Given the events of the last few days, I feel like I need it too.
I reach out my hand and Liam hands me the bottle. I take a drink. The warm liquid slides down my throat in a fiery trail, and puts me at ease. If I'm going to take this meeting with Jason, I might as well be relaxed.
"Governor Andrews?" my secretary asks again.
I look at the time again. Shit. It’s been almost five minutes since she called.
Vivian gets the hint.
"Why don’t we pick up later?" she asks.
She looks amazing per usual. Her blonde hair frames her face and reflects the light of the office. She's wearing a low-cut dress, and her cleavage absorbs my attention. Or at least in my mind it does. Did I really just say that I wanted all of this to end between us? Because now I'm already having second thoughts. Seeing her again makes my pulse leap for the millionth damn time today.
"Look, we got a lot fucking done today, didn’t we?" Liam asks. "Can we unwind a bit…maybe say we schedule a dinner for this evening?" Liam asks, looking at me and Vivian.
He’s inviting me to dinner.
This is the strangest and most twisted affair I’ve ever had.
Vivian looks at Liam for a second. Then she looks at me. As if deciding internally if she wants to do this. Because with dinner is going to be booze. In the city. There’s only one thing we’re going to do after that.
"It’s a bit unconventional of a relationship, isn’t it?" I ask her.
She looks at me and smiles.
"If unconventional is what we’re after, let's meet at a circus-themed restaurant," Vivian suggests.
"And where do you suppose we find something like that?" I ask intrigued.
"Le Cirque," she responds, as if it's the obvious answer.
"I wouldn't say that's exactly unconventional," Liam chimes in.
"How many restaurants do you know are circus themed?" Vivian asks. "I'd say that's a little out of the box."
Is it wrong that all I'm thinking about is Vivian's 'box' right now? I can't stop staring at her perfect breasts in front of me. I think I'd agree to just about anything if she suggested it.
"Le Cirque is iconic," Liam quips. "That's a signature midtown restaurant."
"I'm free tonight. What time?" I ask.
"Let's make it 8 pm," Vivian suggests. "You two bring your gorgeous selves, and I'll bring the acrobatics."
My heart leaps again as I wonder what exactly she's implying. Acrobatics? Is she referring back to what happened between us in the limo?
"Done," Liam replies.
I also go ahead and agree with Liam, "Count me in."
We say our good byes and they walk out of the office. I sit back for a moment in my chair and think about how easy it was to speak with both of them. It was all so cordial. Hell, even the meeting was good. Liam is right. We actually are getting somewhere. We’re going to get this deal done. This couldn’t have been more different from our encounter at the Harvard Club. I mean, one minute, I'm putting my fist into Liam's face, and the next, we're making dinner reservations.
I remember my impending meeting with Jason, Chief Strategist, and I snap my laptop closed and go to my desk. Vivian and Liam have left. I push the button to my intercom to summon my secretary.
"Cheryl, you can let Jason in now."
As if waiting for the word, Jason, my Chief Strategist, bounds in. He's always been a high-strung person, but today he seems especially frazzled. When he turns his head, his body bounces along sharply with his every movement.
With him is my Press Secretary, Michele.