Character Assassin (closed)

AntonTovaras

Really Really Experienced
Joined
Sep 8, 2012
Posts
380
John Williams was only thirty, but everyone who saw him knew he had the stuff to go the distance. He had the perfect wife and two perfect children. He had an ivy league education and had proved himself as a lawyer by going after corporate corruption and fighting for the little guy. He had looked like making partner at a very respected law firm, when he got a call from an old college friend. The congressman in the district was vulnerable, a few badly chosen words had turned into a major national story, and he was flaming out on talk shows every night.

"There's an opportunity to take the seat back, here. I need you for this, John."
"I'd love to help, Tommy, but I don't know how to run a campaign," John had told his friend.
"I know all about it. It's what I do," Tommy had said.
"So what do you need me for?"
"I need a candidate."

A year later, the Williams family moved to Washington. Two years later, he got re-elected for a second term in a massive landslide, in a district that had always gone with the other party. There was talk of a bigger role in the party for John, and he was busy meeting with strategists and experts and, of course, the endless round of donors.

He always made time for the little people, though, and it was his approach to that which had really made him a favorite in his state. Today was one of those days that drove his staff crazy. He woke up and cancelled all his morning meetings, and then drove himself downtown. There was a little diner he liked, where the coffee was brutally strong and the biscuits were works of art. The owner smiled and got on the phone, calling in an extra waitress and line cook. It was going to be a busy morning. John sent a tweet announcing his new plan for the morning, took the corner booth.

He had just enough time to finish his breakfast and brush his teeth when people started coming in. Many just wanted to shake his hand and say they met him, or have a picture taken. He was tall, in great shape, and had a million dollar smile. Some wanted to talk about their concerns, and of course there were those who wanted to argue about his positions, but he never faltered. He was friendly, reasonable and honest. The local news squeezed a camera in before Tommy made it down, to try to filter the people who got access, but there wasn't much he could do, and John handled the people beautifully. Meanwhile, the restaurant did a great business.

Of course, he and Tommy both noticed the woman when she came in. She was just his type. He was too much a professional to interrupt the flow of his meet-and-greet, but maybe his smile was a little brighter, and his hand shake a little warmer, as the girl made her way towards the table.

"Hello," he said to her, giving her a firm handshake that avoided any intimacy. Especially with beautiful women, it was important that he not seem too friendly. He fed her the same line that he had given fifty other people this morning. "I'm John Williams, and I'd like to thank you for coming out. So what can I do for you, today?"
 
Ruby Ashton heard her own steps echoing off the marble walls of the building she was in. On the third floor of the said building, everything had been placed and design to make other believe that it hosted just an average law firm with not too many clients and not too many cases. It was a sober and meant to be discrete.

Diane Huston, a long time friend of hers, was the secretary of her boss. They had met in training and Diane was just as good as Ruby was and doing what they did but chose to settle down. The Agency never abandoned their staff, so Diane had become a secretary. "Hello, Miss Moneypenny." She teased as she passed Diane's desk and picked up the manila folder that had been placed the for her. Ruby kept walking and entered the boss's office without knocking. He was waiting for her and motioned for her to sit.

Ruby sat at the mahogany desk, perhaps a little too big and opulent for the office they were in. She smoothed her grey skirt, waiting for her boss to tell her why she had been summoned.

"We have a new job for you." He said in a monotone. "In that folder you'll find all you need to know about a John Williams, rising political star. We need his career over and done with before it even starts properly. Study that, find him and do what you have to do. We, this agency, want him out of the game before the end of the year popularity poles." The Boss sat down on his chair and looked in Ruby's emerald green eyes. "He's loved by his constituents, we will need physical evidence of the sexual scandal. A couple of witnesses, a couple of e-mails won't do, Ms. Ashton. We will need photos, we will need video, we will need motel receipts, we will need everything you can gather. You haven't failed us before and that is why we pay you so well. That would be all."

Ruby stood and turned on her heels, still clutching the manila file to her. She left the building, winking at Diane who was on the phone speaking Russian. It was a rather warm day for October in New York, so she decided to walk home. There was a time when the thought of walking a few blocks in patent leather stilettos had been scary for her, but that was long gone now.

Ruby got home, kicked her shoes off and changed into something comfortable. She read and studied the file time and time again, searching the internet for even more information. John Williams was a good looking, rather young man. Ruby smiled, glad that he wasn't the typical old pervert she had had the pleasure of ruining before. He was so handsome, in fact, she was almost sorry that she had to mess with his life. Almost.

Ruby flew in the morning flight and, upon landing, had the pleasant news that Congressman Williams was at a diner downtown chatting away to the people who had elect him. What a good opportunity.

The agency had a few discrete apartments in all the major cities in the US. Ruby made her way to the one that had been assigned to her. She changed to a houndstooth black and white skirt, red silk blouse that showed a tiny hint more of cleavage that was absolutely necessary and a simple black blazer. She didn't forget her Louboutin pumps, the ones she had bought with the first money she ever made from destroying a promising political future three years ago. The red soles always made her feel more powerful. She took a look in the mirror, her green eyes checking to see that her auburn hair and scarlet lipstick were perfect as ever.

Ruby entered the diner, looking around, taking mental notes of all she saw or heard. On her turn, she made her way to his table, feeling all eyes glued to her. She was used to it, and though she could be the most understated person on earth, the girl next door, she often chose not to. If you're going to ruin someone's life, you might as well do it right - anything worth doing is worth doing in style.

"Congressman, I'm thrilled to meet you." Ruby said in her sexiest voice and wearing her most charming smile. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, ordinary people." She said as she sat. She knew, he knew and everybody knew she wasn't an ordinary person. "I came all the way here to ask what's your secret. Why do you think you're so loved by everyone and what do you owe your extraordinary career to so far?"
 
Her green eyes were stunning. So much so, that he was distracted from her soft, scarlet lips and the valley of pale cleavage that showed where her red blouse buttoned a bit low. So much that for a moment, John completely forgot about where he was and what he was doing. He forgot everything but an overwhelming need to possess this woman. It was only a heartbeat, and seemed perfectly natural in the scheme of things, he was supposed to make eye contact, after all, and he wasn't foolish enough to let any sign of his attraction show, except maybe in the extra little squeeze he gave her hand before he let it go.

He tilted his head just a bit, gave his cool, encouraging smile, the personal, one-on-one smile as opposed to the arena smile. Still, he was very nearly blown out of the water again when she spoke. Her voice was as silky and sexy as her blouse, and he felt himself grinning a little. At some point, he decided, he was going to hear that voice shattered with pleasure and begging for more. Not today, though. Her voice was a cruel temptation, but when he heard what she said, he began to wonder.

He shot Tommy a glance, but Tommy gave a tiny shake of his head. The first time John had done one of his impromptu, meet-the-people bits, the idea had been floated of using a plant, someone to feed him prepared questions so he could get the right message out. He had absolutely refused the idea, and warned that if he caught wind of anyone planning something like that, they would be immediately fired. While part of it was that he liked the honest give and take and the dialogue with his constituents, the truth was that he refused because he didn't think they'd get away with it. This girl, though, couldn't have given him a better question if she'd been prepped and coached. The fact that she was a stunning beauty only guaranteed that the news stations would want her on screen as much as possible.

"Congressman, I'm thrilled to meet you," she said. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, ordinary people. I came all the way here to ask what's your secret. Why do you think you're so loved by everyone and what do you owe your extraordinary career to so far?"

Came all the way here, he thought, and wondered where she had come from. The cameras were on him, though, and this was not the time to flirt. This was a time to work.

"It's my pleasure, ma'am," he said. "It's always a priviledge to talk to the ordinary ... no, excuse me, to talk to the extraordinary people of this district and this great nation. I don't think there's any great secret to my success. First, I have a fantastic staff, from my chief of staff Tommy James on down to the volunteers who give their time because they believe in me. They know that I will work hard to give them the country they deserve. They know that I share their values and their dreams. They know I speak from the heart, that I won't sell them out for sleazy money, that I have faith in this country and its people."

That was going to be the quote the news feeds played when they talked about this day, he knew. It was a perfect message that hit all the buzzwords, and it said absolutely nothing of substance. He gave the woman another quick smile and a nod of his head. "I want to thank you for coming all the way down here to talk to me today, maam. If you'd like to get on our mailing list, I can have someone get your information."

He shot another glance at Tommy, who closed his eyes and then went to work. As John turned his attention to the next person, Tommy dispatched an intern with a clipboard to intercept the woman and get her contact information. Of course, he would have to get info from everyone who appeared, now, but as long as the redhead's name was at the top of the list, it would be fine.
 
Ruby was sure her question had hit the mark when she saw John looking at his chief of staff. Then, she felt the cameras on her and knew the situation could only get better. Now, the TV had evidence of them being seen in the exact same moment at the exact same place. It wasn't footage of a sexual contact of any kind, but it was footage to be broadcasted by national television.

When the Congressman asked her to join their mailing list, however, she gave a mental pat on her own back - nobody had been asked their contact information before so it was clear this was his way of getting her phone number without raising suspicion.

She shook the Congressman's hand and made her way to the table she had been sitting at previously. Once she sat down, her long legs elegantly crossed, a somewhat nervous intern asked her for her name and contact info. Ruby still sat there for a while, looking at and studying John. Sure, the file she had been given had all she could possibly need to know about him, but seeing the target with one's own eyes was invaluable. She sipped her coffee, leaving a lipstick mark on the cup.

For a moment, she saw her 18 year old self, in the first week of her training. They were learning several techniques to make an introduction seem like an accident. From asking the time to dropping your purse, from falling down and needing a hand to get up to winning enough at a casino to call some attention, they had learned everything the Agency could teach them in order to make someone think they had just been in the right place at the right time. The lesson had ended with the teacher's words. "Ladies, remember, from the first contact on, flattery will get you far." Who knew that five years later she would still be using all the techniques she had learned in that training.

While the Congressman wasn't looking, she quickly made her way out and went back to her apartment. In the early afternoon she got a text from Diane saying that she had seen her on TV with the new target and that he was one good looking politician.
 
The rest of the day was the usual hectic rush from meeting to event to meeting. A hundred or more people wanted his undivided attention, and he gave it to them with a focus that made some people nervous. It made most people believe that he was listening, and that even if he disagreed with them that he had given their thoughts due consideration. For the most part, it was crap. There were tricks of body language that he was an expert at, and a few phrases that he was able to sell with a near perfect seeming of sincerity.

"You've really given me something to think about, Mrs Hanniford," he said to some very wealthy old lady who had been yammering at him for nearly fifteen minutes. He had a check in front of him for a hundred dollars. "Now Kevin Foster is our point man on that, and I want you to email him to set up a meeting, and really get into the meat of it. Will you do that for me?" Kevin Foster was a name the office had set up as a code. Any emails to him were from people who had given a little and wanted a lot. They were never read. The congressman didn't have that kind of time for the Mrs Hannifords of the world. The people who really gave money were referred to Kevin Green. The congressman shook her hand anyway, giving a big smile to the cameras, and then let Tommy pull him away.

"Get her out of your head," Tommy growled as they climbed into the limo.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" John laughed. "That old bag?"
"The redhead."
"What redhead?" John asked, with a grin spreading across his face. Tommy knew him too well to be fooled, but he had to at least make the play.
"This one," Tommy said, and pushed a button on the remote. He had taped a news item about John's morning among the people, and sure enough, the sound bite was the bit about speaking from the heart and sleazy money.
"Isn't that what we want the news showing?" John said. "Isn't that what got me elected?"
"You want to stop treating me like other people, John?" Tommy sighed. "She's looking at you like she wants to jump you right there in front of Fox and everybody."
"I'm sexy as hell, is that your point?" John laughed, but then he nodded. "Tommy, what can I do? She's a pretty girl, and the question was a complete gimme. I actually thought you had planted her for a second."
"Look," Tommy said. "I know Sally's giving you hell, but you can't pick up chicks when you're on national TV."
"You don't think you're overreacting?"
"I don't know," Tommy said. "What do you want me to do about her?"
"Nothing, Tommy," John said. "You're absolutely right. It's too much of a risk. Play it again."

As he watched the redhead on the news clip, he dug his nails into his palm. He had felt her watching him when they were at the diner, but to acknowledge it would have been a disaster. Now that he could see the recording of it, it was intense. He was used to women wanting him, but not quite like that. Not a woman like that. He wanted to see if she matched the promise that he saw in the way she stared at him.

Either she was just a freak and would disappear back into the woodwork, or that look meant something. If so, he knew he would see her again. She was now one of thousands of people who would be receiving his daily schedule in their email every morning. She would know how to find him. Tommy would just have to live with it, he thought.
 
Ruby kept an eye out for the Congressman's schedule. Having it delivered to her e-mail account daily had been godsent. She watched herself on TV quite a few times the two days following her encounter with John Williams and couldn't help but keep patting her own back for a work well done. A discerning eye wasn't needed to see the way she looked at him, like she was about to undress him right there and then and, truth be told, a woman who looked like she did wouldn't stare at a man, at any man, without good cause.

Through some research, Ruby found out the Congress man would be at a fundraiser for a local Charity who supported children in some African country most people couldn't even point on a map. The event was a dinner followed by a ball and would take place on Friday night at the Ritz, being, naturally a black tie event. Everyone who mattered and wanted to be seen giving money and support to a charity would be there. John Williams would be there and so would Ruby Ashton.

The rest of the week was spent studying and learning about both the Congressman and the city. If Ruby was to play the part of a local, someone who could possibly vote for him, she would at least have to know something about the city. On Friday morning, Ruby got a package delivered to her door with her invitation to the fundraiser and the dress she should wear along with a few extra items she may need. Quickly, Ruby stripped the black silk babydoll she had been sleeping in and tired on the Marchessa dress the Agency had sent. She took a good look in the mirror.

"A redhead in green, how original." She said to herself in a sarcastic tone. Quickly, she picked up her manila file and confirmed. "John Williams. Favorite color - Blue." Ruby opened the zipper of the satin dress and let it pool at her feet, the mirror reflecting her sculptural body, naked except for the black lace thong. She roamed her closer, she had managed to bring an astonishing amount of clothing in just two suitcases. She found the perfect Dior dress.

Ruby spent the afternoon getting ready for the event. At the salon, she got a face and body treatment to make sure her face was glowing and her body was smooth and she also got a manicure. Going home, she did her makeup, opting for dark eye makeup to make her green eyes more intense, and her hair. She left her hair loose in soft waves framing her beautiful face. She put on smooth, simple and yet elegant lingerie that wouldn't be guessed through the silk of her petrol blue dress. The dress didn't show any skin apart from her face, her hands and the little hint of leg that could be seen through the slit on the back that reached her knee and allowed her to walk. The only embellishment the dress had was a belt, about three inches wide, covered in pearls and diamonds. The belt alone weighted more than the dress itself even thought the silk wasn't very light. Small pearl earnings that had belonged to her grandmother completed her look. Ruby didn't bother looking at the mirror when she finished, she knew she looked stunning.

Ruby made her way to the Ritz, and handed her invitation at the door. The Congressman arrived only a few minutes later and Ruby decided to lay low and not be seen by him until the time was right. Some 20 minutes later, as the Congressman was being led to his table near the podium where speeches would be made later and the band would play during the actual ball, Ruby passed right in front on him, making sure he had seen her do so. She made her way to the table where donations were being taken which didn't have a line now since people were too busy staring at Congressman John Williams, rising political star and, frankly, a celebrity.

Ruby gave an envelope with a check to the woman in charge of receiving donations. The short blonde smiled and thanked her, before gasping at how much money that check represented. The woman's hands shook slightly as she searched for a pen so that Ruby could sign the donation's book.
 
John didn't mention the redhead again, and Tommy hoped that she was forgotten. They both knew the kind of havoc even a rumor of sexual misbehavior could bring to a political figure, especially one like John, who had come from the fringe and upset the status quo by taking a district that was supposed to belong to the enemy. While his own party was glad to have the vote, they were more than a little suspicious, and John's operation was more independent than most who ran as independents. He didn't have backing from the big parties, which left him free of a lot of the baggage that went with them, but also without the muscle. He didn't have the machinery to spin a scandal.
Which is why Tommy groaned when he saw the redhead at the fundraiser. He turned to John, but the congressman had already seen her, and while he kept his composure, Tommy knew that he would be on fire at the sight of her. Hell, every man in the room noticed when she walked by, and Tommy could see the claws coming out as the women noticed the men's reactions. If her purpose had been to make sure Tommy had a bad night, she would have achieved it just by walking across the room.

It got worse, though. Amy was the blonde woman who was taking the donations at the ball, and she was elegant and pretty in a classic black dress, but the redhead made her look shabby when she leaned down to write her check. The look on the Amy's face, after the redhead made her donation, said that she had dropped a big enough chunk of change to make herself relevant to the congressman.

John didn't miss any of it. He didn't have to see Tommy to know his old friend was in a spin, or to know why. The woman couldn't have been better chosen to get into John's head if she had been pulled out of his own fantasies, and the dress was perfect. It was modest, but incredibly alluring at the same time, and the belt screamed money. When he saw Amy's expression, he turned away and shook hands with the old blue-blood that was talking excitedly about the business opportunities that he could steer John's way, if a little government pork could be brought to town. Standard political stuff, and John played it beautifully, smiling broadly, because he knew that he was going to have to meet the redhead now. Whoever she was, she had enough money to be someone.

“Excuse me,” he said, giving the old man a firm handshake. “I'm being introduced.” He hopped up on the podium and gave the same speech he always gave, long on piety and patriotism, with a minimum of actual policy involved. He turned his perfect smile all the way up, so it shone down like a searchlight, but his eyes found her in the crowd and stuck on her. For a moment, that smile was all for her, and then he made his eyes move on, confident that she had felt his attention, and would be back for more.
*
After the ball, the suite was crowded with his team and the big donors. John had shed his jacket and undone the bowtie, and had his sleeves rolled up with a crystal glass of scotch in his hand. Tommy whispered in his ear, lacing the information with dire warnings, but they both knew that she had to be invited up. Not to do so, after that kind of contribution, would have been a snub, and a snub that might have drawn attention.

“Her name is Ruby Ashton,” Tommy whispered. “Nobody seems to know who she is so please, for the love of God, don't do anything stupid.”

“Relax, Tommy,” John said, as she came in the room. He had said goodnight to the wife and kids after the speeches were done, and he gave Ruby Ashton a huge smile as he stepped towards her, his hand extended in true politician style. “Good evening, Miz Ashton. I want to thank you personally for your gift. You've saved lives tonight, and I want you to know that all of us here at the Friends of Zuganyawe are grateful to you. You've done a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

He held her hand in both of his, giving it a warm squeeze, and he held her eyes with his, until Tommy grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, laughing. John turned away as Tommy stepped in to make arrangements.
 
Ruby felt John's eyes on her as he dazzled the crowd with a smile. It was true, Congressman John Williams was a very handsome man. She had hoped he would dance with her at the ball, since his wife was gone and he did dance with some of the highest donors' wives, but no luck there. He was being conscious, he was a smart man who didn't think with the wrong part of his anatomy. Ruby's job was to make him do so, however.

She stepped outside to a more discreet area and, making sure nobody was around, picked up her cell phone. She said her code words and asked for information on this Tommy person. She needed to know all she could about him, Ruby could see him getting in her way and getting him out of the picture could be a need in the near future. There was nothing worse, nothing that made her job harder than guardian angels.

Ruby went back to the party, smiling and greeting random people who greeted her back out of politeness. The old man who had been talking with the Congressman before his speech approached her saying that he remembered her face from somewhere but that he was terrible with names. Ruby laughed quietly and told him he shouldn't worry as she was exactly the same way and expressing how interesting she found it that they now had something in common. Ruby turned her back with no further answer as to who she was and where she came from, leaving the man with no reaction for long enough so she could make a detour to the bathroom.

Once there, she sat at the recliner on the entrance of the ladies bathroom reading the quick report about Tommy that had been sent to her email almost instantly. It was a short little piece of text, with a short bio, career achievements, a couple of lines on personal life and a picture. She knew she would be emailed again as soon as the Agency had time to put more together - she wanted the details, the dirty details, something she could blackmail him with or hold against him if she needed to.

When most people were leaving, Ruby got invited to the suite where the highest donor were gathering. Smiling, she shook the Congressman's hand and noted he already knew her name. She directed her some seemingly innocuous words, but she felt it in the way he shook her hand that his thoughts were not innocuous at all. As the Congressman turned his back because he was being pulled away, Ruby spoke in her sexiest voice, only loud enough for him to hear if he was paying attention. "Oh, Congressman, I believe in giving."

She turned her back and walked towards the suite's bar, swaying her hips ever so slightly more than usual, bending down to fix herself a glass of Brandy. She could feel eyes on her, she could only hope they were his.
 
John watched her like a hawk as she strolled over to the bar, but he listened carefully as Tommy gave him the usual warnings. He was starting to get sick of his best friend worrying over him like a nervous mother. He was a professional. He knew what the risks were, and for god's sake, he was a grown up. He was a grown up whose eyes were fixed on the girl's well-rounded ass as she leaned over to pour herself a drink. Tommy was doing his best to cover for him, and at least there were no cameras around. People who saw things could always be persuaded that they saw something different.

“Look,” Tommy growled. “We're not even having this conversation. You know better.”
“You think I'm some kind of amateur you have to hold my hand through everything?” John snarled at him. “There are certain perks that come with power, and I'm telling you right now, you get out of my way on this, or you start polishing up your resume.”
“Jesus, John,” Tommy said, backing off. “It doesn't have to be like that. Just don't be stupid about it.”

Tommy watched John as he made his way towards the bar. Tommy was one of the smartest men in the world when it came to politics. He already knew he had made his fatal mistake with John. Before John, Tommy had been a gun for hire, a consultant, a spin agent, a strategist, but always a mercenary. He had never believed in the guys that he got elected, and it had never bothered him when they flamed out. He always got paid up front, and everyone knew that he was clean. He'd always been able to wash his hands and walk away to the next contract.

With John, though, he was dealing with a close friend, that he had pulled into the game. For the first time, he was personally invested in the success or failure of his employer, and he was appalled with his choice. He had always known that John was a bit of a pussy-hound, but he thought maybe with the wife and the kids, his old friend had outgrown that. Why would he, though, Tommy thought at that moment. John never really had to work at getting a woman. They tended to throw themselves at him. John had the kind of magnetism that he could have been a garbage collector and he could have any woman he wanted. It was Tommy that needed the thousand dollar suits and the perks of power to get laid, and instead of cleaning up and getting a babe like Ruby Ashton for himself, Tommy was still playing wingman for John. Later, he'd go up to his room and get an escort for the night.

That was why Tommy had to keep in the shadows, behind the scenes. It wasn't just that he didn't have John's native charm. He also had a passion for teenage hookers that would effectively end his chances of being elected if it ever got out. He wasn't stupid about it, he always paid cash, and it's not like these girls followed politics all that closely, that they'd know who he was. Still, it was something he had to watch out for.

“I have to say, I'm dazzled by your generosity,” John said, as Ruby turned with her drink. He gave her a warm, intimate smile and his voice dropped so low that she could barely hear it.. “I think a gift like that deserves a little one-on-one time, if you're interested. Midnight, room 705. I look forward to it.” He shook her hand and moved along, working the room.
 
Ruby felt John's presence behind her and turned instantly. One thing was certain, John Williams had a presence and charm of his own; it showed on TV, but his magnetism was almost irresistible in person.

"I was hoping you'd be dazzled by something else by now, Congressman." Ruby answered in a whisper, letting him know she would be there. She watched him work the room, exchanging some words with each and every one of the donors. Ruby liked to think of herself as a little bit of a politician as well, the only difference was that her politics were debated without words and in between sheets. She looked around the room, making mental notes of was there and who they were exactly.

She watched as he left at 11:45 and turned to Tommy. She didn't have anything on him yet, but she thought it would be better to have a little chat sooner rather than later. She approached him smiling and casually took his arm like they were old acquaintances. She pulled him slightly apart from the rest of the people, and still smiling like they were sharing a private joke, she spoke. "Listen, Tommy, I know you're doing your job protecting your boss who I understand is also your friend, and I admire you for that. But please don't get in my way, we can all be friends, can't we? I just want a good time with the most handsome man around, no offence, so let's just ignore me, shall we?" She gave Tommy her sexiest smile, hoping to entice him for a second. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, right?

At midnight sharp, Ruby knocked on the door of room number 5 of the 7th floor. She smiled and entered quickly, sitting down on the couch of the living room area of he suit, legs crossed despite the tight dress, her silver stiletto sandals showing and asked for a chilled white Port. She knew only too well she hadn't exactly been invited to go in or asked if she wanted anything to drink, but she wanted to make a stand. "Congressman, it was very nice of you to invite me here. Now, what can I do for you?" Ruby was looking deep inside the Congressman's beautiful eyes, trying not to be distracted by his handsome features.
 
John smiled when he came out of the bedroom and saw that Ruby had let herself in, and his smile turned into a grin when she asked for port. He gave her a nod and picked up the phone, punching a number. He had shed his jacket and tie, and his shoes, but he still wore his suit pants and a pale yellow shirt. The suite had a wet bar, but it was stocked fairly simply. He tucked the phone under his chin and poured a couple of fingers of dark rum from a cut glass decanter into a glass.

"Yes, I need a bottle of chilled white port sent up," he said. He turned to look at the woman sitting on the couch, letting his eyes linger on her legs for a long moment before he turned away to speak again. "That'll be fine. I'd like to be pouring it now, so as soon as you can."

He hung up the phone and turned to smile at her. "Someone will be up with your wine shortly."

It had been a long day, and as much as he wanted to sit down, it would just be that much harder to stand up again, so he leaned back on the arm of a chair and looked the woman over. Now that he was alone with her, he felt at ease. She had accepted his invitation, and was sitting in his suite a little after midnight. They had begun their dance, and that was enough to satisfy him at the moment.

"What can you do for me?" he mused, and studied a spot on the floor at his feet. He lifted his eyes to hers, and then smiled. "That's usually my line." He took a small sip of his rum and set the glass on the bar.

"I'll tell you the truth," he said. "Usually, the people who give money at these things, we know exactly who they are and what they want and how much they're willing to pay for it. There's a lot of haggling going on the week before, and most of the time, the money's already spent before any of us put on our nice suits and go listen to whatever it is. There aren't a lot of surprises."

He smiled at her, not one of the political smiles that he used for TV, but a sly smile, almost conspiratorial. There was a knock on the door, then, and he walked over to accept the cool bottle of port. He opened it carefully and poured her a glass, bringing it to her and then sitting beside her on the couch, with a comfortable space between them.

"I apologize for not giving it time to breathe," he said. "I'll make sure I'm ready for you, next time." He picked up his train of thought as though the bottle had never come.

"You came out of nowhere with a very substantial donation, and no strings attached," he said. "That was a big surprise. Nice for me. I'm sure my staff is digging up all the dirt they can find on you, so they can tell me if there are any skeletons in your closet that will mean I have to keep my distance. So the first thing I'd like you to do for me is to tell me the worst. If we're going to be friends, people will try to make something of it. How will my opponents use you to hurt me?"
 
Ruby watched as John ordered the bottle of Port for her, probably insanelly expensive. She had the time to really look at him, see how he moved, how he walked, how he talked. It might not be easy to get him into bed, but once she managed, she was sure he was going to have a great time; not that it mattered for the job, but it sure was a better bonus than just the money and gifts men gave her all the time. Ruby also noticed how he looked at her, lust in his eyes, his poker face, his political façade gone.

"I know who I am and what I want; I am sure you have a pretty good idea as to what I'm willing to give you in return, Congressman." This was usually the most complicated part of the whole situation: explaining who she was. She always avoided questions that weren't direct, sometimes the lies and made up life stories became so big it was actually hard to manage them and keep a coherent story.

The bottle came and he sat by her giving her the glass he had poured. She sipped and smiled as he told her blatantly she was being investigated. Oddly, he managed to be charming even when telling a woman she'd be in trouble if she was there to harm him or his career. She sat sideways, placing her hand on his knee as he mentioned a future friendship.

"No strings attached really is a very good choice of words. Congressman, I have no skeletons, no dirt to dig. They won't use me to hurt you because, firstly, I am not the woman to be used. At least not in the way you're referring to." She paused and took her hand from from his knee, as she leaned back against the arm of the sofa. "And, secondly, I am not here to hurt you." And it was true, she had no desire of hurting him, just his career.

"Look, Congressman, I came here because you invited me." She said plainly. Congressman John had women throwing themselves at him left and right, hopefully this hot and cold tactic would work on him: too hot and he'd just forget her for being just like the others, too cold and he might not think she was worth the trouble since so many other women were available to him if he just snapped his fingers.
 
"Indulge my curiosity," he said, smiling at her. He looked into his glass and swirled the dark rum around, letting the scent fill his nostrils as he inhaled before taking a sip. "I'm quite sure you know who you are and what you want. I was hoping you could enlighten me about it, but I'm willing to put that aside for the moment. These things are the concerns of the people that work for me. I'm sure that they'll discover soon enough that you are somebody who wants something. So many people are." He draped his arm across the back of the couch, his hand reaching close to her, but he did not strain to reach her, or withdraw. He turned to face her, bringing his near leg up on the sofa, bent so the knee pointed at her.

A playful smile narrowing his eyes. "You think that I have a pretty good idea, but I think you overestimate me. It's hard to weigh an proposal when one knows neither what is being asked or offered. For what it's worth, I've been finding myself in that position more and more frequently since I got elected to Congress."

He turned his head to sip his drink and put the glass on the coffee table, and he turned his eyes to her, frankly admiring her. She was sidestepping him, parrying and playing defense, but not retreating so far that he would give up the chase. He let his smile fade and his brow furrow just a touch, a slight affectation that signaled that he was thinking, though he had long ago learned to mask any such outward displays.

"You're right. I invited you here, so in fairness I should be the first to lay my cards on the table." He looked away, took a deep breath, gathering the courage to say what he had to say. "You're a beautiful and mysterious stranger. I am intrigued, and I invited you here hoping to get to know you better. I mean that in every sense. I get the feeling I'm striking out, but I hope that I've at least impressed you with my ability to get chilled white port in Pittsburgh."
 
Ruby smiled and sipped on her Port when the Congressman commented on his ability to find it for her and how he thought she was beautiful. "I am somebody wanting someone, Congressman, not something." She paused, sipping on her Port again. John Williams had an effect on her, and it's wasn't good for the job she had to do.

"I'm the daughter of a wealthy businessman who passed away." It was the usual line. People generally never asked for further details, thinking that speaking about a deceased father wasn't exactly polite conversation to have with someone they barely knew. "That's how come I have enough money to make donations to charity and make you notice me. My interest in you has nothing to do with politics." She assured him.

Ruby bent down to put her Port on the coffee table, right beside the Congressman's glass. She shifted so that she was sitting as much as the Congressman as her dress allowed, her hand almost touching his inner arm, her knee almost touching his. She could sense he was thinking long and hard about his next move, tension growing between them.

"You said you wanted to get to know me better and now you know who I am and who I want. Maybe I should leave you to think about whether or not it's beneficial to you to give me what I'm asking for. That is the standard procedure in politics, isn't it?" Ruby said she was leaving, but she didn't move to get up and leave, he was starting to get right where she wanted him and she wasn't going to give up for the day now.
 
Somebody wanting someone sounded good, maybe too good, but John was tired of being afraid. He had a wife that he would have divorced years ago, if it weren't for the children, and who he couldn't get rid of now without serious political fallout. He was a man in his prime, with a golden future, and he had to sit there like a monk hoping the wife might put out more than once a month. Meanwhile, Tommy was banging teenaged hookers in four states and the District of Columbia. Here was Ruby, beautiful, rich, charming and flirtatious. She said she only wanted him, and why should that be so hard for him to believe? Plenty of women wanted him. Too good to be true, his head said, but in his gut, he knew that he deserved this.

“You didn't need to make any donations to make me notice you,” he said softly, his eyes holding hers. He was admiring her beauty, but at the same time, he was watching for a sign of betrayal. There was no way for him to know for sure that she was safe, but he was covered. Anne knew she would never have it this good again. She would do the loyal wife bit, standing by her man in a crises, if anything happened. Hell, she'd probably be relieved to have a reason to completely freeze him out of her bed.

“That is the standard procedure in politics,” he said, nodding and leaning back a bit. His smile hardened a bit and his hand slid back. She had spoken of leaving, but she hadn't moved. She obviously wasn't ready to call it a night, and neither was he. “Is this politics, Ruby? Did you accept my invitation tonight, just to come here to make your offer?” He turned his face away, letting her see his profile, his good side, he thought. He picked up the remote control off the table and pushed a button. Chet Baker's silky trumpet crept through the room, blowing lush life.

“Here's my offer,” he said. “Let's both forget about money and politics for a while. Let's talk about white jazz and cool port and see where the night takes us.”
 
If John Williams knew all there was to know about body language and if he had rehearsed it to exhaustion, so did Ruby. This was a dance between equals, at least where pretending and making believe was concerned. She let here green eyes look deep into the Congressman's. She conveyed trust and warmth, she looked at him with innocent and honest eyes. "I needed to stand out, John." She said, addressing him by his first name and he did her. It was a sure sign of progress and Ruby was pleased with herself and with how things were going.

" I don't care about politics, I care about you. Honestly, I came here because..." Ruby paused, distracted by how handsome the man before her was, even if she could saw his profile. And he had a great taste in music, too; he had guessed one of her favorites. "Because I am attracted to you and because I wanted time to tell you so without cameras, without your guardian angel around."

She let her fingertips caress his inner arm ever so lightly, finally touching him, while she listened to his offer. She smiled at his words and got up to pour some more chilled wine into her glass. Ruby took John's glass as well and refilled it. Going back to the sofa, she put his glass back on the coffee table and, still holding hers, she sat closer to him and offered him a taste of the very light amber liquid from her glass. "I think that is a very, very generous offer, John. I accept it."
 
He licked his lips, tasting the sweet, soft flavor of the wine on his lips, and letting his eyes drift down to her knee. Her fingers teased his arm, sending little shivers of arousal through him, and he felt himself stiffening like he was a teenager again. The dark red of her lips seemed almost hypnotic as she spoke. He was very warm, suddenly, and he knew he couldn't blame the drink. It was taking all his self control not to reach out and take her....

He shook his head, clearing it and giving her a hesitant smile. It had been a long time since a woman had actually made him nervous, but there was something about Ruby that made him forget everything. The things she said. She cared about him. He couldn't imagine why.

“If you really thought you needed to donate money to make yourself stand out, Ruby” he said, and shook his head. Did she honestly have no idea how stunningly beautiful she was? “I haven't stopped thinking about you since you showed up at the diner the other day. Do you know how close I came to making a complete fool of myself in front of God, the media and everyone? You're dangerous, that's what you are.” He said the last playfully, having no idea how right he was.

“I'm flattered, Ruby, I truly am,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh and turning his head away. He frowned as he tried to think clearly, but the rum was going to his head and the woman beside him made it very hard for him to do the right thing. The thought made him smile. Nobody had told him to steer clear of her because it was the right thing to do. Just the smart thing. “I am attracted to you, so much that it's killing me to say this, but I'm not the person you care about. That person, he's a fiction. He's the image that they've created for me. You think I'm a good man, but the truth is that I spend most of my time up to my eyeballs in sleaze. I try to do what good I can, but the truth is that I sold my soul a long time ago, Ruby.”
 
The way he licked his lips, the way his smile was now just absolutely honest and not an act for the public eye... This was all work for Ruby, but still, she couldn't believe her luck in having been assigned such a handsome, attractive man. Come to think of it, John was exactly Ruby's type. His looks, his presence, his taste in music, the sound of his voice, it all appealed to her.

Hearing him say he had thought about her and that he wasn't completely indifferent to her was music to her ears. Ruby had to work very hard on containing a laugh when he said she was dangerous. If only he knew...

Hearing the rest of his words, Ruby knew it was time to make yet another move. At that precise moment, the music changed, as if on cue. "Teach Me Tonight" started playing as Ruby shifted so she was seating on the edge of the sofa, facing John. She softly placed her hand on the center of his strong chest, palm down. "Then give me a chance to know the real you, John. That's all I ask. Maybe we can even buy a little of your soul back." As slowly as she possibly could, Ruby started to approach John, up until the point where she was sure he could count her eyelashes. "Something keeps pulling me towards you, I just want to..." She looked from his eyes to his perfect lips and then back to his eyes again.

Ruby gave John a sad smile as she backed away. "You have a beautiful family, though, and I really respect that. I don't want anything you can't give me." She said, sitting back on the edge of the sofa.
 
His face hid nothing from her any longer. Not the smile as she leaned towards him, or the soft passionate warmth as his lips reached for hers. Or the momentary flash of rage when she backed away. She played him well, and they both knew it. As she settled herself back on the couch, well away from the kiss that had died on his lips, he took a breath and remembered who he was. He gave her the politician's smile again.

“You know how we politicians are. Everything is available, if the price is right,” he said. He leaned forward and picked up the drink that she had just refilled. He tipped it back slow, and downed it in three gulps. He looked at the ice left in the glass almost curiously, and then stood up. He looked down at her and winked. There was a belligerent jollity in his tone when he said, “I'm ready for another.”

His movements were casual enough as he strolled to the bar, but his teeth were clenched. Chugging the rum was a bad move, and not only because he liked to taste the stuff. It had been an angry impetuous act that showed how his control was slipping, and being drunk wouldn't help his control any. He poured a fresh glass anyway, keeping his back to Ruby as he tried to get his head back in the game. Usually, when confronted with an attractive woman in a precarious situation, he just thought of his wife. It wasn't his love for her that helped him resist temptation, but his hatred. Thinking of her was like a cold shower. Unfortunately, even thinking of his wife wasn't enough to put the ice back in his veins with this one.

He turned to look at Ruby, struck again by how perfectly sensual she was, wondering again who she was, forcing himself to think again. She hadn't backed off because she gave a rat's ass about his family, he was sure of that. If that had been an issue, she wouldn't have come up in the first place. So there was still something that she wanted that wasn't on the table.

"I'm sure you know you can have what you want," he said, smoothly. He was just working on another deal. If he could play that part, he might even be able to walk back across the room to the couch. "I have to admit, I'm curious about what stopped you."
 
For a moment, Ruby saw through John's act. She did get a glimpse of the real him, the man and not the politician; the man who smiled at the possibility of a kiss, the man who was frustrated as that kiss failed to become a reality.

All of a sudden, Congressman John Williams came back and Ruby was certain she liked the man better than the politician - the only problem was that she wasn't being payed to like him, she was being payed to ruin him. She watched as he drank his rum, his Adam's apple moving as he swallowed, and as he watched the ice left in the glass as if it were something new to him. She could tell he was thinking, he was gathering his thoughts and figuring out what the best move was. Then, John winked.

It took Ruby a moment, but even sitting down, she felt that his gaze and his wink had made her knees weak. How could this be? He was hardly the first man to ever look at her! She watched as he moved, enticing as she was learning only he could be. When John turned, she was lost in her thoughts of what he did to her and how that was neither normal, nor safe. Who was dangerous now?

Ruby stood and walked towards the bar, asking what the price was exactly and assuring John that whatever it may be, she was willing to pay for it. Finally, she reached the place where he was standing and looked up towards him, him being quite a bit taller than her even though she was wearing heels. She was very close to him, almost touching his body but not quite. Tension was palpable between them, the air was filled with her lust for him already.

"I told you already, it's not what I want, is who I want." She whispered as she took the glass from his hand and set it on the bar counter again. She looked up deep into his green eyes again. She placed a hand back on his chest and the let the thumb of the other one caress his strong jawline. She wanted him, and not just because it was her job to do so.

Ruby stretched and reached John's lips. Her lips were finally on his now and she took a moment to appreciate how good that felt. She thought it was best to wait for his reaction, but she wasn't ready to stop kissing him just yet. She wanted more of him. Slowly, she parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip, encouraging him to kiss back.
 
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