problems.”
“Hmmm, sounds lovely,” I murmured as the muscles in my neck finally relented into a relaxed posture. “Let’s get through tomorrow and then we can start thinking about vacations.”
I watched the reflection of William’s face in the window break into a smile. “I’ve been observing you since this all began this morning. You always do what’s necessary first, regardless of your needs or wants. I understand now how Gabriel came to choose you for his team; you seem to have an abundance of something that is rare in humans.”
“What’s that?”
“Discipline,” he said, as he walked us to our bedroom.
Once there, I quickly undressed and collapsed into bed, managing a feeble “good night” to William before I dozed off.
Discipline was definitely what I needed to get out of bed the next morning when my alarm went off. The first beeps of the small plastic box on the nightstand had gone unnoticed, but when my phone chimed in with the backup alarm, I opened my eyes. It took a few moments to remember where I was, having failed to sleep in my own bed the last two nights. Finally though, I brought myself up to speed and rolled over to look for William. I hadn’t expected to see him, since sleeping wasn’t a vampire’s main form of leisure.
I didn’t I mind though, since I don’t like to snuggle when I sleep. Lying flat on my back with nothing, and no one, near me is my preferred way to slumber, so William was the perfect bedmate. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and went in search of the workout clothes I had hastily packed the day before.
As I pulled on my running tights and a fleece, I began to think about the day’s schedule. I was grateful to get in some exercise before the day started. Fortunately for me, the Four Seasons had a world-class fitness center only a few floors away by elevator. After lacing up my shoes, I padded down the hallway in search of William. As expected, he was reading in the living room, a guitar propped against his chair.
“What are you reading?” I asked, knowing he heard me coming down the hallway.
“Come and give me a kiss and I will tell you,” he said, setting his book on a side table. “You slept well? Feel OK?”
“Despite the utter chaos of yesterday, yes, I do,” I said, as I settled into his lap. “I went to sleep feeling very optimistic; we’ll see if my intuition holds true.”
I received a kiss for my optimism, a very deep long kiss, and then a second more gentle kiss in the small of my neck near my shoulder. Such intimate, peaceful play was new to me, and it made my heart soar. It would have been wonderful to stay in his arms for the remainder of the day, but I was back to reality. “I need to go to the gym,” I said rising from his lap. “I need to get some exercise in before the day grows too long.”
“I’ll go too,” he said. “Give me a minute to change.”
True to his word, he reappeared in a pair of black warm-up pants and a T-shirt, and we quickly set off for the elevators. I was not at all surprised to see Levi and Gabriel both jogging away on treadmills as we walked through the door of the gym. The only person missing was Maggie, who I assumed, at her tender young age, had decided sleep was more important than exercise.
There being no need for pleasantries at this hour, we all jumped into our morning routines. I stepped on to the treadmill next to Gabriel and began what I hoped would be a three-mile run.
My three miles concluded forty minutes later, I lifted some weights and did some push-ups on the mat next to William, who was engrossed in his own routine.
We left the gym as a group, but went our separate ways, agreeing to meet at the campaign office at 2 pm, one hour before the press conference. William also left, saying he had some business to attend to and would see me at the press conference.
I stayed behind in the room, intent on working, hoping to call back reporters and review last minute details before the press conference. My plans were disrupted immediately, however, by a series of taunting texts from Stoner Halbert, all saying the same thing:
Resign.
It’s not too late to avoid embarrassing yourself - SH
I picked up my phone, tempted to