“What was that?” she asked.
“Hmm?” he asked coyly. “Oh, nothing, baby. Just changing reservations.”
“You made reservations?” She wanted him to take her to the nice places she had always envisioned herself being with him, but reservations meant fancy places, and she was hardly dressed for that.
“I always make reservations,” he said. “Don’t stress about it. I have it all covered.”
“This is where communication comes in.”
He winked at her. “Surprises are surprises. I’m allowed to keep secrets when it comes to that.”
She couldn’t even argue. She just needed to relax. Her day had been so hectic, between the reporters and the newspaper. But she had still gotten time with Brady, and that was what mattered. They would figure everything else out together. Right now she should let her boyfriend surprise her on their first date.
God, she was really going to have to get used to calling him her boyfriend. It sent a thrill through her every time she even thought it.
A short while later, Brady pulled his car up in front of a quaint restaurant with an impressive covered outdoor patio. She had never heard of the place before.
She took Brady’s hand when he offered to help her out of the car. Brady handed the keys to a waiting valet and then escorted her into the room. She kept a soft smile on her face and her head held up.
The restaurant was small, with tables placed close together and lit only by candlelight. It seemed cozy, if a bit cluttered, but the food must have been great, because nearly every table was taken.
Their appearance garnered a few stares from the people seated nearby, and Liz followed Brady’s lead. A waitress seated them at the only open table, in the far corner. Two gentlemen came up to them once they were seated and shook Brady’s hand.
“I’m Jake Smith. Pleasure to meet you, Congressman,” the first guy said. “I was really pulling for you in that race last year.”
“Good to meet you too, Jake. I always appreciate meeting hardworking people out there who voted for me,” Brady said. Brady turned to the second guy. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Curt, Congressman. It’s going to be a tough race this year,” Curt said. His gaze shifted to Liz, and then back to Brady.
“Tough race every year,” Brady said. “This is my girlfriend, Liz. I’m fortunate to have such a wonderful woman who will be there along the way.”
They shook hands with Liz, who smiled, but said little. “Always good to have a strong woman behind you,” Jake said.
“Only the best,” Brady agreed.
“Well, we won’t keep you,” Curt said. “We just wanted to thank you for all that hard work you’re doing. We knew your father when he was working for the Triangle area. Great man.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know you said that.”
They all shook hands again and then were gone.
For the first time, Liz realized that maybe Brady’s entire life really was one big campaign. He hadn’t known those two men, but she was sure they would vote for him for life. She had wondered what it would be like to be on Brady’s arm, and she knew this was only just the beginning, but that thought encouraged her.
“You seem . . . different,” Brady said after water was brought to their table and he ordered a bottle of wine.
“Different good or different bad?”
“Neither. You seem more relaxed.”
“It was kind of nice to see your interactions with everyday people. Do people always just come up to you like that?”
“It depends. I’m not always front-page news, so I get more privacy when I’m not. But I do run into a lot of people who want to talk to me. It’s part of the job,” he confirmed.
The waitress returned with their wine, and they ordered dinner. It was a tapas place and so they got a variety of items to share. The food was spectacular and the conversation was light. They knew so much about each other from when they had last been together, but it was a new experience dating without any of the red tape. Plus, so much time had passed since the last time they had been together that even though it seemed like they could pick up where they left off, there was much to talk about to return to that level of personal intimacy.
They ordered dessert and sat around talking about the most romantic things they had ever done.
Brady paid and then wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked toward the exit. “Stargazing in an open field?” he asked.
“Have you ever done it?”
“I’ve looked at the stars, but come on—Paris by candlelight, strolling an untouched beach at dusk, breakfast on a foggy morning in the mountains,” he suggested.
“Those do sound very romantic,” she conceded, smiling up at him. “I still like stargazing in an open field. I mean you’re so in touch with the world. Just you and the person you’re with in the quiet, in touch with your soul. It’s indescribable.”
They broke apart as Brady’s Lexus showed up at the valet station. Just as they moved toward the car, a small woman appeared from around the corner. “Excuse me, Congressman Maxwell, do you have a minute?”
Brady turned and smiled at her. Liz noticed that the woman had a rather nice-looking camera around her neck, and without a second thought she looked for the recorder she found bulging the woman’s pocket. Reporter.
“How can I help you?” Brady asked amicably.
“Could you comment on the state of your affair with Ms. Liz Dougherty?” she asked.
Liz’s instinct was to snub the woman, tell her no comment, and walk away. But Brady just held his campaign mask in place. “Ms. Dougherty is my girlfriend,” he said simply. “No affair. As you can tell we’re out for dinner together before I return to D.C.”
“Do you have any comment for the people who are saying that your relationship with Ms. Dougherty is a campaign ploy for more attention?”
Liz gritted her teeth even through her smile. She wanted to tell this woman where to shove it with her personal questions. The other part of her tried to tell her that she would have done the exact same thing if she were reporting on this case, but damn, it was hard when it was her own life.
“I can assure you that Ms. Dougherty is far from a campaign ploy.”
“Ms. Dougherty, do you have any comment on the state of your relationship with Congressman Maxwell? It must be overwhelming dating such a high-ranking official after just ending your previous relationship,” she said, staring Liz down.