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Once the waitress is out of earshot, he sidles up next to me, close enough that I notice the blue in his hazel eyes—a reminder that he’s not Alex. This afternoon, I’ve been falling into easy banter like I have with Alex; I need to keep my wits about me.
“Lest you forget, my dear wife, I was in an accident? I’m on pain medication and shouldn’t be drinking at all.” A moment later, the waitress appears, sliding the lime-garnished shot in front of me. Before she can get away, I order two more. When she leaves to retrieve them, Chris smiles brightly, shaking his head. “Didn’t Alex let you drink? You were supposed to be celebrating.”
I look out at the dining patrons, whispering to myself, “With an Old Fashioned, extra cherry.”
“What was that?”
Blinking away the thought, I quickly correct, “Sorry, I was just thinking about something someone told me once—they only drink when they’re celebrating. We have a lot to celebrate, so we should absolutely have a drink. You’re going to be announcing soon.”
“True.” He chuckles to himself, then peers up through his lashes. “Does that mean we’ll be drunk for the next couple of months?”
“I certainly hope not. Your campaign manager wouldhate us.” I can’t help my smile; his campaign manager is a…delight.
“Remember the first year your mother insisted I do the bachelor auction for the gala? Fuck, we were so wasted.” He lets out a full laugh, sipping his water.
“I spent so much money bidding on you!” I down my shot in one gulp, and suck on the lime to ease the burn. “Mrs. Bradley wanted you so badly.”
“She’s eighty! What could she possibly want with me?” My eyes fall to his lap, and his laughter ceases. “You can’t be serious.”
“We should have you do it again this year. You know, for charity.” He doesn’t bat an eye at me throwing his words back at him. Did he forget that he left with a celebrity and didn’t come home until the middle of the night?
Chris leans in, his five-o’clock shadow lightly scraping my jaw. “I’m no longer a bachelor, Jaclyn.” He kisses my cheek, and,fuck, it makes me miss Alex all over again.
I want a man I can’t have, and I hate that my heart aches for him. There’s no way Chris will let me go. He got what he wanted—the perfect wife and wedding to kick off his presidential run. Ever since I discovered Chris’ indiscretions from a housekeeper at the hotel he frequents, I’ve been less and less confident that I’ll have any sort of political future of my own. The past few days have solidified that there is no way out of this. I was foolish to entertain the idea that Alex and I could work. Even if Chris hadn’tsurvived the heart attack or the accident, how could I ever sell that to the media?
Since I’m married to Chris for the foreseeable future, I need to make the best of this ridiculous arrangement. The accident has been swept under the rug. To drag it back out, I’d have to go up against not only my father but his.
I can be friends with a murderer and adulterer, right?
What am I saying? I’m not innocent, either.
Two morally corrupt people married to each other… Great.
Our waitress returns with more tequila, and I pass one to Chris. “One drink, a toast.”
“What are we toasting to?” He lifts his glass, eyebrow slightly raised in question.
“Your swift recovery.”
Chris rests his hand on the back of my chair, his genuine smile meeting his eyes. “No. To you. An incredible woman I don’t deserve.”
“I’m not incredible,” I humbly stress, keeping the whole facade firmly in place. He only believes I am because he sees what I let him. Same with Alex, though I let my mask slip with him more times than I would like to admit. I’ve worked too hard to get to this point. Chris’ accident put a wrench in things, but it should be salvageable when we return to Washington.
I can make this work.
“You put up with the dog and pony show, and you do it with grace, Jackie.” He clinks his glass with mine and takes the shot with no chaser or lime. “I struggle most days. I don’t know how you do it.”
“What choice do I have?”It isn’t as if my father would approve of me doing anything that would make me happy.
“You’re the only reason I can do this.” Chris reaches for my hand, and I turn mine over, interlacing our fingers. He feels just like Alex right now, and my breath is stolen from me. “I’m going to make everything up to you, and we’ll go on a proper honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon, right. Can’t wait.” I take my shot, no lime, wanting to savor the burn. My lie is surprisingly believable, a wide smile slicing Chris’ face. Only a few dozen years of this, and maybe I’ll no longer have to lie to him.
His gaze catches on my wedding ring, and the handsome grin is quickly replaced by a scowl. “Where’s my wedding band?”
“Oh…” I look down at my ring. “I guess Alex still has it.”
“Well, since you can’t wait for our honeymoon, let’s kick it off right.” He lifts his free hand for the check. I don’t have a moment to protest when he adds, “We’ll start by finding a restaurant that’s a bit more Hawaiian, then pick up a new wedding band. And maybe even pick up a pineapple along the way, too.”
