“Heather,” Brady snapped. “Did you say Hollingsworth? Are you sure?”
Heather spoke into the phone. “Hold please.” Then looked up at Brady. “Yes, Calleigh Hollingsworth of the Charlotte Times, why?”
“I’ll take it,” Brady said, standing and reaching for the phone.
“What? No you will not. I’m your press secretary.”
“Give me the phone, Heather. I’ll decide for myself if I should comment.”
“Elliott, talk some sense into him!”
“It’s going to happen one way or another, Heather. Just give him the phone,” Elliott said.
She slowly held the phone out with a sigh, clearly looking as if she wanted to jerk it back at any second, but she didn’t. Brady took it from her without any idea what he was about to hear on the other line.
“Congressman Maxwell speaking,” he said into the phone.
“Congressman Maxwell, this is Calleigh Hollingsworth with the Charlotte Times.”
“Yes, Miss Hollingsworth. How can I help you?”
“I’ve recently discovered the identity of Sandy Carmichael and I wanted your comment on the story. Do you have a comment?”
“If you’re trying to bait me into discussing whether or not Sandy Carmichael exists, Miss Hollingsworth, you’ll have to do better than that,” Brady said dryly.
“I’m not baiting anyone. Sandy Carmichael exists. It wasn’t until today that I found out the exact identity of the woman you had an affair with. I personally wanted your comment on the story before I went public with the information.”
“Miss Hollingsworth, I don’t appreciate your games. You just admitted to writing a negative article about me without having any of the facts, and are now claiming to have the facts, though you have shared none with me, and wish for me to comment on that?” Brady asked. He was tiptoeing around the subject as much as she was. He wouldn’t believe she had information until she put it forth.
“No. Congressman Maxwell, I want you to make a comment on Sandy Carmichael actually being the fake identity of Liz Dougherty,” Calleigh said snootily.
Brady was sure that he stopped breathing.
“No comment?” Calleigh practically taunted.
“What source do you have for that?” Brady asked. He had to know.
“Primary source, Congressman. Do you have a comment now?”
Liz had told her. When was she going to tell him? Just as he had the thought, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Liz’s name light up the screen. Fuck!
What was he going to do? Had Liz been ready to do this? She had wanted more time. He had been willing to give her more time. God, was he ready for this? He was used to the public, but the scrutiny it would bring going out like this . . . he didn’t know how he was going to deal with it. All he knew at that moment was that he would deal with it.
That meant he had Liz. That meant they were working on this together. That meant they were together . . . finally. It would all be worth it for that.
“Yes, Miss Hollingsworth, I’ll make a comment. Liz Dougherty is Sandy Carmichael. We were in a private relationship two summers ago, and we’re in a public one now.”