“See you inside,” Victoria said with a smile. Liz heard her say something about finding the bar.

“What’s up?” she asked nervously.

“More surprises. I hope you’re okay with this one.” She arched her eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate. “Well, I don’t mean to spring this on you, but my parents will be here tonight.”

Liz swallowed nervously. “Your parents?”

“Yeah. Nothing formal. I just thought it would be nice to reintroduce y’all before we enter the banquet.”

“Oh. Well, okay,” she said, as if she had a choice.

“Don’t worry.” He kissed her forehead. “They’re going to love you.”

Liz nodded nervously and tried to straighten out her wrinkle-free dress. If they were going to pick a night to play meet the parents, at least she knew she looked fabulous.

Brady led her around a corner and into a smaller, nearly empty parlor. Her palms sweated, and she took a deep breath to try to calm herself. Brady squeezed her hand for reassurance and she plastered on a smile.

“Ah, there you are, sweetie,” Brady’s mother said, walking up and giving him a kiss on his cheek. “Your father was just wondering when you’d be in. Liz.” She gave Liz a warm hug. “So nice to see you again.”

“You too, Mrs. Maxwell,” Liz said with a cheery smile.

“Oh, honey, please call me Marilyn.”

“Of course.”

“And I’m Jeff,” Brady’s father said, coming forward and extending his hand. Ever the politician. She shook his hand and felt herself relaxing. “We met at the restaurant in Chapel Hill, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” she responded.

“I love that place,” he said cordially. “We should all go back when we’re home again.”

“I think so too,” Brady said, wrapping his arm loosely around Liz’s waist.

“Then it’s settled,” Marilyn said. “We’ll get together later this spring.”

“Liz is graduating from UNC this May, so maybe around then,” Brady suggested casually.

“Oh, that sounds lovely. I spent so many years there teaching chemistry. My first love,” Marilyn said.

“Second,” Jeff corrected, kissing his wife softly on the forehead.

“Well, of course, but I think I loved chemistry first.” She shrugged unapologetically.

Liz just stared at them in awe. They were totally adorable and in love. She hoped that she would be like them one day.

“Let’s not keep everyone waiting,” Jeff said, ushering them to a side door.

They walked into the banquet hall and found it full of people dressed to the nines in formal wear. Tables were set up around the room for dinner, which was about to be served, and a dance floor took up a large portion of the front of the room.

“What’s this for, anyway?” Liz asked.

Brady shrugged. “Just a state dinner. We have them all the time.”

“Is the president going to show up?”

“Probably not. Usually the money goes to a charity. I believe this one is for children’s literacy.”

“A cause we can all get behind.”

“Indeed,” he said, motioning for her to follow his parents to a table. Victoria and Daniel were already seated at the designated spot.

Introductions were made and then everyone sat down for dinner. A couple appeared to fill the last two vacant spots and they seemed to be good friends of Brady’s parents. Brady filled Liz in that the man was one of the senators from Massachusetts.

Dinner came and went with no problems or pauses in conversation. Brady’s parents were expert conversationalists and kept the company entertained the whole night. At one point, Victoria insisted on switching spots with Liz so that she could speak to Marilyn about Johns Hopkins. She was working in genetics, but Marilyn had worked nearly thirty years in chemistry and knew faculty all over the country. Daniel weighed in at one point and soon the table was full of science speak that made Liz’s eyes glaze over.

Once dessert was cleared and it was clear that they weren’t going to pull Victoria and Daniel away from Brady’s mother anytime soon, Brady stood and offered her his hand. “Dance?”

She glared at him. “You know I don’t dance.”

“I can make anyone look good.”

“Yes, I know, but that was before anyone knew who I was.”

Brady pushed his hand forward, telling her very clearly that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Liz, please.”

Oh, and he asked nicely. She dropped her hand in his and let him help her up. “Only because you begged,” she whispered cattily.

“I won’t be the only one later tonight,” he growled into her ear as he directed her to the dance floor.

She bit her lip. “I’ll promise to act like I don’t enjoy it.”

“Sounds like someone needs a spanking to remember who is in charge.”

Her cheeks felt warm as she moved into his arms on the dance floor. “You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t tell me what I would and wouldn’t do.”

He twirled her around the floor and she focused on keeping up, but his eyes were gleaming with triumph at stumping her. “What if I enjoy it?” she finally asked him.

He smiled. “Then I’ll spank harder.”

“You should put your money where your mouth is.”

“Oh, I will,” he said, shifting her closer. “And my money is all over your body right now.”

An image of Brady’s mouth touching every inch of her body flew into her mind, and she licked her lips at the thought. Oh, yes, she wouldn’t mind any of this one bit.

The song ended and Brady, knowing what was good for him, pulled her off of the dance floor. She smiled up at him, lost in their own world. Here she was in a red silk Versace dress, Jimmy Choos, and Tiffany earrings at a charity banquet with her boyfriend, a sitting congressman. She knew this was some kind of fairy tale, but she didn’t mind living it for a night.

Then she turned around to go find refreshments, and came face-to-face with Erin Edwards.

“Oh,” Liz whispered. She didn’t know what else to say when confronted with the woman who had singlehandedly lost Liz her job at the New York Times.

“Hi,” Erin said with an easy, casual smile that Liz immediately recognized as the woman’s version of a campaign mask. She looked pretty with her dark hair in loose waves to her shoulders. She was wearing a soft blue floor-length dress with extensive beading that came up over one shoulder.