by Destiny Ford
When I finished my greasy sub sandwich that was probably way more calories than it was worth, I went into one of the clothing stores to find something to wear. I’d guessed from Drake’s ‘little and black’ description that it was a cocktail party. But since Utah was the least alcohol friendly state in the nation, I doubted they’d be serving any actual cocktails…and if they were, I wouldn’t be allowed to partake or “Dylan Drake’s Date Drinks” would surely be the lead story on the evening news. That was disappointing because I’d handle spending an evening with Drake much better if I had copious amounts of alcohol.
The store had plenty of little black things but I deliberately avoided them because of Drake’s suggestion—which was unfortunate since black is so slimming. I settled on a short-sleeved dark blue dress that fell a few inches above my knees, made my waist seem smaller than it was, and had a neckline that showed a bit of cleavage. I found some black heels with a peep toe, paid for the clothes—which I planned to invoice the Tribune for—and changed in one of the dressing rooms.
I took some bobby pins from my purse and twisted my waves into a messy bun, with a few pieces of hair hanging down around my face. The dress color made my blue eyes bright, and the heels made me almost six feet tall. I didn’t look like a prom queen, but I wasn’t a zombie either.
I drove into the Country Club parking lot at five-forty-five and pulled into a parking spot. I picked my purse up from the seat, got out of the Jeep, and locked it with the keyless entry pad on my key ring.
I walked into the red and gold decorated lobby. Drake was sitting on a dark brown leather couch, still wearing the same black suit, blue shirt, and silver tie he’d been wearing earlier. He looked sexy as hell. He got up from the couch and came toward me, watching me with a steady stare that was so potent I could feel his eyes moving over my body. “That might just be better than little and black.”
I glanced down at my dress. I’d thought it was pretty when I tried it on, but didn’t think the sexy factor was through the roof.
He put his arm around my shoulder as he whispered, “I’m glad you decided to show up. It would have been hard to get a bimbo at the last minute.” I glared as he took the purse from my hands and gave it to a woman in a white dress shirt and black pants at the coat check counter. “Will you put this with my things, Tera?”
“Of course, Mr. Drake,” she said.
I watched her walk away with my purse. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with a stranger having access to my wallet,” I said warily. “My American Express card is in there.” I love that card and all the Skymiles it gets me.
Drake gave me a condescending look. “People pay over a hundred thousand dollars to be members here.”
My jaw dropped. “A hundred thousand dollars for a stupid club membership?” he nodded. “People are insane!”
“I wouldn’t disagree with you, but I’m pretty sure if someone wanted to lift a credit card, it would be black, not gold, Katie.”
I took offense. “How do you know my card isn’t black?”
He tilted his head. “Is it?” he challenged.
I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes in response. Drake smiled and put his hand on my back as he guided me through the building and onto a red and yellow stone patio. High-boy tables were scattered between smaller tables with chairs. The table cloths were as blue as a summer sky, and white floral arrangements were placed in the center of all the tables. The Country Club building was on a hill that overlooked the club golf course. I could smell the fresh scent of soil and newly cut grass. A drink bar was set up on the east side of the patio. A buffet with light appetizers was spread on the south side.
“This is just a cocktail party and only lasts an hour,” Drake said, steering me toward the drink bar. “People won’t stay long; they’re here to make an appearance before they go to dinner. Most of the senators and representatives here are people who live close to the capitol. Hopefully the person you need to talk to is in this group.”
Without asking what I wanted, Drake ordered a virgin mojito for both of us. I sipped it and decided that without the rum, I might as well be drinking Sprite. We walked away from the drink bar and Drake said hello to some people, introducing me as his girlfriend again. I gave a rehearsed smile. I felt like I was being a pretty good sport about our fake relationship. I hoped my other fake boyfriend back at the Tribune wouldn’t mind.
We arrived before Senator Tanner, so when he walked in with his wife, I acknowledged his attendance by squeezing Drake’s bicep. It was larger than I expected it to be. Drake looked at me wondering what I wanted. It took me a minute to remember. “I’d like to talk to Tanner,” I finally said.
“What for?”
“He knows the Bradfords.”
“Why do you want to know more about the Bradfords?” he asked. “You’ve already written the articles about Chelsea’s death. And how do you know that Tanner knows them?”
I hedged a little, not wanting to tell him where exactly I’d gotten the information.
“I can’t help you with your story if I don’t know some of the details.”
I sighed and gave him a summary. “I’m investigating Chelsea Bradford’s death. There’s a rumor the guy she was dating was the son of a high-level Utah politician. So far, Tanner is one of the connections I’ve been able to find between Utah politics and the Bradfords.”
Drake didn’t seem at all surprised. “Like I told you before, the Bradfords lived in Salt Lake City before they moved to Branson Falls. I’m sure they know a lot of people from this area.”
“Great, let’s talk to Tanner now.”
I started to walk away, but Drake gently grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “You didn’t tell me how you found out Tanner knows the Bradfords.”
I bit my lip. I certainly wasn’t going to tell Drake about the list Hawke gave me. “I have my sources. Also, I might have seen their name in the rolodex on the desk in his office.”
Drake gave me a measured stare. “You’re sneaky,” he said with a slight smile. “I’ll have to watch out for you.”
I nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
We walked arm-in-arm to greet Senator Tanner and his wife. She was thin, with smiling eyes and hair dyed a rich brown.
“Joan!” Drake smiled as he hugged the woman. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever.” Joan beamed at his compliment. Drake turned to the senator. “You better watch out or some younger man is going to steal her away.”
Senator Tanner smiled. “I won’t have to worry about you anymore though, not with a pretty thing like that.” He reached his hand toward me. “It’s Katie, right?”
“Actually, it’s Kate. Drake gets away with calling me Katie though,” I said with a genuine smile. I couldn’t believe the senator had remembered my name, especially since he’d mostly talked to Drake when I’d met him earlier—though I guess in politics, names are pretty important.
The senator’s wife directed her attention at me. “So you’re the lucky girl who’s taken Drake off the market,” she said. “I’m glad; he’s been a menace to society for years.” She smiled brightly. “I’m Joan.”
“Well, I’m happy to help,” I said, returning a wide smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Joan.”
“You too, Kate,” she said before focusing on Drake once again. “Thank you for all your help with the hospital fundraiser. It makes such a difference to the kids and we wouldn’t raise half the money we do without you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Joan,” Drake said. “The kids and their families mean a lot to me.”
I raised an eyebrow. I’d heard of Drake’s philandering, but not his philanthropy. “What fundraiser is this?”
“The annual fundraiser for the children’s hospital,” said Joan. “We raise money so patients can get medical treatment regardless of whether they can pay for it. I’m the chairman of the committee. Drake is on the board of trustees and has always been our biggest supporter.”
I looked at Drake,
his face taking on a stoic quality. I quickly surmised he was uncomfortable with the topic of his generosity. He met my eyes. “I didn’t know that about you.”
Joan patted Drake on the arm, leaning in toward me. “He doesn’t like to talk about it much, but he does incredible things for the community.”
I gave Drake another assessing gaze. Obviously there were a lot of things I didn’t know about him. Maybe I’d judged him too harshly. I was still reconsidering my opinion of Drake when Tanner asked, “Where ya from, Kate? I hope it’s my district and I hope you’re a voter.”
I took a drink of my mojito / Sprite. “Actually, I’m in Drake’s district. I grew up in Branson Falls.”
“Look at that,” Tanner said, punching Drake in the shoulder. “All the women you’ve gone through and the one you were lookin’ for was right in your back yard all along.”
“Oh,” Drake stared at me for a few seconds, “I’ve had my eye on Katie for a while.”
Tanner and Joan exchanged a glance and smiled as Drake took my hand.
“Has he taken you to church with him yet?” Tanner asked. “Because you know it’s serious when he takes you to church.” This is true. Going to church with someone you’re dating is almost the equivalent of an engagement ring.
I bit back what I wanted to say in favor of an answer that wouldn’t blow our cover. “No. We’re not rushing things.”
“Still,” Joan said, her eyes sparkling with interest, “you drove all the way up here for a cocktail party. Church is the next step.”
“Actually—” I started to say, but Drake cut me off.
“Not just the party,” he answered. “Katie and I have reservations for dinner and a carriage ride downtown after this.”
Joan’s brow lifted. “That’s romantic.”
Drake grinned. “I’m hoping it will be.”
I squeezed his hand and tried to take a deep breath through my nose to calm myself down. “That’s my Drake,” I said with another wide smile as I dug my nails into his palm. “He’s always planning something.”
Drake leaned in to give me a kiss on my check and whispered discreetly in my ear, “You have no idea.”
I could feel hot blood rushing to my cheeks and pinched Drake’s hand until he moved away. Joan and Senator Tanner were still watching, clearly intrigued.
I needed to figure out how Senator Tanner knew the Bradfords and Drake wasn’t helping. “So, Senator, have you and Drake known each other long?”
The senator swallowed a piece of the cucumber sandwich he’d been chewing. “Sure have! I met him when he was first elected, what was it . . .” he paused and looked at Drake for confirmation, “‘bout two years ago?” Drake nodded in response. “He was put on the same committee as me and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“It’s nice he has such a wonderful mentor,” I replied. Tanner gave a wide smile at the compliment. “Have you been to Branson Falls before?”
The senator nodded. “My wife and I have friends there.”
“Oh, really?” I asked, feigning surprise. “What are their names? I probably know them.”
Tanner looked up. “A family named the Bradfords. They lived here for years before they moved. We’ve visited them a couple of times. Great family.”
“They live near my parents,” I said.
Joan nodded. “It’s just horrible news about their gorgeous daughter, Chelsea.”
I looked solemnly at the ground. “Yes. It was an awful tragedy.”
“We heard she drowned,” the senator said.
I nodded. “Her body was found in Emerald Lake.”
Joan looked away as if she was trying to comprehend the reason for such a heartbreaking death. Tanner shook his head. “I don’t know how they’re handling it so well. We were gonna go to the funeral but they had it so fast, we didn’t even hear about it ‘till it was over. It’s a shame. Chelsea had so much going for her. She could’ve gone to any college she wanted. Shawn must be devastated.”
“Shawn?” I asked, taking a sip from my drink.
Senator Tanner looked up at me. “Yeah, Chelsea’s boyfriend. Shawn Wallace. The governor’s son.”
I immediately choked on the fake mojito I’d been trying to swallow. Chelsea was dating the son of the governor? That was as high-level as politics in the state went! And if she’d been pregnant, no wonder they wanted to keep it quiet. The governor was up for re-election and what his kids did affected him at the polls. No one wanted a leader who couldn’t control his own family—or teach them proper birth control.
Drake leaned over, handing me a napkin and patting my back as I coughed violently. A few people turned to see what the commotion was about. When I could talk again I said, “Sorry. I swallowed wrong.”
The senator waved it off. “No big deal. Happens to me all the time.”
Joan nodded in agreement as a member of the wait-staff brought me a glass of water. I sipped the icy water slowly so I wouldn’t give a repeat performance of my liquid choking fit.
I couldn’t believe the information I’d gotten. I needed to tell Hawke right away so he could use his own sources to find out more. I excused myself and stopped by the front desk to retrieve my purse. Once I was safely secured in a bathroom stall, I texted Hawke.
Chelsea was dating Shawn Wallace, the governor’s son! This could mean the Governor is involved in her death! Will call you tomorrow.
I got a text back almost immediately.
You know, with that dress you could get a man to admit to murder. I’ll see you soon, Kitty Kate.
Despite being in the women’s bathroom, I looked around, now keenly aware that Hawke was watching me and probably had been all day. I put my phone back in my purse, checked my wallet—my gold card was still there—and took my purse back to the front desk before rejoining Drake who was now standing alone.
“Where did Senator Tanner and Joan go?” I asked.
“They left early. I figured the choking meant you got the information you needed, so I didn’t try to stop them. I’m sure they’ll be asking me when I’m taking you to church every time I see them now.”
I snorted. “Good luck with that since I’m not religious anymore.”
Drake’s lips quirked up. “I’d heard that about you. It could be a problem when things get serious between us.”
I lifted my brow. “That’s a pretty arrogant thing to assume.”
He locked eyes with me. “It would be a bad idea to underestimate me, Katie. I’m confident because I usually get the results I want.”
I stared at him for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out how I fit into his results equation. “It takes two people to agree to a relationship. It would be a bad idea to assume you’re calling all the shots.” I paused long enough to catch my breath, but not long enough for Drake to reply. “Thanks for your help today.”
He put his hands in his pockets, assessing me. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever thanked me.” That wasn’t entirely true. When I was younger I’d thanked him over and over again in my head for having such a nice butt, especially during football season. “So, you found out who Chelsea was dating. Now what?”
I wasn’t sure how much I could trust Drake, and didn’t want to give away more information than I needed to, so I gave an evasive answer. “Now I keep investigating.”
I looked around at the small gathering of people and wondered why Drake spent so much time at the capitol. Most state House and Senate members have day jobs at home in their districts, but Drake always seemed to be at the capitol doing something political. “I’m pretty sure you spend a lot more time at the legislature than other state representatives and senators. What’s the deal? Do you have a crush on an intern or something?”
He took a drink of his mojito / Sprite. “Several,” he answered with a playful smile.
“That’s great, Drake. How old are the interns, eighteen? You could be their dad. In fact, you might be!”
His eyes thinned infinitesimally. “No,
I couldn’t. I’m not that old and you know it.” he gave me a knowing smile. “You used to say hi to me after football games.”
I blinked, completely stunned. If he’d told me he was the reincarnation of Elvis it would have been easier to believe. Drake’s laugh made me regain my senses though. “You remember that?”
“Of course I do. You were cute Katie.”
“Cute Katie?” I repeated the name slowly, trying it out. I didn’t think I’d been a blip on Drake’s radar when he was in high school. Apparently I had been—complete with a nickname that, considering my level of awkward at the time, I imagined was more condescending than complimentary. “Fantastic.”
“And you grew up into sexy Katie Saxee.”
I felt my face flush and knew I had just transformed into a tomato. I wish someone would invent a way to stop blushing. It gets me in all sorts of trouble. “Stop calling me Katie.”
He locked eyes with me. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I like pushing your buttons.”
We stayed like that for several seconds, caught in a stare-off until another House member patted Drake on the back. Drake introduced me and we talked with several other people, me still posing as his girlfriend. When the topic of sex education came up and I gave my two cents that every high school student in the state should be given a banana and shown how to use a condom, Drake laughed it off, made a comment about what a comedian I was, and pulled me away. I thought I was about to get a talking to by my political overlord / date conspirator.
I decided to cut him off before he could get started. “Sorry. I’m kind of opinionated.”
He walked me to the front desk, retrieved my purse, and followed me to the parking lot. “Your outspokenness hasn’t gone unnoticed,” Drake smiled. “And don’t apologize. That was the most fun I’ve had in months.”
I snorted. “I highly doubt that. I’ve heard you have fun at least once a night, sometimes more.”
