and waiting until the two men had passed by. He almost had to laugh aloud when he saw where they were being seated-at the table diagonally to the right of his. Ryan was a friggin’ magician.
Well, it was time for Patrick to call on an enviable skill of his own. He had a rare ability to totally shut out all surrounding noise and activity, and focus just on the one thing that interested him-whether it was a conversation, an interesting article on the internet or a football game. When he was singularly-and intentionally-focused like that, there could be an earthquake around him and he wouldn’t notice.
He called this ability a gift. His wife called it something else-especially when she’d asked him the same question five times and he still hadn’t answered her.
Before he could start his tune-in process, the waiter reappeared at his side. “What can I get you, sir?”
“An Angus burger, extra peppers.” Quick and easy.
“How would you like that cooked?”
“Medium.”
“And to drink?”
Patrick indicated his glass. “Water’s fine for now. Maybe coffee later.” He handed over his menu. “Thanks.”
“Very good, sir.” The waiter was well trained. He sensed when a patron wanted his or her space. So he didn’t dawdle. He simply took the menu and left to place the order.
From his ideal seating location, Patrick had no trouble following Fenton and Mercer’s conversation. And, clearly, he hadn’t missed very much, because the two men were still exchanging niceties.
“You look great, Cliff,” Fenton said, settling himself in his chair. “A little tired maybe. But that’ll be remedied soon enough. Congress is almost out of session and you’ll be free to come home and enjoy the holidays with your family. How is Mary Jane?”
“She’s great.” Mercer’s smile was practiced, whether from force of habit or because Fenton made him uncomfortable, Patrick wasn’t sure. “Looking forward to having me home.” A chuckle. “Looking more forward to having the kids home. Finals are over next week, and the twins will be flying in right afterward.”
Fenton’s brows drew together as he searched his memory. “Tom’s at Caltech, right?”
A nod. “And Lisa’s at Northwestern. I can’t believe they’re finished with the first semester of their freshman year. To me, it flew by. To Mary Jane, it lasted an eternity. I actually think she’s looking forward to doing laundry- mass quantities of it. Lord only knows what those two are bringing home with them.”
“Straight As, I’d imagine,” Fenton commented.
“They’re doing well.” Mercer sounded like a proud father. “Most of all, they’re enjoying what they’ll later learn is the happiest stage of life.”
“They’re successful. They take after their father. Good genes clearly go a long way. You’re doing a fine job. I’m very impressed.”
“I appreciate that.” Mercer cleared his throat. “Your support during the campaign made all the difference. But I think you know that.”
“I do.” Fenton paused as the waiter approached their table, holding up his palm. “I don’t need a menu. I’ll have the crab cakes and a glass of sauvignon blanc.” He glanced at Mercer. “Do you know what you want?”
“I do indeed.” Mercer gave the waiter a pleasant smile. “I’ll have a chicken club and some sparkling water. I’ve got meetings all afternoon,” he explained to Fenton. “So no wine for me.”
“Understood.”
There was a moment of awkward silence at their table after the waiter left, which seemed to be on Mercer’s part. Clearly, there was an elephant in the room. Patrick just didn’t know what it was, or if Mercer was going to address it.
Leaning forward, Patrick propped his iPad in the upright position. He fired up the FaceTime app and switched to the back camera to record Fenton and Mercer in action. Simultaneously, he listened intently, watching their expressions over the top of the iPad.
Unfortunately, the waiter chose that exact minute to deliver his lunch. It wasn’t the poor guy’s fault that Patrick was on a mission that had nothing to do with food. Nevertheless, the interruption was a pain in the ass.
“Your lunch, sir,” the waiter announced.
“Thanks.” Patrick accepted his Angus burger with a courteous nod at the waiter, hoping the guy wasn’t going to hang around. Once again picking up on his customer’s vibes, the waiter took his cue. He paused only long enough to tell Patrick to let him know if he needed anything else, then turned and left.
“Any news about those maritime contracts?” Fenton was asking in a low tone.
Ah. Business. Finally.
Patrick picked up his burger one-handed and took a bite, watching Mercer’s reaction.
To his surprise, the congressman appeared almost relieved at Fenton’s choice of subjects. Whatever it was that Mercer was reluctant to address, this clearly wasn’t it.
“No worries on that score,” he assured Fenton. “I already spoke to the Army Corp of Engineers. Your company will get its government maritime contracts.”
“Excellent.” Fenton looked pleased, but not surprised. Obviously, he was accustomed to Mercer coming through for him. “I’m glad to hear it. When will it be official?”
“Soon. But, trust me, you can relax. Fenton Dredging’s got a strong reputation and a wide regional presence. It didn’t take any arm-twisting to get my recommendation unanimously approved.”
Okay, so Fenton was seeking U.S. government maritime contracts. Made sense. His company was a maritime construction company, and landing government contracts would mean big money-money that Mercer was helping him achieve. One hand washing the other. More evidence that Fenton had used his leverage to get Mercer elected.
The arrangement might be sketchy, but it was an everyday occurrence in politics. Unless there was more to it. How deep in Fenton’s pocket was Mercer?
As if to answer Patrick’s question, Mercer continued.
“Where do things stand on the Southampton hotel? I’m getting pressure from both sides-the ayes and the nays.”
“Which side is exerting more of that pressure?” Fenton inquired. He didn’t sound too concerned.
“It’s pretty damned close to fifty-fifty. And both sides have solid reasons to back them up. The financial gain versus the intrusion to their way of life. Hey, I’d love to see the profits and the job opportunities for my constituency. But I’m a local myself. I get it. No matter how I position myself, this is going to cause a major outcry-one it’ll be up to me to keep a lid on. I need to know which side you want me to come out in favor of. Are you signing onto this project or not?”
“You know the answer to that. I’m a businessman. To me, profit trumps resistance to change.”
“Then why the hesitation, first with Everett, now with Morano?”
“I had my reasons.” Fenton sidestepped the question, blatantly stating that he planned to keep those reasons to himself. “But all that’s about to be resolved. My plans are to sign the contracts and take on the dredging project. That hotel is going to rake in millions. And if I let another dredging company do what mine can do better, I’ll lose out big-time.”
Mercer blew out a resigned breath, although he showed no sign of surprise. “So Morano’s ferries and chartered yachts will have a direct route to a newly constructed hotel dock.”
“Yes, they will. And a professionally dug channel to get them there.” Fenton shot Mercer a purposeful look as their food arrived. “So, if I were you, I’d start preparing my district for an influx of capital-and people.”
“Don’t worry. Strategies are already in place for whichever way you go. I wasn’t about to put myself behind the eight ball and have to improvise at the last minute. Although I guessed which way you’d turn.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page.”
“Yeah.” Mercer paused again, toying with his silverware as the waiter arranged their plates, then placed Fenton’s glass of wine in front of him and opened a bottle of sparkling water.
Patrick studied the congressman as the waiter filled his glass. He could be waiting for privacy. But Patrick didn’t think so. That elephant was back in the room. Was that elephant more about the hotel contracts, or was Mercer pulling other strings for Fenton, as well?
Taking another bite of his Angus burger, Patrick enjoyed a bit of his lunch as the waiter finished his work at Mercer’s table, asking the usual hospitable questions, and then disappeared with his empty tray.
