Monday, November 22, 2010

Excerpt Monday: Whispers

This is from Whisperes, my short story in the anthology Power Plays. (Pst: it's on sale now, only $2.49!)

Olivia Adair is a junior senator having an affair with the Department of Justice liason, Ryan Granger. Neither want to give up their careers, but aren't willing to give up each other, either. Leaving her senate office late one night, Ryan overhears an aide talking about the death of a senior senator. He investigates, but when Olivia is hurt in a car accident, he wonders if the aide is now after her. Will he give up his position to save her life or is already it too late?


““In this building? Everyone’s too busy trying to one up each other in committee meetings or on the senate floor to notice.” Looking at his cell he said, “It’s 10:28, are we too late for that great Chinese place by your house?”

“Wu’s? No, they never close.” Olivia slipped on her jacket and grabbed a folder from a side table. “I just have to drop this off at Senator Boyd’s office.”

“Wouldn’t it be locked?” He peered quizzically at her.

“Yes. I’m dropping this through the mail slot. Some statistics I want him to see, buttering him up for a vote next week.”

“Butter,” he mused as they left her office and started down the long corridor. “We haven’t tried butter yet.”

Playfully elbowing her lover, she laughed. “Too greasy. I still think the whipped cream and warm chocolate are the best.”

“MMmm chocolate, that was a delicious evening.” Ryan glanced around but they were alone in the corridor. “One we need to repeat soon.”

“Behave,” she scolded without much heat.

“I wonder how many senators have had tête-à-tête’s here?” Ryan wiggled his eyebrows at her. He looked so preposterous she wanted to kiss him.

“I think the question is, how many haven’t?” she chuckled softly. “I was thirty when I became a senator and I thought I’d seen everything. I was wrong.”

“Orgies on the copy machine?” he smirked.

“Not quite but also not far off,” she winked. “Once I . . .” Olivia stopped talking and motioned for Ryan to hush. She pointed at a light through a slightly ajar office door. Bringing her finger to her lips, she rushed by it to slip the folder through Senator Boyd’s mail slot.

The two remained quiet as they retraced their steps. Hearing whispers, Olivia glanced at Ryan who’d stopped to listen.

“It would be the perfect solution.” The voice drifted through the door.

Olivia peeked in to see Senator Phillips’ aide talking on his cell. She tugged on Ryan’s arm but he continued to listen. Nosy isn’t he, she thought.

“Who would question if an old man died in his sleep?”

Her eyes widened and she stifled a gasp. Ryan sharply glanced at her but her hand already covered her mouth. He moved another step closer, straining to hear the conversation. She followed him.

“Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but stranger things have happened before a major vote.”

Waving a hand dismissively, Olivia gripped Ryan’s hand and urged him to walk away. She’d heard this kind of thing before.

“Murder plots in the senate office building?” Ryan questioned as they reentered Olivia’s office. He closed the door behind them.



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