Page 14 of The Politician

“It’s not an easy job, but you’ve taken it and run with it. I’m grateful for that.”

Sarah stared back at Kendra with a smile that said more in Kendra’s mind than perhaps Sarah intended. Maybe it was because she hadn’t expected a compliment that the words meant so much. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, it felt like Sarah cared. “Admin isn’t my favourite job,” she said. Sarah laughed, breaking the spell that had locked Kendra in.

“Yes, so you said.” Sarah sipped her drink. “So, what did you do before?”

“Gardening.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows.

“Landscaping mostly. I enjoy being physical.”

Sarah glanced towards the fire. “Physical is good. I remember those days too. Being actively involved in projects rather than administering them.”

“Exactly. I have a friend. We attended rallies and that kind of thing. She’s working in conservation in Thailand now. Saving elephants and building eco-lodges.”

Sarah crossed her legs and leaned her head back against the chair.

“Do you miss it?” Kendra asked. Sarah didn’t answer for a while. Her cheeks coloured and a smiled tugged at her lips. Kendra wondered what she was thinking.

“My activist days ended before I left uni. Change happens through politics rather than protest.”

“I disagree.”

“So does my daughter.” Sarah laughed. “You do know that in politics, if you want to keep your job, it pays to agree with the boss.”

Kendra studied the narrowing of Sarah’s eyes and that tug at her lips again, and she smiled. “That’s not me,” she said.

Sarah nodded. “Good. I hate sycophants, and I’m surrounded by them.”

Kendra sipped her drink and relaxed her shoulders.

“I forgot to mention, my daughter, Abi, is coming to stay with me for the weekend. We’ll pick her up from the station tomorrow, and then we have to make a quick dash to the crafts shop. My first meeting is at two thirty and my last is at six.”

“Wouldn’t you rather spend time alone with her?”

Sarah smiled. “There’s plenty of space at the house, and it would be good for you to see what goes on within the constituency. I’ll need your help to manage the work here if the vote goes in my favour.”

“Manage?”

“Yes. I have a small team in Todmorden. I need someone to manage them. I don’t have the time as it is and neither does Jeremy.” She stared at Kendra and sipped her drink. “Have you managed people before?”

Kendra smiled. The details were on her CV, but she doubted Sarah had had the time to look at it that closely before she’d been recruited. “Sure.” She’d managed a crew doing a landscaping project, which was easy because the results were obvious. She hadn’t ever managed people who pushed paper around their desk a thousand times a day. She wasn’t sure where to start, but she’d give it a go to help Sarah. She didn’t like the idea of getting between mother and daughter, but Sarah hadn’t given her an out. This was her job, and it was already clear that it was going to consume her every waking hour, and undoubtedly, she’d be working when she should be sleeping. There was a bonus, of course. Spending time in Sarah’s company wasn’t exactly a hardship.

7.

SARAH STIRRED, SURROUNDED BYthe sound of silence. The brief experience was interrupted by cows mooing. She rolled over in the bed, tugged the spare pillow into her chest and wrapped her arms around it. She couldn’t remember when she’d slept as well, and she had no urge to get up. She blinked and opened her eyes to the darkness as a cockerel announced the morning’s arrival. Winter was deceptive when it came to guessing the time but after the sleep she’d had, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was gone eight. Her phone said six thirty. The message from Mark said Abi was on the train already and would arrive at ten fifteen. She allowed the joy to settle inside her before getting out of bed.

The herd of black and white cows responsible for the ruckus were being penned in the yard across from her room, close to what must have been the milking sheds. She made her way to the bathroom, caught her toe on the leg of the bed and hopped the rest of the way, cursing. The Imperial’s rooms were much bigger. She opened the door and was met by a waft of steam and the shower running.

“Shit. I forgot to lock the door,” Kendra said and poked her head around the shower curtain.

Sarah smiled. “Sorry. I should have heard you.” She couldn’t stop from staring, couldn’t stop from taking in Kendra’s lean body and what the shower curtain obscured, she could easily imagine. The image left her with an ache between her legs that shifted her attention from her toe. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. Perhaps she should have found a way to take her skiing trip after all. She moaned under her breath and leaned her back against the door until the running water stopped.

“I’m done,” Kendra said.

Sarah waited until the door clicked before heading back into the bathroom. The zesty smell of the shower gel lingered, and the throb between Sarah’s legs needed swift attention. Thank God for a decent shower head and excellent water pressure. If those were the measures for a five-star rating, she’d award this place five stars twice over. The water’s pulse hit her clit, and the delicious sensation rose within her. It moved through her in seconds—too quickly—and tipped her over the edge. It wasn’t enough, but it would have to do. She needed to keep her thoughts on the job. Later, she would amuse herself in the privacy of her own home.

“Did you sleep okay?” Kendra asked at breakfast.

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