ROMANCING THE BULLDOG (18 page)

it.”

Liz frowned. “What kind of issue? It’s my home. My life. Where I live has nothing to

do with you.”

“It does now.”

This caused Liz to shutter, because he was right. She had decided to hitch her wagon to a

politician of all people, to a man who made his living being everything people wanted him to

be. What was she thinking?

She began to leave.

“Liz, wait,” Jason insisted and hurried over to her. He grabbed her by both arms.

“Honey, I’m sorry. I just wanted to get it done, that’s all. But will you do this for me? Will

you move into a. . . a nicer place for me?”

“I live where I can afford, Jace. And I refuse to allow you or anybody else to pay my

way.”

“But what if it’s already paid for? Will that work?”

“Already paid for? You mean your house? You expect me to move in with you?”

“Not move in with me, no, I wouldn’t disrespect you like that. I’m talking about my

penthouse apartment over at the Birmingham.”

Liz looked at him. “You still have that place?”

“Of course I do. And it’s paid for and won’t cost you a dime to live there. At least stay

there for now, Liz.”

“During the campaign you mean?”

Jason hated to admit it. “Yes. During the campaign.”

“But don’t the public already know that you own the apartment at the Birmingham, too?”

“They may know that I own it, but they also know that I’ve never lived there since

becoming mayor. It’s been virtually uninhabited for years now.”

“But why take my furniture there?”

“Because I wanted you to feel at home. They were supposed to place mine in storage

first.”

Liz shook her head. “You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”

“When it comes to you and me,” Jason said, pulling her into his arms, “yes.”

Liz couldn’t help but smile. And although she allowed him to kiss her, and even to lift her

blouse and suck her breasts while they stood in the middle of his office, she still felt that she

was relinquishing too much; that she was doing exactly what she said she’d never do again:

bend to another person’s will.

TWELVE

The meeting was held at Jason’s home. Stephen, DeeDee, Dexter McGhee, the mayor’s

legislative aide, and Carl Browning, his communications/campaign director, were all present.

Liz was also present, not because she was invited, but because she had spent the night with

Jason and was in the shower when the meeting commenced.

Jason still had not officially announced that he would seek re-election. It was a foregone

conclusion in every circle, but the formal announcement would not come until after his

Democratic opponent announced. Jason was certain to run unopposed, but now with the news

that Hamp Morgan would be the Dems choice, their plans had to be revamped. Their hope

had been that the Democratic primaries would be long and bloody, with the Dems beating up

on each other to such an extent that nobody gets out of it unscathed, especially not the ultimate

victor, but Hamp Morgan was sure to clear the field and run unopposed too. Which worried

Carl Browning the most.

“Our messaging out of the mayor’s office itself has got to change,” he said. He was seated

on the sofa in the living room, sandwiched between Dexter and Stephen. Jason was seated in

sofa across from them, with DeeDee seated beside him. “Our ‘the right mayor for the right

time,’ would have worked if the Dems would have selected a weak field of candidates the way

they usually do, but now everything’s changed.”

“And what about his daughter?” Dexter wanted to know. “What is going to be her public

position on her father’s candidacy?”

Jason attempted to shield his distress. That was an issue he had swept under the rug. He

was still unsure how he would handle it. “She doesn’t have a public position,” he said.

Stephen looked at their boss. “Does she even know about his candidacy?”

“No, as it happens,” Jason admitted, “and I don’t want her to know. Not yet.” It was a

matter of degrees for Jason. Liz was warming more and more to their relationship. He wasn’t

about to let Hamp Morgan or anybody else pull them backwards. He would discuss it with her

soon. Hamp isn’t set to announce for another couple weeks.

“She needs to know before Hamp announces.”

“I know that, Stephen. And she will.”

“We need to control that situation, too.”

“Yes, Stephen, I know. Now let’s move on.”

All of Jason’s staff looked concerned. They’d never known the boss to be so seemingly

nervous about some girlfriend of his.

“It’s serious then?” Carl asked him.

Jason attempted to smile it off. “What, Carl, inquiring minds want to know?”

“Political minds. Especially those of us who have to deal with political minefields. And

this, my friend, may be a political minefield.”

Jason ran his hand across his face. “I know. I’ll handle it.”

“And the daughter of this minefield,” DeeDee said. “Can you handle her?”

Jason didn’t respond.

“We know it’s personal, Jace,” Dexter said, “but it’s vital that you are able to handle her.

I have to deal with the city council on a daily basis. We need as many of them enthusiastic

supporters of ours, not tepid ones. If they feel you don’t have all of this under control and can

be beat by Hamp Morgan, they may withhold that support.”

“Can be beat by Hamp Morgan?” DeeDee said incredulously. “Dex please! Hamp

Morgan, a Democrat, a black, okay, isn’t going to beat Jason.”

“That’s what you say. That’s not what I say. Your negative views of Democrats and of

people of the African race, of which I’m a member,” Dexter reminded her, “is not the majority

view in this town. A plurality of the people hate Dems and blacks, a plurality of the people

love Dems and blacks. It’s that independent middle that we need to convince, and they don’t

love Dems, blacks, Republicans, whites, they don’t love anybody. They want to throw all the

bums out and keep the other bums from getting in. That middle can be fertile ground for a

well-known businessman like Hamp Morgan, especially since many of those independent

voters probably have frequented his club a time or two and actually enjoyed themselves. They

may have even met him during those visits, Hamp is good at working the crowd, and they may

have liked his style. Don’t you dare underestimate Hamp Morgan.”

“I agree with Dex,” Stephen said, to DeeDee’s anger. “With a man like Morgan in the

race, all he’ll need is a third of the white vote. He gets a majority of the blacks and Hispanics,

and he will, he’ll be home free. Minorities tend to stay at home during general elections here in

Jacksonville. They won’t when one of theirs is in the race, and has a great chance at winning.”

“So you’re telling me,” DeeDee said, “that Jace could actually
lose
this election?”

The room went still, with all eyes on Stephen, even Jason’s. “Yes,” Stephen said.

Silence entered the room and remained for a good long time. Jason had already figured

as much. He knew what magnetism, what charisma a man like Hamp Morgan could display.

The race would be close if not a landslide on the other side. But he also knew Liz could be

devastated by the fact that she would have to choose between her father and her man. They

were official now, they were an item, but they were still an item in its infancy where nurturing,

not drama and melodrama, was needed. And although the conversation continued, with no

more discussions of Hamp Morgan for the moment, Jason’s mind couldn’t leave Hamp

Morgan, not because of Hamp, but because of Liz.

Then he heard her voice. “Jason?” she said in that soft preen he loved. He looked across

the room and saw her standing there, in her shorts and blue, crisscross blouse, looking radiant.

“Hope we weren’t disturbing you,” he said, standing.

“Me? No. And I hate to interrupt your meeting, but I need to get going.”

“Could we,” Carl said, rising too, “I mean, excuse me, Miss Morgan, but I was wondering

if we can pick your brain for a quick second?’

Jason looked at Carl. Carl held his ground. “Not about that, Jace, but I think she could

help us.”

“Sure,” Liz said and entered the living room. She never cared for politics, but she knew

she had better get used to it if she expected to romance a mayor. Jason held out his hand for

her and sat her down on the sofa beside him, effectively placing himself between her and

DeeDee Ramstead.

“Let me introduce everybody. I know you know Stephen, but I don’t think you’ve met

anyone else in my inner circle, as the press loves to call it.”

“I’ve met Miss Ramstead,” Liz said, meeting DeeDee’s eyes.

“Yes,” DeeDee said, all smiles. “And how are you?”

“I’m lovely, and you?”

“Marvelous.”

“Good.”

“Well good,” Liz said, playing along. That witch wanted to pull her eyeballs out of her

sockets, and Liz knew it, but she also knew politics was always a game of going along to get

along to get where you needed to be. It was always a game, not of admiration, but of

toleration.

“And this is Carl Browning, my communications-slash-campaign director. And Dex

McGhee, former Jaguars quarterback. He’s my legislative director. He’s my pipeline to the

city council.”

“Nice to meet you,” Liz said. “So, how can I help?”

“We were wondering,” Carl began, “since you work at the Meyers Center, what you

thought was the mayor’s problem in that community.”

“Sorry?” Liz asked, genuinely confused by the question.

“What he’s asking, Liz,” Jason said, “is why is it that I can only generate a few percentage

points of African-American support each election cycle?”

“Oh!” Then she looked at Carl. “And you think I can answer such a question?”

“Yes,” DeeDee answered for him. “You’re black, aren’t you?”

Jason looked at DeeDee. She’d always been a handful, but she usually wasn’t blatantly

rude.

“If I’m not mistaken, Mr. McGhee is also an African-American, so apparently that’s not

enough.”

“No, it’s not,” Carl said, visibly upset with DeeDee. “It’s your unique position in the black

community that interests me. I mean, the mayor does outreach to that community every

election cycle, but with no success.”

“Maybe it’s because he waits until the election cycle to reach out,” Liz said and Dexter

smiled.

“My point forever,” Dexter said.

“We do have a base we have to appease, Dex,” Stephen reminded him, “and you know

it.”

“Then don’t ask ridiculous questions,” Dexter agreed. “Of course that’s the answer. Do

more outreach and do it earlier, but nobody has time for that.”

“Blacks hate Republicans,” DeeDee said. “Why should we waste our time?”

“Because this year,” Dexter started, but then stopped himself. “Because we need more

support in the minority communities. Remember, the mayor gets even less support from

Hispanics.”

“Don’t remind me,” Jason said with a smile, causing Liz to smile too. She admired the

way he seemed to take obstacles in stride. Unless, of course, those obstacles were in her way.

Then he was the proverbial bull in a china shop, destroying any and everything in his wake, all

in the name of clearing the way for her. She loved and feared that particular quality about him.

“And what about political etiquette,” DeeDee said and Liz and everybody else’s eyes

looked at her upper arm. “A mayor’s girlfriend has to know the do’s and don’ts.”

Liz looked at Jason. He’d already moved her out of her apartment for appearances sake.

Would he try to move her out of her own style, too? If he did, she knew it would be over.

Enough was quickly becoming too much.

“She’ll be herself, DeeDee, ” Jason quick said, “and that’s all the etiquette she’ll need.”

Liz smiled. “And since I’m the only one, other than Liz, who has a vote in the matter, I

consider the matter closed.”

“Amen,” Dexter said, looking angrily at DeeDee. That woman would go anywhere to hurt

another female, he noticed.

Carl Browning decided to reenter the fray, to refocus the conversation. “I was hoping,

Miss Morgan, that you, in your unique position, would have some sage advice for us,” Carl

said with a smile. He was probably the friendliest of the group Jason chose to have around

him, although, to Liz, that wasn’t saying much. “How, do you think, the mayor can appeal

more to minority voters? Other than more outreach before the election cycle, since it’s too late

for that now.”

“Well,” Liz said, crossing her shapely legs, causing the eyes of every man in the room to

immediately shift in that direction. Every man except Jason, especially when he remembered