In that moment, I saw red before my eyes. “Is that all you care about? How my ass is going to look bad for your father’s campaign?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, well, that’s sure as hell what it sounded like.”
“For your information, I was alluding to the fact that if Everett hadn’t told you not to wear panties, your ass would have been covered.”
“Only if I wore granny panties and not my usual thongs,” I countered without thinking.
Barrett opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it. A curious look came over his face. “You wear thongs?”
“Yes, although that is none of your business.”
“Good to know,” he teasingly replied. At my death glare, he added, “Look, I really wasn’t blaming you for what happened.” He jerked his thumb at Everett. “It’s all his fault.”
“Don’t blame me, blame fashion,” Everett replied.
“Whatever. Let’s just get ready for the next stop.”
Although I assured her I could do it myself, Saundra insisted on cleaning and bandaging my knees. Thankfully, they didn’t show through my pantyhose when I was standing, though things got a little more dicey when I was seated.
We spent the rest of the day keeping up a manic pace, which kept my mind off my ass. On our third stop, we had a sit-down lunch before James gave his speech. I didn’t know how he managed to keep his voice throughout the day—I guess the cough drops Jane carried helped, along with his request of tea with honey and lemon.
I was thoroughly and completely exhausted by the time we trudged up the train stairs for the last time. When I entered the first car, all the advisors and minions were crowded around a couple laptops. At the sight of me, panic broke out as they scrambled to close the screens.
They weren’t quick enough, though, and I got an eyeful of one of the headlines.
Assgate: How the future first daughter-in-law bared all to reporters at campaign stop.
I screeched in horror, which caused Pete, one of the aides assigned to Barrett and me, to come over. “Don’t worry, Addison. Most legitimate newspapers are not being so crass about what happened.”
“Wait, does that mean they’re still covering it?”
Pete swallowed hard, sending his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Unfortunately, there have been a few mentions, a few photographs, and…some video.”
“Oh. My. God.” If there was ever a time in my entire life when I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole, it was this very moment. Even more than that, I wished for time travel so I could go back to earlier in the day and let Barrett help me down the stairs instead of fighting him.
Deep down, I didn’t know why I was surprised. We lived in a world where a photo could go viral within seconds. Did I honestly think the reporters weren’t going to publish the pictures of my ass? Could I not fathom being YouTube infamous in a compilation video of people falling on their ass?
“What’s the matter?” Barrett asked from behind me.
“It appears the press has taken a comical approach to what happened earlier,” Pete replied.
“Thankfully, they’re not ridiculing Addison’s character,” another staffer, Martin, chimed in.
“They’re just making fun of me and my ass,” I argued as I fought the urge to throw up.
Jane’s arms came around me. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. It’s one thing for you to fall and hurt yourself on your first day, but now the media has to take a shot at you emotionally.”
“Thank you,” I muttered weakly.
“Listen, why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll go get you a drink from the bar car?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Jane cupped my chin. “I’m sure you could use something stiff.”
“I guess so.”
“Trust me, I know.”
After she steered me to a seat, she headed out of the car. The others scattered back to their laptops, discussing the other headlines that didn’t involve my ass. Overwhelmed by my emotions, I knew I needed to be alone. Without a word to anyone, I rose out of my seat and made my way down the aisle. Air whooshed around me as I stepped outside the train car.
Once the door had shut safely behind me, I finally allowed the hot tears of embarrassment to flow freely. Although I could have been selfish and only mourned for me, I also mourned for the shame I’d brought to James’s campaign. This was the last thing he needed. He’d killed himself today giving speech after speech, yet all the media was focusing on was my ass.
Through my sobs, I heard the door open. Whirling around, I swiped my tear-stained cheeks. I had expected Jane or perhaps Saundra to check on me, but instead, Barrett stood before me, concern etched across his handsome face.
After staring him down for a moment, I asked, “Did your dad or Bernie send you out here?”
“No, they’re in a strategy session at the moment, and before you can worry even more, it doesn’t involve your ass.”
“Thank God for small mercies.” Groaning, I buried my head in my hands. “This has to be the worst day of my life.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Fine, but it does rate up there with the day I caught Walt banging his intern.”
“Come on, it’s not as bad as that.” When I didn’t respond, Barrett said, “Look on the bright side: at least there isn’t an article that says something insulting like ‘Full Moon Rising’.”