Okay, maybe he didn’t have friendship on his mind. She probably should have worn her old sack dress hanging in the back of her closet.
The dining room looked like old money with portraits on the walls and leather chairs. When the maître d’ led them to one of the best tables, she couldn’t help wishing she was with Rodney, instead, for a romantic dinner date. But public appearances were off limits for them. They more than made up for it in private, though.
She and Ted made small talk about the weather and awful D.C. metro area traffic until their wine arrived.
He raised his glass. “Thank you for accepting my invitation. I hope it’s because you want to pursue public office, you enjoy my company, or both.”
Not knowing how to respond, she merely smiled and clinked his glass.
“Tell me about your work as a senator,” she said after taking some fortifying sips of zinfandel.
He regaled her with the ins and outs of his office. Like any profession, bad days happened. But the good days sounded intriguing.
She buttered a piece of bread from the small loaf. “Sounds as though you’ve helped a lot of people.”
“A few,” he replied with a modest shrug. “It makes all the hassles worth it.”
“My parents did some protesting in their day,” she admitted.
“Oh? Tell me more,” he said as he dug into his salad.
“Well, my father was a hippie, and my mother, a black flower child. They still are, really.” She ate a bite of bread. “They’ve helped the black community in Wheeling, where they live.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Public office is usually a lot safer than protesting.”
“Good to know. I can’t help too many people if I’m bleeding to death.”
“You’re a heroine. If you’re at all interested in public office, the time to pursue it is now while people still remember you. There are filing deadlines as well.”
Luckily, the food arrived, saving her from searching for the right reply. She enjoyed imagining what it would be like to get elected, but the thought of being a public official gave her the jitters. What if she hated it? Meanwhile, she would’ve lost her old job and financial security.
Her bourbon-glazed salmon tasted delicious. Unfortunately, she was too nervous to fully enjoy it. The main course gave her a much-needed break from conversation, though. With Rodney, the time passed too quickly, but she couldn’t wait for this evening to be over.
Ted ate his steak with impeccable manners, but she’d grown up in a shack with no electricity. He probably thought she ate like a cavewoman. If he did, he was too polite to say so.
“How is the salmon?” he asked.
“Perfect,” she replied. How could it not be at such an expensive restaurant?
“I don’t know about you, but I’m having a wonderful time.” He sipped some cabernet. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
He must have noticed her fork pause in midair because he followed up with, “So, Dee, are you seeing anyone?”
If she’d been drinking wine, she probably would have choked on it. “Well, not at the moment. Work keeps me too busy for a social life.”
“You know what they say about all work and no play. In fact, I have two orchestra seat tickets to see the latest opera at the Kennedy Center this weekend.”
She wished she could be honest about Rodney and say she’d only gone to dinner because she wanted to learn more about the attorney general opportunity. Ted was a great catch, handsome, and he treated her like a queen. Was it right to use him to help camouflage her secret relationship?
“Sounds great, but…”
“But?” he prompted.
What little salmon she’d eaten churned in her stomach as if trying to swim upstream. “I’ve got casework to catch up on. I’d be too tired to enjoy it.”
“A busy lady needs to eat. How about I cook dinner for you sometime at my place?” He grinned. “I don’t have time to cook much, but risotto and scallops are my specialty.”
Check, please! She’d hoped Ted wouldn’t pursue her so hard on the first date, but he was the type of man to go after what he wanted.
“I’ll have to see how my caseload goes,” she finally said, twisting her napkin in her lap.
His charming smile dimmed, but not completely. “Sounds as if I’ve been friend-zoned.”
“I’m sorry, Ted. I am enjoying the meal.”
He stopped eating as well. “There must be someone else in the picture.”
She nodded before she could stop herself.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Anyone I know?”
She hesitated. “I doubt it. He doesn’t live around here.”
“Long-distance relationships can be problematic at best.”
He made a brushing motion with his fingers, as if he’d dismissed it as a threat. Dee bit her bottom lip, realizing she’d said too much.
“I still want to see you run for office,” he said, placing his napkin on the table. “I can groom you.”
“Like a dog?” she joked, smiling to break the tension.
“Rule number one. Pick your friends and lovers carefully. Nothing must tarnish your image.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He escorted her to her car. “If you want to run, you need to start campaigning. Figure out your brand. Your platform. Then get up to speed on social media.”
“Thank you so much for dinner and your advice,” she told him.
“The pleasure was all mine, Dee,” he said as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “If you want any help with a campaign, I can make myself available for lunch. No strings.”
As she drove home, she still had no idea whether or not to run for office. Being a public figure would put even more pressure on her relationship with Rodney. Making it more likely to be discovered. And more damaging if it did.
* * *
Jack sat backstage at a concert arena in Milwaukee, rehearsing with the band for tonight’s concert. He and Rodney gave the usual feedback.
Start that riff a little later. Try a G7 chord. Hammer on the strings a little harder.
But, lately, their lead singer acted distracted. He probably
