Breathless Secrets by Elizabeth Lennox

Chapter 10

The following morning, the harsh ring of her cell phone interrupted a very nice dream in which James was touching her in the naughtiest places. 

As she pushed her hair out of her eyes, Molly looked around, trying to orient herself.  Finally, she found her phone on the floor next to her purse. Apparently, she’d dumped the entire contents of her purse onto the floor when James had pulled her into his arms. 

“Hello?’ she whispered, glancing behind her to find James still asleep.  He looked almost innocent, she thought.  His long, dark lashes laid against his tanned skin, his handsome features relaxed in sleep.  Goodness, he was a fine-looking man, she thought, not for the first time. 

“Molly!” the caller on the other end snapped at her. 

Molly turned her attention back to the phone.  “Yes?” she rasped, then cleared her throat. 

“It’s Louise.  You need to get down here.  There are reporters all over the place!”

Molly sat up, forgetting for the moment about James sleeping behind her…and taking up most of the bed!

“Reporters?” she parroted.  “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Louise whispered back.  “Maybe because you’ve been photographed repeatedly on the arm of that handsome man that toured the facilities a while ago?” she offered.  “Your picture is all over the news again this morning!”

Molly pushed at her hair again, trying to make sense of her friend’s words.  “But…how could they have known about James visiting the Center?”

Louise chuckled.  “Apparently, his first visit was to ask for your endorsement.  At least, that’s what the reporters are saying.  They want to know if it’s true, that you’re going to endorse James.”

Molly heard Louise, but her words still didn’t make sense.  Her endorsement?  She glanced behind her once again, noting that James was still so asleep that he hadn’t even moved.  An endorsement…she wasn’t someone voters would care about.  So…why?  Turning away from him, she sighed heavily.  “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she told Louise.

Molly rushed into the shower, her mind racing.  James wanted her endorsement?  Why would he need her endorsement?  For his campaign?  No, that didn’t make any sense.  Surely Louise had misunderstood the reporters’ comments.

When she stepped out of the shower, Molly breathed a sigh of relief to find that James was still fast asleep, although he’d rolled over slightly.  His hand stretched out across the sheets, as if he were looking for her.  That mollified her slightly, but…was she misinterpreting the situation?

She grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a tee shirt out of her drawer and some underwear, socks and her shoes, then tiptoed out of the bedroom. Why was it so important to not wake him up?  Why didn’t she simply ask him to explain? 

As she finished dressing and pulled her damp hair up into a band, keeping all of it off of her face, Molly worried about what was happening at the center.  Louise’s words kept flipping through her mind.  Endorsement.  Reporters.  Marriage.  No, she had to stop thinking about that last one!  She might have said yes last night, but she couldn’t do it.  She couldn’t marry James!  The thought terrified her on so many levels!

Grabbing her keys, she walked out, closing the door quietly behind her so that James could continue sleeping.  Or was her stealthy departure a way to avoid the dangerous morning-after conversations?  Her embarrassment over how uninhibited she’d become last night? 

She came out of the apartment complex and hurried down the street. Her feet slowed when she spotted the crowd of news vans parked around the community center.  Some of them were blocking traffic and…even as the thought crossed her mind, a police car pulled up, parking at an angle with his lights on.  She watched as Joe, the officer that worked this neighborhood in the mornings, called out to several of the news vans, ordering them to park in the parking lot, which…wow!  The parking lot was filled to capacity! 

Molly pulled her cell phone out, glancing at the time.  It was only seven in the morning!  What in the world was going on?

Pushing herself to walk faster, she arrived at the Center and looked around for Louise, spotting her just inside the door.  The elderly woman was waving, indicating that Molly should hurry inside.  Molly ducked her head and jogged to the side door, needing information before the mobs descended upon her. 

Louise had the door open so that Molly could quickly slip inside, and locked it behind them. They rushed deeper into the building before the reporters spotted her.

“What’s going on?” Molly asked, ignoring the dizzying scents of baking bread.  Louise and Nora had been hard at work, apparently. 

“I’m not completely sure,” Louise replied, as she led Molly over to the computer room.  She pressed several buttons, and a picture popped up onto the screen.  “But I suspect it has something to do with this picture.” 

Molly slowly sank into the chair in front of the computer monitor, staring at a picture of herself and James from a gala a few nights ago.  It was on the front page of the society pages with the title, “Is our Next Senator Smitten?”.  James had his arm wrapped around her and Molly was laughing at whatever James had said to her.  His head was lowered at an intimate angle and he was looking down at her with obvious desire in his eyes.  The way his shoulders were angled slightly, plus her hand centered on his chest, indicated that they were having a very private conversation.  Molly gulped, remembering his comments as they’d left the gala. 

Goodness, was that what she’d looked like?  No wonder they’d fallen into bed that night!  She’d seen pictures of couples, celebrities or political figures, in the past.  And they’d all had the same look. 

“I didn’t know reporters were at that event,” she whispered through numb lips, feeling as if a very private moment had been invaded.  It left her feeling violated and…angry!  Almost betrayed in an odd sort of way.  And yet, did she have a right to those feelings?  She was dating…maybe engaged…to a public figure.

Suddenly, her anger dissipated as the reality of the situation hit her.  Why wouldn’t there be reporters at an event like this one?   Several very important guests and leaders of industry had been in attendance.  “I guess it was pretty stupid of me to think that we were alone, wasn’t it?” she sighed, glancing up at Louise. 

The kind, elderly woman shook her head as she sat down in the chair next to Molly.  “No, dear.  It wasn’t stupid.  This picture doesn’t capture the essence of who you are.  It wasn’t an invasion of you,” she asserted firmly.  “That picture simply captured a moment in time.  No one heard the conversation.  They don’t know what happened before that picture was taken or what came after.  They see that moment and that’s it.  The rest of that evening is private, between only the two of you.” 

Molly looked back at the pictures.  Louise was right.  That person, the woman in that picture, wasn’t the person she normally was.  She was a jeans wearing, tee shirt loving, fun woman who loved to play with the kids.  She organized activities and ensured that the residents of this neighborhood were happy and healthy.

The woman in that picture…she was stunning and sophisticated.  She was a seductress who tempted a man who seemed larger than life. 

That woman was a stranger, she thought. 

Feeling better now, she inhaled deeply and flipped the screen so that the image was no longer staring at her.  “Okay, you’re right.  So, why are all of these reporters hanging around here?”

Louise laughed, shaking her head slightly.  “As I mentioned earlier, some of them have asked if you were going to endorse James Morgan.  They are wondering if you’re endorsing his campaign.”

Molly blinked, shaking her head in confusion.  Endorsement seemed like such a strange word.  “Why would James need my endorsement?”

Louise straightened in her chair, smiling gently at Molly.  “You’re a big deal in this neighborhood, Molly,” she explained with pride.  “You’ve changed things.  The people around here respect you.  They look to you for guidance on a lot of issues, including school and summer activities.”  Her shoulder lifted slightly.  “Apparently, you carry a great deal of influence on how people vote.”

She blinked at Louise, stunned.  “They…care about how I vote?” she clarified hesitantly. 

“Absolutely,” Louise confirmed.  “You have a huge amount of influence in this area. You’re a local celebrity to everyone in this neighborhood.”

“Huh!” Molly replied, still shaking her head.  “I didn’t realize that.”

James rolled over, reaching for Molly.  But the sheets were cold.  Opening his eyes, James looked around, wanting to drag Molly back to bed.  His body remembered the way she’d writhed under him last night and he wanted another taste of her delectable body.  Or maybe they could rush out and get a ring, he thought, remembering her agreement to marry him last night.  Yeah, that sounded like a better plan.

But… where was Molly?  Obviously, not in bed.  She wasn’t in the shower either. Judging by the silence in the apartment, Molly wasn’t there at all. 

“What the hell?!” he growled, pushing the sheets back.  He walked through the apartment, completely unconcerned with his naked state in his determination to find Molly.  Surely she hadn’t left already.

His cell phone rang and he turned, glaring at it.  Instinctively, he knew that it wasn’t Molly.  Glancing at the caller identification, he realized that it was Bryan, who probably wanted to talk about a campaign issue.  James didn’t want to deal with campaign problems right now.  He wanted to find Molly and figure out why she’d left without even waking him! 

Just like last night, he sensed that there was a problem. Was Molly hurt?  But why?  Had he said or done something last night that upset her? 

No, he didn’t think so.  She’d curled up in his arms last night, sleeping soundly in his arms.  He remembered waking up several times during the night to find her cheek resting on his shoulder or his chest, her legs tangled with his.  Even now, thinking about how beautiful she’d looked, his arms ached to hold her again, to press her against him. 

“Where the hell are you?” he muttered to the absent Molly as he reached for his cell phone.  “What?” he snapped at Bryan. 

“There’s a problem at the Community Center,” his campaign manager stated without any sort of greeting.

Instantly, James’ stomach tightened. “Is Molly okay?  Is she hurt?” he demanded, searching for his clothes.  He grabbed his pants, muttering a few expletives when he couldn’t pull them on with one hand. 

“Molly is fine,” Bryan confirmed.  “She’s inside, but there are about a dozen reporters surrounding the building.  They smell fresh meat and are trying to get a story about the two of you.”

James froze, sifting through what his manager had just said.  “How the hell do they know about…?”  James stopped speaking as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.  “All of the pictures of the two of us,” he sighed.  “Someone finally realized that I’m serious about her, didn’t they?”

Bryan laughed, but there wasn’t a great deal of humor in his words.  “Nailed it.  I just sent you a link to one of the articles.  The picture is pretty good,” he continued.  “But the expression between the two of you looks a bit…cozy, which is why the reporters are salivating, hoping for a juicy, secret romance.  How soon can you get down here?”

“I’m actually two blocks from the center,” James admitted.

There was a long silence.  Then Brian muttered a curse.  “You spent the night with her?”

“None of your business,” James snapped furiously.

Brian laughed harshly.  “Actually, it is my business, James, since I’m in charge of your campaign.  Please tell me that you have something different to wear than what you had on last night!”

James glanced down at the jeans that he was just zipping up. 

“No.  I’m still…”

“Don’t leave!” Bryan interrupted.  “I’m heading to your place.  Call your housekeeper and tell her to bring you fresh clothes.  I’ll be there in…hell, I don’t know!” he sighed.  “Just don’t let the reporters see you in last night’s clothing.  You will slaughter Molly’s reputation. You know how vicious the press can get.”  He sighed and James could picture his friend and manager running a hand through his hair.  “I’ll be there soon.  I’ll also send someone to Molly to explain how to handle this so that the center is protected.”

“And Molly,” James asserted firmly. “Make sure that Molly is protected!”

“Will do.  Molly doesn’t deserve this kind of hell.”

They ended the call and James paced the small confines of Molly’s apartment until he heard someone knock on the door.

Pulling it open, he found his assistant, Deni.  She was in her forties, brilliant at organizing all of the details of the campaign and didn’t take crap from anyone.

“Need a change of clothes?” she asked with a smile, lifting the wardrobe bag slightly.

James grabbed the bag.  “Thank you!” he called out as he hustled into the bedroom to change.  He wanted to rush over and help Molly handle the reporters.  He knew that she would be in hell if those reporters started asking invasive questions about their relationship.  She wouldn’t know how to handle it.  She’d probably look startled at their invasive questions, and her open, honest expressions would give the whole game away. 

“You know, you don’t need to rush, James,” Deni called out. 

James ignored his assistant, who was flipping through his schedule on her ever-present tablet.  The woman always lugged that damn thing around.  He might have complained about the irritating device, but it had saved him too many times.  The woman was a total control freak, but he adored her. 

“You’re my savior!” he muttered, pulling her into a hug, which he knew would irritate her.  He laughed when she pretended to sputter in indignation.  “Come on, Deni.  We have a lady to protect!”

He knew that Deni was right behind him and he gritted his teeth as he slowed his pace to match her shorter stride.  But when he saw his sleek sedan parked and waiting, he hurried over to the driver’s side.  “Toss me the keys,” he said, turning to find that the keys were already flying towards him.  He shot her a look, which Deni completely ignored, since she was flipping through pages on her tablet. 

“You could have hit me,” he grumbled.

“Nah.  You have good reflexes.  Tightly honed from belligerent juries and all that football you used to play.”

James noted that she didn’t even look up as she said that.  When he started the car, she began her summary of the various news articles speculating about his romantic interest in Molly. 

“They should just keep their noses out of Molly’s business,” he grumbled, driving the two blocks to the community center.  He pulled into the parking lot, which was packed, forcing him to park behind two of the news vans.  “Why didn’t she just wait for me this morning?”

Deni stepped out of the sedan, typing away on her damn tablet.  “Because she’s an intelligent, independent woman who doesn’t wait around for a man to take care of her?” she suggested sarcastically.

James didn’t reply, assuming that Deni was simply unaware of how vicious some reporters could be.  “They must all be inside,” he assumed, looking around and noticing that there weren’t any reporters banging on the center doors, trying to get inside.  The center didn’t normally open this early during the weekend summer months, although it would be open pretty early during the school year in order to take in the school kids.  The center supervised the elementary school age kids before the school bus arrived during the weekday mornings, allowing the parents to drop off their kids and get into work early. 

“They are,” Deni muttered, putting a hand on his arm, stopping his forward momentum.  “Watch,” she ordered, shoving the damn tablet in front of his nose.

James didn’t want to watch whatever video Deni had pulled up.  He wanted to get inside and protect Molly from the vicious throng of reporters. 

The image caught his eye and the words he’d been about to snap froze in his throat.  A reporter asked Molly questions while Molly guided the reporters around the center.  “That’s Molly,” he said, and shoved the tablet back at Deni.  He then hurried inside and…!

Came to an abrupt halt at the back of the herd of reporters. 

“Are you going to endorse James Morgan for his Senate race?” one of the reporters called out.

Molly smiled politely, and touched the shoulder of the nearest teenager.  “Desiree, what are you working on?”

Desiree, a teenager around fifteen years old, smiled shyly at the cameras.  “We’re helping Louise and Nora knead bread for lunch,” she explained. 

Molly took over, beaming at the cameras.  “Louise and Nora are retired bakers who make cookies and healthy, whole wheat bread for the center’s lunches.  Many of the local grocery stores donate bread and food items, but those are often the less healthy items from their stores.  They are items that the customers didn’t want or need, so they donate them to local charities,” she continued, speaking clearly to be heard over the bustle of the room.  The reporters were scribbling wildly.  “What we really need are fresh fruits and vegetables.  Produce supports these kids’ health, giving them the nutrition they need, which gives them the energy to concentrate more effectively in school.  Also, eating healthy foods cuts down on afternoon slumps.  White bread is essentially like eating sugar.  We try to avoid providing too many sweets to our kids here at the center.”

One of the reporters lifted her hand in the air.  “What does James Monroe think about your efforts?”

Molly laughed.  “I don’t know.  You’d have to ask him about his impressions of our programs.  But I do know that James personally delivered a bushel of apples to the kitchen the other day.”  Molly turned and looked directly at the cameras.  “If anyone has fruit trees or vegetable gardens, and you grow too much to eat yourself, please consider taking the excess to the local food pantries in your area.”  Her smile brightened, “Or you could drop it off here.  We love locally grown, fresh produce!”

The reporters laughed, amused by her plug for extra resources. 

“But are you in a romantic relationship with James Monroe?”

Molly shrugged.  “Romantic?”  She lifted the back of her hand to her forehead and fluttered her eyes.  “Alas, Mr. Monroe has not declared his undying love for me.”  Her eyes twinkled when she looked back at the reporter.  “I suspect that there are plenty of other ladies out there in the same situation.  So never fear, ladies!” she declared grandly, lifting a hand with her finger pointed upwards, “there is still hope!”’

The reporters laughed and loved it, while James clenched his teeth in the back of the crowd.  For one wild moment, he wanted to interrupt and tell the crowd that she was wrong – that he was off the market. 

Deni must have realized his intention because she put a hand to his arm.  Looking up, she stared into his eyes, subtly shaking her head.  “Don’t do it,” she mouthed.

“So, if you’re not romantically involved, can you explain your presence at the gala last week?  You were also seen at the Willard Hotel on James Morgan’s arm.”

Again, James drew breath to interrupt.  But before he had a chance, Molly offered that beautiful smile of hers.  “That night was all about talking with others about what we’re doing here at the community center.  We’re constantly in need of additional funding, so that we can offer more services and programs to the neighborhood families.  If anyone would like to donate, we’re always happy to accept even small amounts.  Anything helps us to better serve our community.”

He heard Deni laugh softly. James was impressed with how well she continued to steer the conversation back to the center. 

James remained in the back as Molly led them from one area of the room to the next, showing off the various activities the summer youth program offered to the neighborhood kids.  And at every pause, she asked for donations, never missing a chance to extol the virtues of what they were doing and how these activities could help future leaders. 

“Are you planning to endorse James Morgan?” another reporter called out.

Molly stared at the woman, not sure how to answer this one.  She’d been startled by the direct question several times, but now, everyone stared at her and she didn’t think she could dodge it again.

Yes, he’d sexually tortured her last night, demanding that she agree to marry him.  But that had been just bedroom talk.  Hadn’t it?  Her heart ached at the thought, but she pushed that sensation away.  This wasn’t the time to mentally examine the events of the previous night.  She needed to focus.

“Well, to be honest, I have been so busy with the end of the summer program and trying to get tutors lined up for the before and after school tutoring program here at the center, I haven’t really been following the campaign that closely.”

There, that should be a non-committal reply, she thought. 

“There’s a campaign rally this afternoon,” another reporter asked.  “Will you attend in order to hear about his major talking points?”

Wow! These guys didn’t give up.  They were like a dog with a bone! 

“That sounds like a great idea,” she agreed, not stating firmly that she would or wouldn’t attend. 

A deep male voice from the back of the group interrupted the next reporter’s question.  “Apparently, I have a lot of convincing to do,” James announced to the group.

The reporters swung around, a couple stumbling under the weight of their heavy equipment. 

“Mr. Morgan,” one resilient reporter called out, “Do you intend to pursue Ms. Bradshaw romantically?”

James didn’t shift his gaze away.  Not by a flicker of his eyes did he reveal anything about the previous evening.  “Perhaps I should sway Ms. Bradshaw over to my politics before pursuing a romantic relationship, shouldn’t I?  I mean, what if she thinks my ideas are insane?”

The reporters laughed, delighted with his teasing tone.  James took several minutes to walk around the center, again showcasing the programs that were offered and holding up the center as a good example of how communities can pull together to get things done. 

He answered several more questions from the reporters, avoided the romantic questions, and then ended the impromptu press briefing with a nod of his head and a polite, “Thank you all for coming by.”

He walked over to where Molly stood, watching him.  “May I have a private word?” he asked, aware of the reporters who were slowly walking out, eavesdropping on every word.  Especially if it had the potential to reveal romantic interest between their favorite news topic and a woman.  They were practically salivating, but Molly understood the game and nodded just as politely.  “Absolutely,” she replied easily.  “How about in my office?”

He nodded.  “Thank you.”

They stepped into her office and she pressed herself back behind her desk so that James could shift the chairs around and get the door closed.  “I don’t usually work in here,” she explained self-consciously.  “I generally take my work out to the main room and find an empty table during the quiet times in the mid-morning or afternoons before the kids come back from school.”

“Why did you leave this morning?” he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared down at her. 

Molly opened her mouth to reply, but through the window of her office, she spotted a reporter lingering just on the other side of the wide entry hallway.  “I got a phone call, letting me know that reporters were here,” she explained, tilting her head slightly, trying to silently tell him they had an audience. 

James sighed, rolling his eyes, but the movement wasn’t visible to the reporter.  “I get it,” he finally said.  “But we’re not finished.  When are you off today?”

Molly shrugged.  “We don’t have a lot going on today since its Saturday.  But–”

“Will you have dinner with me again tonight?” he interrupted.

Molly wasn’t sure what to say.  “What happens if the reporters follow me? Or you?”

She knew that she had a valid point, but his eyes hardened.  “I want to see you.”

She stared at her desktop as she took a deep breath.  “James, this is becoming…complicated.  I don’t think–”

“Molly,” he interrupted.  That one word was all he needed to say in order to bring her gaze up to meet his.  “Don’t.”

Tears swam in her eyes as she thought about the reporters’ questions. 

“Are you only here to get my endorsement?” she asked.  It was the question that had been zinging through her head ever since the first reporter had asked it earlier this morning.

She watched as his jaw tightened.  “Do you really believe that?” he asked softly, but with lethal effect. 

Molly considered for a long moment, and her response for an even longer moment.  This was James.  Everything she knew about him told her that he was a decent, honest person.  If he’d been romancing her simply for her endorsement, then…no, he wouldn’t have done that.  He didn’t manipulate people.  He was simply too honest for that.  Finally, she shook her head.  “No.  No, I don’t believe that of you.”

He released a breath and nodded sharply.  “Good.”  His fingers clenched and unclenched, until he finally stuffed them into his pockets.  “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen, Molly,” he warned, impatiently pulling his hands back out of his pockets and bracing them wide against her desk.  “You’re going to come to my speech this afternoon.  You’re going to decide if my main campaign points are worthwhile.  And if so, I’d like to formally ask you to endorse me.”  He paused, letting his words sink in.  “Does that sound like a good plan?”

Molly nodded, agreeing that his suggestion was fair. 

“Good.  Then I’m going to drive over to your apartment this afternoon to pick you up.”  She opened her mouth to stop his argument.  “We’ll go to my place.  You know that I have an underground parking lot, so no one will see us going inside.  Then I’m going to make dinner for us.  After that, I’m going to make love to you.  And tomorrow morning, we will discuss this endorsement and how it might impact the center and your life, both negatively and positively.  Any objections?”

Molly’s heart pounded against her chest, as she shook her head.  “None,” she finally managed to say.

“Excellent.  Then I’ll leave now, and hopefully, the reporters will follow me out.  That should give you a bit of time to recover from this morning’s impromptu gathering.”  He stood up and nodded.  For a long moment, Molly wondered if he was going to pull her into his arms and kiss her.  Instead, he nodded, but she could see the look in his eyes and knew that he wanted that kiss just as much as she did.  “My assistant, Deni, will send you the details of my speech.  I’ll see you there.”

With that, he turned and left. Molly watched, admiring the strength of his shoulders and…okay, also his butt.  He had a very nice butt!  She’d felt it in her hands last night, but she hadn’t seen it.  Today, she looked her fill.

“Nice, right?”

Molly jumped, startled to find a man with a notepad and pen.  Obviously a reporter, she thought and pulled herself together, instantly wary.  “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“Mike Mckinsky,” the guy said, extending his hand. 

Molly looked at this “Mike’ fellow closely.  He looked a bit worse for wear, but she suspected print reporters probably looked more bedraggled than the on-camera reporters.  They didn’t have to primp and look good for the cameras.  This guy looked as if he’d grabbed whatever clothing smelled the least offensive from the floor of his bedroom. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mike.  Did you have any other questions about the Center or the programs here?”

“Nah,” he chuckled.  “I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on between you and the new Virginia prince.”

“Prince?” she asked, not sure who he was referring to.

Mike nodded toward the door James had left through.  “James Morgan.  The new Virginia royalty.  We’ve dubbed him ‘The Prince’ because he’s basically Prince Charming, don’t you agree?”

Molly glanced at the door.  Unfortunately, he was out of her line of sight.  So she turned her attention back to Mike.  “Well, I’m sure that he’s very charming, but as for dubbing him royalty…I doubt that he’d appreciate the title.”

Mike chuckled.  “Every guy wants to be Prince Charming, don’t ya think?”

She shifted impatiently.  “I don’t know every guy’s opinion on the subject, so I can’t speak with any authority one way or the other.”

The reporter nodded easily, even as his eyes narrowed. “You’re pretty slick, aren’t ye?”

The words were relatively benign, but the man’s tone had turned nasty.  Straightening her shoulders, she frowned at him.   “I think that it’s time for you to leave,” she replied, insulted and in need of a shower. 

Mike grinned, clearly relishing his role as provocateur.  “No worries,” he said, lifting his hands in the air, palms out.  “I’ll get out of your hair.  Just…” he shrugged, doing a decent impression of George Clooney’s smirk.  “I’ll be on the lookout.  Something doesn’t smell right around here.”  With that, he left, sniffing the air as if he smelled something foul. 

Molly glared at the man’s back, furious that he would make such a horrible statement about her precious community center.  These were good people, volunteers that were working hard to make this neighborhood a better place to live!  How dare he say that the place was doing something wrong! 

When he’d finally hit the parking lot, Molly paced for several minutes, trying to calm down.  The ding from her phone warned her that she had a new message.  Looking at the phone, she realized that it was from a woman named “Deni” and she’d sent a time and address for James’ speech this afternoon.

Immediately, her mood lightened.  She felt a zing of happiness at the prospect of seeing James this afternoon.  Plus, she was truly interested in hearing his campaign speech.  It would probably be the same crap that other candidates trotted out every election, but at least she’d be able to see James this afternoon.  That would make the day special.