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I accepted the offered hand and squeezed gently. “Thank you for joining us.”
A small crack appeared in her professional veneer as she side-eyed Nathan. “I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
She didn’t elaborate on what had detained her for over an hour, and I didn’t ask. Not only was it unlikely that I would receive the truth, but I didn’t want her to destroy whatever tentative trust I had started to build with Nathan.
The kid had tensed up the moment she’d walked through the door, and the bored expression on his face had morphed into one of genuine anxiety. He sank even lower into his chair and tucked his chin, like a turtle burrowing into its shell.
For that reason alone, I would have preferred that she didn’t speak at all. I could deal with Nathan’s shitty attitude, but it was going to be a short meeting if he shut down completely.
“Nathan and I were just getting to know each other.”
She nodded and reached into her bag to slide out a sheet of cream-colored paper. “Senator Fairfax would like to request your attendance at these events. Of course, any necessary fees will be covered, and transportation will be provided.”
The bulleted list she pushed in front of me contained fourteen items that spanned the next four months. From fundraising galas to ribbon-cutting ceremonies, each one was designed to put us in front of as many eyes as possible. It did seem like a lot of effort and expense to fly us to Houston for a ten-minute photo op, but it wasn’t my place to judge.
“Senator Fairfax would also like you and Nathan to be seen together in public at least twice before the first event.” Popping open a slim silver case, she extracted a business card and slid it across the glass tabletop. “Please feel free to contact me with any questions.”
“Thank you.” Taking the card, I placed it on top of the itinerary. “Is there anything else?”
When I had first started working for +One, these types of meetings had confused me. At the time, I hadn’t been able to wrap my head around the idea of a five-minute, in-person meeting when an email would have sufficed. Now, I understood that a little inconvenience far outweighed the risk of an information leak.
“Not at this time.” She gathered her things and stood. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Ramsey. I’m sorry to rush out, but I have other commitments.”
“I understand.”
She nodded, then turned to Nathan. “Mom expects you at dinner tonight. Don’t be late.”
Then, she turned and strode out of the room, leaving as abruptly as she had arrived.
“Your sister?”
I bit back a sigh when Nathan shrugged. We had been making progress, and now we were back to non-verbal responses.
“The first event is a tree lighting celebration this Saturday,” I tried again.
Nod.
“Since we only have a few days, we should plan our first outing for today or tomorrow.”
Shrug.
“Are you free today?”
Nod.
“Do you have a preference or any suggestions for where we should go?”
Shrug.
Gritting my teeth, I inhaled deeply through my nose and reminded myself that I wouldn’t get paid if I murdered him. It didn’t help.
Of course, I had met with clients like him before. Well, maybe not this level of apathy, but still just as obnoxious. They always came around in the end. I just had to calm down and figure out the right approach.
Nathan didn’t like being called a kid but treating him as an equal hadn’t gotten me anywhere. Most people couldn’t wait to let me know they were in charge, but suggesting Nathan make decisions had been pointless. While we didn’t have to like each other to work together, we did have to pretend that we did.
At that point, I doubted his ability to fake mere tolerance, let alone affection.
“Are you hungry?”
