We last read Chapter 63, in which Senator Mark Bishop arrives at the Pegasus Club and immediately approaches Beth, captivating her with his charisma. Beth later runs into Conner, who tells her of the interesting mix of guests he’s seen arriving. The guests have differing political views, including differing views on nuclear power. Beth apologizes to Conner for being so distant lately, and Conner warns her to be careful around Senator Bishop. Beth tells Conner of President Andrews’ planned arrival at the plant in the morning, and Conner informs her of his discovery of the buried information surrounding President Andrews’ military career. Wheldon served in an elite squad under the President's command, and Wheldon's brother was in the squad and was killed in a firefight, during a top secret mission. Some feel the President left him behind to die. Beth and Conner don’t believe in coincidences, but can’t figure out how it all ties together.
This is the second story, so if you want to start from the very beginning, you can jump over to book 1, and begin with the Prologue of Sapphire Angel, Superheroine. Or to start at the beginning of book 2 (this story), click over to the Prologue of Power Play.
Thanks for reading!
After Beth finished slipping into the dress, she spent over an hour working on her hair, pinning it up on her head. The look accentuated her graceful neck and jawline. On either side of her head, tantalizing strands of hair hung down toward her bare, elegant shoulders. As usual, she was running late.
Conner's words echoed in her head. After you get to know someone, you sometimes learn something about them that makes it impossible to be with them. She sighed. He would never learn her secret, but her dual life still might make it impossible to be together.
She heard a knock at her door and looked through the peephole to see Oliver Dickerson, Raven Tristan's contact. He stood at the door, holding a champagne glass. Beth opened the door and nodded to him.
"You are radiant, Ms. Harper," he commented, nodding to the form-fitting sequin dress that hugged her curves.
She blushed and smiled her thanks as he extended the champagne glass. He did so with his right hand around the stem of the glass and his left hand underneath it. As Beth took the glass, he slipped a small card into her hand with his left hand.
"Enjoy your evening," he said, before bowing and leaving the room.
Beth closed the door after him and glanced down at the card. Written in pencil on it were the words, "R will clear the way for you to get into the study at 11." She frowned. Four hours was a long way off. Maybe too long, but it would have to do.
Before leaving her room, Beth checked her messages from Stanley, to see if he had learned whether there was a reason Wheldon might need Bud Tanner. Her phone had no signal, though, so she slipped it into her hand purse and left the room.
Beth headed down the stairs toward the lobby, where a handful of people milled about before joining the reception. Their heads turned her way, watching as if she were an angel descending from heaven. Their looks moved between her face, body, and the long leg slipping out of the slit of the dress every time she reached for a step. Sensing the eyes on her, Beth looked up, bit her lip, and gave a bashful wave.
After reaching the foyer, Beth moved down the hall toward the banquet room. At the first set of double doors, Wheldon waited, greeting the guests as they entered. He wore a stylish tuxedo, with no vest but a bright red cummerbund. She fell in line behind other guests, and when she reached the front of the line, Wheldon's face bloomed into a beaming smile.
"Ms. Harper, Ms. Harper," he said, opening his arms wide, tilting back, and taking her in. He straightened and extended a hand. Beth moved forward and took his hand, but before she could give him a formal handshake, he raised her hand to his lips and planted a kiss on the back of it.
"You will make many a powerful man jealous tonight, me included," Wheldon said. "But it is Senator Bishop who is eager to spend time with you this evening."
"We've met. He is rather charming."
"It would be very good for you, and all of us, if you took good care of the Senator," Wheldon said with a wink. He lowered his gaze and gave her a knowing gaze. "Besides, I did get you that pearl necklace, which looks exquisite around your exquisite neck. I figured you to be someone who likes necklaces."
Beth stiffened. Just like the note that came with the pearl necklace, he spoke in vague statements. His words might be typical male chauvinism, or they might be a veiled threat that she needed to please his prized guest if she wanted him to keep her secret. No, that was unlikely. If he were certain she was Sapphire Angel, he wouldn't make veiled threats. He would make direct threats. She needed to stay the course and not feed any vague suspensions he might have. She couldn't let him realize he was shaking her.
"I'm sure the senator and I will have a lovely evening," she said with a nod, before slipping into the room, flustered.
She entered to find a room filled with men wearing tuxedos and women decked out in elegant gowns. Once again, many heads turned her way, taking her in. Desire filled some eyes, and jealousy clouded others. To her left, looking out of place, Chief Irvin Biggins stood in a wrinkled suit, leering at her body. She turned away and saw Conner through a gap in the crowd, wearing a black tuxedo, and looking like a rugged model from the pages of a magazine. His eyes opened wide when he saw her, and his jaw hung open.
She moved toward him, but Senator Mark Bishop intercepted her, just as a gaggle of older women descended on Conner.
"Well, hello, Ms. Harper," Bishop said, taking her arm.
"Oh, uh, hello, Senator," Beth said, taking a quick glance toward Conner and seeing the women sweep him away. She looked up to meet Bishop's eyes, which were as captivating as she remembered them.
"That dress is made for you," he said. "Your photos are stunning. But you are much more enchanting in person."
Her photos? She gazed up at him, and he looked back with an intent gaze, and with the corners of his mouth turned up. An involuntary shiver passed through her at his look, which felt both mesmerizing and predatory.
"We will have a marvelous evening," he said, before draining his glass in one long gulp.
"Yes... yes," she replied. "I'm sure we will."
As she looked in his eyes, she felt like a moth drawn to a flame, and barely heard his words. After four years of interacting with college men, and much of that time spent with one boyfriend, Beth Harper was ill prepared for the charm and swagger of Senator Bishop.
For the next several minutes, he talked about himself, but also asked questions about her and her life. Beth had never met someone with a magical charisma like Bishop. She needed to ask him questions, to pry information free, but couldn't bring herself to do it. It couldn't hurt to let him speak for a bit first and show such an interest in her. She had a few hours before sneaking off to the study, after all, and it was just talk. She would find Conner soon.
When he handed her a drink, she took it without thinking. It was tasty. She sipped at without realizing it.
He asked her about college, and she answered without thought. As she spoke, one of his hands moved to the bare skin of her back, while the other took her wrist in a soft but firm grasp. A possessive, commanding grasp. Her knees trembled beneath her, but she didn't pull free. It was just a touch.
Beth's mind was awhirl. Why was she reacting like this? She had a job to do tonight and was letting this older man get her off track. She would hate herself later if she didn't at least try to find out what he knew about Wheldon's plans. But she had time. She would let him entertain her, and speak with that confident voice and look at her with those enthralling eyes, for just a bit longer. Then it would be down to business.
But when he spoke again, asking her about herself, she was under his spell once more. Beth barely heard herself as she answered his questions. She was so mesmerized by his mere presence, she might have told him she was Sapphire Angel if he had asked for her deepest secret. But he didn't go in that direction, instead learning all about her family and her return to Harrisburg after college.
The recesses of her mind screamed at her, telling her to pull herself to together. The more it screamed, the more annoyed with herself she became. She was Sapphire Angel, not a fawning teenager.
"How do you know Mr. Wheldon?" Beth finally asked.
Bishop ignored the question, maintaining his hold on her wrist but stepping back to take in her body.
"When you move, and your leg sticks out of that dress..." he didn't finish the sentence, instead ending with a long, soft whistle.
It was a shallow compliment, but a smile crept across Beth's face. It was nice to hear the words coming from someone like him. She even imagined his hand traveling up that leg, going higher... Beth broke herself free of the thought with a start, giving a slight shake of her head. She almost muttered aloud. What was she doing? She was thinking the type of thoughts she never thought. But when she looked back up at him, saw those eyes, and heard his words, she forgot her annoyance with herself.
And so it continued. Back and forth they went, like a waltz where one dancer is in total control, leading, while the other is helpless to alter the flow of the dance. Beth tried to shake herself from her stupor, and press him for information, but Bishop dodged every question, steering the conversation in other directions. Beth was outclassed for this conversation, helpless to change the dance.
"Ladies and gentleman," a butler called over the crowd, causing Beth to give a shake of her head. "Please make your way to the dining room."
The interruption was like an antidote breaking a magic spell. Beth glanced over at a clock on the wall, realizing with dismay she had spent more than an hour with the senator. It had seemed like five minutes. She glanced up, and saw Conner surrounded by another group of older women, moving along with them into the dining room.
With a quick smile, she mouthed, "Excuse me," and broke away from Senator Bishop. As she scurried toward the dining room, the effect of the Senator's enchantment weakened, and her annoyance with herself grew. She wrinkled her brown in consternation, wondering with dismay how far she would have gone if not for the interruption. This was not her. She fanned herself with one hand as she walked. The room was getting warm.
She found Conner and slipped into the chair next to him before someone else took the seat. As he looked up at her, giving her an inquiring gaze, regret flowed through her. She wanted to believe she never would have allowed anything to happen with Mark Bishop, but his control over her had been nearly absolute, with little more than words. How much had Conner noticed?
She reached over, touched Conner's leg, and mouthed, "I missed you."
A moment later she turned as someone slipped into the seat on the other side of her. Mark Bishop. Damn.
This is the second story, so if you want to start from the very beginning, you can jump over to book 1, and begin with the Prologue of Sapphire Angel, Superheroine. Or to start at the beginning of book 2 (this story), click over to the Prologue of Power Play.
Thanks for reading!
I appreciate any comments or email.
I just made the most uneasy-sounding noise ever known to man. Mark Bishop’s just a distraction! That’s all he is! And he’s certainly not going to make this exchange between him, Conner, and Beth any better.
As stated before……he’s a player! Once he gets what he wants (or needs), he’ll LEAVE! …..I think!
It’s so unsettling how Wheldon and Bishop have her perfectly at their beck and call. I’ll admit, sometimes I just fantasize about Sapphire beating them up just to make myself feel better, even though I know that probably won’t happen without in-universe ramifications.
Whenever the President gets here, he had better keep an eye on Wheldon…..I REALLY think there’s bad blood here, even though the characters initially turned it down before.