“Caprioni, is it?” Wilson repeated as he took my hand and lifted it to his lips. “Where have you been hiding such a gem, Colmazio?”
“Astin is my eldest and has been pursuing her education abroad. She’s recently graduated and came to take her place working in the family business,” Daddy answered.
In a sense, everything he said was true, and as a casual cover story, it worked brilliantly.
“Then allow me to welcome you back to our fair city, Astin,” Wilson said, beaming at me.
There was another knock at the door, and a moment later, a man entered wheeling in a cart with a tea setting. He placed it on the coffee table in the seating area then filled the teapot with steaming hot water and left.
“Please, let’s sit, have some tea, and discuss this new plan you have to bolster the police budget,” I instructed sweetly, letting my hand run down the mayor’s arm.
Wilson followed me like a good little puppy and sat next to me on the couch, making me want to roll my eyes. I glanced at the woman he’d brought with him, and she was staring daggers into my head. Clearly, Mayor Wilson wasn’t someone who was good at keeping his dick in his pants if he was boinking his aide on top of his paid dalliances.
Daddy came to join us, sitting in an armchair that had its back to the desk and allowed him to see everyone seated easily. Using the opportunity to see just how badly this philanderer was interested in me, I rose. “Can I make you a cup of tea, Father?” I asked.
“Yes, thank you, Astin, no cream but a touch of sugar, please,” he answered, playing along with my actions.
Bending over, it just so happened to put me in the position where my ass was right in our good mayor’s view. I heard two men groan and a woman snarl, telling me I have more fans than haters at the moment. Working quickly, I rose and handed the cup and saucer to Daddy. He gave me a questioning look, but I simply winked and turned back to make myself a cup. This time as I worked the button down the blouse I was wearing, it was gaped just enough for them to see my black lacy bra.
“For the love of God,” the woman muttered just loud enough I could hear her.
I righted myself with my tea in hand and sat in the chair across from her. Once seated, I held her gaze and stared her down until she dropped her eyes, telling me she wouldn’t be someone I needed to worry about. She might be convenient for the mayor, always being around, but she understood her place.
“Aren’t you going to offer us some tea, Astin?” Wilson asked.
I opened my eyes wide and batted my lashes. “I’m sorry, I figured such an able-bodied man like you would want to do that yourself. If you can’t, I’d be more than happy to accommodate your needs.”
“No, no, I was teasing you, which was unkind of me. We don’t know each other that well yet.” He backtracked, pulling the tea service closer to himself.
Men, they love to be served, but the moment you question their virility, they’re suddenly able to do just about anything for themselves. Go figure.
“Mr. Caprioni, the last time we met, you commented about being willing to support the mayor and his mission to build up the police force. Then after we set up this meeting, we discovered the plans have been leaked to the press,” the woman stated.
“I’m sorry,” I cut in before anyone else could respond. “I know I haven’t been here for the other meeting, but I think it might be helpful if I knew your aides’ names, Mr. Mayor.”
Wilson puffed up his chest at me using his title and gestured to the man first. “This is Grant, he’s my chief of staff, and this is Melony, the assistant chief of staff. Both of them are also lawyers, so I felt like it was wise to bring them along, so I didn’t land myself in more trouble.”
“Oh, and what’s your background?” I questioned even though I knew the answer.
“I’m an economics professor who specialized in policy analysis,” he answered, making it sound far more impressive than it was.
Sitting back, I crossed my legs and sipped my tea. “Fascinating,” I murmured. “Forgive me, Melony, I didn’t mean to cut you off earlier. Please, you were commenting on the fact that the press is already talking about Mayor Wilson’s accomplishments.”
“Yes, I was curious as to how they came about knowing that would occur?” Melony asked, glaring at me.
“Are you insinuating the leak came from my people?” Father demanded. “This is a multi-billion dollar company. If I were to allow a leak like this, it would be terrible for business. What would have happened if the mayor backed out of the deal or decided to use the money for something else? Bad press would affect us both, Ms. Campbell.”
“No, sir, that isn’t what she meant,” Grant argued. “She’s just pointing out that it might be wise to be aware that someone is privy to this information and is leaking it. It’s better to be safe than sorry, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Then I’d advise you to do the same and check your staff,” Father challenged. “It was your office that called me a week ago asking if the offer I made when giving my generous support to the campaign is still open for conversation.”
Gary started to sweat and fidget with his tie as he tried to come up with a way to fix this situation. Tired of watching these idiots fumble the ball, I stepped in.
“I think we are getting off-topic here, don’t you?” I asked, setting my tea aside. “We are here to discuss what you need to make what you promised the people of Eastrose happen. So I’m sure you have a number for us.”
“A number,” Wilson said slowly as if he wasn’t understanding.
“Yes, Mr. Mayor, the amount of money you need to reach the goal of beefing up the budget for the police force,” I coaxed.