Wonder if Sarah will think I did this in reaction to her wedding invitation.

“What will your friends say?” he asked.

“Oh, they’ll all think it’s a reckless, terrible idea—that I’ve fallen into an ill-advised infatuation and that our relationship is destined to crash and burn.”

“Whoa. Will they say that to your face?”

Leanne laughed and shook her head. “Not a chance. They’ll pretend to be supportive, not realizing I can tell the difference, and be braced to pick up the pieces when it all goes horribly wrong. At least, that’s how it always was before.”

“What’s different?”

“You are,” she said with a cheeky grin.

“Seriously.”

“I have disparate goals this time. In marrying you, I want to realize my political dreams. I’m hoping we’ll become friends who cooperate well as housemates and who also enjoy having sex with each other. That’s the extent of my ambition on the home front.”

In all honesty, it didn’t sound bad to Trev at all. When she put it that way, he could fully get behind being her husband. If she wasn’t expecting some deathless, perfect love, there was little chance he could fuck it up. Companionship? No problem. Good sex? Awesome.

“This is a better deal than I ever thought I’d get,” he said then.

“I’m glad you came around to my way of thinking. I’ve been married twice before, and each time, I thought I’d met the one. I don’t believe in that anymore, but that doesn’t mean I want to grow old alone.”

“Like your mom.”

Her eyes flashed, and she bit her lip, restraining her initial response. “Correct. When we start the next stage and you’re doing appearances with me, I’ll rely on your judgment.”

“You think I can help you? I mean, not just as a prop or set dressing, but you’re interested in my opinions too?” Surely, he’d stepped into a portal into an alternate reality at some point, because it felt so good hearing this that he couldn’t stand it.

Leanne’s bright smile took his breath away. “Definitely. We’re a team now, so I need you to stop questioning my acuity. I picked you, and that means you’re a valuable campaign asset.” She winked again and paid the bill before he could even think about getting his wallet.

It was wild. He’d never been with anyone who cared so little about his monetary situation. The idea that he could possess worth unrelated to his earning power was so foreign that he hadn’t adapted to her style yet. Hurriedly, Trev got up and rushed out the door after her.

“Thanks for lunch.”