word was soft, barely audible as it slipped out of his lips. "I'll get out of your office."
He started to stand - but again, fast as a striking cobra, Alicia's hand flew out and closed on his tie. Using it like a damn leash, she pulled him back down into the chair again.
"Hold on, no need to go rushing off," she replied, her smile widening. "After all, I still haven't told you if I'm hiring you or not."
Confused, Tanner sank back down into his chair once again. "What? But you just told me that you knew-" he began.
Alicia held up a finger. To his own amazement, Tanner felt his mouth snap shut halfway through his sentence. This woman seeing through his ruse had totally thrown him off balance. "I said that I know what you are, who sent you," she said. "But that doesn't mean that you're not still useful to me."
Tanner didn't open his mouth this time. He just sat, waiting. He felt a bit like a prisoner, looking up at the gallows and knowing that, sooner or later, it would be his turn to stand on that platform and feel the bite of rope around his neck.
"So," Alicia went on. "Here's my offer. You can come to work for me - but you're on my side. You tell me when whatever Republicans that hold your strings give you orders, and you come up with excuses when I tell you to evade them." She glared at him, sending icy daggers into him. "And don't even think of lying to me. You try it, just once, and I'll burn you. Every single Democrat in this town will know that you're toxic, and I'll even do my best to make sure that every journalist puts you in their crosshairs. I'll make you crash and burn so hard that there won't be anything left of you except a little streak of carbon on the road. Got it?"
She stopped, waiting for Tanner to answer.
"Got it," he finally managed to choke out, still half-stunned.
He was screwed.
After another moment, Alicia's expression softened, ever so slightly. "Oh, don't look so dejected," she said. "It's really your own fault, of course, for underestimating me, but this won't be the worst thing you've done. You stick with me, and everyone else will think that you're helping to pass some great legislation, that you've turned around and decided to help the good guys for once. That phony 'legacy' speech you gave might turn out to be real, after all. What do you say?"
"Got it," he repeated again, as his mind still reeled. The good guys? She really was naive, if she thought that Washington could be simplified down to "good guys and bad guys". She'd need to open her eyes, and quickly, if she wanted to keep her skin around here.
But then again, he reminded himself, she'd seen through him. So maybe she wasn't as naive as he thought. That consideration sent a fresh sting of humiliation through him, but he suffered through it in silence.
Alicia stood up. "You might as well go ahead and gawk at me, now that I know your secrets," she commented idly. "After all, it's not like I don't work hard to make sure that I look good. Might as well show it off."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tanner protested, even as his eyes shot to her body, greedily drinking in her lines and curves. She really wasn't kidding. That blouse and tight pencil skirt, although professional appearing at first glance, made it clear that an absolute knockout of a body lurked beneath the garments.
And the fact that she'd seen his lust for her, that she could tell even now how she excited him, made him even angrier with himself.
"So?" Alicia asked, as she sauntered back behind the desk and resumed her original seat. She leaned forward, locking eyes with him as she intertwined her fingers in front of her. "Do we have a deal?"
It didn't take long for Tanner to weigh his options. He didn't have any bargaining power here; the few chips that he'd brought to the table were all stripped away, except for one. Alicia knew that she needed his expertise. That was the only reason why he was still in her office, why she hadn't thrown him out on his
He started to stand - but again, fast as a striking cobra, Alicia's hand flew out and closed on his tie. Using it like a damn leash, she pulled him back down into the chair again.
"Hold on, no need to go rushing off," she replied, her smile widening. "After all, I still haven't told you if I'm hiring you or not."
Confused, Tanner sank back down into his chair once again. "What? But you just told me that you knew-" he began.
Alicia held up a finger. To his own amazement, Tanner felt his mouth snap shut halfway through his sentence. This woman seeing through his ruse had totally thrown him off balance. "I said that I know what you are, who sent you," she said. "But that doesn't mean that you're not still useful to me."
Tanner didn't open his mouth this time. He just sat, waiting. He felt a bit like a prisoner, looking up at the gallows and knowing that, sooner or later, it would be his turn to stand on that platform and feel the bite of rope around his neck.
"So," Alicia went on. "Here's my offer. You can come to work for me - but you're on my side. You tell me when whatever Republicans that hold your strings give you orders, and you come up with excuses when I tell you to evade them." She glared at him, sending icy daggers into him. "And don't even think of lying to me. You try it, just once, and I'll burn you. Every single Democrat in this town will know that you're toxic, and I'll even do my best to make sure that every journalist puts you in their crosshairs. I'll make you crash and burn so hard that there won't be anything left of you except a little streak of carbon on the road. Got it?"
She stopped, waiting for Tanner to answer.
"Got it," he finally managed to choke out, still half-stunned.
He was screwed.
After another moment, Alicia's expression softened, ever so slightly. "Oh, don't look so dejected," she said. "It's really your own fault, of course, for underestimating me, but this won't be the worst thing you've done. You stick with me, and everyone else will think that you're helping to pass some great legislation, that you've turned around and decided to help the good guys for once. That phony 'legacy' speech you gave might turn out to be real, after all. What do you say?"
"Got it," he repeated again, as his mind still reeled. The good guys? She really was naive, if she thought that Washington could be simplified down to "good guys and bad guys". She'd need to open her eyes, and quickly, if she wanted to keep her skin around here.
But then again, he reminded himself, she'd seen through him. So maybe she wasn't as naive as he thought. That consideration sent a fresh sting of humiliation through him, but he suffered through it in silence.
Alicia stood up. "You might as well go ahead and gawk at me, now that I know your secrets," she commented idly. "After all, it's not like I don't work hard to make sure that I look good. Might as well show it off."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tanner protested, even as his eyes shot to her body, greedily drinking in her lines and curves. She really wasn't kidding. That blouse and tight pencil skirt, although professional appearing at first glance, made it clear that an absolute knockout of a body lurked beneath the garments.
And the fact that she'd seen his lust for her, that she could tell even now how she excited him, made him even angrier with himself.
"So?" Alicia asked, as she sauntered back behind the desk and resumed her original seat. She leaned forward, locking eyes with him as she intertwined her fingers in front of her. "Do we have a deal?"
It didn't take long for Tanner to weigh his options. He didn't have any bargaining power here; the few chips that he'd brought to the table were all stripped away, except for one. Alicia knew that she needed his expertise. That was the only reason why he was still in her office, why she hadn't thrown him out on his
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