by J J Arias
The freedom hit Mila in waves. She was staying in the mansion, and in the morning, she’d be able to come and go as she pleased. She’d be able to tell everyone who hadn’t already heard that she belonged to George, and George belonged to her.
Her chest swelled at the same time that the heat rose in her body. Grinding furiously against her tongue, Mila released the pent-up desire her fear had been suppressing since she watched George own every piece of that stage and her own narrative. It truly was like having watched her come to life.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“How are the exit polls looking?” Mila asked as she stood behind Tim in the convention hall. The huge room was covered in red and blue balloons as they waited for the polls to close and George’s supporters to join her in waiting for the results.
“Still neck and neck,” he replied, looking down at his tablet.
“Three hours left to go,” she responded nervously. “That’s plenty of time. Plenty of time,” she repeated as she left him to check on the caterer. With over a thousand people expected to join the governor in either celebration or sorrow, there was so much to double and triple check.
Mila had been living on coffee for the last two weeks. After the initial announcement, George’s numbers had tanked by half, giving her previously beleaguered opponent a massive lead. With steady and constant outreach, George had managed to close the gap but never regained the lead she’d enjoyed for most of the campaign season. Thousands of volunteers had worked tirelessly, but it was still too close to call.
Two and a half hours later, the convention hall was nearly full to capacity. They turned on the news, playing on half a dozen jumbo screens throughout the hall. With the first precincts reporting, George was further behind than she’d been last election.
Mila abandoned her hosting duties and joined George on stage.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” George said as she approached, her honey eyes glistening with true joy. They were both well aware that they could have gambled and lost tonight, but in the months spent apart they’d realized that some things were more important than ambition.
In front of a room full of people and television cameras, George pulled her by the suit jacket and kissed her. The room cheered and hollered, as behind them the news posted a picture of George and her opponent with a percentage under each of them. All George needed was a simple majority to keep her job.
Over the course of several hours, the numbers jumped and dipped as precincts around the state closed and reported their numbers. Absentee ballots had killed George in most cities, but she spiked in jurisdictions she’d never come close to winning before. More new and young voters picked George than in all her other elections combined. The room’s cheers and boos were a barometer of where the poll results were, and they changed every few minutes.
Mila knocked back another glass of champagne. “This shit is too stressful,” she muttered to Josephine, who was kind enough to bring her more bubbly.
With only a handful of counties left, and the third party having conceded the loss, the room stared silently at the results. When Miami-Dade, among the largest in the state, had to recount their ballots, the viewing party with the governor thinned.
The long night continued with people sleeping under tables. A diehard group of supporters and staff simply refused to leave as long as the results were outstanding.
Mila could hardly keep her eyes open, the extended adrenaline rush having left her completely empty when Josephine’s hoarse voice woke everyone up.
“She won!” the chief of staff cried as she stared at the tablet in her hand.
Mila leapt up from where she’d been resting against George. “What?”
“She won!” she repeated, tears welling up in her eyes as she clutched her chest. “She beat him by six points! You had a huge bipartisan turn out,” she explained in awe as she read the news on her screen.
The sleepy room woke with a start. More champagne bottles popped around the room despite the fact that it was nearly light out.
George hugged her so hard she was finally sure she’d pass out, but she didn’t. She quite literally jumped for joy as balloons fell from the sky and strangers hugged and cried out of happiness and exhaustion.
The speech George gave was wonderful, but Mila didn’t hear a word of it. Everything shifted into a blue blur. She couldn’t exhale until her opponent made the call. He’d conceded and wouldn’t be demanding a recount.
They’d done it. George would get her second term and Mila would be by her side.
* * *
“Move a little this way. We’ve lost the sun a bit,” the photographer instructed as he positioned Mila and George, both in white suits, in front of the governor’s mansion. “Can you move the dogs too?”
“Come on, girls,” Mila instructed with a whistle, and Cleo and Victoria shifted over too. Standing together, they each had an Australian Shepherd at their side.
“Alright, now I’ve got that Banyan tree in there, perfect. That’s a wrap,” he said as he took the picture. “Your new portrait!” he exclaimed as Mila and George crowded around him too look at the screen.
“Perfect,” Mila decided with a smile.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” George replied. “Now let’s get on inside. I’m freezing and we need to get ready for that WONE Morning Show interview tomorrow,”
January had brought a cold snap, and they were both eager to get inside and enjoy the rare opportunity to use the fireplace in the library. It had become their home base in recent months, and the dogs were excited to follow them in.
“I can’t believe we really did this,” George repeated. Since the election, they’d both joked how they were waiting for the shoe to drop, for something to show that it was an error. But nothing ever came, and they were eager to start the first day of the new term. Even if it was just symbolic, it also marked another first. Mila’s official move-in as George’s partner.
“You’ve got these four years, Madam Governor,” Mila started as they snuggled up on a plush rug in front of the fire. “I’ve got law school,” she added, referring to her admission to a top local program, “and you know I intend to earn a prestigious clerkship the year after that. And then the next four years are mine,” she said with confidence.
“I can’t wait,” George responded pulling her down onto the carpet and drowning in her kiss. “You are going to do incredible things, and I’ll be there supporting you every step of the way.”
“I have been learning from the best,” she replied with a grin. “Josephine is fantastic.”
George narrowed her eyes before laughing and falling into her lips once more. “I love you,” she muttered between kisses.
“I love you, too.”
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A compelling story about unexpected love, new beginnings, and second chances
Goode College's star pitcher Gabby is nearing the end of her athletic career. With only one more chance at winning the national championship before she graduates, Gabby is determined to play the best season of her life and enjoy her final year with her teammates. Her plans are shattered when her biggest rival Brooke transfers to the team.
If Gabby can't get over her complicated past with Brooke and focus on the most important season of her career, she will find herself watching from the dugout. As they are forced to reconnect, Gabby is faced with either forgiving Brooke or failing her team.
If enemies are forced together, can their intensity be transformed into something else - something just as passionate?
Read this captivating story for free today!
About the Author
I am an independent author writing about fictional lesbians of all varieties. I am a Scorpio woman (I know, I know, but I’m a nice one I PROMISE) happily married to a uniquely wonderful Cancer lady. Together we ha
ve several fur babies of the feline and canine varieties.
Also by J.J. Arias
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An enthralling tale of girl meets vampire queen...
Chasing a bounty from New York to New Orleans, Erin Lewis is on the hunt for an allusive fugitive whose recovery will provide financial breathing room. When she arrives at a French Quarter hotel, Erin finds the captivating hotelier Lucía Guerra instead. The passionate affair that ignites between them catapults Erin into an extravagant world she never imagined. But all is never what it seems.
What will happen when Erin learns that Lucía is not just a wealthy business woman, but a vampire queen on the verge of losing her reign over the society she built over centuries? How long can Lucia keep Erin in the dark about vampires, werewolves, and witches, while she struggles to stop the terrorist group threatening her power.
When Dusk Comes is the first book in the paranormal romance Dusk Queen series. If you like strong female characters, insatiable attraction, and a romance for the ages, then you will love this sensual urban fantasy thriller.
