Читать книгу The Power and the Glory - Kimberly Lang - Страница 7

“VIVE la Révolution.Again.”

Brady Marshall looked up from the text he was sending to see his father’s chief of staff standing at the window overlooking Constitution Avenue. “What now?”

“A protest, but at least it’s a small one. Maybe fifty people or so.” Nathan shook his head. “Don’t they have something better to do on a Friday morning?”

Nathan was a pessimist, a victim of too many years of D.C. politics. He was a good chief of staff in that Senator Marshall’s office ran efficiently and smoothly, but he’d lost sight of the mission long ago. After this election, Brady would have to have a long talk with his father about the possibility of some fresh blood. “Maybe they paid attention to that ‘engaged citizenry’ part of their high school Civics class and decided to use this beautiful fall day to exercise their First Amendment rights to show their displeasure with …” Any number of things. “What’s the protest about, anyway?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.” Brady moved to the window, too. He couldn’t hear the crowd, of course, but even from here he could see they were animated and engaged. “If I’m going to run that gauntlet, I’d like to know if they’re upset over a recent policy vote or just my leather shoes.”

“Why would you go out there?” Nathan went to his desk and opened a drawer.

“I’m meeting a friend on The Mall, and the shortest path is right through the middle of that group.”

Returning to the window, Nathan lifted a small pair of binoculars to his eyes and focused on the crowd below. “I can’t really tell for certain, but I’m betting tree huggers based on the signage.”

“You keep binoculars in your desk?”

Nathan shrugged. “Came in handy today, didn’t they?”

I really don’t want to know. In this case, ignorance was most likely bliss. “Look.” He stepped away from the window and started to gather his things. “The senator needs to look all of this over before we meet with the new consultant on Wednesday. If he wants to actively involve himself with strategy, that is. Otherwise, I’ll take care of it.”

Although this was his first time to officially spearhead a campaign, he’d been stumping for candidates his entire life, it seemed. He didn’t particularly enjoy the daily grind of actual politics—and no matter what the speculations might be, he had no intention of ever running for the Senate seat his family had held for over forty years—but campaigns, on the other hand … Campaigns were a challenge.

Nathan nodded as Brady opened the door to the outer offices and waiting area. His father’s staff and interns went about their business, greeting him as he made his way past. The waiting area was mostly empty, with only a few people waiting to see various members of the staff, and they were all actively staring at the young woman standing at the reception desk and speaking earnestly to the secretary. He stopped to see what was so engaging.

“Ma’am, you have to have an appointment.” Louise’s voice hit the perfect tone of patience and understanding while firmly standing her ground at the same time.

“I know, and that’s why I’d very much like to make an appointment. I’m available at the senator’s convenience.” The woman had to be new at this. Not only did she not know there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell she’d get an appointment with his father, but it was also rather hard to take her seriously, dressed as she was. The form-fitting T-shirt belted over a long, free-flowing skirt, the tribal-looking jewelry and a riot of short brown curls held back from her face with a multicolored headband … Brady would lay money she was with the tree-huggers protesting outside. But if anyone seemed meant to carry off the cute-hippie look, this woman was it. She was slightly built, without looking fragile, with a profile that fell just short of elegant. She looked wholesome, fresh and perfectly suited to that particular fashion trend—all the way down to the Birkenstocks on her feet.

A collection of bracelets on her arm jangled as she punctuated her words with her hands. “As both a constituent and a spokesperson for the People’s Planet Initiative, I’d like to offer the senator the opportunity to work with PPI and our members. Now is the perfect time for Senator Marshall to adopt a more aggressive stance toward environmental legislation and position himself as a leader in—”

Louise interrupted the torrent of words simply by holding up a hand. “Miss …?”

“Breedlove,” the woman supplied. It was a rather traditional name for someone so nontraditional. He’d been expecting her to say something like “MoonChild.”

“Miss Breedlove, this is a very busy week for the senator and his entire staff. There simply isn’t time for anyone to meet with you—regardless of the merits of your organization’s goals and mission,” Louise qualified with a patient smile. “If you would like to contact us—say next week, through the proper channels?—we’ll see about finding the appropriate member of the senator’s staff to help you.”

The woman’s lips pulled into a tight frown. She’d finally realized she wasn’t going to get much more than a polite brush-off. He felt a little bad for her. Having your passion slapped down by reality for the first time always hurt. “I see. May I leave some information for the senator to look over?”

Louise smiled now that she’d won. “Of course.” As Miss Breedlove rummaged through a battered canvas bag, Louise directed her attention to him, and the smile turned apologetic. “Brady, I’m sorry, but I won’t have my hands on the information you requested until tomorrow.”

“No problem,” he assured her. “We both know he’s not going to look that over until ten minutes before the meeting anyway.”

“Very true.” Louise took the sheets of paper from Miss Breedlove as he left the office and the door swung closed behind him.

Louise was one of the loyal staff who’d worked with Granddad before he retired and stayed on when Dad won the seat. Brady had actually been surprised by her decision, since her years working alongside his family made her privy to much of their less-than-lily-white laundry. But, in the end, she’d put aside her personal dislike of Douglas Marshall the man for the sake of Douglas Marshall the senator and the greater good.

Just like he’d done.

“Mr. Marshall! Mr. Marshall, wait, please!” He turned to see Miss Breedlove hurrying down the hallway at a near trot. Uh-oh. The elevator doors opened to an empty car, and the manners ingrained in him by Nana wouldn’t allow him to step in and let the door close in her face.

“Thank you,” she said as the doors closed and she tried to catch her breath. The quick run down the hall had added a touch of color to her cheeks and caused some of her hair to slip out of its containment to fall over her forehead. She was wearing little or no makeup, and her bright green eyes met his evenly. “Mr. Marshall,” she began, “I’m with the People’s Planet Initiative—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m the wrong person for you to talk to.”

“You’re Brady Marshall, right? Senator Marshall’s son.” “Yes, I am. But I’m not part of his office staff.” “I know. You’re his campaign manager.” Miss Breedlove had done her homework. Brady wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or slightly wary. “And as such, I have no control over his office calendar. I can’t help you get an appointment with him.” “But you could listen to me, at least.” Since his good manners had him trapped in an elevator with the woman, Brady simply didn’t know how to get around it. Not that Miss Breedlove was giving him a chance to.

“If Senator Marshall would embrace the mission of PPI, stand with us in our efforts, PPI’s members could become valuable additions to your efforts to win his reelection. Our members are active and engaged in their communities—communities all over Virginia—and have a strong Internet presence. You know how valuable grass-roots support is …”

Thankfully the doors opened on the first floor at that point, giving him the chance to dam the flood of words. “Louise has your information, and should your agenda prove—”

“We don’t really have an agenda,” she interrupted, and as he tried to move away, she trotted to keep up, talking the entire time. “We simply have a mission to make this planet a better place for all who inhabit it.”

“That’s admirable.” Be noncommittal. He pushed open the doors to the outside and blinked at the sunlight.

Miss Breedlove was right behind him. Still talking. “With Senator Marshall’s help—”

Ah, damn it. He’d walked right out in the direction of the protestors. With Miss Breedlove still talking a mile a minute in his ear about the “mission” of PPI, he watched as the protestors took note of her and then focused in on him. A second later, three broke away from the crowd and intercepted them on the steps.

Good Lord, he did not feel like dealing with this today.

“Mr. Marshall, if you’d just give me twenty minutes, I’m sure you’d agree that PPI’s goals—” Miss Breedlove began, only to be interrupted by one of her people this time.

“The planet cannot continue to be exploited by this and every other government—” a man in a green T-shirt roared.

“We cannot stand idly by—” another woman added.

Brady tried to rein in his temper and exasperation as he cut them all off. “I appreciate your passion. And I’m sure you know that Senator Marshall has long enjoyed the endorsements of several prominent environmental groups for his strong support of conservation and other ‘green’ initiatives. But as I’ve told Miss Breedlove, I’m not the person you need to be talking to.”

“I think you are,” she said quietly as she placed her hand on his arm. Those big green eyes were earnest and engaging, and something about it nearly sucked him in. “Your family—as a whole—wields great influence and could really make a difference.”

His family’s influence. Yeah. That jerked him out of the depths of her eyes. “I’m very sorry, y’all, but I’m late.”

The man in the green T-shirt stepped closer. “I’m sorry, too.”

Before he could process Green Shirt’s meaning, Brady felt something cold land on his wrist, followed immediately by the bite of metal into his skin. “What the—” He lifted his arm, only to lift Miss Breedlove’s arm as well.

They’d been handcuffed together.

Green Shirt leaped down the remaining few stairs—shouting something about a talking tree?—and was swallowed by the crowd.

“Kirby! Come back!” she shouted, pulling at the metal on her wrist and jerking his wrist painfully in the process. “Unlock these things!”

The crowd went wild at that point, chanting and singing, somehow energized by the sight of their spokesperson shackled to another human being.

This is ridiculous.

Thankfully security arrived at the moment. In their excitement, the protesters had come too close to the building and needed to be pushed back to the proper distance. One of the officers, whom Brady had known for years, laughed as he walked over and saw his predicament.

“Did you want to be handcuffed to this lady? Should I be escorting you elsewhere?”

“Very funny, Robert. Just unlock the cuffs.”

Robert leveled a stern look at Miss Breedlove. “You do understand that restraining someone against their will is a serious offence?”

Her eyes widened, and she tried again to slide her hand through the metal cuff. “I’m just as much the victim as he is. I didn’t cuff us together.”

“Can we sort out blame later?” Brady lifted their joined hands in Robert’s direction, only to lower them quickly when he noticed the gathering crowd with cameras at the ready. “Maybe inside?”

Robert nodded, and pointed them back toward the doors.

The farcical nature of the situation was only exacerbated by the way Miss Breedlove tried to put as much distance between them as the handcuffs would allow, including contorting her hand into the most uncomfortable-looking position to avoid touching his. It didn’t quite work.

Being handcuffed to this woman had at least accomplished one thing: she wasn’t talking anymore.

Aspyn chewed on the inside of her lip as she followed Brady Marshall and the police officer back into the Russell Building. Not that she had a choice, thanks to Kirby’s stupidity.

She might have to kill him for this.

Besides the obvious humiliation, Kirby’s stunt was guaranteed to sour any goodwill she’d managed to garner from Brady Marshall and destroy her chances of ever getting an appointment with his father.

There was a time for showboating and a time for quiet shows of strength—every activist who’d been around long enough knew that. Kirby was too new, too gung ho, to see that difference, and now she—and PPI—would be paying for it.

She kept her head high as the officer led them through the lobby and tried to keep as much distance as possible between herself and Mr. Marshall, who—thankfully—looked more exasperated than angry at the moment.

Chasing down Senator Marshall’s son and campaign manager had been a whim; a whim, that, for a brief moment, she thought just might pan out. Now she needed to get out of these handcuffs and see if she could salvage anything at all from her efforts.

A door emblazoned with the Capitol Hill Police Force’s emblem led to a small windowless room that looked suitable for interrogating suspects, and Aspyn wondered if she was about to get her first arrest on her record.

The officer—R. Richards from the name badge he wore—lifted their wrists and examined the cuffs. “Hmm. This is a problem.”

“Why?” she and Mr. Marshall chorused.

He pointed to the locking mechanism. “These aren’t standard handcuffs.”

Mr. Marshall sighed, but Aspyn didn’t understand the significance of the statement. “And?”

“And they don’t take a standard key.” Officer Richards gave her that stern look again, like this was all her fault or something. “Do you happen to have the key, miss?”

“No,” she gritted out, “Because they’re not my handcuffs. This was not my idea.”

“Well, then we’ll have to cut them off.”

That brought another sigh from her cocaptive. The exasperation was starting to give way to something else. “And how long will that take?”

“Only a couple of minutes once I get the bolt cutters. Finding the bolt cutters will take a little longer, though.”

Mr. Marshall finally looked at her fully—and the depths of his eyes caused flutters of something indescribable in her belly—and shook his head. He turned back to the officer and said, “I guess we don’t have a choice. Go get the bolt cutters.”

Officer Richards jerked his head in her direction. “Are you okay being left in here with her for a few minutes?”

Mr. Marshall looked her over and laughed, and she stiffened at the insult. “I think I’m safe enough.”

They both kept talking like she wasn’t even there, and Aspyn tried to keep her temper under control until the officer crossed to the door and made to leave. “Excuse me? Isn’t anyone going to ask me if I’m okay being left in a windowless room, handcuffed to a complete stranger?”

“I can vouch for Brady. You’ll be just fine.”

And then they were alone. While she’d been half-kidding with her earlier statement, the reality of the situation hit hard. It was a small room, and Brady Marshall was quite a large man—almost a full foot taller than she was with really broad shoulders filling out a suit jacket that even she could tell was custom-made. And she’d felt the muscles in his arm when she’d touched him earlier. Since she couldn’t get more than a literal arm’s length away from him, she was now very familiar with the unique scent of his aftershave and the way his skin seemed to radiate warmth. Combined with a strong jaw, dark honey-colored blond hair that kept falling rakishly over his forehead and deep, leaf-green eyes … Mercy.

The worst part of this situation wasn’t the public humiliation or even the irritation she could tell Brady Marshall was keeping in check. No, the worst part was the fact that part of her didn’t mind being handcuffed to him. He wasn’t really her usual type … But on sheer looks alone, if she’d been asked to describe the kind of man she’d like to spend some quality time handcuffed to, Brady Marshall would do nicely. And now that they were alone … Granted, he kept looking at her like she belonged in a carnival side show, but her brain kept going to inappropriate places with those handcuffs. It was ridiculous, but that didn’t stop the little tingly feeling low in her belly.

The silence was deafening. Aspyn sat on the table, letting her shoes fall off and her legs swing, and tried to relax the arm attached to his. To her surprise, Brady Marshall joined her on the table, allowing their hands to rest on the battered Formica top and releasing the strain caused by being cuffed to someone that much taller.

“How do you know it’s safe to be left alone in here with me?” she asked. “For all you know, I could be a martial arts expert or something.”

One dark blond brow went up as he took a long lazy look from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. It sent heat rushing to her skin. “Are you?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted, “but you didn’t know that.”

The corner of his mouth quirked briefly. “Given the alternatives, it was a chance I was willing to take. And Robert has known me for years. He wouldn’t have left you in here otherwise. I assure you you’re in no danger from me at all.”

Why did that feel a bit like an insult? “Good to know.”

“Miss Breedlove—”

“Aspyn,” she corrected.

That got her another of those side-show-oddity looks. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t like to be called Miss Breedlove. My name is Aspyn.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Like the tree?”

She nodded. “Like the tree. Only it’s spelled with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘e.’” He doesn’t care about the spelling, you idiot.

Understanding lit up his face, and he started to laugh. The laugh completely transformed his face, making him seem more real and less like a bureaucrat. The smile caused cute little crinkles to appear around the corners of his eyes. The complete change in demeanor was devastating to nerves already on high alert and helped blunt the force of having her name laughed at. “Now I understand why your friend was shouting something about talking to a tree as he ran off. I thought he was just crazy.”

He wasn’t laughing at me. That made her feel a little better. “He’s not my friend. And I don’t think Kirby’s officially crazy, just a little overeager.” She offered him a small smile. “I am really sorry about this, Mr. Marshall.”

“All things considered, I think you should call me Brady.” His mood seemed to be improving, and the non-frustrated, nonexasperated Brady Marshall was a completely different person.

“Okay, Brady.” She held out her hand to shake his, realizing a second too late that would be impossible for him. She let their hands rest on the table again and settled for, “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too, although I wish the circumstances were bit different.” A smile seemed to be tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I need to let my lunch date know I’m going to be late.”

“Okay.”

“I need my phone.” There was definitely a laugh behind his voice, but she didn’t get the joke.

“I’m right-handed.” He indicated the cuffs that held them together.

She still didn’t quite understand.

“So,” he continued, “my phone is in my right pants pocket.”

Understanding dawned. He couldn’t reach it with his left hand, and if his right hand went into his pocket, her hand was going along for the ride.

“Oh.” She felt her face heat. “Well, that’s a little more personal than I thought we’d get today.”

Amazingly enough, he winked at her. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re on a first name basis already.”

She averted her eyes and tried to look unconcerned. Her arm brushed against his hip and her hand lightly touched his thigh as Brady slid his hand into his pocket—only to be stopped short wrist-deep by the cuffs. No amount of wiggling and maneuvering helped. The phone was deeper in his pocket than he could reach, but the pocket wasn’t wide enough for both their hands and the cuffs to fit inside.

Brady cursed under his breath. “Do you mind just reaching in there and getting it?”

“Are you serious?” He wanted her to stick her hand down his pants? No, just in his pocket, she corrected.

As if in answer, his phone started to ring.

Her face felt like it was on fire and she cleared her throat. No big deal. We’re adults. It’s a strange situation and we must work together. That’s it.

But sticking her hand in this man’s pocket …?

Brady cleared his throat as a hint and angled his body toward hers as the phone continued to ring.

It was a bit of a contortionist’s trick, causing her to twist her hand at an odd angle to slide it inside his warm pocket. She had to step close to him to accomplish the maneuver and being that close was quite overwhelming to her system.

She was careful to keep her hand as far to the outside as possible, but Aspyn couldn’t help but notice the strong ridge of muscle that ran down his thigh. What on earth did he do in his spare time to get thighs like that?

Thankfully her fingers found the phone a second later, and she pulled it out quickly before her entire body combusted from embarrassment. Or other causes.

Brady’s smile as she handed over the phone didn’t help, and she turned away as he answered in a symbolic attempt to give him privacy. She was the one, though, that really needed that time to regain her composure. It was all she could do not to fan her face.

She overheard Brady laughingly tell someone he’d been unexpectedly detained and make a promise to explain and reschedule later.

“You okay, Aspyn?” he asked, putting his phone in his left pocket this time.

Pull it together. “I’m fine.” For someone who practically—if accidentally—just got to second base. “I’m sorry to mess up your lunch plans.”

“I believe you when you say this wasn’t your idea. You might want to inform—Kirby, was it?—that the next person he handcuffs might not be as understanding.”

“Does this mean you won’t press charges?” Being arrested for trespassing or disturbing the peace—the normal charges protestors faced—was one thing. Unlawful restraint of a senator’s son was a whole new level of trouble. And there was no way a judge would believe she was just an innocent bystander.

“Hadn’t planned on it.”

Relief washed over her. “Thank you. I promise I will personally wring Kirby’s neck for this.”

“I just don’t know what he hoped to accomplish by it.”

“It got your attention, didn’t it?” Brady looked at her in surprise. “Do you know how hard it is to get someone’s attention in this town? Especially when you’re not already someone important?”

“I can imagine. But that justifies handcuffing people because …”

She didn’t bother to try to hold back her frustration. “Our whole lives, we’re told to get involved, only to find out that no one really wants us to. We’re told to make our voices heard, but no one seems to be listening. And it’s not just this protest or even just this organization. Most of us have been activists for years, and we found out pretty early on that no one really wants to hear what we have to say.”

Brady nodded slowly. “I can imagine that’s frustrating.”

“Oh, it’s more than frustrating,” she snapped at his patronizing tone before she could stop herself.

“But a protest doesn’t open lines of communication, either. It disintegrates into a matter of who can shout the loudest.”

“But,” she countered, “we have to hope if we shout loud enough and long enough, someone might eventually hear us, because what we’re saying needs to be heard. Have you seen what mountaintop mining does to Appalachia? What a rain forest looks like after it’s been cleared? Have you ever cleaned oil off seabirds?” Brady shook his head. “Well, I have. I know in your mind that might not justify this—” she shook their joined hands “—but I understand Kirby’s intention. I don’t approve, but I see his rationale and what motivated him.”

He fell silent for a moment and Aspyn began to worry a little. Maybe she’d gone overboard. “I’ll put in a good word for you with Louise. It won’t get you a meeting with the senator, but it might—and I stress might—get you a meeting with someone on the staff.”

“You’d do that?” Amazed didn’t even begin to describe how she felt.

“Sure. But not because of this stunt,” he clarified. “I don’t want people thinking this is a good idea.”

“Of course not. Thank you.”

His face softened and those green eyes held dangerous warmth. “I can’t guarantee anything, but someone with your passion and sincerity deserves a chance.”

Wow. Aspyn didn’t know which was more shocking—the idea she’d managed to at least get a foot in the door or the fact Brady Marshall thought she was passionate and sincere. The compliment tickled her down to her toes.

She’d seen Brady on TV campaigning with his father, and he always seemed rather aloof and unapproachable. This man, though, was so not what she expected. When he smiled at her again, the tickle became a tingle, and the reminder she was handcuffed to him and alone in a windowless room came rushing back.

Complete with full-color visuals.

She cleared her throat. “I, um—”

Officer Richards returned then, sparing her from saying something stupid. “We get more sit-ins than handcuffing, so I don’t get to use these much.” He worked the giant handles experimentally.

Brady stood and pulled up the sleeve of his coat and unbuttoned his cuff to roll it back out of the way. “Not exactly the confidence I was hoping for. I’d like to keep my wrist attached.”

The officer just grinned. “Who’s first?”

“Ladies first.” Brady moved their arms to the center of the table. “Aspyn?”

She pushed up her sleeve and slid her bracelets up, away from the metal cuff. “I’m not sure I want to be first. I like my wrist, too.”

Despite the banter between the men, Officer Richards handled the bolt cutters with ease and soon her wrist was free. She rubbed the red mark circling her skin as another squeeze of the enormous handles let Brady pull his wrist free as well.

Brady moved on immediately, rebuttoning his cuff and shaking the officer’s hand. Whatever “moment” they’d shared, it was over now, and Brady was back to the rather stiff and aloof man she’d jumped in an elevator with. It seemed a shame, like a loss. “Thanks. Unless you need something from me …” Officer Richards shook his head. “Good. Bye, Robert. Aspyn, it’s been … interesting meeting you.”

“And you. I hope the rest of your day is uneventful.”

“That would be nice.” Then Brady was gone, and the room felt big and empty.

Aspyn grabbed her bag and inched toward the door. “Have a nice day, Officer—”

“Not so fast.”

Thirty uncomfortable minutes later, Aspyn was able to leave with Officer Richards’s warnings still ringing in her ears. The man certainly didn’t like scenes in his building or on the steps.

Most of the protestors had dispersed and only a few hard-core activists remained with Jackie, the head of the People’s Planet Initiative and the protest organizer. Even they seemed to have lost much of their energy, though. She waved as she came down the steps, and Jackie crossed the street to meet her. “I videoed the whole thing. It was brilliant. Your parents are going to be so proud.”

“You think?” That brought a smile to her face. Living up to her legacy didn’t seem quite so daunting at the moment.

“I know. I’ll upload it and you can send them the link.”

“They’re still doing recovery in Haiti. They’re not exactly in a WiFi hotspot most of the time.”

“Well, you’ll be able to show it to them eventually. Their little girl’s first time.” She held up the small video camera. “So, Aspyn Breedlove, how did it feel to leave a protest in handcuffs?”

She frowned into the camera. “It wasn’t like that, Jackie. It was a stupid stunt, and Kirby was way out of line.”

“But you got someone’s attention. That’s a great first step.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s made me hopeful. Eventually, maybe someone will start listening to us. That’s all I really want.” Jackie raised an eyebrow at her. “Okay,” Aspen corrected, “so it’s the start of what I want—what we all want. Someone to actually listen to us.”

Jackie turned off the camera. “Go on home. You’ve done enough here today.”

Aspyn thought about Brady’s offer to help. “We’ll see, I guess.” At Jackie’s confused look, she added, “I’ll explain later.” No sense getting into any of that and getting anyone’s hopes up until it came to pass.

As she headed to the Metro station, the absurdity of the day finally hit her. In all honesty, there wasn’t that much to explain—beyond the fact she’d found out that Brady Marshall was devastating up close, and she certainly wasn’t sharing that information with the public. Even if she happened to get a meeting with someone in his dad’s office, she still couldn’t share the how. Not that anyone would believe her anyway …

She settled into the seat for the trip out of the city, proud of herself for what little she might have managed to accomplish today. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. One step at a time.

The familiar sway and rattle of the train lulled her and she closed her eyes. Brady Marshall’s face was waiting for her. A little sigh escaped before she could help it. But then that warm feeling returned to her chest.

She was passionate. She was sincere.

And forty-eight hours later, she was an Internet phenomenon.