Braden caught the cold stare and shook his head. It was going to be a long campaign. He’d managed Alec's first Senate run, but Rissa wasn’t part of the picture then. He was seeing her then, but it had not gotten serious, and Braden didn’t have to deal with her on the campaign.
"Rissa, it’s standard for the candidate’s wife to introduce her husband. I’ve written out an introduction for you. I'd like you to practice it before we get there. Our first stop will be the VFW, so we'll have a lot of veterans in the crowd. I have emphasized Alec's record with veterans' issues in your intro. Once you introduce him, he’ll come on the stage. You need to give him a warm but discreet kiss, and then leave the stage. Any questions?"
Rissa took the papers from his hands. “First of all, I’m well versed in public speaking. Secondly, Alec and I are both skilled in manipulating mortals, so consider it handled. Now, two things I need to be advised on. What is VFW? And do I exit the stage left or right, and where do I go from there. These may be small things to you, but vital information to me so I don’t look like a fool."
Braden looked at her a moment, blinking his eyes. Was she joking? She was the only person on the bus who was born mortal and she was asking him about the VFW? He heard the snickering of the other campaign workers as they all grabbed up papers and laptops and tried to busy themselves and not make any eye contact.
"Uh, the VFW stands for Veterans of Foreign Wars. Most every town of any size will have a local VFW hall. As for the set-up, we’ll have some time before the hall is opened to the public, so you can see how the stage is set up, and where to enter and exit. We’ll do a sound check, and you can practice your intro at the podium."
Rissa heard the snickers and ignored them. She was no fool, and she’d show them, no one could do this better than her. "No one knows Alec as I do. Relax, Braden, I can do this." Rissa looked down at her speech and, within seconds, had it memorized. "So, these people are soldiers?" Sighing softly, she looked out the window of the bus. "Please send Hyde to me immediately, it’s all I ask before we leave."
Braden looked about for her protector and saw him standing on the tarmac with Mateo, both of them having a smoke. “He'll be on the bus in a moment. But just to clarify, these people are mostly retired military, not active military, and they may be there with their spouses. There may be a few active military in the audience, and also just locals. The audience will be a mixture of people."
Both Hyde and Mateo stepped onto the bus as he finished his explanation. Their height barely gave them room to stand up straight, and they filled the space.
Braden welcomed them aboard. "Gentleman, please make yourselves comfortable, and let me know if there’s anything you need. Hyde, I do believe Rissa is waiting for you."
Hyde removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie as he walked in her direction. "Got a problem, Rissa?"
Rissa saw him when he stepped on the bus, but he wasn’t alone. The man with him was definitely vampire. Tall and muscular, his hair a dark brown, cut short but longer than Hyde's. He was clean shaven and smelled like heaven. He wore a suit that fit him perfectly. She imagined him dressed in leathers and no shirt. Shaking her head, licking her lips, she watched as Hyde removed his jacket and looked at her with those beautiful eyes. "Just sit beside me, please. Get me through this, Hyde, I’m a bit nervous. Where is my bracelet with the communication system? You have it, right?"
Hyde slid into the seat beside Rissa. He didn’t miss her complete appraisal of Mateo. Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze. "Relax, Rissa, you’ll be fine. You’re the Darling of G-town, remember? If you can handle that crowd, what you experience here will be nothing. And yes, I have your bracelet."
Lifting her hand, he took the security bracelet from his pocket and attached it to her wrist. They had designed the bracelet especially for Rissa. It was a narrow diamond cuff with a single charm. If she ever felt at risk, she could grasp the charm and it would transmit a signal through the tiny earpiece Hyde wore in his ear. She smiled at Hyde, enjoying the attention. She felt safer now. He calmed her just knowing he’d be with her. "Who’s that man with you and what’s his name?"
Hyde grinned. "That would be Mateo, Medici warrior, he’s Alec's body guard for this campaign, so don’t get yourself all worked up."
Rissa laughed and slapped him lightly on the arm. "I have you, Hyde, and I have Alec, and I sure don’t need any more Medici’s in my life."
Alec was talking with Braden but noticed the interplay between Hyde and Rissa. He was aware her attraction to her protector was real, but he also knew Hyde would never act on it. Hyde cared about Rissa's safety, but his allegiance to the Medici coven was unbreakable. Alec had to give Shade credit. The loyalty of his warriors was something every master envied. Wrapping up with Braden, he stepped over to Rissa and Hyde. "Any last questions, darling? You know what you have to do? There will be press there, I'm sure, since this is one of our first stops."
Beaming up at Alec, she responded. "Yes, I know what to do, have my speech memorized already. I’m glad to hear there will be press. That’s where I do my best work, you know that, Alec. Let's get this show on the road, shall we, Senator Canton? How long is our ride?"
"Not far. We'll be there in ten. You’ll make your intro, then I'll give my speech. We'll mingle with the crowd afterward, and let them take photos, shake hands, then back on the bus for the next stop. We'll get in three stops today before we move on to the next town."
Rissa felt the bus lurch forward and she laid her head back on the seat, as Alec moved to a seat beside Braden. Rissa had continued to grip Hyde’s hand and he knew she was more nervous than she let on.
"Take deep breaths, Rissa, you’ve got this, it will be a walk in the park. Keep a smile on your face, no matter what the hell you see or hear, never let them see you sweat."
Rissa took a long cleansing breath. "Thank you, Hyde, you always know the right thing to say."
As the bus pulled into the parking lot of the local VFW, the crowd had already started to gather. Braden stood up and told his team to look alive. Alec stood and checked his hair in the mirror. Hyde stood and put his suit jacket back on, and straightened his tie, nodding to Mateo. Braden stepped forward, taking charge.
"Mateo, you exit the bus first, coordinate with the local police and make sure we have a clear path. Alec, he’ll signal to us when he’s ready, then you’ll exit and stand at the door. Rissa, you’ll follow, and allow Alec to help you from the bus. Hyde, you can exit behind them, but keep a discreet distance. The focus needs to be on Alec and Rissa. Okay, people. Let's do this thing!"
48
Cory was feeling restless, he missed Madison. She’d wrapped up finals and was off now for the summer break and he knew she’d use the time to create a lot of pottery pieces to sell. He made a spur of the moment decision to ride into town and surprise her.
Taking one of the bikes from the garage, he headed into town. As he sat at a red light, he noticed a flower shop up ahead, with huge baskets of flowers sitting outside. As the light turned green, he pulled into the shop. He selected a beautiful bouquet of yellow daisies, with some small purple flowers he’d never heard of. The girl behind the counter wrapped the long stems in green tissue paper, and tied a wide purple satin ribbon around the stems. He tucked them carefully inside the side bags of the bike, making sure not to crush or damage them. His dad was always giving Kate flowers, and he hoped Madison would love these.