Alpha Billionaire Series
Valentine’s Day Proposal Jobnib.com Chapter 27

CHARLES

Every time a district reported in, I got more excited. I was winning, but narrowly. The entire hall was buzzing withactivity. Champagne flutes rode around on waiters’ trays, trading empty glasses for full ones. So far, the evening wasgoing exactly how I hoped it would.

Peter looked at ease for the first time in months. His job was now over, and he would shift gears to prepping for nextterm with whatever candidates hired him. I, however, was on pins and needles waiting for the results. Election nighthad never been so intense for me. As a voter, I cast my vote and went home to watch shows and work on whatevercase was on my docket at the time. Being a candidate was entirely different. I felt more on edge than I had for theentire campaign.

“Relax, you're too nervous.” Nina hooked her arm around mine and leaned in. I could smell the alcohol on her breat!It wasn't champagne either. “You do look amazing when you're this intense though.”

I chuckled nervously, scanning the room for Willow. She had been in and out all night, floating around in her full-length, black satin ball gown. I thought she looked a little pale, maybe tired, but she was exquisite. I wanted her tobe the one on my arm when the final results were tallied.

“I'm okay. It's an intense night. All our hard work adding up to this moment.” I smiled at Nina, pulling my arm awayfrom her to snatch a flute of champagne off a passing tray. She frowned, resituating her arm at her side as I steppedaway from her. “I appreciate your loyalty and dedication to the campaign. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Me too,” she said, nudging closer to me again.

I looked for Willow again, not seeing any trace of her. Hoping to dislodge the thorn in my side, I walked away fromNina, headed to the hallway to replace Willow. Nina, however, followed me like my shadow, and I found myself alonewith her near the water fountain. When I turned to reenter the hall, she was there, blocking my path.

“Charles, can I ask you something?” She cradled her stemware seductively, tracing her finger up and down the stemlike she was stroking my d**k.

“Sure!” I was uncomfortable to say the least. Nina had made it obvious on more than one occasion that she wantedme, but I thought I'd made it clear to her that nothing would ever happen between us. “What is it?”

“Well, I mean, once Willow leaves with her money, you'll be single.” She looked up at me through her thickly cakedlashes, the mascara offering more covering than her skimpy dress.

“That was more of a statement than a question.” I couldn't help but look down at her tits. They were staring at meover the edge of the lacy neckline that scooped so low her nipples almost showed. If Willow weren't around, I'd bangNina, but there was no shot in hell of a relationship.

“Well, I always wondered what it would be like to—"

“Let me stop you right there. Okay? Willow is my wife, contractual obligation or not. I am about to be made a USsenator, and anything that looks inappropriate would destroy my reputation.” I held my hand out to her, and shetook it, forcing it against her chest. My thumb brushed over the curve of her skin, and I recoiled.

“Charles, tell me you have never imagined me? Fantasized?”

I struggled to pull my hand away, but the scowl did it. She frowned. “Nina, I'm not sure I've sent the proper signal toyou. I wouldn't have sex with you if you were the last woman on Earth. I am in love with Willow. I have been for yearsThat's not changing” I straightened my tie and checked the hallway to make sure no one had seen that. “Now, ifyou'll excuse me, I need to replace my wife”

Nina scoffed, stomping her foot as I walked away.

I hadn't seen Willow in at least 40 minutes, and I had no clue where she could have disappeared to. I searched theentire hall where I was stopped by one person after another until finally, I just started ignoring people. If I won, I'dhave to give the entire party a speech, and I wanted her by my side for that.

Just the thought of my selfish desire made me feel guilty. Yes, I wanted her by my side for that speech, but maybe itwould be best if she wasn't. It would give the press in attendance the first hint that we weren't really a happy coupleThe absence would reveal a separation behind the scenes and give a foundation for Willow to depart quietly and goon her own. That's what she wanted anyway.

Finally, as I ducked back into the hall, now cluttered with newcomers to the party, I noticed Willow leaving thebathroom. She was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. At the same time I saw her, I saw Peter. Heapproached her from the opposite direction, and we arrived almost at the same time. Willow leaned over thedrinking fountain and took a long drink of water, and Peter scowled.

“What are you two doing out here? You should be in there preparing to celebrate. The announcement is in less thanhalf an hour” Peter wore his usual casual suit with no tie, a standout amongst the black ties and ball gowns.

“I'm not feeling well. It must be nerves.” Willow bent and drank more water, then straightened and faced me.“What's going on?" I was irritated, and I knew I shouldn't have been. “I thought you weren't sick anymore.”

“I said it's just nerves. Sometimes this happens when I get nervous, okay?” She brushed a stray brown hair off herexposed shoulder and corrected her posture.

“You both need to get back into that room.” Peter scolded us for a moment. “And why haven't you picked up yourphone all day?”

I winced, remembering waking to my phone being submerged in a glass of water next to me. “I dropped my phone inwater,” I told him, wincing. “Give us a second.”

Peter retreated back to the hall, and I glanced at the clock and knew he was right. They would read the final decisionfrom ballot offices across the state any minute, then they would call us with the result and our reaction would berecorded.

“Look, I get it. You aren't happy here. It's almost over now, okay? After they read the results, no matter what happensyou are free to return to your life as normal.” Her expression wasn’t what I expected. She looked hurt for a moment,genuinely in pain, then her face calmed, and she smiled.

“I think you're going to win, but if you don’t you can always try again in a few years.” Willow hooked her arm aroundmine and said, “Shall we?”

Shaken, I cleared my throat, unable to respond to her. I hadn't expected to see that hurt expression on her face. Ithought of all things to say, what I told her would have been a relief, that she would be happy to return to her normslife and take her money. Now I led her back into the noise and chaos of the celebration a bit uneasy. Had I read herentirely wrong?

“Willow, I need to know something,” I said as we walked into the room.

“Anything, Charles.” Her fake, pasted-on smile was back, playing the “good wife” for the cameras and constituents.“Do you want to stay here? Did something change? Are you in love with me?” Now definitely wasn’t the time or theplace to ask a question like that, but if I waited a single second longer, I'd lose my nerve. We dodged a few waiterscarrying trays of champagne and weaved toward the stage. I glanced at her a few times, and if I wasn't mistaken, shehad tears in her eyes. But what did they mean? “Answer me,” I ordered, stopping the train. I had to know.

As I turned to face her, the crowd closed in around us. I was lost in her eyes that I could see clearly were brimmingwith tears. She smiled, hooking her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss. But it wasn’t the kiss Iwanted. I wanted the kiss that reassured me that I was right—she wanted to stay. What I got was a camera-friendlykiss, the type Peter had forced us to practice over and over. It didn’t entirely reject the notion that she wanted to behere, but it didn't scream “take me I'm yours.”

When I backed away, searching her face, the cameras started flashing and Peter was there, pulling me on stage.Willow followed, a reluctant victim to the chaos. All of our hard work would be decided in the next few minutes, butthe decision I wanted would have to wait. When we got home, I was going to pry it out of her one way or another.