Something About You (Just Me & You) by Lelaina Landis

the office looking like he
wanted a drink.
    Sabrina had always been career-focused, and unlike Molly,
she had never felt an intense drive to have children. Nurturing romantic
relationships had disrupted her work-life balance enough as it was. But just in
case she ever had lingering doubts about motherhood, the Wards’ shaky marriage
was an ongoing reminder of all the reasons she had opted out.
    “Jill’s pressing me to get out of the house,” Theo went on,
a note of wistfulness in his voice. He drummed his fingers across his desk
idly.
    “She wants you to move out? Whatever for?” Sabrina played
dumb. Theo had given his long-suffering wife every reason to send him packing,
but not before she gave him a walloping slap on the face first.
    The Hon. Rep. shot Sabrina a sharp, incredulous look. 
    “God, no. I’m talking about the House . Politics. She
wants me to think about dropping my bid for re-election come next November.”
    “How do you feel about that?” Sabrina pulled her most
sympathetic face and channeled her inner psychologist. She didn’t have time to
listen to Theo’s problems when there was work to do. The heel of her pump began
to tap reflexively.
    “I’d consider it, under other circumstances,” Theo conceded
with a grimace. “But nobody knows this district like I do. There’s no better
man for the job. You made sure of that.”
    No better man ? Sabrina’s heel tapped faster. “Well,
then,” she said briskly. “Sounds like it’s settled.” 
    The Hon. Rep. sighed. “You’re a smart woman, Chief. Your gut
told you Sprinkle wasn’t the man. Now, your gut might be a day late and a dollar
short, but it was still right on the money. But you might want to get married
again one day. Before that day comes, get everything out of your system.
Otherwise, you might find yourself sitting behind a desk like this—” He patted
the glossy cherrywood with a look of grim appreciation. “—only to be tempted to
give it up in exchange for more peace at home.”
    “Absolutely, Theo. Can do.” Sabrina rose to her feet to
leave. It always made her feel slightly flattered when Theo “shared.”
Uncomfortable, but flattered.
    “Once more word of advice.” He jabbed his pen in her
direction as she reached the door, a sly smirk spreading across his face.
“Don’t get those cuffs too dirty before then.”
    And just like that, Sabrina knew.
    Damn you, Gage Fitzgerald.
    She found Carlton reorganizing the contents of the shelves
in Violetta’s desk. Violetta, who obviously couldn’t be wooed to come back to
work part-time, given how the Hon. Rep. had quickly distracted her from the
issue.
    “Notice something different about Theo?” he asked.
    “Funny you mention it. Yeah, I did. I’m just not sure what.”
    “Grecian Formula.” Carlton stroked nonexistent sideburns.
“You know what that means. Scandal .”
    He gave her a sultry look before turning his attention back
to the contents of the filing cabinet under the desk. Moira would have been
oblivious to a paratrooper over the Mojave, but Sabrina always knew — as
did Carlton and Violetta — when Theo had embarked on a new affair.
    When she first landed the position as Theo’s Chief of Staff,
Sabrina had been too captivated by his charisma to notice that he wasn’t just
one of the state’s most influential legislators.
    He was also a man.
    A man with feet of clay.
    One morning, Theo had summoned her for their customary
morning coffee chat, only his smile was a little too relaxed, and his office
smelled like a wrestling room right after a match. Then while she was going
over his schedule, she had spotted the empty condom wrapper underneath his desk
close to her feet.
    Sabrina had instinctively known what she had to do even as
blood rushed to her face and sweat drenched her armpits. She had leaned over,
plucked the wrapper off the floor and pointedly stuck it in the pocket of her
messenger bag.
    It had sent Theo a clear message loud and clear.