Fine. Sorry about the intrusion. I’m not used to you being here with someone. I just wanted to tell you that there’s dinner in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”
I look at Sin.
She sitting on the bed watching us with an expression I can’t read. “‘Did you still want to eat?”
“She wanted to wait for you,” Alice replies before Sin can. I turn back to her. “There’s plenty for both of you. Feel free to help yourselves. The staff has gone to bed and I’m right behind them. Good night.” Alice presses a kiss to my cheek and then shuffles down the hall.
“I’m starting to think Alice doesn’t like me,” Sin says when we get inside our room.
I chuckle. “Alice likes everyone. She even likes my dad.”
“I don’t know. She never meets my eye.” She pouts and opens her wide-set dark brown eyes to stare at the ceiling. I cup her chin and turn her face toward me.
Her shoulders sag and she sighs. “So, tell me about the Governor. What did he say?”
“There’s about to be a vacant seat in the US Senate. The Senator from Virginia is resigning ahead of a scandal.”
She grins, eyes wide. “What? Are you giving me a scoop?”
I shake my head. “No, just talking to my girlfriend. Or should I have asked you to sign an NDA first?”
I sound more irritated than I should; but not as irritated as I feel.
She blanches. “I’m just kidding,” she mumbles. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“I know. Sorry. I’m tired too. Anyway, that’s not even the news. He wants to appoint me to the seat.”
“Wow, that’s wild.” She flops down on the bed and her eyes flutter closed. “As if you’d turn down the AUSA for that.”
“I didn't get the job,” I say. My tongue feels as heavy as lead.
She opens one eye and then the other. Her mouth forms a perfect “O.”
“It's okay.”
“You wanted it so much. I’m sorry. You found out today?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what to do. I'm not staying on at the firm.”
“Won’t there be other roles at the DOJ?”
“Yeah, but…I don't know, Sin. I don’t want to talk about it. At least not until I eat. I’m starving.”
“Me too. Let’s go eat.”
I grab her wrist to stop her from getting up.
“Or, I could just skip dinner and have you for dessert.”
“Anything you want, K.”
Her words illicit a flash of trepidation at how insatiable I am for her. She says anything I want but all I want is her. And the more I have, the hungrier I become.
Being here has made me anxious about us in a way I can’t explain.
Maybe it’s that I can’t stop thinking about my mother while I’m here. I wish we’d been closer. I wish I’d had the chance to get to know her.
I don’t want to make the same mistake with my dad.
I withdrew myself from consideration for the AUSA job after my meeting with the Governor. There is no way to take that job without selling my family out and inviting trouble to my own doorstep.