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.“And I wouldn’t want you to think I’m spreading misinformation.But these sorts of elections tend to get very heated, and people will do anything in their power to bring down one side or another.Sadly, this tends to leave some casualties along the way.I must be going now.I wish you and your family well, Miss Mitchell.Thank you for your time.”No one came to rescue Kerri, who remained in the break room until it was time for her to make her final appearance an hour later.By that time Joshua had chosen a medium-sized mutt to take home to his children, and the cameras descended upon him like dogs themselves.Kerri couldn’t care.She was too perturbed by what that man seemed to know.Chapter 4One day, Hunter mused, he would be able to walk around with his girlfriend like other couples did.Out in the open, holding hands and making kissy faces at each other whenever they stopped at a crosswalk.Today was not that day.Most likely it wouldn’t be tomorrow either.Maybe after the election they could let their fathers know.Well, Hunter might let his father know.He was somewhat disturbed by the idea of Raymond Mitchell finding out what such a young buck was doing to his daughter.I’ll have to relocate entirely.Maybe he could take Kerri with him.“What are you thinking about, huh?” Kerri sat across from him in a private restaurant.Private in the sense that no prying eyes could see them behind a curtain while they ate lunch and flirted with their feet beneath the table.This was as good as it got with dates.The night before, Hunter called his girlfriend and asked if she would like to go out.Of course Kerri wanted to go out.The mere thought made her so giddy that Hunter had to laugh at her high-pitched voice coming through the phone.But it was another day of sunglasses and hats.Hunter even went so far as to drop Kerri off on an empty road a few streets away from their intended destination.The fewer chances there were of someone seeing them in such intimate proximity, the better.“I’m thinking that I would love to go outside and hold your hand,” he said.I don’t know if it’s sad that it’s true.“Make the men jealous that you’re with me.”“That’s funny, because I was thinking of how many women would be jealous if they knew I was with you.” Kerri’s foot slipped out of her heel and rubbed against Hunter’s leg.“Just last night there was another spot on the news talking about how you’re the region’s most eligible bachelor.That’s funny, you know.” Her foot traveled up to Hunter’s knee and rested there.“Because last I checked you were spoken for.”“And what did this news report say?” Hunter heard that he was often called such a thing.His mother liked to put the articles in his face and proclaim herself the luckiest mother in the world for raising such a stud.Then she would ask me why I am single.Ronnie had a heart attack for more than one reason the other day.Kerri curled her toes around Hunter’s knee.Make love to me, beautiful.Today she wore a mauve silk blouse that hung on her frame like an elegant sheet.Her jeans hugged the curves of her hips and ass, and by the Lord, she was more beautiful than the radiant goddesses of old.Kerri’s understated makeup was especially lovely in the low lights of the restaurant.Hunter thought he smelled a hint of jasmine on his girlfriend’s body.New perfume.He liked it.“They say that you’re young, hot, and rich.Know what the best thing is?” Kerri raised one of her eyebrows.“Even if your father doesn’t win the election, that still will be true.” This time Kerri’s smile turned mischievous on her bright face.“Wanna know a secret? Well, it’s not really a secret.But I would’ve voted for your father in the last election if I lived in the right district.Good thing he didn’t need my vote.”“Why, that’s the most political thing you’ve ever said to me.” Hunter could not say that he ever voted for Raymond for governor.In fact he was still debating whether or not family loyalty would win out that November.Depends on how well Payne is doing in the polls.“Not that political.As usual, it came down to a popularity contest.It’s not that I loved your father, though.It’s that I knew his opponent through my father, of course, and that man is gross in so many ways.”Hunter vaguely recalled him.“How so?”Kerri shrugged.“So many skeletons in his closet.Not only that, but he used to flirt with me whenever my father or mother weren’t in the room.The man is forty years older than me and married! Every time I saw one of his commercials I felt ill.So I would’ve voted for your father simply because he wasn’t the other guy.”“Isn’t that how most elections are? Let’s face it, nobody will vote for our fathers.They’ll be voting against them.” Hunter learned that political lesson much earlier than most people.When people came to suck up to Terrence, it was usually in the guise of how much they hated the other guy, not how much they loved him.In politics, that was as good as saying “I love you.”“I’m okay with people voting against my father.”“But are you okay with them voting for mine?”Kerri shrugged.She always gave vague answers like that.Sometimes it annoyed Hunter.I know she has a great mind.Opinionated, too.He didn’t know if she kept mum because she had been conditioned by her parents over the years, or if because she had long given up trying to have debates about politics.As a woman, it was probably both.At least people pretend to take me seriously.Somehow Hunter doubted most of that was genuine.“Have you decided who you’re going to vote for?”Kerri snapped her foot off her boyfriend’s knee.Touché.“No.I’m trying not to think about it.I hate this time of year.I mean, I’ll vote of course, but…”“I’m undecided as well [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]