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7
ALEX
I move among the donors in the ballroom looking for any sign of Rosemary, while also trying to stay out of Barry’s eyeline. I’m not supposed to be here since technically he fired me this afternoon.
“What do you mean you won’t do it?” Barry asked, when I tossed the soaked file about Rosemary down on his desk.
“Exactly what I said.”
“She can’t be trusted.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Rosemary Hardin is the most caring and amazing person I’ve ever met. I don’t think there is a disingenuous bone in her body.”
“Everyone has a price. Especially country bumpkins from Hickville, Idaho.”
I slammed my hands down on the desk so quickly it made Barry jump back in his seat.
“Don’t ever let me hear you talk about her that way. You got it?”
Barry’s chin wobbled as he nodded his head. Then I waited a beat to see if I felt any lingering regret for setting my career ablaze for Rosemary, but nothing came. I pushed off his desk and turned for the door. I was right to take a chance on a future with her. Now I just needed to convince her to take that chance on me.
“You are making a huge mistake!” Barry called after me. “You are done in politics if you walk out of here.”
I paused in the doorway and looked back at him. “You’re probably right. But I have a different idea of what my future holds and it’s not working with you.”
Thankfully most of the campaign headquarters was empty when this all went down earlier today, otherwise I’d have more than Barry to worry about kicking me out of here.
A flash of red hair draws my attention to the door and I see Rosemary walking in behind her family. It feels like all the air in my lungs is sucked out at the sight of her. She’s in a dark green sequined gown that hugs every dip and curve of her body as she moves. My dick is instantly alert as my gaze moves slowly over the bare skin of her shoulders down to the swell of her breasts.
She is so beautiful, I have to remind myself to breathe.
I take a step towards her but Roman comes out of nowhere and steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“A little birdy told me you spent time with my sister today,” he says.
My full focus is pulled from Rosemary to Roman. He doesn’t sound angry like I would have expected but then again, we are in a very public place. He could just be saying this all with a smile in front of a ballroom full of donors and press but have plans to try and kick my ass later.
“What did Rosemary tell you?” I ask, ready to spill everything.
“She didn’t say a word. My mom told me she did a little matchmaking this afternoon on you two.”
I shake my head confused. “Why aren’t you ending that sentence with a threat to remove my balls if I go anywhere near her again?”
Roman laughs. “I know what I told the guys back in the day about Hazel, but that was a long time ago. Did you think I was going to be mad?”
“Honestly?” I scoff. “Yes.”
“I guess I’ve never given you reason to think otherwise, but Hazel set me straight a few years back when Smithy tried to ask her out.”
“Hazel wanted to date Smithy?”
“Hell no, but she wanted the option to if she wanted to date him. When she mentioned something about kicking my balls so hard they’d get caught in my throat, I knew that it was time to step back.”
“Good to know,” I say and take a step around him to head towards Rosemary.
Roman puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “But if you break her heart, I will kill you.”
I nod, letting him know that I understand. He pats my shoulder and walks away, completely unaware that his threat might actually come true if I can’t explain everything to Rosemary.
