“About you? Not much. He said that you were so good at your job because you did a little hacking as a side hobby. You seem to know what you’re doing, though. I’m guessing this isn’t a side hobby?”
“Let’s just say Ty is my oldest and closest friend. He needed help and I agreed to do so.”
“So which is it? You don’t run campaigns for a living or you don’t hack computers for a living?”
“I’m a freelancer. I do what I want, when I want. Right now, I want my friend to win his senate seat.”
He went back to typing away on the computer. After five more minutes he was in Courtney’s school account. Juliette pointed to the email in her inbox. “That’s it!”
He highlighted it, clicked delete and then opened the trash can and manually removed the backup file. Then he closed the browser and cleared the history. He was just logging out of her account when Juliette’s cell phone rang.
“Where are you?” Courtney greeted her. “Ty and I really need to speak with you.”
She hesitated. “Why?”
“I think I know who was behind the attack. And more importantly, I’ve thought of a way for us to one up them.”
One up them? What was this, middle school?
“I don’t understand.”
“Just come back to my place. I’ll explain everything there.”
Courtney hung up before Juliette could get another word in. She turned to Winston, who was placing the laptop into his black bag. “It sounds as if I am being summoned.”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to do everything those two say. They don’t rule the world. Yet, anyway.”
“I could say the same for you.”
Winston gave her a sad smile. “I don’t do it because I have to, I do it because Ty is my friend, like I said.”
“Yeah, well I care about them too.”
He gave her a “yeah right” look.
“Okay, fine. I barely know them both. But I do care about Ty. He seems like a great guy. I don’t want what happened between us to jeopardize everything he’s worked so hard for. Everyone makes mistakes.”
Chapter 26: Getting Dirty
Courtney was ready for Juliette the moment she stepped into the apartment. She grabbed Juliette by the arm and dragged her over to the dining room table, which was covered in political propaganda. Posters and flyers, postcards, bumper stickers; there was barely any room left for the bottle of vita-water someone was drinking.
“Here’s the thing,” she began and Juliette winced. Never had anything good started with the words, here’s the thing.
“I think the Robertson campaign set us up.”
“What?”
Ty shook his head and headed for the kitchen.
“The attack? The convenient charges of an affair? They are doing everything they can to create negative press for this campaign.”
Juliette shook her head. “It could have been anyone.”
“Please, people don’t just randomly get mugged in my parking garage. It’s perfectly safe. The only time the police are even called is if a homeless man wanders into the lobby.”
Juliette shook her head. “That doesn’t mean this is the Robertson campaign at work.”
“It doesn’t matter if you believe me.”
“Then what am I doing here?”
“I want to take a page from their playbook. I want you to infiltrate the enemy.”
Juliette heard the crack of a soda can opening and the gentle fizz that followed. She turned to look at Ty in the doorway. He was holding a can of Bud Light. It didn't seem like his beverage of choice. He met her eyes as he raised the can to his lips.
“And what exactly am I supposed to be doing, once I infiltrate this campaign? I’m not going to be able to get close to any important information. They’ve got plenty of volunteers for the real work. People they already trust, I might add.”
Courtney cocked her head to the side. “I don’t want you to go in as a volunteer.”
Uh oh. What the hell did she want her to do then?
Courtney moved to the table and shuffled some papers around. Then she emerged with a copy of the Washington Post. The very same one with the photo of her and Ty embracing.
“I want you to seduce him.”
Juliette nearly fell over. Ty nearly choked on his beer. Apparently this was news to him too.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” Courtney continued. “It’s the perfect idea. Robertson’s already tried to attack our campaign by creating a scandal.”
“Yeah, but didn’t your friend Melissa take that picture? She’s not a spy for the Robertson camp.”
“There are no friends in politics, Jules. Only well hidden enemies that you have to play nice with.”
“So Melissa’s not your friend?”
“She sold us out. She took that picture and the moment someone came searching for some dirt and offering a little cash she flipped like an Olympic gymnast on steroids.”
It was an odd image, but true, she supposed.
“I don’t know, Courtney. I mean, how do you know he’ll even fall for it?”
“Oh come on, Jules. You’re gorgeous. You’ve got that curvy innocent brunette look that says, ‘I’m the demure little girl next door.’ Right, Ty?”
Courtney turned to look at her fiancé and he fumbled for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“They won’t recognize you from the photo, so it’s perfect. We put you in as a plant. You work to seduce Robertson. We can mic you and Winston can set up some remote cameras in his office. That way when you finally make your move we can get it all on tape. We can leak the sex tape right before the election.”
“Excuse me? Did you just say sex tape? Because I am not having sex with Robertson just so you two can win an election.”
“Yeah.” Ty’s tone morphed from slightly amused to disgusted.
“He attacked you!” Courtney snapped. “He invaded your privacy. If you don’t find a new game plan right now, he is going to crush us in the election.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know anything.” Ty slammed the can down on the counter and wiped the wetness from his mouth with the back of his sleeve. You’re just jumping to conclusions and assuming that this attack was his handiwork. I’m not sure he’s even man enough to do something so devious.”
“Oh it’s not that devious. You guys only have a few bumps and bruises.”
Juliette stepped in between the two of them, arms in the air, pleading for peace.
“A compromise, I think, for good measure.” She paused to make certain the two of them were listening. “What if I do infiltrate the campaign and try to dig up some dirt on Robertson without sleeping with the man? Maybe I can get you an inside look at their campaign strategy, or give you all a heads-up about any intel he may have gathered on Tyler.”
Courtney crossed her arms over her chest as she pondered the situation. It wasn’t exactly what she had wanted. But it was all Juliette was willing to give. Juliette just hoped it was better than nothing.
“Fine. You get in. You find us some good intel. But I swear to God, if that doesn’t produce any decent results in three days, we’re doing things my way.”
Courtney tossed down the newspaper clipping on an empty chair and began organizing the mass of political swag on the table into orderly piles.
Ty came closer. “You sure you want to do this?” he asked. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Of course she didn’t owe him anything. If anything he owed her. He was the one who forgot to mention his girlfriend, now fiancée, when they first met. He was the one ruining her chances with Covington.
“Relax. I can work my way into Robertson’s circle.”
Chapter 27: Progress Report
Three days later Juliette had made little progress and Courtney was getting antsy. Juliette encouraged her to be patient. To think of it as the calm before the storm. Which would have made for a good analogy, except that Juliette had no idea what
the storm would look like or when it might arrive.
Juliette was stepping out of the RNC headquarters when she saw the long black limo parked at the curb and a familiar man standing guard. She didn’t ask if he was here for her. As soon as Zeke spotted Juliette he stepped aside and opened the back door.
She climbed inside. Covington sat alone the darkness.
“How’s my newest intern?” He raised a small silver travel mug to his lips and took a cautious sip as he watched her. Even in the darkness she could see the swirl of steam rise up around his face.
“Things are okay,” she said.
“Just okay.”
Juliette regretted her choice of words. She wasn’t supposed to tell her boss that she was doing an okay job. Covington wanted to be reassured that she could handle the job and whatever he planned for Courtney, or the governor, would go down smoothly.
She heard Zeke climb into the driver’s seat and start the vehicle. Within seconds they were pulling out into the traffic.
“Where are we going?” She glanced out the window as the scenery passed by.
“Does it matter?
She shrugged. “I guess not.”
“Tell me about Courtney. How is she?”
“She’s good. Very ambitious. I get the feeling that she likes to win.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you. We’ve grown close. She trusts me.”
“Is that so?”
He said it like a question he already knew the answer to. And of course he did. Anyone who read the Washington Post did. Her fiancé had been accused of having an affair.
“Was the engagement your idea?”
“No!” she snapped without thinking. Then she tried to downplay her reaction. “I didn’t know about the engagement right away, but if she had told me before I would have encouraged her to say no. I don’t want the senator to cause her more pain.”
“You don’t like Senator Chase?”
Of course she liked Tyler Chase. She was damn near in love with the guy. Or could be, if they didn’t have enough baggage between them to supply a small army.
“It’s not that I don’t like him, I just don’t trust him.”
Covington took another sip of his coffee. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t trust anyone.”
“Even you?” she asked.
“Especially me. I can teach you what I know. Make you the best grifter in the world. But know this—at the end of the day, if it comes to a choice between you and another con man, always bet on yourself, because the other guy is certainly going to.”
Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she was longing for a cold drink to ease the tension. She found herself yearning to fidget under his intense glare. “Never trust anyone. Got it.”
“Good. Now, tell me about the senator.”
“Chase?”
“Yes.”
She was confused. Wasn’t Courtney the mark?
“What do you want to know?”
“I want to know about his campaign. Is he confident that he will win? Has he landed any big endorsements?”
“Other than Courtney’s father, I’m not sure. They talk like they are going to win. They really believe they have a chance. And they’ve got me spying on Robertson’s camp. I’m not sure I’m going to find anything useful.”
“Sure you will. You’re a grifter. You should be able to walk into any room, posing as any person, and get key information out of anybody. If Robertson won’t give you that information, find someone close to him who will. But get it. There’s always dirt to be found.”
“Yeah, well if Courtney were in charge she’d have me just create the dirt.”
“That works too,” Covington said. “As long as you can stay anonymous and people don’t track the story back to you.”
The limo slowed and came to a stop. The driver was back at the door before she could get a clear look outside. She glanced across the seat at Covington.
“You don’t have to get out on my account,” he said. “Zeke will see to it you get home safely. I’m afraid I have more work to do, though, or I’d escort you myself.”
“Oh there’s really no need. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“Nonsense. You’re still recovering from the attack. I won’t have you walking about in such a state.”
Such a state? She was fine, just a little tender. But Dean was no longer paying her any attention. He stepped past her and climbed out of the car. Zeke shut the door softly behind him and then headed back to the driver’s side. Dean disappeared into the glass skyscraper he called home and Juliette couldn’t help but think of the first time she met Ty.
The door to the office building opened and a man in dark jeans and a heavy leather jacket strolled out. He stuck out to Juliette not because his attire was different from the lawyers that frequented the building, but because of the nasty cut on his left cheek. She’d recognize that face anywhere. It was the same one that had stared down at her in Ty’s car. The same man who had swung a punch at her so hard she had bruised two ribs.
Juliette jerked away from the window for fear he might see her. Which was foolish. The windows were tinted. No one could see in without being pressed up to the glass. Still, she was more than a little relieved when the limo pulled away from the curb and headed toward her apartment. What was this man doing in Dean Covington’s law firm?
Chapter 28: Bait
Juliette was too shaken to have Zeke drop her off at her apartment in Georgetown. So instead she had him drive her to the Starbucks down the street from the DNC headquarters. She knew folks for the Robertson campaign were using the office as their DC headquarters. She also knew that no good campaign could function without a decent cup of coffee. One of them was bound to pop in sooner or later. All she had to do was pick the staffer out of the lineup.
Her luck was running high when thirty minutes later Robertson’s chief of staff strolled in. He was older than Tyler by at least ten years, with soft gray roots sprinkled throughout his black hair. He was dressed in typical DC fare: black dress pants and a crisp white shirt with pinstripes so subtle it was barely noticeable if you weren’t up close. The sky blue tie was loose around his neck as if he had been unable to breathe with it fastened normally.
He strode up to the register, greeted the clerk—who seemed to know him by name—then pulled out a list of orders. There were a half dozen drinks in all and the barista went straight to work. Thankfully it was two in the afternoon. Juliette couldn’t imagine trying to fill an order like that during the six to ten coffee rush.
Juliette took advantage of this opportunity to seek a refill, grabbed her glass, and marched over to the register. “Brittany, can I get some fresh coffee to go?” She handed the young girl her mug after twisting off the lid. Then she looked at Jordan Christoff. “That’s some order. I thought I had a caffeine problem.”
“I wish it was all for me.” He smiled. “Gotta keep the troops happy.”
“Oh really? What do you do? Oh wait.” She held up a perfectly manicured finger in front of his mouth, mere inches away from his lips. She knew he could smell the vanilla spice moisturizer she had just rubbed over her hands.
“Let me guess. You’re a lawyer for a non-governmental organization. Something to do with green energy or global warming.”
“That’s a good guess. But no. Nothing nearly as glamorous.”
“That’s a bummer. I was hoping you were one of those die-hard do-gooders.”
“Nah. Politician,” he said. “Though I do work for a Democrat. Does that count?”
Juliette smiled. “Perhaps. Is your candidate one of those hippy-dippy liberals, or one of those—what was Clinton again—’New’ Democrats?”
He laughed. “You got me. He’s definitely the latter.”
“Figures.”
She leaned into him, not touching, but giving the illusion that she needed to be closer. His body instinctively mirrored hers, curving down as if to cocoon her from
the outside world.
“So I guess this means I’m not a do-gooder?”
“Not unless you’re a card-carrying PETA member.”
“Does the World Wildlife Fund count?”
Juliette tilted her head as she considered his question. “Yes. But only because those pandas are so damn cute.”
A frenzied barista set the steaming thermos of coffee in front of Juliette and then looked up at her friend. “Your order is coming right up,” she said as she turned back to the espresso machine.
Juliette began screwing the lid back onto her travel mug. “I’ve always been kind of interested in politics, but never quite worked up the nerve to get involved.”
He raised an eye. “You must not be from around here.”
“Is it that obvious?”
He leaned into the counter. “Not obvious, refreshing. There are so many politicians in this town it can be like hiking through a minefield. Not to mention people become very jaded and cynical after being in the business for a few years.”
“You don’t seem all that jaded. Maybe you can give me some pointers?”
“I don’t know what good it will do, but I’m certainly happy to try. Do you have plans this evening?”
Juliette smiled. “Not a one.”
He pulled out a napkin from the counter. “Let’s do this old style.” She took the napkin and a pen he pulled out from his pocket and jotted down her cell phone number. Just as she slipped the napkin back toward him the barista set his order on the counter. “Sorry about the wait.”
“No problem,” He reached into his wallet and tossed two bucks into the tip jar before wishing them both a good day.
Chapter 29: Curiosity
Juliette stood at the entrance of her closet, scrutinizing the three dresses hanging in front of her. She really only had two options. The black dress was too revealing for a man she barely knew. Plus she just wore it to the black and white charity ball with Courtney and Ty. And though he had never claimed the gift, some part of her had already labeled the dress as Ty’s gown. The look in his eyes when he spotted her in the gown made her think dirty things. She didn’t want someone else looking at her with those naughty bedroom eyes.
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