The Hot Guy at the GOP Debate (4 page)

“
Once
you come out the other side of this heartache, it will be like they
unleashed the hounds, and out of nowhere, good men, good STRAIGHT men
will come out of the woodwork vying for your attention. I might even
join the ranks, if you'll let me!”

Jacey
felt her body relax and almost melt into Alex's arms. I'm a reporter,
she reminded herself, but she was unable to pull away. She needed to
feel the support and embrace of a strong, caring, man. She needed
someone to tell her that everything was going to be alright, and that
the pain she was feeling would not last forever. Jacey let go and
sobbed with a complete lack of restraint. Then suddenly, she looked
up into his handsome blue eyes and without even thinking, she kissed
his lips with a surprisingly, uncontrollable, soulful passion.

“
I'm
sorry,” she said, pulling away with embarrassment, “I'm
so sorry. I didn't mean to do that.”

“
I
understand,” he said gently, “you couldn't resist
yourself. I am a 10 after all!” He teased.

“
I'm
really not crazy, I swear. I'm just going through a rough patch. I
don't even recognize myself right now,” she explained.

“
You're
okay, you're fine,” he assured her. “I get it. I've been
there myself actually. My girlfriend wasn't gay, the details were
different, but the feeling of betrayal, loss and heartache was the
same. It took a long time for me to feel okay again. It took me a
long time to want to hold a woman in my arms again, to kiss her, or
to want to be kissed by her – but I have to say, it was
definitely worth the wait!”

“
You
mean I was your first kiss?” Jacey asked, gaining a bit of her
humor back.

“
Yes,
my virgin, postpartum kiss,” Alex answered.

“
Um
postpartum? You know that means the weeks just following a birth,
right?” Jacey asked.

“
I
didn't say postpartum, I said, post part-em! I had post part-em
depression after my breakup.” He joked.

“
Ugh,”
Jacey laughed, even as she continued to wipe away her dwindling
tears. “Just so you know, I don't normally go around kissing
men I'm hiding out with at convention halls. Let me just make that
clear.” She emphasized.

“
I'm
glad you clarified that. I was wondering if you were targeting me
with your Twitter gps system.”

“
What?”
She asked nervously.

“
Hey,
how did you know I was trending on Twitter, anyway?”

Jacey
felt an uneasiness in her gut. She was not a liar – at least
she didn't consider herself to be one, but here she was being a –
a misleader. She decided that word sounded a little less condemning
somehow, though being a misleader didn't sit right with her either!

Here
she was, a journalist – and a damn good journalist, she thought
with pride, who had in a moment of weakness crossed the line from
objective reporter to active participant. Worse yet, she had been
deceitful by omission by not telling him immediately that she was a
reporter. Now that things have turned romantic and they have kissed,
she wondered how she can break the news to him. Will she still be
able to write a story now that she is part of the story? How can she
betray this man she likes so much? When she does finally tell him the
truth, how can he not feel betrayed?

Maybe
now was the perfect time to come clean, she thought. “Well it's
a funny story, actually...” she began hesitantly.

“
Great!
I love funny stories!” Alex smiled.

“
My
friend told me...” Jacey began.

“
And
so you hoped in a cab and ran right over to meet me,” he
jokingly cut her off.

“
Yeah,
it was exactly like that, actually.” She said.

“
Seriously,
so you were here at the debate when your friend texted you, right?
What did she say?” He asked.

“
Well
he said...”

“
Oh
your friend is a he? Need I be concerned about the competition?”

“
No!”
Jacey responded emphatically, feeling flattered by his interest.

Alex
took her hands in his. “Well, when you speak to your friend,
please thank him for sending you my way. I'm really glad we met,
Jacey.” He looked deeply into her eyes, then leaned down to
gently kiss her lips.

Jacey
felt her body go weak with emotion. I'm swooning, she thought with a
mix of amusement and incredulity!

“
Did
you just swoon?” Alex asked.

Jacey
flinched with horror that he had read her mind. She suddenly felt
exposed and vulnerable.

“
I
don't swoon!” She shouted defensively. Yeah, and I don't lie
either, she thought, wondering who the hell she really was!

“
Relax
Jacey, I wasn't mocking you. I only asked because I felt it too,”
he said sweetly, taking her face in his hands and lifting her chin
towards him. He kissed her slowly and deliberately. She leaned her
body into his and they held each other in a warm embrace.

“
Jacey,
what do you say we get out of here. Let's move this budding romance
out into the real world. The crowds have got to be gone by now,”
he suggested.

“
Okay,”
she said. “I'll be right back after I powder my nose.”
Jacey found herself literally skipping off to the ladies' room. How
funny the little twists and turns of life can be, she mused. Just
hours ago, she had entered the building a brokenhearted wreck of a
woman, and now she would be leaving it a giddy young girl, who had
just been swept off her feet!

Alex
had not felt this happy in years. It was hard to meet a woman who was
as sweet, honest and authentic as Jacey was, he thought as he grabbed
his coat from the chair. His eyes fell upon her silently flashing
cellphone, which she had placed on the corner shelf near the outlet.
He hadn't meant to look, but it was impossible for him not to notice
the words, “
Main
Street Journal
,”
flashing across her screen.

Why
would the biggest newspaper in the area be calling her? He wondered.
He felt a shiver of dread through his body, and in an instant, he
knew what he needed to do. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and
hit “answer.”

“
Damn
it Smith, where the hell have you been? Did you get the scoop on that
Twitter guy or what?” A voice boomed out. “Don't you ever
leave me hanging like that again! I sent you out to the debate to
find out about that guy and that's the last I heard from you, aside
from your cryptic little 'I'm on it' text! You could have been lying
dead somewhere in a ditch for all I knew! If you ever do that to me
again, I will fire you ass on the spot! And you 'll have to go work
for the Weekly News, or some other rag! You hear me Jacey?” Mac
demanded.

Alex
stared at the phone in shock and disbelief. She's a reporter! He
thought, realizing the truth of who she really was. Without a word,
he hit “disconnect,” and silenced the angry voice on the
other end.

“
Did
you miss me?,” Jacey asked cheefully, as she bounded back into
the office.

Alex
turned to her, his face filled with pain and anger. “What
happened? What's wrong?” she asked in a panic. Then suddenly,
she saw it!

“
It's
for you.” He said, handing her the flashing cellphone.

“
Jacey
Smith, reporter for the 
Main
Street Journal
.
So many questions, 'Never Have I Ever'! Oh, you're good! You just
sneaked right in there and got all the information you needed -- I
can't believe how stupid I am! What a sucker! Alright, get out of
here now! Go! I know you've got your little story to write! Just
leave me the hell alone, Jacey Smith!”

“
No,
please Alex, it's not like that! I promise you, it's really not like
that! I didn't mean for this to happen! You've got to believe me!”
Jacey pleaded in desperation.

“
Believe
you? You want me to believe you? That's a joke!” He fumed.

“
Please
trust me Alex, that's all I ask,” she begged.

“
Goodbye
Jacey Smith!” Alex turned his back to her and walked away.

“
Alex,
no, please don't leave, please let me explain, Alex, please!!!”
She called after him, but he ignored her pleas as he walked down the
hall to the front door and out of the building.

“
Oh
God no! Please God no, no no!” She cried.

For
a brief second she thought she should follow him out onto the street
and continue to beg him to let her explain, but shame and the
futility of it all prevented her from doing so. Hadn't she caused
enough problems for him already? She thought.

Jacey
looked down at her flashing phone. As if on autopilot, she hit
“answer.”

“
Don't
you ever hang up on me when I'm balling you out!” Mac's voice
yelled out. “Did you get the damn story or not?”

“
I
couldn't talk Mac, my phone died. I tried to find an outlet to
recharge it, and then I couldn't leave, and had to stay here late.”
She tried to explain.

“
It's
12 a.m. Jacey, you're still there?”

“
Yes,
I'm just leaving.” She said.

“
And
now your phone is suddenly working? But it wasn't working all
evening?” He asked in disbelief.

She
knew she could never pull the wool over his eyes, and she knew better
than to even try. “I'm on my way to the office,” she
said. “Please just hang tight. I'll explain everything when I
get there.”

Jacey
left the building feeling exactly as she had entered it, heartbroken
and exhausted. How was she ever going to explain all this to Mac? How
could she explain that Alex was the kind of man she had always
dreamed of, that he was smart, kindhearted, sincere, successful, and
straight! He was interested in her too! And she blew it! All for a
stupid story!

Jacey
cried during the entire cab ride to the office.