“Besides, who knows? Maybe you will meet a handsome millionaire who will sweep you off your feet and offer to be your good Samaritan aka your sponsor.”
Sierra and her nonsense. “Ha! Fat chance because I draw a line at that, Sierra. I’m not a gold-digger. I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
“Yeah, I know. Although, meeting a millionaire wouldn’t hurt. I wouldn’t complain if I got to meet one.”
“I can imagine.”
“Yeah. Okay. So, move that ass and meet me at our usual place and time.”
I checked the clock. I had enough time to take a shower, put on some makeup, and dress into something far more pretty than the PJs I had been wearing for days.
“Okay. See you in a few.”
“See you.”
I ended the call and stood up, suddenly all excited about tonight. Everything would be okay. If not today or tomorrow, I would find a job sooner or later, so I shouldn’t be discouraged. I wasn’t the one to lose hope, and I wasn’t one to quit. The game of politics was the game of survival, so I had to believe in myself and my power.
I hopped in the shower and ran the hot water, instantly relaxing. Maybe this day wasn’t a complete disaster after all.
2
Merritt
The sounds of an upbeat pop song played from the speakers around the Capitol Hill bar, fitting my current mood. I was out with my friends celebrating my most recent win, and the lyrics of the song that spoke about victory were just perfect for this occasion. I took a sip of my scotch, scanning the place for any woman that might catch my attention.
I was one of the youngest members of Congress and had a damn good reputation. As such, the media was interested in me more than any other congressman and wanted to be in the loop on my private life. I was even considered The Playboy of Washington, thanks to the paparazzi that were hounding me and taking pictures of my dates. Everyone knew my name.
“I knew you’d nail it, Merritt,” Carter, my best friend, said. “You always deliver.”
Just like me, he was dressed in a dark suit and wore expensive Italian leather shoes with an equally expensive watch to match. He was my oldest friend. We had known each other since high school when my family moved to his town to enjoy some peace and quiet. He never treated me like a rich kid, and for that, I was thankful.
“Of course, I nailed it. They didn’t stand a chance, not when my team and I have been preparing for this for months.”
“Damn right. But seriously, did you see their faces when we passed our bill?” Robert, my colleague, added. “Cocky bastards. They ain't got nothing on us.”
I arched my eyebrow and took another sip of my scotch. “Of course. We worked our asses off to get here, while they wasted their time on scandals and affairs. Some people just can’t live without drama in their life.”
“So, what’s next?” Tim, my other colleague, asked.
I spotted a short blonde sashaying in front of our table, trying to catch our attention. I gave her a quick once-over and decided she didn’t do anything for me.
I gave him a side-glance. “Let’s not talk about it now. We didn’t come here to talk about work.”
“You’re right.” He emptied his glass of vodka and signaled to the waiter to bring him another one. “Let’s find a good piece of ass for tonight.”
Carter shook his head at him. “Do you think about anything else but getting laid? It’s no wonder Marlene dumped you.”
“Hey. She didn’t dump me. I dumped her.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you sure about that? Because if I remember it right, you called me that same night—pretty drunk, I have to say—and whined about Marlene leaving your sorry ass for good. It was rather comic.” I tsked. “I should have recorded that call. It’s pure gold.”
“Shut up.” Tim avoided to look us in the eyes, scanning the dancing crowd instead. “You don’t know the whole story.”
I erupted into laughter. “You wish. You have it bad for Marlene, and now you’re trying to get over her.”
“Pussy whipped,” Robert added.
“Give him a break,” Carter, defended him.