"Where's your car?", Aaron asked when Lucille settled into his truck.

"Something's wrong with it", she answered. She fastened her seatbelt. "Oliver had it towed. It should be fixed soon."

Lucille stared out the window as they drove off. A few minutes of silence passed by before Aaron spoke again.

"How did you get to work today?", he asked.

"Oliver's driver."

"Oliver sure does a lot for you huh?"

Lucille turned her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you implying something?"

"No, of course not", he said. "Forget I said anything."

Lucille rolled her eyes and went back to staring out of the window. She was trying to be patient with Aaron but he was pushing his luck.

"I'm just saying it would make sense that you would get so upset with me for that thing."

"I'm not sure I understand, Aaron", she said. Her entire body tensed. She was getting angry.

"You sleeping with him or something?"

"Fuck you, Aaron", she yelled out. "How dare you try and turn this shit on me? You're the one who went behind my back! You laid down with Anne-Katherine and for what? Did she even deliver on your deal, huh? She used you, Aaron. I bet you haven't spoken to her since I destroyed your plans huh?"

Lucille was heated. She'd bitten the inside of her lip so hard, she could taste blood.

"Bring me back to work."

-----------------

Oliver sighed as he saw Anne-Katherine step out of the elevator. He continued walking to his office. He was in no mood. Lucille probably thought the worst of him right now so he'd probably snap on Anne-Katherine for the slightest bit of nonsense.

"Oliver", she called out from the end of the hallway. "You see me here and you just keep walking?"

Oliver continued walking and entered his office. Anne-Katherine entered shortly after.

"You didn't come home last night", she said as she barged in. "Where were you?"

She slammed her bag down onto Oliver's desk.

"Here", he said as he continued going through emails on his phone.

"Was this before or after you checked into the Sam Cook hotel?", she asked with a knowing look.

"Who is she Oliver?", she asked, demanding a response.

"Are you just gonna pretend like you didn't try and sabotage my entire campaign? While using my campaign manager's boyfriend to do it?"

He stood up from his desk. "God, what were you thinking? You thought I wouldn't know it was you?"

"I didn't give a fuck", she yelled. "I still don't."

Oliver narrowed his eyes at her. He was disgusted with the woman that he had married, the mother of his child.

"I knew you wouldn't do anything about it, Oliver", she shrugged. "You have no balls."

"Anne-Katherine, I'm not doing this with you here. Go home."

He stood up from his desk and walked around to her. He picked up her bag and tried ushering her toward the door.

"Get your hands off of me! Don't touch me!", she yelled. She snatched her bag from him.

"You're never going to be governor. You're pathetic. No one with a brain will vote for you. Save yourself the embarrassment. Hell, save me and your son the embarrassment."

She walked over to the door and ran her fingers through her hair before twisting the knob.

"See you at home sweetheart", she yelled from the hallway. "Love you!"

Oliver's eyes burned. How could he have married someone so conniving. The only good thing that came of their entire marriage was his son. His son who he hadn't been spending much time with.

He blames himself for that. He tells himself that things will change once he becomes governor but what if they don't. Maybe she's right. Maybe he should just drop out.

------------

Lucille took a moment alone in her office to get herself together. Before she could talk to anyone she had to level herself. Bring herself back into a steady mindset because Aaron had her fucked up.

All of the phone bankers had gone home. She just had to check in with Rebecca and Alexis before she could send them off for the day.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that Mr. Reed has new help coming on. I don't know what this means for my position but that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that we all have a similar end goal in mind and that's Mr. Reed in the governor's mansion okay?"

Alexis nodded in understanding but Rebecca had this sly grin on her face.

"Is there a problem?", Lucille asked.

"No, not at all. But now you know how it feels."

Lucille had to bite her tongue because she was so close to letting her have it. Rebecca packed up her things and left. Alexis spoke up.

"Don't worry about her. You deserved that position. You still do. Don't let her get to you, okay?"

Lucille nodded. She was grateful for Alexis. She kept her grounded.

"Thank you", she said as she hugged her.

Alexis smiled. "Have a good night."

Lucille walked her out and then walked down the hall to the elevator. She got off on the third floor and walked down the hall to Oliver's office. She knocked on the door.

"Come in", a muffled voice said.

He was looking down at his cell phone.

"Hi, I'm ready to head out so I was wondering if you could call Antonio."

"Of course", he mumbled without picking his head up.

"Thank you", Lucille said lowly. "Um, do you know when my car will be ready?"

He shook his head no. Again, not even looking up at her.

She approached his desk. "Is everything okay?"

Finally, he looked up at her. Lucille's heart felt as if it had dropped. Never did she ever think she would see Oliver crying. His eyes were bloodshot red.

"Oliver, what's wrong?", she asked. "Is everything okay?"

He shook his head no.

She walked around to his side of the desk.

"Look at me", she said.

When he didn't turn to face her, she made it clear that it was a demand rather than a request.

"Oliver look at me", she said sternly.

He looked at her with the saddest eyes. "I'm fine."

"No you're not", she said. "Just tell me what-"

"I said I'm fine", he yelled.

Lucille backed away, shaking her head with a look of disgust. She stormed towards the door. He hurriedly got out of his seat and grabbed her arm before she could make it to the door.

"I'm sorry", he said looking deep into her eyes. "Stay. Please."

Her expression softened. She nodded her head. "Okay."

He took her hand and led her over to his desk. He sat down in his desk chair. He pointed to his desk, specifically the spot where she had sat many times before and where he wanted her to sit now. She was reluctant at first, but she climbed onto the desk.

They sat in silence for a moment. It was the most comfortable silence either of them had ever experienced, watching one another's chest rise with every breath.

"Why were you crying?", she finally asked.

He took a while to answer. "I was just thinking about a lot. A lot of things I wish I could've done differently."

She leaned over and held his hand. "Don't beat yourself up like this. We all make mistakes, Oliver."

He nodded.

"And I don't know what you're feeling or why and I don't expect you to tell me now or ever but just know I've gotten to a low point in my life and I got through it with the help of my grandma and -"

She stopped talking. Her grandma and Aaron. She shook her head, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind.

"Don't do this alone, is what I'm trying to say. Okay?" She squeezed his hand. "I will always be here for you."

"Thank you", he whispered. He placed a kiss on her hand. "I'll call Antonio."

She scooted to the edge of his desk. "Will you spend the night with me?"

Before he could answer, she followed up.

"I don't want you to be alone tonight. I know you aren't sleeping at home. There's no harm in comforting someone you care about."

------------

The two sat a comfortable distance apart for the ride over to the hotel. The car came to a stop in the front lot of the hotel.

"Antonio, do you have the things I asked for?", Oliver asked.

"Yes sir, in the trunk", Antonio stated opening the door. "I will get them." He shut the door behind him.

Oliver turned to Lucille. "Thank you for this", he said. "And I'm not expecting anything more than comfort."

"That thought never crossed my mind", she said.

They both got out of the car. Antonio met Oliver with his overnight bag.

"I'll call you in the morning, Antonio. Thank you."

"Yes sir. Have a good night."

Oliver and Lucille walked toward the front door of the hotel. They were so close their hands kept grazing one another's as they walked.

"You can shower first", Lucille offered as she unlocked the door to the room.

"Are you sure?", Oliver asked.

She nodded. "I still have some things I would like to look over before tomorrow."

After Oliver got out of the shower, he went over to the desk and was checking emails on his phone. She knew he had to be exhausted. In a sense, she was too.

They'd both had a long, complicated day. They found comfort in one another and it was completely innocent.

After Lucille got out of the shower, her hair was soaked. She dried it as much as she could with her towel and put it into two French braids.

She got dressed in her pajama shorts and t-shirt and walked out into the cold air of the hotel room. She swiftly walked over to the bed and settled under the blankets.

Lucille was still shivering thought she was under all those blankets.

"I have an extra shirt in my bag if you want it", Oliver offered.

"Please and thank you", she grinned.

He leaned over from the couch where he was to dig in his bag. He tossed it to her and she pulled it over her head and onto her body in one swift movement.

Oliver was stretched out on the love seat in the corner of the room. His long legs hung over the edge. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Lucille giggled at the sight.

"You can sleep in the bed", she said. "I won't make a pass at you, I promise", she said laughing.

He laughed too. "You don't mind?", he asked.

She tapped the empty space next to her in bed. He got up from the sofa and lowered himself onto the bed. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"Better?", she asked.

He nodded.

They both turned over, facing opposite directions. They shut their eyes but neither of them could fall asleep. Neither of them had imagined this was how they would spend their first time in bed together either and under these circumstances.

Oliver turned over, facing Lucille. "Are you asleep?"

She turned over too, now facing him. She smiled at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?", she asked. She didn't mean to push the subject. "You don't have to."

"I want to talk about you", he said.

She smiled widely. "What about me?"

"What were you like as a kid?"

Her smile slowly faded. "Um, I-"

"I understand", he said. "You don't have to explain."

She bit the inside of her lip. "I can tell you about me in undergrad."

He smiled. "Let me guess. Always studying, right?"

Lucille laughed. "You couldn't be more wrong."

"Really now?", he asked. The smile on his face was so grand. He used his elbow to prop his head up, eager to hear what would come out of her mouth next.

Lucille giggled. "I can't believe I'm telling you this", she said covering her face with the blankets.

"Delta Delta Delta, Can I Help Ya Help Ya Help Ya?"

Her voice was muffled but Oliver heard her loud and clear.

"No way", he said with a huge grin. "You're a Tri-Delt?"

Lucille peeked from under the blankets. He was laughing.

"Don't have such a good time about it", she warned. "Tri-Delts actually aren't so bad, you know?"

He began to speak through his laughter. "If all of them were like you then-", he trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"No you can say it", she assured him.

"If all of them were like you they'd have a better rep."

She had a coy grin on her face. "They are pretty terrible huh?"

They both laughed together.

"Any other college secrets you're keeping from me?", he asked.

Now she propped her head up on her elbow. "I loved tennis."

He nodded. "That sounds more like you."

She smiled. "Okay, what about you. What secrets are you keeping about undergrad?"

He let out a dry laugh. "I was a douchebag."

"I don't believe you", she said.

"No I was. I was the privileged son of a governor. The rich frat boy. I treated people like crap."

Lucille saw that maybe he was talking more to himself than he was to her.

"You're not like that anymore. I can tell."

He smiled at her as he reached for her free hand. "There's no place I would rather be right now and there is no person I would rather be up talking with at this time of morning."

She grinned. "We probably should go to sleep, shouldn't we?"

"We should", he said. "But I don't want to."

"Me neither", she revealed.

They talked more about college and everything in between then and now. They were still holding hands and were closer in bed than they intended to be.

Lucille looked up at Oliver with wide eyes. It was amazing to him how beautiful she looked at that very moment in time. A few stray hairs that had come loose from her braids hung in her face. He let the curly strands stay as they were. He loved it that way.

"And ever since I finished grad school, I just haven't had time for friends. It's just been Aaron and I for so long, you know?"

"Yeah. He's family. He's what's normal for you."

She nodded as she yawned. "I don't think I can go any longer."

"You should go to sleep then."

She smiled as she scooted away, not even remembering how they'd gotten so close in the first place. She laid her head down on the pillow and shut her eyes. She could still feel him staring at her.

"You creep", she mumbled without opening her eyes.

He laughed. "I'm sorry."

"What're you thinking about?", she asked slowly in a real soft tone.

"It's crazy that someone I've known only for months can have better intentions for me than someone I've known for years."

Her eyes opened at this. "What do you mean?"

He explained everything that happened earlier between him and Anne-Katherine, pain evident in his tone.

Lucille sighed. "We're too good", she mumbled.

"What?", he asked, hoping she would make sense of what she meant. After all, she was half asleep.

"Look at us", she said. "Both sad. We're not alone because we have them but we're lonely."

Oliver looked on attentively, hoping she would continue.

"We're like their puppets", she said.

She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm saying. Take it with a grain of salt, I guess."

"No I understand", he said. "I can only speak for myself but I'm happier when I'm with you."

She looked at him with that sweet smile and asked a million dollar question.

"If they treat us this way what's stopping us from being happy?"

What do y'all think of Aaron?

What do y'all think of Anne-Katherine?

I enjoyed writing this chapter. It didn't feel forced as the last two did and as a result were short.

Vote, comment, and follow❤️