Richard Travis - Another suck wife

"Yes. But that shouldn't stop you. You'll have a chance to meet a lot of new people, some of them interesting."

"Like who?"

"Tim Bladine will be there."

"The Planning Commissioner?"

"Right now he's on the Planning Commission. He's being talked about as a candidate for Mayor."

"Won't he be with his wife?"

"Divorced."

"Won't I even see you," she asked. "Probably not. But this is temporary, Kitty. Harold will pull his investigator off in a few days and things will be back to normal. We'll meet at my place soon."

"I'll hold you to that, James."

"And I'll hold something to you," he laughed. "Something warm and hard and [missing text]."

"Very tasty!" Kitty added with a chuckle. The party on Shea was in a large home. Kitty took a cab so she wouldn't have to be bothered with parking.

She walked into a living room that seemed as large as a football field, hoping to spot James, but not surprised that he was nowhere in sight. If she knew James, he was off in one of the back bedrooms.

"You must be Kitty," said a neatly dressed young man with dark eyes and a wide, confident smile. "I've heard a great deal about you."

"Really? And who are you?"

The young man seemed taken aback by the question, as if he wasn't used to meeting people who didn't know him. But his confident smile bounced quickly back as he introduced himself.

"Forgive me," he said. "I'm Tim Bladine."

"Oh?" Kitty said quickly. "The pictures I've seen of you in the paper make you look older."

From that moment on Tim Bladine was putty in her hands. Tim Bladine was a politician. Politicians didn't just love flattery, they fed on it. And they rarely saw through it.

Actually, Kitty had never bothered to look at Tim's picture in the paper, but he did look younger than she expected. His tan wasn't as dark as hers, but he obviously spent time around a swimming pool, or perhaps on the golf course.

"Are you involved in politics?" he asked.

"First, let's ace if I might not become interested in politicians. Point one out to me."

Tim grinned. "Point your finger in any direction and you'll point to somebody running for office, hoping to run for office, or busy promoting somebody who can help them if they get in office." Kitty looked around, her eyes flickering with interest. "Who's that, the one in a sport coat. He almost looks out of place."

"Quite the contrary," Tim replied. "That's Walter Tanning. He's a member of the City Council."

"And the one at the fireplace?" Kitty asked. "The one with the attractive woman in white standing with her back to him."

"That's Bud Owens," Tim replied with a frown. "You wouldn't be interested in him."

"Really? Why not?"

"You haven't heard of Bud?"

"I'm certain I've never heard of Bud Owens," she said. "Tell me about him."

"He's the newly appointed Director of the Planning Commission. He maneuvered my ouster and got the job for himself."

"I see why you didn't want to talk about him."

"There are other reasons. The attractive woman in white with him is my ex-wife."

"Sticky! Are you bitter?"

"I'm not. She can be, and she can be vicious if she wants to be."

"Why are they here?"

"To embarrass me I'm afraid. There are certain people here, powerful people, who are thinking of backing me in my race for Mayor. If Bud can make me look bad, my chances will go down the drain."

"How could he make you look bad?"

"That's what I was trying to figure out when you walked in."

He looked Kitty over once again, his dark eyes glistening.

"Fortunately you gave me something better to think about."

"Your ex seems to be ignoring him, or at least pretending to ignore him."

"That's a female tactic Doris uses when she's not getting what she wants. She can give a man the cold shoulder for weeks on end when she gets in one of her bitchy moods."

"What do you figure she wants?"

"Marriage. Doris doesn't know the first thing about love and loyalty, but she's an expert on the power that come with success, particularly political success."

"Sounds like a lovely person."

"If you like vipers."

Kitty eyed Bud Owens carefully. He wasn't a particularly handsome man, too heavy in the gut and his hair looked funny. It was thin and he combed it in all directions to hide the bald spots, which couldn't be done.

"He looks like a one-time ladies man," she observed.

"Re thinks he still is," Tim replied.

"What if his plan to embarrass you backfired?" she asked.

"His loss would be my gain, but I don't play the game the way he and Doris play it. I put my credentials on the line, then go for the things I want."

"And you want to be Mayor?"

Tim nodded. "In the worst way. But if you quote rue, I'll deny it."

Kitty kept eyeing Bud Owens. "Your objective then should be to embarrass Mr. Owens, before he figures out a way to humiliate you."

"Except I don't play the game that way," Tim said.

Kitty grinned at him playfully.

"I do," she said, her eyes sparkling with a challenge.

Tim looked puzzled. "I don't understand."

"I've got an idea," Kitty said. "See that doorway to the patio?"

She nodded toward a small, darkened glass door leading to an unlighted corner of the patio.

"I think I'll invite Mr. Owens to walk through that door, to talk."

"Over Doris' dead body!"

Kitty grinned. "You're making the challenge even more interesting. Give me five minutes out there with Mr. Owens, then bring Doris and join us."

Before Tim could protest or respond, Kitty ambled to the fireplace, her eyes glittering excitedly, her face glowing.

"Mr. Owens?" she said, nudging herself between Bud Owens and the man he was talking to.

Kitty's voice was so eager, so tilled with interest, Doris momentarily forgot she was giving her boyfriend the cold shoulder and turned to look at Kitty. She immediately frowned.

"I just wanted to meet you, Mr. Owens!" Kitty beamed, her eyes dancing as Bud Owens looked interested. "And to congratulate you on being named Director of the Planning Commission."

"Thank you Miss Si…"

"Just call me Kitty! Please!"

"Kitty? Yes, of course. Thank you, Kitty."

Bud couldn't see the daggers pouring from the eyes of his girlfriend who had cut him off four days ago and was still not speaking to him. Kitty was standing in a perfect position to see and feel Doris' growing anger, but she pretended not to notice. Her eyes never left a leering Bud Owens.

It had been almost a week since he'd fucked a woman, even touched one! Kitty was so close he wondered if he couldn't reach her lovely little nose with the tip of his tongue.

"Can I get you something to drink?" be offered. "How nice of you to offer! I don't drink liquor, but I'd love a glass of white wine – just a trifle sweet, and chilled."

"I know just the brand?" Bud Owens smiled. "I'll be right back."

Doris lost no time attacking. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Kitty. Just little ole Kitty. Oh, Mrs. Owens, you must be awfully proud of your husband!"

"He's not my husband – yet. What I want to know is…"

Kitty leaned close, whispering discreetly. "Your eyes. They're drooling mascara down your face."

Doris immediately held her hand to her face. "I'll talk to you later!" she snapped, and rushed to find a bathroom.

"Here you are little lady!" Bud Owens beamed, returning with two glasses of wine.

Kitty immediately spilled her glass down the front of his pants. "Oh heavens! Look what I've done!"

She grabbed a towel from a passing waiter and started to wipe at the moist spot on his fly.

"No, please!" Owens protested, even mote embarrassed. "It's all right, really."

"I feel horrible!" Kitty said, looking like she would break into tears. "Here, come here," she said, nudging him toward the patio door. "I've got to get it off before it stains your pants."