Chapter 7 Nice To Meet You… Again

• Garnar’s face grows progressively redder, so red in fact, that he resembles a cherry tomato.
• Miles, meanwhile, boyishly grins. “Surely you know which of these women is your wife?”
• Garnar glances from Thea to me and back again. It’s kind of fun, watching him squirm. People tend to get under his skin rather easily, but when he starts yelling, they back off. Miles, as a representative, holds much more power here than Garnar, so Garnar would never risk yelling.
• He only punches down.
• Yet as fun as this is, I also watch with a sinking feeling of trepidation. Garnar will be there when I go home tonight. He might not yell at Miles, but he will have no such reservations with me. All of my enjoyment will be sucked back tenfold later.
• Finally, Garnar nods to me. “Esther is indeed my wife, however we both agreed… Since she is working today, preparing the event as you said… That I would bring her sister Thea as my impromptu date. To help her make connections, you understand.”
• Garnar’s lies are usually more convincing. Miles really did irk him, to have him fumbling this hard.
• How very delightful.
• Miles’s grin widens, adding teeth. He’s still boyish, but with a touch of mischievousness now. He looks for all the world like the cat who caught the canary, and is enjoying playing with his food.
• Garnar shifts uncomfortably under Miles’s silent stare. He shuffles over to me and not-so-gently grabs my arm. Then, Garnar drags me closer to Miles.
• “Representative Hamilton, may I present my wife, Esther,” Garnar says.
• I hold out my hand. It’s a presumptive move. Miles has already denied Garnar’s handshake. But even if my handshake is rejected, I’d rather that than the rudeness of not offering.
• “Hello, Esther,” Miles says. He takes my hand in his. His skin is smooth and warm, just like it was the night we shared together. “It’s nice to meet you.” He lifts my hand up as leans down. Gently, he places a soft kiss to the back of my palm.
• He lingers a moment then, letting his lips brush across my skin. Just as he did that night, a kiss after gentle kiss along the line of spine.
• I swallow hard, remembering that night. So much passion. Kissing, moving, sweating together. He held my hand as he pushed his way inside of me.
• I screamed his name as I came.
• Slowly, he straightens himself, but he does not immediately release my hand.
• “N-nice to meet you,” I say, and wonder if he can see from my flush that I’m remembering that night. He must, because those deep ocean eyes glance downward at the swell of my breasts. He had enjoyed playing with those that night. Immensely.
• “Perfect breasts,” he whispered into my skin in the dark. “Perfect hips. Perfect ass.” He’d spent time appreciating each, first with his hands, then with his mouth. “Perfect woman,” he said, and sucked a mark into my neck.
• Now, I reach up to the place it was. It’s gone now, faded with time.
• Miles sees my movement. He knows what I was going for.
• His smile softens slightly, and he releases my hand.
• “Do you need a glass of water, Esther?” Miles asks, voice cool and collected. If he was thinking of the past, it doesn’t seem as if it affected him at all. “You look slightly flushed.”
• “I’m fine,” I tell him, but my cheeks are burning.
• “Very well,” Miles says. He nods to all of us, and then turns and leaves.
• Behind his back, Garnar glares at me. “If you knew him, you should have damned well said something before this.”
• “I didn’t,” I say. “I don’t.”
• The Miles I knew is a call boy. This Congressman Miles? I’ve never met him before.
• As the day progresses, several of the invited businessmen fawn over the two congressman. As Senator Hamilton is on his way out with retirement, the petitions to him are nothing more than curtesy. Miles is the one claiming the full attention of the guest list.
• I do my best to stay away from him, and Garnar and Thea too. With so many guests and so many other pieces that need direction during the event, I am able to steer clear for a good long while.
• Every so often, I glance back at Miles and find another CEO at his ear, presenting this or that, or hoping for government funding.
• None of my other family seem to be here, not even my father. Perhaps he trusted Thea in his stead. Does he about the affair?
• No, I couldn’t believe that. Despite everything, Father loves me. Over the years, he’s little more than tolerated my husband. If ever there’s a split, and Father needs to choose sides, I am confident he would pick me.
• At least, I hope.
• Since Garnar’s promotion, Father has been more receptive to Garnar and his ideas.
• Maybe in pushing my husband into his job, I’ve pushed away my own father.
• Sighing, I return my focus to my work. I can’t be thinking about this right now.
• I busy myself for a time, but all too soon again, my gaze turns back to Miles.
• This time, Garnar is at his ear.
• God, is he saying something about what happened? Is he throwing me under the bus in some way?
• I start walking without meaning to, approaching them both with hastened strides.
• Thea isn’t with them. I wonder where Garnar ditched her and why, but I can’t worry about her right now.
• As I come closer, I slow my steps again, hearing now what they are discussing.
• “As you can see, I’m sure, this project will certainly be not just lucrative, but good for the economy and the community,” Garnar says. “All we need now is government support.”
• Oh. He’s talking about work. Of course he is. This is why he came here.
• What kind of paranoid am I, to assume they would be talking about me? I want to kick myself.
• Suddenly, Miles glances at me and my heart nearly leaps from my chest. I’m frozen on the spot. His eyes trail down my body and I feel the weight of them as surely as if he’s caressing me with his hands.
• I close my eyes, soaking in the feeling. God, if we were back in that hotel room and –
• “No,” Miles says.
• My eyes snap open.
• Miles is giving Garnar a cold look.
• Garnar’s mouth is open in shock. “No?”
• “I will never fight for funding for any of your projects, Mr. Graham, or any from your company.”
• “B-But…” Garnar fumbles. “Why ever not?”
• I can’t fathom it either. Despite Garnar’s many shortcomings, his company is well-known for his honest, and competitive, reputation. It’s nation-wide. For Miles to refuse to help them, meant he would not help potentially thousands of projects.
• This would be a huge blow to the company. Garnar’s own reputation would be in tatters.
• Miles doesn’t strike me as someone ignorant. To be a Congressman at 25, he must be exceedingly smart and competitive in his own way.
• Looking at Garnar, he lifts a brow.
• “Why?” he repeats.
• Garnar nods, eager to know. Many people are. Nearby conversations have stopped to listen.
• Miles glances at me and smirks. “Because your wife offended me.”