6. Nash

CHAPTER 6

NASH

I was folding laundry in my sublet when my cheap cell phone chimed from the charger on the kitchen counter. I picked it up to see it was a text from Vani Brady, as she'd invited me to call her when she demanded my cell number and gave me hers in return. I still wasn't certain of that situation, but I did like the two of them. They seemed to have had a lot of shit thrown at them lately, and from what I'd learned, they were great people who didn't deserve any of it. Their business was exactly that—their business.

Vani was a sweet person, though I was sure there was a toughness under all the mascara, lipstick, and those big blue eyes. She was beautiful, but she'd made it clear she wasn't into me. I wasn't offended. I hadn't really considered a threesome with her and her husband, though the idea of it was intriguing. I was into him, but I wasn't making a move. Based on what I'd read and heard, the man had enough bullshit in his life to last a lifetime.

Please come to 16 Sunnybrook Lane, Great Falls. It might seem premature, but we need you. Be careful! The press is camped out. Vani

For reasons I didn't know, I grabbed my laundry and went to my bedroom, pulling out a duffel bag I got as a gift when I went to an open house at a nearby gym. I couldn't afford to become a member, but the guy at the desk said I had a magical tongue and no gag reflex, so I worked out when he was working.

I called a cab after checking my cash stash and packed some clothes. I didn't have a credit card, so Uber wasn't an option, but I could get a cab from Bailey's Crossroads to Great Falls easily. What I needed clarified was why should I do it?

What's going on? Are you guys in danger? Nash

It seemed a logical question to me, so I waited for a response before I inserted myself into an unknown situation with two virtual strangers. After a minute, a response came.

Danger? Not likely. Pain? Definitely. There's a lot to be said. Please come talk. There's a gate to the backyard on the right side of the house. Go through the woods. Vani

As much as I wanted to ignore the text, something new tugged at my heart. No attachments. No regrets. Suddenly, those words seemed offensive, but I didn't know why. I realized I couldn't figure it out on my own, so I sent a response.

I'll be there in an hour. Nash

It was surprising to watch my fingers tap out the text, but I was acting on instinct, not common sense. Why? I had no idea, but it seemed important that I go see Spence and Vani. When I received the return call from the Red Top Cab, I grabbed my things and went outside to wait under the shelter of the front door awning. What the hell am I doing ?

The cab pulled away after I had my duffel out of the back seat, the driver happy to have been paid in cash. I understood his attitude completely, because getting paid under the table—as happened when I tricked—didn't suck. I didn't have a bank account, credit cards, or a credit score, as far as I knew. I lived on cash and lies, mostly to myself.

I was an independent contractor in both of my jobs, and I had the tax forms in confirmation, but I didn't pay taxes. Hell, I didn't make enough to owe taxes, but some government offices might disagree. I wasn't chancing it, regardless.

I'd asked the driver to let me off down the block, seeing the swarm of media vipers parked outside the prestigious brick home on the cozy cul-de-sac. I walked down the hill and into the woods, finding the gate Vani had mentioned. It was unlocked, so I let myself inside and trudged up to the back deck, knocking on the door while holding my duffel in my left hand.

Vani opened the door and held her finger to her lips. "Thank you for coming. Spencer's chief of staff is here, trying to explain why he issued a statement regarding the encounter in Antigua without Spence's consent."

I was confused. "Why did you need me?"

Vani took my hand and led me up a back staircase to the second floor. There was an open stairway from the first floor where we could hear the men speaking in the living room downstairs.

"Look, Spence, there was a note on my desk that said, ‘Issue a statement and confirm it's Blaire in the pics. I need to be crystal clear about this and accept responsibility.' Here's a copy."

Vani leaned closer to me and whispered, "That's Mario Fernandez, Spence's chief of staff. The other man is Mitchell Flora, the director of communications for the Senate office."

"Does Spence know I'm here?" I was fucking confused by the entire situation. It wasn't easy piecing together their relationship, much less my part in it.

No attachments. No regrets.

When the shouting began, Vani and I stepped back into the shadows. "You left a note on my desk!" one of them yelled.

"I didn't write it. I put it there after it was left on my desk!" the other person yelled in return.

" What fucking note? " That was Spencer, and I was sure the neighbors heard him. When I looked at Vani, she took my hand and led me down the hallway to a bedroom.

"So, I think, but don't hold me to this, someone is out to completely decimate our lives. We're not sure why, yet, but we want to get out of town for a while. How strong are your ties to the area?" Vani asked, which completely surprised me. We'd only met about fifteen hours prior, and she was asking me to go away with them? It made no sense.

"Why? Why would you want me to go with you on a trip?" I asked, needing clarity.

Vani closed her big blue eyes before opening them and looking into mine. "You are a calming spirit, and right now, that's what we need. We also need someone to watch our backs as we attempt to maneuver through this minefield."

I was under her spell, but not because I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to make her feel safe, which was new for me. I wouldn't allow it to become an attachment, but it didn't seem right to leave the two of them alone when they were in such a bad place. Situations like the one where they found themselves tended to lead to bad decisions, and usually, there was no turning back from those.

Before I could answer, the front door slammed. " Vanessa !" Spencer's deep voice boomed through the cavernous rooms in the majestic house.

She turned to me, offering a tender smile. "We need you, Nash. I can feel it in my bones. Please, think about it?"

"Think about what, Vani?"

"Think about becoming a dear friend who will support us during this mess, and maybe become family when you're ready?"

I could only nod, not exactly sure what she meant by the odd statement, but not having the strength to tell her no. How in the hell could anyone tell her no?

I was in the kitchen while Vani and Spencer were upstairs with Spencer's chief of staff. Apparently, something Mario said had Spencer on alert, and he'd called Vani upstairs. I went through the fridge to find cold cuts for sandwiches, so I went to work. Idle hands and all that bullshit learned from one of my foster mothers, who was a religious fanatic.

I heard Vani and Spencer coming downstairs, but there was another set of footsteps following behind. When they walked into the kitchen with a handsome man sporting a worried face, I stopped and turned to the couple. "Should I make more food?" I asked, looking at Vani for confirmation.

"No!" Spencer's voice echoed off the walls.

"Spence, dear, don't be an ass. Mario, sit down and have a sandwich that Nash has been so kind to make for us. What do you think is going on?" Vani picked up the platter of sandwiches and placed it on the table where I'd already stacked napkins and a few paper plates I'd found in one of the cabinets. I sat down at the island and allowed the three of them to settle at the table.

The other man took a seat and looked at the two of them. He seemed to be assessing the situation, which was probably a good idea. "I went into the office early this morning, and I was in the middle of making calls to see if we had any allies left, when Mitch came into my office with a typed note he'd found on the printer beside his desk.

"It instructed us to issue a statement that Blaire Conner was with you in Antigua, and since I couldn't get you on the phone to confirm your directive, we went from the note, Spence. We'd have never done anything of the sort without your permission, I swear," the man informed.

One thing I'd learned over the years was how to judge people, and as I studied the man sitting with Vani and Spencer, I could see he was telling the truth. He showed a lot of sympathy for what the two of them were going through.

"Ah, shit. You think Mitch is up to something? How did he… who the hell besides you, me, Vani, and Blaire knew we were going to Antigua?" Spencer asked.

Vani offered a giggle as she turned to Mario. "Sean Fitzpatrick seemed to know. He told us you were in Cock of the Walk one night looking for a hookup when you two ran into each other." Based on the man's face, she definitely caught him by surprise with her statement.

"I… I… Fuck! I forgot about that. It was months ago," Mario responded. "Can I get something to drink?" he asked, looking in my direction. I stood and went to the fridge, grabbing three bottles of water and placing them on the table. I was a bartender at heart. Nothing new.

"Thank you, Nash," Spencer offered. I winked at him and returned to my seat at the island.

"So, how come you never told me you're into guys?" Spencer asked his chief of staff.

"I didn't think it mattered to you one way or another," the man sniped back. It was then I saw it—attraction and jealousy. The guy was into Spence, probably had been for a long time, but he knew Spencer wouldn't be interested in him, and it pissed him off.

Spencer glanced at me before he turned to Mario. "You've known I was gay since we met in undergrad. It wouldn't have mattered to me, Mario. I thought you were one of my best friends, and I foolishly believed we told each other everything." The sound of the Senator's voice reflected how hurt he was by the man's comment, but I could tell Spence had taken it the wrong way.

"Spence, I don't think you're understanding him." The words were out of my mouth before I had the chance to bite my tongue. I was usually good about keeping my opinions to myself but something inside me pressed on.

"I think Mr. uh, your chief of staff has feelings he's sure you won't return," I clarified before biting into my own sandwich.

Vani looked at the man before taking his hand. "You love Spence, don't you? Oh, Mario, honey, I'm so sorry." She tried to comfort the man who must have been mortified.

"I just—I didn't want to fall in love with him, Vanessa. I'd never, ever do anything to hurt either of you. I couldn't help myself, and then, when Blaire came onto the scene, I knew nothing could ever make you look at me the way you looked at him. I saw you looking at him when we were in Newport News with the Governor. He's the type of guy you go for, not someone like me," Mario lamented.

Mario was a handsome guy. Slight of build, with pitch-black hair held perfectly in place by some sort of product. His Hispanic heritage did right by him, and I could tell he was a proud man. He'd been friends with the dark blond god named Spencer Brady for many years, and I could only imagine how heavy that torch must have been to carry alone for so long.

No, a man like Mario might have gotten a little too liquored up and said something out of school to someone like Sean Fitzpatrick, but I had my doubts he would ever betray Spencer, especially not about his sexuality. "I don't think Mr. uh—what's your name again?"

I could see I unnerved the man, so I was ready when he yelled, "Who the fuck are you?" And, just like that, the tension in the room evaporated.

I chuckled and stood from the island, walking over and extending my hand to the man. "Nashville Lincoln. You can call me Nash. Pleasure's all mine."

"Mario Fernandez. You look familiar." Mario had a puzzled look on his face.

Vanessa giggled. "He's very handsome, and he has a welcoming face. That's probably why you think he's familiar. We don't suspect you betrayed us, Mario. Help us find out who did. The only way to get Spence's name out of the papers is to put someone else's in its place. Will you do that?"

Fernandez nodded before he stood from the table, tossing his wadded-up napkin onto his empty plate. He turned to me and offered an odd smile. "I think we know each other from somewhere. I'll figure it out, but thanks for the sandwich."

I nodded as Vanessa stood and took the man's arm. "Come on, Mario, I'll show you out." She pointed to Spencer's untouched ham sandwich. "Eat."

The look on his face made me chuckle, but he picked up the sandwich and took a bite, winking at me. I sat in Vanessa's abandoned chair and placed a hand on his arm. "He knows me from the DNC fundraiser I attended with Mitzi Shaw in April. He hit up one of the busboys that night, and I walked in on the two of them fucking in the men's room," I answered, not pointing out that I could end up being more of a liability to him than Blaire Conner.

Spencer placed his hand over the top of mine, offering a gentle pat. "We weren't there that night because we took Jay to tour a couple of schools in Chicago. He decided he wanted to be away from home—because two-hundred-and-sixty miles isn't far enough," he answered, looking a little heartsick.

"Well, Spencer, you've got big shoes to fill. Ever think how much pressure that puts on a kid who's still trying to find his place in the world?" As if I knew anything about raising a family.

He chuckled. "I think my recent fuck up leveled the playing field, didn't it?"

Yeah. He made a good point.