office.”
“I’ll bet you were,” she said in a low voice, only I could hear. Then louder she said, “Oh, isn’t that exciting. I didn’t realize he’d taken on interns during his campaign.” Her tone was sweet, but her meaning was clear. She meant to cut me down to size and treat me like a child. And I could hardly blame anyone who assumed right along with her that I was an intern, since I didn’t exactly look like professional PR material right now. Unless of course I was working for Hugh Hefner, which I wasn’t.
“She’s not an intern,” said Alexander, surprising both of us. “She’s head of my election campaign team right now. I’ve done some reorganizing.”
Jacqueline’s mouth dropped open. “You cannot be serious.” She laughed but then her laughter cut short when she took in the expression on Alexander’s face.
He was dead serious. At least, he was putting on a good show of being that way.
I didn’t even wait for him to respond. All the years of study and debate practice must have sunk in, because my mouth went on automatic pilot, and I just started spewing bullshit as fast as the words could pass through my lips. He was a politician, and he needed to be elected. Bam.
“We’ve had a long discussion about the state of politics today and the need to wipe the slate clean and come up with some newer programs and brighter plans that will more accurately reflect the future that Mr. Blackstone has in store for the public. I’m sure you can appreciate that sometimes, things just get old and need freshening, right?” I smiled sweetly at her, daring her to come at me again. I was on fire in that moment and felt totally prepared to respond to anything she was going to say. It was like the public relations angels were riding on my shoulders, speaking through me. All I had to do was open my mouth and PR gold was going to fall out.
Alexander took a step towards me, taking my elbow in his hand. “Rose was just leaving, so if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to see her out. She has a lot of work to do before the night is over.”
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! Or should we say Jill!” said one of the guests.
“Yes, well, believe me, Rose is anything but dull.”
That earned him a few laughs as he steered me around the outer edge of the crowd.
I leaned in close to his ear and said, “I don’t want anyone to see the back of my dress!”
Alexander shifted so that he was walking directly behind me, blocking anyone’s view of my backside, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. We were nearly to the door, the crowd parting to let us by, when I saw Jessica.
“Jessica!” I yelled, and waved at her. When she looked up I gestured frantically towards the door.
She rushed over to meet me there, arriving just as Alexander and I did.
We stopped for a moment all together, the rest of the party continuing on around us.
“Well, hello, Mr. Blackstone,” said Jessica, holding out her hand. “I’m glad I got a chance to finally meet you.”
“It is my pleasure, Miss …?”
“This is Jessica,” I supplied. “My roommate and best friend. And she and I will be going now.” I grabbed her by her other hand and pulled her away from him, heading for the front stairs.
I’d hoped to leave him behind, but he followed us out. “I need to talk to you,” he said quietly.
“No, you don’t,” I said. Then I turned to Jessica and said, “Get the car.” My tone brooked no argument, so even though she frowned at me, she left me to go to the valet.
“Yes, I do. I have apparently hired you to be my new PR manager, so we have terms to discuss.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, scoffing at his serious tone. “I’m not going to be your new PR manager. I just said that to get away from that witch.”
After a few tense moments of silence, the mini-cooper pulled up and I
“I’ll bet you were,” she said in a low voice, only I could hear. Then louder she said, “Oh, isn’t that exciting. I didn’t realize he’d taken on interns during his campaign.” Her tone was sweet, but her meaning was clear. She meant to cut me down to size and treat me like a child. And I could hardly blame anyone who assumed right along with her that I was an intern, since I didn’t exactly look like professional PR material right now. Unless of course I was working for Hugh Hefner, which I wasn’t.
“She’s not an intern,” said Alexander, surprising both of us. “She’s head of my election campaign team right now. I’ve done some reorganizing.”
Jacqueline’s mouth dropped open. “You cannot be serious.” She laughed but then her laughter cut short when she took in the expression on Alexander’s face.
He was dead serious. At least, he was putting on a good show of being that way.
I didn’t even wait for him to respond. All the years of study and debate practice must have sunk in, because my mouth went on automatic pilot, and I just started spewing bullshit as fast as the words could pass through my lips. He was a politician, and he needed to be elected. Bam.
“We’ve had a long discussion about the state of politics today and the need to wipe the slate clean and come up with some newer programs and brighter plans that will more accurately reflect the future that Mr. Blackstone has in store for the public. I’m sure you can appreciate that sometimes, things just get old and need freshening, right?” I smiled sweetly at her, daring her to come at me again. I was on fire in that moment and felt totally prepared to respond to anything she was going to say. It was like the public relations angels were riding on my shoulders, speaking through me. All I had to do was open my mouth and PR gold was going to fall out.
Alexander took a step towards me, taking my elbow in his hand. “Rose was just leaving, so if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to see her out. She has a lot of work to do before the night is over.”
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! Or should we say Jill!” said one of the guests.
“Yes, well, believe me, Rose is anything but dull.”
That earned him a few laughs as he steered me around the outer edge of the crowd.
I leaned in close to his ear and said, “I don’t want anyone to see the back of my dress!”
Alexander shifted so that he was walking directly behind me, blocking anyone’s view of my backside, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. We were nearly to the door, the crowd parting to let us by, when I saw Jessica.
“Jessica!” I yelled, and waved at her. When she looked up I gestured frantically towards the door.
She rushed over to meet me there, arriving just as Alexander and I did.
We stopped for a moment all together, the rest of the party continuing on around us.
“Well, hello, Mr. Blackstone,” said Jessica, holding out her hand. “I’m glad I got a chance to finally meet you.”
“It is my pleasure, Miss …?”
“This is Jessica,” I supplied. “My roommate and best friend. And she and I will be going now.” I grabbed her by her other hand and pulled her away from him, heading for the front stairs.
I’d hoped to leave him behind, but he followed us out. “I need to talk to you,” he said quietly.
“No, you don’t,” I said. Then I turned to Jessica and said, “Get the car.” My tone brooked no argument, so even though she frowned at me, she left me to go to the valet.
“Yes, I do. I have apparently hired you to be my new PR manager, so we have terms to discuss.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, scoffing at his serious tone. “I’m not going to be your new PR manager. I just said that to get away from that witch.”
After a few tense moments of silence, the mini-cooper pulled up and I
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