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“I cannot wait to see the look on Mom’s face when you tell her you have hired your own event planner!” Eddie says, gleaming.
“Project Manager. She will oversee the events, but that won’t be all she does,” I growl, as I think of the beautiful redhead that seems to look after everyone but herself.
I offered her a job that anyone would jump at, and she was willing to reject it based on the feelings and thoughts of others. Only now am I starting to think how hard it is going to be to work with her twenty-four-seven for the next few months. How looking at her beautiful body in my office every day is going to be one of my biggest challenges yet.
I am a go-getter, a high achiever. Whatever I want, I strive for it, including this governorship. I am beyond dedicated, but the laser-like vision I had on the role has now widened, encompassing Beth as well. I’ll need to try harder at pushing her out of my mind, while also keeping her close so she can bring her full self to the team.
I want all of her; her passion, her professionalism, but I just need to ensure I don’t touch her as the governorship will depend on it.
“What exactly are you going to have her do?” Oscar asks, still bewildered by my decision to hire Beth.
“Did you not see how well she handled the media scrum this morning?” I ask, pointing to the fact that she did a better job than he did. Oscar swallows, but remains quiet.
“She will be my right hand in addition to you. She will manage my events and appearances, work with you on my appointments and meetings. Take charge of the media. You will maintain your focus on the campaign, speech notes, and tell me where I need to be. Between you and Beth, I will be a well-oiled machine.”
“Something will be well oiled,” Eddie murmurs, and I look at him sharply. Eddie is great fun, and our love runs deep, but he is still young, now only just getting a handle on working in such a professional environment. His cheap shots at me are something he needs to reserve for home life, rather than in the car with Oscar nearby.
“What? You were like Tarzan who had just found Jane. You went all protective of her even after she challenged you. She is not scared of you. I like her.A lot.”
“Eddie!” I growl at him again. A weird feeling of heat sprinkles up my spine. I don’t want him to like her. I don’t want any other man to even look at her. The fact that every fucking male within a hundred-yard radius seems to hone in on her makes my blood boil just thinking about it. I pull at my collar. I need to get these intense feelings I have under control. It is ridiculous.
“I still don’t think we need her. We have people to handle those responsibilities already,” Oscar says again, but I am not changing my mind.
“She is a great addition, but remember she is only on secondment, so she can walk at any time. I want you both to make her feel welcome, show her the ropes, get her settled in quickly. She will have good thoughts on what the people want, great ideas on our events and appearances, and may even whip you both into shape,” I snap, sick of having to defend a decision I made for my own fucking campaign.
“I will organize her car and driver and send over a laptop and phone tonight. Then I will get her to come in tomorrow for the event overview with Mom and Lilly,” Eddie says, pulling out his phone, already getting to work.
Oscar sits quietly, looking at me.
“What?” I bark at him, wishing he would spit it out already.
“You told me that you don’t need distractions...” he says in a final warning.
“Beth is not a distraction.”
“Are you sure about that?” he smarts back, and I look at him, but don’t answer. My silence is enough to tell him exactly what he already knows.
* * *
“You made your announcement this morning!”my mother shrieks as I step into my office after our drive back from Riverside.
“Yes,” I state simply, trying not to groan at her tone, heading for my desk. Oscar and Eddie follow me in, and I wonder why both her and Lilly are sitting at my office conference table with swatches of colored fabric draped everywhere.
“But we have our event in a week! I have it all planned!” she continues to scold me, flapping her arms around everywhere, the rows of gold and diamond bracelets on her wrist jingling as she does. Lilly sits nervously next to her, watching the interaction. Probably trying to assess what it means for her wardrobe selection. I stop abruptly as I get to my desk and look at them both.
“It is my campaign. I will run it how I see fit. We will still have the party, but the announcement has now been made,” I tell them, leaving no room for questions. I’m still feeling wound up from Oscar’s interrogation in the car.
“You should see the new girl he just hired!” Eddie says gleefully as he flops down on the small sofa near my bookcase, with a big shit-eating grin on his face.
“You hired who?” My mother's voice rises, and I would imagine her eyebrows shooting to her hairline, but her forehead is frozen solid. It hasn’t moved in years.
“Beth Longmere, from D.C. Events. She is professional and extremely passionate about her community,” I say as I walk around, removing pieces of cloth from my desk and throwing them on the table in front of her. What the hell possessed my mother and Lilly to claim my office as their own?
We have about sixty other offices in this very building. Our family law firm, of which I am currently CEO, sits in the upper levels of this high rise, our property and construction business just below. My brothers and I all have city penthouses on the top four floors, yet for some reason, my mother took it upon herself to command my office.
“Longmere...” my mother ponders. “I’ve never heard of them. What have you hired her for?” Her voice rises another octave, and as much as I love her, I’m becoming more and more frustrated by the fact that she continues to question my choices and appears to want to make them for me. I see Eddie smile as he watches, but Oscar, on the other hand, rubs his head like he is in pain, and sighs.
“She is going to be working with Oscar and Eddie. She brings the best of both of them, and I think she will make a good member of my team,” I state firmly, daring her to push me further.
