God, even Cain himself hardly knew who the real Cain was anymore.
The fact that this reporter had recognized that loneliness made the idea of doing an interview immeasurably more dangerous. Gary North wanted a reaction, a soundbite, and Cain would be damned if he’d let someone else use him that way. Not when there was so much at stake.
Still, what the senator wanted, the senator fucking got.
“Contact my father’s office then,” Cain agreed finally. “Have them set something up.”
“Or you could give me your number.”
Now Cain didn’t have to feign amusement. He laughed out loud as he met the man’s eyes. “That’s not ever going to happen. My father’s office will want to approve the questions.”
“And you always do what your father tells you to do?”
Cain’s skin prickled, but outwardly he ignored the taunt. Or maybe it wasn’t a taunt at all. Maybe Gary could see what everyone else saw in Cain.
“Here’s my card,” Gary said, sliding the thin white paper into Cain’s breast pocket. “In case you change your mind.”
“Set up the damn appointment,” Cain said, meeting Gary’s eyes, then he walked away before the man could reply.
God, an interview. Awful. So many things to keep from saying and, more difficult still,implying. So many things to dodge and lie about. Too bad Cain’s concerns meant jack shit to his father, if his mind was really set on this thing.
Cain needed to get out of town, and not in the sense of going back to his parents’ house in Tennessee, or moving on to the next stop of the Senator Shaw Baby-kissing Tour, but going someplace where none of his family could reach him.
Maybe when he got there, he could forget how to be Senator Shaw’s kid, and remember how to be Cain.
As he bypassed the center of the room, where his father was standing, and attempted to make a getaway to the restroom, he saw a flash of red hair in his peripheral vision as his mother moved to intercept him.
He stifled a sigh. “Just water, Mother.” He handed her his glass, and she accepted it, taking a brief sniff of the liquid to confirm.So much trust.
“Excuse me, I need the men’s room,” he told her tightly, nodding towards the door.
“Just a minute. I saw you chatting over there,” she said, voice chilly with disapproval. "With that man, thatGary North. He's areporter, Cain. For that revolting rag,The Herald."
Cain raised his eyebrows. "I know. Cady told me, and the man confirmed it, himself just now. What's wrong withThe Herald?" He'd heard this tirade a million times, but he enjoyed watching the struggle play on her face, her need to remain relentlessly cheerful and photo-ready winning out over her absolute hatred of the media outlet that had blasted his father's political platform from the very beginning.
She gave him a sharp look. "You know very well what's wrong with them. Dirt-slingers. That's all they are."
Cain's eyebrows flew up. This was tough talk for Lucy Shaw.
"Funny, because Dad already gave him an interview, and now Gary tells me that I’m supposed do an interview with him, too."
Lucy's lips pinched together and she exhaled through her nose. "Your father mentioned it. He wants to appeal to a younger demographic. It's a ridiculous idea."
Cain’s chest loosened. "I agree. He's calling the senator’s office to set it up, so have Darla give the guy the brush-off."
His mother shook her head once, and a tiny line of frustration appeared in the middle of her forehead. “He's not going to back down. You're just going to have to handle things."
Right. Totally. Easy enough. He just had to remember not to mention anything important that had happened to him during the last six months.
"Mom..."
But Lucy merely nodded decisively, as though there was nothing more to be discussed. "You'll talk about school," she told him firmly. "Your studies. The girls you've dated." Her face brightened. "Oh, and Sebastian Seaver. Talk about him."
"Bas? What for?" Cain andCamhad dated briefly in high school, not that his mother knew that. But Cain andBashad never been close, even before Bas had every reason to hate him.
"Because he's sympathetic. He lost his fiancéeandboth parents in that horrible plane crash. People will instantly sympathize with you, too."
"Cam Seaver lost his parents as well," Cain pointed out. "And I'm far better friends with him."
