and he wasn’t fool enough to think he could have an affair with Liza—even a discreet affair—and keep it secret for very long. No matter how much he wanted to.
Luckily he had the gift of focus. Without too much trouble he could usually hone in on the real issue in any given situation, the one that needed addressing. That focus would help make him an exceptional president if given the chance.
Normally focusing on his work was no big deal; it was how he’d become this successful in his career and managed to control the three-ring circus that was a presidential campaign.
On the other hand, normally he wasn’t obsessed with Liza Wilson.
Concentrating on his work had gotten him through the last couple of days without seeing her, but it was easy to resist temptation when temptation wasn’t there. Temptation was back now, and his work didn’t seem to mean jack or shit when she was this close.
Determined not to stare at Liza, John sat at the head of the table, ready to get this party started. Forget Liza Wilson, he told himself. Forget her. And he started to. For nearly half a second he did. But then the insidious thoughts started working on him and he glanced her way again, hoping for some flicker of acknowledgement in her eye, a half smile, a blush, a look…something…anything…but she kept her head low, and there was nothing for him to cling to except the powerful memory of her sweet lips on his.
Adena, meanwhile, was staring across the table at him with a knowing and irritated look in her eyes. “John.” The warning in her voice couldn’t have been louder or clearer if she’d used a megaphone. “Should we get started with the—”
Screw that.
John held up a hand to silence and dismiss Adena and, with her, John’s doubts. He could make time to say hello to Liza; it was only polite. And anyway—what could happen in a room full of people?
“Give me three minutes.” He stood again. “I need some coffee. Talk amongst yourselves till I get back.”
The staffers resumed their chatter, and John left the table with Adena’s glower skewering him through the shoulder blades. He shrugged it off, his mind on Liza with a single-minded focus that was so absolute he was barely aware of the other people in the room.
“Takashi.” He held out a hand. “The Pats lost last night. That’s another large you owe me.”
Takashi, who had the unfortunate habit of betting on every losing team in the NFL, NBA, or any other sports league with three letters, looked around with a sheepish grin and they shook. No money would ever change hands between them and they both knew it, but it was always fun to rub Takashi’s face in another loss.
“The Celtics are still in play, though, Senator. Should we make it double or nothing?”
“No. I want to leave you some cash for your retirement years.”
Maybe Takashi said something else, but John’s entire existence was now centered on Liza and he didn’t hear it. She’d glanced up from her clipboard long enough to give him a tiny smile that made him unreasonably happy.
“And how are you this morning, Liza?” John took excruciating care to keep his expression friendly but not intimate and his voice exactly the same as it’d been when he’d greeted Takashi.
Her color heightened as she looked up with a wry twist of her lips. “Not as good as I’d be if you started your day at a decent hour.”
Staring at her, smelling the flowers on her skin, wanting her, John felt the first cracks in his discipline and hated her for it.
Why, at this critical moment in his life and the country’s future, had this woman arrived to torment him? If he couldn’t have her, he shouldn’t want her. Not this damn much.
“Takashi.” God, he couldn’t take his eyes off her for a second, even when he was talking to someone else. How crazy was that? “Give us a minute.”
Takashi hesitated, as though he knew that what was on John’s mind was nothing innocent, but then he walked off.
Luckily he had the gift of focus. Without too much trouble he could usually hone in on the real issue in any given situation, the one that needed addressing. That focus would help make him an exceptional president if given the chance.
Normally focusing on his work was no big deal; it was how he’d become this successful in his career and managed to control the three-ring circus that was a presidential campaign.
On the other hand, normally he wasn’t obsessed with Liza Wilson.
Concentrating on his work had gotten him through the last couple of days without seeing her, but it was easy to resist temptation when temptation wasn’t there. Temptation was back now, and his work didn’t seem to mean jack or shit when she was this close.
Determined not to stare at Liza, John sat at the head of the table, ready to get this party started. Forget Liza Wilson, he told himself. Forget her. And he started to. For nearly half a second he did. But then the insidious thoughts started working on him and he glanced her way again, hoping for some flicker of acknowledgement in her eye, a half smile, a blush, a look…something…anything…but she kept her head low, and there was nothing for him to cling to except the powerful memory of her sweet lips on his.
Adena, meanwhile, was staring across the table at him with a knowing and irritated look in her eyes. “John.” The warning in her voice couldn’t have been louder or clearer if she’d used a megaphone. “Should we get started with the—”
Screw that.
John held up a hand to silence and dismiss Adena and, with her, John’s doubts. He could make time to say hello to Liza; it was only polite. And anyway—what could happen in a room full of people?
“Give me three minutes.” He stood again. “I need some coffee. Talk amongst yourselves till I get back.”
The staffers resumed their chatter, and John left the table with Adena’s glower skewering him through the shoulder blades. He shrugged it off, his mind on Liza with a single-minded focus that was so absolute he was barely aware of the other people in the room.
“Takashi.” He held out a hand. “The Pats lost last night. That’s another large you owe me.”
Takashi, who had the unfortunate habit of betting on every losing team in the NFL, NBA, or any other sports league with three letters, looked around with a sheepish grin and they shook. No money would ever change hands between them and they both knew it, but it was always fun to rub Takashi’s face in another loss.
“The Celtics are still in play, though, Senator. Should we make it double or nothing?”
“No. I want to leave you some cash for your retirement years.”
Maybe Takashi said something else, but John’s entire existence was now centered on Liza and he didn’t hear it. She’d glanced up from her clipboard long enough to give him a tiny smile that made him unreasonably happy.
“And how are you this morning, Liza?” John took excruciating care to keep his expression friendly but not intimate and his voice exactly the same as it’d been when he’d greeted Takashi.
Her color heightened as she looked up with a wry twist of her lips. “Not as good as I’d be if you started your day at a decent hour.”
Staring at her, smelling the flowers on her skin, wanting her, John felt the first cracks in his discipline and hated her for it.
Why, at this critical moment in his life and the country’s future, had this woman arrived to torment him? If he couldn’t have her, he shouldn’t want her. Not this damn much.
“Takashi.” God, he couldn’t take his eyes off her for a second, even when he was talking to someone else. How crazy was that? “Give us a minute.”
Takashi hesitated, as though he knew that what was on John’s mind was nothing innocent, but then he walked off.
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