She was fully into her outline when she heard a knock at the door. Since this wasn’t her trailer, she debated whether or not to acknowledge the knock, but finally got up and went to the door.
A beautiful young woman was at the door. And she looked decidedly pissed off.
“Gray’s not here. Are you looking for him?”
“Damn straight. Where the hell is he?”
“In a meeting.”
The woman frowned. “Who are you?”
“I’m Evelyn Hill. And you are?”
“Stacie. I’m Donny’s girlfriend.”
“Oh. Would you like to come in?”
“I guess.” She brushed past Evelyn, the scent of something strawberry filling the room as she turned and crossed her arms. “Do you know where Donny is?”
“I’m afraid not. Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, a big one.” She looked around, and Evelyn could tell Stacie was highly upset. She sure was pretty, with long dark hair that spilled down to her waist and the most unusual gray eyes. She was slender, wearing short shorts and a belly-baring tight top that made Evelyn envious since it was very warm outside today.
“Why don’t you have a seat? Would you like something to drink?”
“Is there any pop in the fridge?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll look.” Evelyn went to the refrigerator. “Diet or regular.”
“Regular is fine.” When Evelyn brought a can along with a glass filled with ice, Stacie gave her a once-over. “You’re nice. Not at all like the chicks Gray usually dates.”
“Oh, we’re not dating. I’m working for him.” She wondered what kind of “chicks”
Gray dated. Not that it mattered to her on a personal level, but image was everything in politics. She’d have to do some research into his social life.
“No wonder you’re so nice. And you’re pretty, too.”
Evelyn arched a brow. “Thank you. I assume the women Gray dates are pretty, too.”
Stacie shrugged and poured her soda into the glass. “If you like the trashy pit viper type.”
“Trashy?”
“You know. He has a thing for blondes with huge tits.”
“I see.”
“He doesn’t keep them very long. I think he picks them out just to get laid, and then they’re on their way.”
Well, wasn’t she refreshingly honest. Either that or she liked to gossip. “So, Stacie, do you live around here?”
“I live with Donny, who’s a giant pain in my ass right now. I should have known better than to agree to follow him on the circuit this season. I could have done another semester of school instead of putting up with his shit.”
“School being college?”
Stacie laughed. “Of course. Why, do I look underage?”
“Kind of.”
“That’s funny. I get that a lot, I guess because I’m kind of short and skinny. I’m twenty-two, though. I’ll be twenty-three in a few months.”
“I’m relieved to know that.”
“I like you—Evelyn, is it?”
“Yes.”
“And how old are you, Evelyn?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Married?”
“Single.”
Stacie took a couple drinks of her soda, then leaned back against the booth and glanced at Evelyn’s laptop. “What kind of work are you doing for Gray?”
“Actually, I work for his father, Senator Mitchell Preston.”
“Is that right? And you’re working for Gray now, too? That’s so . . . interesting. Is Gray getting involved in his dad’s campaign? Because I know he’s not leaving racing to run for congress or anything.” Stacie leaned forward, a worried expression on her face. “He’s not, is he?”
“That’s really not for me to say.”
“Good answer,” Stacie said with a grin. “Makes me miss school and all the public relations courses I took. Which, if I hadn’t agreed to accompany my moron of a boyfriend this year, I could still be taking.”
“Is that your field of study?”
“Yes. Public relations and marketing. Which would be a perfect degree to assist Donny. If I don’t dump him first.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“You could say that. He often has his head up his ass.”
“That’s pretty vague, Stacie. Would you like to talk about it in specifics, or would you like me to mind my own business?”
She shrugged, stared at her glass for a few minutes, then lifted her gaze to Evelyn.
“He distracts easily, loses his focus. He can be such a great driver, but half the time I don’t know where his head is during a race. And when he isn’t racing, he’s partying it up with the guys. I mean it’s not like he’s steppin’ out on me. Believe me, if I thought he was cheating on me I’d bean him over the head with a crankshaft or carburetor or some other car thingy, and I’d be out of here faster than the track in Talladega. It’s not that. It’s just that he’s so . . . unfocused and undecided about his direction.
“We’ve talked about it, but it’s like he’s keeping secrets. We’ve been together since we were in high school. I wanted to stay in college. He knows how important my education is, but he wanted me with him. Foolishly, I followed.”
“Is that what you wanted, or are you with him this season because it’s what he wanted?”
“A little of both, I think. He needs me. I help him stay focused. And I miss him when he’s on the road. The season is so long and he doesn’t come home all that much. So part of this is me and how much I want to be with him. Part of it is he can’t concentrate without me. If I’m not here with him, then I’ll spend that time worrying about him.”
Evelyn had never had a long-term relationship, so she couldn’t relate to this. But she knew one thing, and that was a woman should never give up everything for a man. “But shouldn’t a relationship be able to thrive even during those times the two of you can’t be together? Surely you can work something out so you can finish your education. It’s important you be able to stand on your own and not sacrifice what you want in order for Donny to be happy.”
“Believe me, I’ve thought long and hard about that. I’ve taken a few online courses in the spring and fall so I don’t lose out on my status at my school.”
“And what does Donny do to sacrifice for you?”
Stacie didn’t have an answer for that.
“Shouldn’t this be a two-way street? Shouldn’t he be able to do without you for a little while, focus his attention on his racing so you don’t have to worry about him?
And then when you’re finished, you can put that degree to good use by helping him out. Seems like a win/win for both of you, with a little sacrifice along the way.”
She sighed. “You make it sound so simple. Love is never simple. When you love someone, you don’t want to be separated from them.”
“Well, I don’t know about love, but I do know about giving up a part of yourself for someone else’s happiness. I don’t think that will make you happy in the long run.
Do you?”
“You know, Evelyn, for someone who I just met about twenty minutes ago, I’ve sure shared a lot about my life. Why is that?”
Evelyn shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe I’m a good listener.”
“And maybe you give good advice. I like you.”
She smiled. “I like you too, Stacie.”
“I’m going to give this some thought. And try not to bash Donny’s head in when I find him.”
“Please don’t bash his head in, Stacie. I need him to drive Sunday.”
Gray had walked in and was standing near the door.
“Oh, hi, Gray,” Stacie said, slipping out of the booth to toss her can in the trash and put her glass in the sink. “Thanks to Evelyn, here, I’m no longer pissed off at your driver. Well, still slightly pissed off, but I have a little perspective now.” She turned to Evelyn. “Thanks for the chat.”
Evelyn smiled. “Anytime.”
“Ciao,” Stacie said, and left.
Gray frowned after Stacie, then looked at Evelyn. “What was that about?”
“Relationships.”
“Oh, God. I’m glad I wasn’t here, then. Did you solve all her problems with Donny?”
“Not really. I think she just wanted someone to listen. And I might have told her she should go back to school.”
He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. “She probably should. She’ll be a much more valuable asset to Donny after she gets her degree. And he needs to learn to suck it up and stand on his own without his girlfriend holding his hand.”
Evelyn stared at him. “I’m kind of shocked.”
He tipped the beer to his lips, then paused. “Yeah? Why?”
“I was prepared to have you yell at me again.”
“Why would I yell at you?”
“I figured you’d tell me I should have minded my own business and stayed out of Stacie’s relationship with Donny.”
“Some parts of their relationship are none of my business. But I’ve been telling Donny he needs to stop mooning over that girl. She’s smart and she needs to finish school. I think he’s afraid if he isn’t watching her every second, she’ll run off with the first guy she sees.”
“I don’t think real love works that way.”
“I don’t think it does either, but I wouldn’t know.”
“Neither would I.”
He took a seat across from her. “Never been in love, Evelyn?”
She looked down at her laptop. “Not really. Not that all-consuming kind of love Stacie was telling me about. The kind where you can’t bear to be apart from the person you’re crazy about.”
“Yeah, me either. Half the time I think it’s just a bunch of bullshit you see in the movies and read about in books and that love like that doesn’t exist.”
When he didn’t say anything else, she met his gaze. “And the other half?”
He shrugged. “I guess I just haven’t found the time to meet that person who makes me wish I could be with them all the time.”
“Neither have I.”
He took a long swallow of his beer. “Too busy with career to fall in love?”
“My career has been my number one priority ever since I graduated from Georgetown.”
“On a career track, are you?”
“Yes. Very much so. I intend to end up at the White House.”
His lips curved. “As president?”
“It’s possible. Right now I’d be content working for someone in that position.”
“If my father makes it to the vice presidency, you’ll be close.”
She took a deep breath and let it out, trying not to let the excitement at that thought make her wiggle in her seat. “Closer than I thought I’d get at this point in my career.
When I first started working for your father, I knew he was a mover and a shaker with determined career aspirations. I told him then that wherever he was going, I not only wanted along for the ride, but I assured him I’d help him get there.”
“I can only imagine how his ego ate that up.”
“He’s a very nice man, Gray, and dedicated to his constituents. I believe in his platform.”
Gray rolled his eyes and took several swallows of beer, then laid the bottle on the table. “You’ve been poisoned by the Mitchell Preston Kool-Aid. I feel sorry for you.”
She wanted to smack that smug look right off his face. “Do I look stupid?”
“Not particularly, but you’re not the first woman to be taken in by the Preston charm.”
She pinned him with a look. “I don’t know about that. At this moment, I don’t find you very charming.”
“That’s because I’m not turning my charm on you. You should see me when I do.
You wouldn’t be able to resist me.”
Now she wanted to roll her eyes, but since he was technically a client, she didn’t dare. “Oh, trust me. I’d be able to resist.”
He stood and dumped the empty beer bottle in the recycle bin, then turned to her.
“Get up. We’re going out.”
She slid out of the booth. “We are? Where? Do I need to change clothes?”
“Yeah. I’ll take you to your hotel. Change into a dress.”
She peeked at her calendar on her phone. “I don’t see any event on your schedule.”
“It’s not an event, Evelyn. I’m taking you to dinner.”
“Oh. And I need a dress.”
“Yes. We’re going to a party after. There might be dancing.”
“Uh . . . if this isn’t a scheduled event, I could just go to my hotel . . .”
“Oh, no. You’re supposed to hang with me, right?”
“Well, yes, but . . .”
He slipped his hand in hers. “Then let’s hang out.”
SIX
OKAY, SO MAYBE GRAY DIDN’T NEED TO TAKE EVELYN TO dinner. He could have ended their night, she could have gone back to her hotel, and he could have gone over the stacks of paperwork and emails he knew were waiting for him.
Instead, all he’d thought about was her not finding him charming.
He could be f**king charming. He could charm the panties right off of her if he wanted to. He got a lot of women in his bed with very little effort. And if she thought for one second he couldn’t turn the charm on full throttle and do the same to her without her even being aware of it, then she hadn’t researched him as well as she thought.