He couldn't resist and took the miniature digital camera from his coat pocket. He snapped the shot and confirmed it in the back screen. Perfect. He looked around to be sure nobody saw him taking pictures.

As much as Cal loved that building, he hated the vermin that infested it. It was being eaten from the inside by self-serving greed. Aristotle said once, it was the masses that would bring down democracy. He was wrong. It would be the leaders who would vote themselves bread and circuses.

The privilege of that spectacular view was one of the perks of a third term Senator, and tonight was the celebration of the election to that term. Having just moved into the prestigious office vacated by the retiring Senator from New York was the Senior Senator from Wisconsin, Hal Douglas, also known as 'The Saint of the Senate'. From his humble beginning in Sturtevant, to his compassionate speeches on the Senate floor, Senator Douglas fit the title perfectly.

Too perfectly, in Cal Robinson’s estimation. Tonight, Cal was on a mission to expose that saint as a sinner in sinister company. He began such missions almost a decade ago, when his patriotic illusion was burst in a single traumatic moment. "Everyone does it," explained Senator Dustin to the young page, as he folded the check and placed it in his vest.

Cal held the heavy stock invitation in his hand and studied the printing:

You are cordially invited to a Cocktail Reception

in the honor of Senator Hal Douglas

from seven in the evening

on Saturday, the eighteenth of November

in the year two thousand

at the office of the Senator

Hart Senate Office Building Room 303

in the City of Washington

Dinner to follow in the Ground Floor Occasion Room at eight

Black tie

Cal smirked at the blatant snob appeal, then slid the invitation into the inside pocket of his tuxedo, making sure that his camera was also safely tucked away. Although cameras were considered tacky at such an event, he never went anywhere without one. He believed that he always had to be ready for that Pulitzer Prize winning smoking gun shot. Not bloody likely tonight, he thought, as he patted the camera. The evening seemed certain to be one of boredom.

It was all so predictable to Cal. In spite of the celebratory ambiance, nobody was there to have a good time. It was all about power. Everyone would wander from person to person looking for any opportunity to make a new well-connected friend or work a favor from an old one. It was shameless and obvious, and always made Cal feel trapped.

He had to stay, hoping for the opportunity to expose these vermin, but every natural instinct compelled him to escape them instead. He remembered his last escape and a hint of a smile crossed his face. Her name was Nancy.

It was a similar reception, in a similar office, on a similar occasion. She seemed as disinterested in the power gambits as he, and when she approached him, he was relieved to have somebody to talk with who did not seem to be playing "the game".

Their eyes spoke more than their words and they soon stole away into the copy room. They grabbed each other in a hungry embrace as he leaned her back over the copy machine. She broke the kiss and raised her skirt, reaching under to hurriedly pull down her pantyhose and panties together, kicking off her shoes, all in a single, smooth motion.

He put his hands on her waist, lifting slightly, and she accepted the suggestion, hopping back onto the machine. She brought her knees up and he brought his head down between them, parting her warm, moist folds with his tongue. She moaned, stifling the sound with her one hand, as she coarsely ran her fingers through his hair with the other.

The thrusts of her hips against his mouth, her scent, her passion provoked him. He reached down, unzipped his pants, and took out his very hard cock. He wanted to plunge it into her, but she stiffened and came on his mouth.

She relaxed and he rose in front of her. She pushed gently on his chest and smiled. He took a step back. She slid off the machine, turned around, and bent over it, pulling her dress over her beautiful ass. He took the invitation, and her.

He slammed his full length into her wet, warm offering, as she braced herself against the wall with one hand, reaching between her legs to rub her clit with the other. He felt it start in the small of his back and thrust fully into her, pumping his load deep inside her. She continued to move, stroking herself until she pushed herself over the edge and came the second time.

He took a step back and grabbed two paper towels from over the sink, handing one to her. They were dressed and composed in moments and walked back out the copy room door. It was only then that they learned each other’s names, and exchanged phone numbers.

This escape had been a great disappointment. On their next meeting, he realized that she was just another pretty Washington strumpet, all too willing to trade a sexual connection for a political one. As much as he had enjoyed the sex, he wished he could take it back, and then he realized he had only himself to blame.

Yes, Nancy was not very different from him. Everyone in this town is out for something, he thought. Maybe he had been sorting dirty laundry too long. Maybe writing about the sacrifice of decency and honor for political high ground had jaded him to the point where he could no longer believe there was any good, not even in himself.

His musings from erotic experience to self-degradation was interrupted by the announcement that the dinner was to commence in the lobby of the building. He shrugged off the dark thoughts and followed the crowd.

As he entered the beautifully decorated Occasion Room, Cal took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and then stood to the side studying the room. Tropical plants and balloons strategically placed created cozy conversation areas. Large, round tables beautifully decorated in crisp, white linens and the finest china stood in wait for the meal to arrive. Waiters with trays of hors d’oeuvres and champagne milled through the "beautiful" people. To Cal, it all seemed so superficial.

Then he saw her. She was standing near the platform where the Senator would be giving his speech. She twirled her glass between two fingers in an almost nervous gesture. He moved closer to get a better look.

The moonlight from the large window behind her hallowed the outline of her body and danced off the coppery curls that cascaded down her back. She studied the crowd as he studied her. The black velvet dress with a lace overlay clung to her breasts then fell softly over the shapely curves of her hips. He thought her beautiful. He forgot where he was and all of the ill will he had brought with him.

Shamelessly he stared until he knew the intensity of that stare had drawn her attention. When her eyes came to rest on him she smiled down at him. It seemed to him that this was not one of those fake, disinterested smiles, but one of an invitation. Even with the memory of his disillusionment with Nancy so fresh in his mind, he could not resist.

Slowly he picked his way through the crowd while keeping an eye on her. When he finally reached her, he noticed her bright blue eyes shining back at him from under lush eyelashes. If she was wearing any makeup, it was scantily applied, as she didn't need it.

He offered his hand. "Hi. I'm Cal Robinson."

She took his hand into hers. "The reporter?"

He nodded.

"It's nice to meet you. I've read your work. The piece you did on Governor Thompson's welfare reform program was extremely interesting. I'm Renee Ferrell, Senator Douglas' new research analyst." He was still holding her hand and she looked at their clasped hands.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was wondering why I hadn't seen you around before. I don't suppose research analysts get invited to many of the formal occasions."

"Oh, I get invited, I just don't usually attend. But Senator Douglas insisted I get out more, so here I am."

"I can see why he insisted." It was only then that he saw her staff name badge, as his gaze descended towards her breasts. Renee Farrell, Greensboro S.C., it proclaimed. It seemed that nobody who worked in Washington called the capitol city home.

She followed his eyes and blushed. "Well, I guess I felt it was a good reason. I'm very proud of Senator Douglas, and he deserves to be honored by this dinner."

Cal raised a single eyebrow.

"You don't think so."

"I’ve yet to meet anyone in this town who I associate with the word ‘honor’.

"You've heard his nickname?"

"Yes, ‘The Saint of the Senate,’ a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one."

"Well, so far I haven't found anything to discredit him, and I spend a lot of time with him."

"I think it's the nature of the beast. You can't please everyone all the time, yet that is exactly what politicians pretend to do. I am not talking specifically about your boss, but trying to do the impossible seems to lead to corruption." Cal himself was surprised at how he couched that criticism.

She was about to answer when a young woman approached the couple. "Excuse me. Renee, the Senator is about to speak, so we're going to take our seats."

"Yes, of course. I'll be right with you." She turned and warmly looked Cal in the eyes. "This has been the start of an interesting conversation. Can we talk later?"

Cal smiled. "Sure, but how about in a less distracting setting? Say, over dinner tomorrow?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Cal wanted to retract them. He did not want to regret this later. This time, he wanted to know her before he let her close to him.

"I'd like that. You can call me at the Senator's office and we'll make the arrangements."

They took their seats, dinner was served, and the speeches began. She was seated next to the wife of Senator Jackson, two tables away from him. Their eyes met more than he expected, as the political banter droned on. At long last, the victory speeches were over. The packed crowd of supportive guests filed out of the three doors and Cal was dragged out with the throngs in egress. He would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * * * *

Cal jogged swiftly from his subway stop in Georgetown to his apartment building. He did not take his coat off before he dialed the phone.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice answered.

"Zack, it’s Cal, from the Post."

"Hey Buddy. Seeing we are in the same time zone, and you know you woke me up after midnight, I assume you have a good reason."

"I need you to get me all the info you can on a Renee Farrell. She is in her late twenties, I guess, and from your area. Greensboro, I think."

"All right, I’ll go to my office at the paper tomorrow and check the files and microfilm. Is she some threat to national security you are about to expose?"

"No, I have a date with her tomorrow night."

There was a long pause. "Eat me. You woke me up to background your latest chippie? Next time you call, look out the window first, and if you don’t see sunlight, don’t call." Cal was stunned until he heard the laugh. "All right, I’ll look into her, but remember the part about the sunlight."

"Thanks, I owe you another exclusive."

"Eat me."

* * * * *

Seated at the table in The Old Ebbit Grill, Cal studied Renee across the table.

"I have to admit something. When you first introduced yourself last night, I was a bit surprised. I expected you to be a much older man." She laughed and Cal's focus was drawn to her bright red lipstick and white teeth.

Cal was completely taken by surprise. "Why is that?"

"Your articles are so cynical, I imagined you to be a contemporary of Andy Rooney."

"Andy seems to hate everything. At least my glass is only half empty." Cal hated the simplistic analogy as soon as he said it. He realized that, once again, his thinking was impaired by his attraction to her.

"I've always enjoyed your writing, even though it has been a bit caustic. What made you decide to get into reporting?"

Cal reached for his glass of wine and took a sip before answering. "It was a long time ago. I was working as a page for Senator Dustin. At the time, I had a very romantic view of politics. I felt that government was there for the people and that those serving us actually cared and wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be a part of it. Let's just say that after an incident I witnessed in Senator Dustin's office, my view of the system became a bit tarnished. Anyway, on my lunch break that very day, I walked into the office of The Washington Post. The newspaper of Woodward and Bernstein gained a mole – sort of a successor to 'Deep Throat'." He smiled, showing a bit of mischief.

"Didn't anyone ever suspect you?"

"At the time it was a perfect situation. I was well connected, from old money, and seemingly too young to be a threat. I was easily overlooked by the power obsessed, but I took in enough dirty laundry to end the careers of four lawmakers. Then I went above ground. I've spent the last five years of my life using my articles to do for the people what Senator Dustin had done for me. I expose the leaders of the country for what they are: self-serving con artists with the philosophical backbone of a slug."

"Now you DO sound cynical."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, it's just that my eyes have been fully opened."

"I can see why. However, I guess I don't share your entire view. There are a few good men out there trying to make a difference. Senator Douglas for one. I fully believe in him, and have good reason to."

Before Cal could ask for her reasons, she continued. "I remember one of the first articles of yours that I read. The one about Congressman Gadsden and the doodles."

"I remember it well. He was a four-termer from Maryland and excelled in constituent schmoozing. In his tiny district, he had three offices. He had invited me to spend a day with him during 'Office Hours', when he allowed those he served to visit and chat. That was the day Dimitri came to speak with his Congressman." Cal had a faraway look in his eyes as he remembered.

Renee reached over and placed her hand on his. "Tell me what really happened that day."

Looking at her warm hand that covered his, Cal remembered the details clearly. "Dimitri was dying from liver cancer. Of course, the Congressman couldn't do anything about that, but Dimitri had a dying wish he thought Gadsden could help with. It seems that Congress had passed a law known as Section 127C of the Internal Revenue Code. It was intended to stop abuse of inheritance tax laws by big, rich trusts. The Internal Revenue Service used it to write regulations that would cause an 80% inheritance tax on Dimitri’s produce business.

"Dimitri built that business for his family and now his grown children would lose it. He paid income tax on every dollar that he built the business with and could not believe that the government he loved would tax it again and take the whole thing." He took another sip of wine before continuing.

"Dimitri brought his lawyer, who pointed out that Section 127C was so poorly drafted that nobody would admit to writing it. A repeal was on the house floor and they implored Congressman Gadsden to support it.

"We were all so impressed with the good Congressman. He was furiously taking notes. But as Dimitri left, his attorney helping him walk, the congressman was called to the phone. When they were out of the room, I turned over his notepad to see what he had written. Fucking doodles, nothing more. Sorry for the strong language, but it still burns me. You see it was just one more event that showed me that this town is a sewer."

She answered his anger with only a smile. "I remember your article. It was cynical, to say the least, but it got everyone's attention. Section 127C was repealed within a month. Your article also exposed Congressman Gadsden for the phony he was. He lost his next re-election bid. You made quite a difference in this indifferent town."

His mouth dropped. She was indisputably right. Until this very moment, he had only remembered Dimitri and the hopeless meeting. It was as if his field of vision expanded and he glimpsed the whole landscape for the first time.

In that instant, Cal realized that he could fall in love with Renee, heart, mind and soul. He had already been taken with her beauty, but she seemed to know what his work was really about, she appreciated what he stood for, and she made him feel good about what he was doing. Nobody had ever done that.

He never wanted to believe in another person as much as he did her at that moment. He prayed that she was the person he felt she was. He smiled back at her. "Thank you. Maybe you're right. Maybe not everyone has a secret agenda."

"I think I am. You just have to allow yourself to see it."

"Maybe with your help, I can."

The remainder of their meal was finished in companionable conversation. They discussed the plusses and minuses of living in the Capitol. Cal was happy to leave the political banter alone. Since she was a newcomer to the area he found himself sharing his knowledge of the city and its local lore, stopping here and there to point out places he thought she would find fascinating and useful.

They found that they had many more interests in common, from literature to music. He became more astonished as the evening unfolded. Finding someone like Renee always seemed to be an impossibility to Cal, especially in the Capitol City. Finding out if she was for real became the most important thing on his mind. He wished Zack had called.

Over an after dinner drink Cal decided he wasn’t ready for their night to end. It seemed like the opportune moment and the words came out automatically. "Would it be too forward of me to ask if you’d like to come back to my place for a little while? It’s still early. I’ve got a great view of the city from there."

He regretted it immediately. He sounded like the classic jerk asking the woman to his room. He had wanted this to be different. He wanted to believe that she was as beautiful on the inside as he found her on the surface. He added a disclaimer that came out all wrong. "I promise I’ll be good."

Renee’s eyes sparkled. "At what?"

Cal opened his mouth to explain, but had no idea what to say.

"Gotch ya!"

Cal started laughing and recognized that he hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, and she joined him in his mirth. He clasped her hand in his. "Then let’s go find out."

They entered his apartment and he took her coat and hung it in the closet. He reached for the light and she stopped him with her hand. "Wait. Show me that view with the lights off. We’ll be able to see better."

He held her hand and guided her through the living room furniture and into his bedroom

She smiled at him. "How convenient."

"Yes, it could be, but I didn’t lie. Look." He turned her to face the window and walked up to it.

"Wow. I guess you didn’t. It is beautiful."

He gently wrapped his arms around her. "No. You’re beautiful."

"Sweet talker."

Fortunately, she was facing away from him, because his smile faded. She was right. He had played this scene before many times. He decided this one would be different. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling the silky tendrils pass across his fingertips, more than satisfied that this would be as close as he got to her this evening.

Slowly she turned in his arm and looked into his frightened eyes. "I want to kiss you."

He found himself powerless to resist the invitation. He licked his lips then slowly brought them down on hers. He felt her hand against his chest and knew his heart was thumping as if it were the first time he had kissed a woman, and right now, he felt like it was. This was not like any kiss he had ever remembered, certainly not like the aggressive kisses with women like Nancy.

It was the kind of kiss that made one forget direction and time. It started as a gentle, tentative contact, but quickly grew warmer as he felt her body melt against his. Gently he caressed her lips with his, tenderly coaxing them open with the tip of his tongue and tentatively exploring inside. Suddenly his fear returned and he pulled away from her.

"What’s the matter?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly, his eyes not quite able to meet hers.

She reached for his hand. "Now you are lying."

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here."

"Why?"

Gone was the strong reporter able to tear down the pillars of government, replaced by a confused boy. His heart and his desire were pulling him in opposite directions. He took a deep breath. "Because, I have no right to do to you the things that are suddenly running through my head."

She pulled him toward her and placed his hand over her heart. He felt the rapid beating through the silky fabric of her black, silk dress.

"Not even if I want you to?"

"Are you sure? I mean, how do you know what I was thinking?" His smile teased her in the moonlight.

She moved his hand from over her heart down to the tip of her nipple that was pressing against the thin fabric.

"I think I have some idea."

Feeling her desire inflamed his and it took over. He kissed her deeply as he reached around to pull the zipper down on her dress and unclip her bra, giving him access to the warm, soft skin of her back. He pulled the dress from her shoulders and down her arms as he ran his hungry hands over her, kissing down her neck to her now exposed breasts. She moaned and pulled his head close, inviting him to devour her.

His hand reached under the front of her dress, inside of her hose and panties, to feel the wetness between her lips. He parted them and began to stroke her button, as he brought his mouth back to hers.

Without breaking the kiss, she fumbled with his belt, button and zipper, roughly pushing the clothes down and releasing his shaft. She wrapped her small hand around it and began stroking him. The thrill of her hand on his hardness was driving him crazy, and they moaned into each other’s mouths.

Their hands retreated together to shed the remainder of their clothes, the motions punctuated by deep kisses each time their eyes met. He took her hand, led her to the bed, and quickly pulled down the covers. She slid herself across the bed and held her arms out to him.

He hesitated not from fear, but in rapture. He had never seen such a beautiful woman, and she was in his bed, inviting him. Looking at the strawberry curls on her mound, he had a great desire to eat her, but he could not wait. He crawled on top of her, nestled himself between her thighs, and slid fully inside her wet tunnel. They both let out a loud moan and began slowly moving together. They were a perfect fit. He covered her mouth with his and their tongues exchanged homes. The kiss was broken only by their screams as he plunged deeply into her, holding her tight to him as they came together. It was over too quickly, but this definitely had been worth it.

As the waves of pleasure settled down, he raised his head above hers and they looked into each other’s eyes with amazement. They said it together, as he rolled off her, "Wow!"

They held each other and relaxed into a satisfied sleep.

He awoke with a start when he felt her move. He turned on the light by the bed and found the scene surprising. She was still lying next to him, with her arm around him. Their clothes were in a pile together on the floor. This was not what he was used to.

The women he usually brought home always folded their clothes neatly on the chair, then dressed and left after the sex was over. Renee gave no indication of wanting to leave.

He ran his fingers through her hair again. How he loved that feeling. She was smiling up at him. "I am so glad you’re still here."

She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Cal rolled towards the nightstand and noticed that it was two in the morning. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"I hope I woke you out of a sound sleep, old Buddy"

It was Zack. Cal decided not to postpone the payback. "Yeah, now we’re even."

"Well, Buddy it looks like you have the All-American Girl there. Homecoming Queen, cum lau at Duke in poly sci, no wants or warrants. In my grogginess when you called last time, the name did not register, but she is somewhat a local hero here.

"After college, she joined our Economic Development Office. We didn’t know we had one until she got here. The Gateway Center and Business Park, the Historic District revival, and the Intermodal Transportation Center are all her doing.

"Not only that, she is a ‘nice girl’: She chaired her church’s building drive and she helped build the Youth Center. It doesn’t look like she’s ever had a serious boyfriend, but she left many broken hearts. Everyone here loves her. No question, I’d say go for it."

Cal smiled. "I think I just might."

"The only dark side I found is that her parents just died in a car crash. Tragic. It happened on the poor kid’s twenty-eighth birthday last May. That seems to be why she relocated. Hey, Greensboro’s loss is your gain."

Cal looked back at Renee, now unable to confine his smile.

"Thanks Zack. I knew you’d come through for me."

"Don’t I always?"

"Yeah, you do. See ya." Cal hung up the phone and rolled back into Renee’s arms.

"Good news?"

"Yes, very good, from an old friend in the business." He turned off the light. He could not ever remember feeling as good, and as lucky. They fell fast asleep holding each other.

When they awoke, they slowly made love. They showered together and then had coffee in front of the view of the city, she in a borrowed robe. Renee seemed in no hurry to leave and they just sat and enjoyed talking. At dusk, she finally left. After the door closed behind her, Cal leaned against it and felt a tear of joy run down his cheek.

* * * * *

Renee was completely consuming his thoughts, and he knew he was in trouble. As he pushed open the door to Senator Douglas' office, he considered that he should have called first, but he happened to be in the area, and didn't want to wait. During a very long phone conversation the day before they had decided they would wait until Thursday, but that was in two days, and too far away. He had to see her, if only for a few minutes.

The reception desk was vacant, so he cautiously went passed it and investigated down the hall. Each open door he encountered had the promise of having her within, but he was repeatedly disappointed. Finally, turning a corner, he spotted her through a partially opened doorway. She was with Senator Douglas. Cal’s first instinct was to knock and enter, but instead he froze. Something was not quite right. Her body language and the way she looked at the Senator somehow seemed too familiar and inappropriate. Then it happened. Renee leaned forward and put her slender arms around the older man's waist. Her head rested on his shoulder and the Senator caressed the very curls that Cal, himself had run his fingers through so recently.

Cal was overwhelmed. He was disgusted to the point of holding back the urge to vomit. His image of her, along with his own self-image, was shattered. He hated himself because he had just then realized he had fallen helplessly in love with a typical Washington power whore. It was an automatic male response. The perfect woman she had become in his eyes was now a slut. There was another automatic response: Cal got the picture.

Fighting the urge to enter the room in rage, he turned and walked out of the office.

* * * * *

Cal stared at the picture on the screen as he sent it to the printer. How could he have been so wrong? Although he’d gotten the story he had originally started out for, he could not follow through. He should be calling the Copy Room to reserve front-page space, but he could not bring himself to pick up the phone. He sat looking at the phone, wondering why his hand was not moving.

Unfortunately, the answer was too easy. He loved her and didn’t want to accept the proof. He’d finally found someone with whom he thought he could spend the rest of his life. Someone that understood why he felt about the system the way he did, and someone that was going to open his eyes to what could be out there that he hadn’t been able to see before. Well, she sure did open his eyes, just not the way he thought. He should have known better. She had admitted that she spent a lot of time with the Senator. She said she had her reasons for believing in him. He should have pressed her for her reasons.

And tonight he was supposed to see her again. He should just call and cancel. Maybe he’d leave a message at her office. He couldn’t do that. It would be the coward’s way out, and now it was a matter of pride. He was better than she was. He’d prove it when he told her face to face that he had the evidence to prove her and her Senator the scoundrels that they are.

Why not? The picture would still be there tomorrow and he owed himself this confrontation, this chance to redeem himself. He was stalling, he was rationalizing, and he knew it.

* * * * *

They sat at the secluded table surrounded by foliage and illuminated only by candlelight and the moonlight that filtered in through the window next to them.

Cal stared at his fork as he pushed his salad around on his plate.

"You’re awfully quiet tonight," she commented.

"Hmmm, I guess I am."

"Anything on your mind?"

He looked into her eyes. "Yes, I suppose there is."

"Care to share?"

He took a sip of his wine, and then set down his fork. "Yes, actually. There is something that I hadn’t told you about that first night when we met. Do you remember our first conversation when we began discussing how I felt that everyone had a skeleton in their closet?"

"Yes. If it wasn’t for that conversation, we wouldn’t be together now."

"True. Remember our conversation the next night about how I felt everyone had a secret agenda?

"Yes."

"Well, my confession is this: when I went to that dinner I had my own secret agenda. I had it in my mind that your Senator could not be as squeaky clean as he appears to be, and I had set out to prove it."

"Oh?" she slowly answered.

"Then I met you, and aside from the fact that you totally distracted me from my objective, you also went on to try to prove to me later that I might be wrong in my generalization of all political leaders."

"Yes," she paused. "I still think that’s true."

"You almost had me convinced that I might be wrong. But sadly, more sadly than I want to admit, it is you who is wrong."

"Why? What happened to make you think that?"

"I’ve stumbled upon my proof, I’m just not sure what I want to do with it yet."

"Okay, now this sounds serious."

"It is. More so because it affects us, or what there might have been of us."

Renee’s eyes glistened in the moonlight as her emotions surfaced, then she blinked back the tears and asked, "Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say?"

"You probably won’t."

The waiter appeared to clear the table and Cal brushed him aside. Renee watched as the white jacket retreated, then turned her attention back to Cal.

"Okay. Then you better tell me what’s going on."

"I’ve been able to find the proof I was looking for to discredit Senator Douglas," he said in a whisper.

"You have to be wrong."

"I don’t think so."

"What is it you think you’ve found out?"

He looked directly into her blue eyes. "That the Senator is having an affair."

"What? You’ve got to be kidding."

"No, I’m not. You have no idea how much I wish I were."

"You’re going to have to prove it to me. I don’t believe it. Aside from that, I want to know how this affects you and I. With whom is he supposed to be having an affair with?"

"You."

"Now I know you have to be joking. What kind of proof do you think you have to support this?"

"A picture."

Renee’s jaw dropped. "Cal, you’re wrong."

"Am I? You told me yourself how close you are with the Senator, how much time you spend with him. Your admiration seems to go way beyond that of employer and employee."

Renee’s face flamed red, and then she took a deep breath and finally replied. "Cal, may I see the picture, or have you already sent it off to the presses to ruin another one of Washington’s upstanding?" The hurt in her voice was unmistakable.

"No, I haven’t. Although every fiber in my body is asking me why I haven’t."

"So, why haven’t you?"

"Because for some twisted reason I wanted an explanation from you first. It wasn’t bad enough that you had me believing that you may be right about Senator Douglas, but what hurts the most is the fact that I was really starting to trust someone for the first time in a very long time."

"Okay, I’ve had enough. Cal, show me the picture."

He reached into his pocket and slid it across the table. She picked it up and held it up in the moonlight. She studied it for a bit, and then slowly a smile crossed her face.

"It’s a very nice picture of the two of us. I’d like my own copy to frame and put next to my bed."

Cal stared at her. How could she be so callus?

"Next time you take a picture of us though, you could at least have us both looking at the camera. Although, if we would have been you probably would have recognized the similar eyes and cheekbones…" She froze and a look of horror crossed her face. She quickly rose and ran out of the restaurant.

Cal sat stunned, for a moment too long. When he ran to the street, she was gone. He endured the embarrassing ordeal of returning to pay the bill, and then walked back to his apartment, holding the coat she ran off without. He questioned his own confused joy in holding the coat, because it would allow him to see her at least once more.

His confusion was not limited to the coat. What scared her? What was she trying to say about cheekbones? He stopped in his tracks.

She and the Senator are related? How? The senator and his wife had no daughters, only sons. A niece? Cal grimaced – Washington nieces. He remembered how many had been seen with Senator Kennedy. However, her talk of eyes and cheekbones spoke for a blood relationship.

He was still trying to piece the evening’s events back together as he entered his apartment. The familiar beep of the answering machine pierced his concentration. Could it be her? She must have called to apologize and beg forgiveness. The voice on the recording crushed that male ego driven hope. It was Zack.

"Hey buddy. I found something interesting on your girlfriend. Listen to this, her folk’s wedding announcement from my paper’s archives: ‘Miss Mary Jane Ludwig of Sturtevant, Wisconsin and Mr. James Farrell of Greensboro were married Thursday at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church’.

"The date on that piece is June thirteenth, 1974, two full years after your perfect woman was born. So, Buddy, she does have a flaw. She was born out of wedlock. That shouldn’t matter to another bastard like you. See ya."

It was not Zack’s revelation on birth timing that shocked Cal into dropping the coat to the floor. Zack obviously missed the most important fact in that announcement: the bride’s hometown.

* * * * *

Cal had no trouble convincing his editor to allow the expense of a plane ticket to Chicago and a car rental. When Cal Robinson went on a fishing expedition, he always brought back a big catch.

As he drove from the airport, the scenery changed from the big city to the gently rolling farmlands of Wisconsin. Its effect was to smooth Cal’s anxiety. His first stop in Sturtevant was the library. With the help of the head librarian who set everything up for him, he looked back on the microfilm of the Racine Tribune and quickly found what he needed; the birth announcements for the day of Renee’s birth.

He entered the Clerk’s office in the tiny town hall, and was greeted by a woman who met him at the counter.

"Can I help you?"

"I’d like to see a birth certificate"

"Sure. I’m Jenny, and I’d be happy to help you. Who’s certificate do you need to see?"

"Jeffery Thompson, date of birth May sixteenth, nineteen seventy-two."

The clerk frowned. "Is Jeff in some kind of trouble again?"

"No, mam. I am doing genealogical research."

The clerk told him to follow her into the fireproof room then pulled out the necessary volume and opened it to the proper page. Cal sat at the table and waited for her to go about her business. As her comment about Jeffery Thompson confirmed, everyone in this tiny town knew everybody else. He found what he was really after two pages further into the book – Renee’s birth certificate.

He hesitated when he saw her name – Renee Catherine Ludwig. It reminded him of her, and this time he did not try to deny how much he loved her. Below was what he had traveled so far to find out: Father – Harold Thomas Douglas. It seemed too easy. Cal took the camera out of his coat pocket and photographed the page.

"You’re going to hurt them, aren’t you?"

The voice came from so close behind him that Cal turned around swiftly. Jenny was standing behind him, with tears in her eyes. He could not speak, so he waited for her.

"Who are you?"

He cleared his throat. "That depends on how you look at things. Let’s just say that right now, that information is very important to me. Besides, it’s a public record. Over the years hundreds of people must have seen it."

The clerks sadness became anger directed at Cal. "You must be kidding. This is the loneliest place in town. I get an occasional lawyer or appraiser looking up land records. That’s it. The only people who ask for birth certificates are those who are getting married. Nobody looks up genealogy records around here. We all know each other. And I knew you weren’t doing genealogical research on Jeffery Thomson. That boy’s been nothing but trouble since the day he was born."

Cal realized that the diversion he had done was futile after all. "You seem to know an awful lot about people from around here."

"Yes I do." She seemed to stand a bit straighter. "And we try to protect our own."

"I can appreciate that, and will abide by it as much as I can. So what you’re telling me is that nobody else has seen this?"

"Only one person, as far as I know – Renee herself."

"Jenny, this really does mean a lot to me. You’re the first person that I’m admitting this to, so you know how seriously I’m taking this information. I love Renee, but I need to know the truth.

Jenny studied him, deciding whether he was telling the truth. Finally, she let out a sigh and sat down in the chair next to him.

"Renee was visiting her grandparents and her Aunt Jen – that’s what she calls me, even though we aren’t related – one summer and she came in here. She was only eleven at the time. She was curious about her ‘real’ father. She went right by me into the stacks. I didn’t see her until it was too late. I asked her what she was doing and she told me straight out. Like her mother and father, she never could lie. We talked about it and she seemed fine. She seemed satisfied to finally find out."

"What happened?"

"She wrote to Congressman Douglas. Even at the age of eleven, she was smart enough to send the letter to his home, not his office. You can imagine what a mess that would have been. Even so, it had to be a shock for Hal."

"You mean he didn’t know about Renee?"

"No, he left on a full scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania before Mary Jane knew she was pregnant. She never told him because she feared that he would give up his future and come home. She knew he was going on to great things."

"And Mary Jane had no contact with him after he left for school?"

"He tried. He wrote her every day, but she never replied. When he came home, she would not see him or take his calls. Eventually he gave up. Giving up is not like him, but he began to believe she wanted him to leave her alone, so he did. Besides, he had other things keeping him busy. He worked to support the family ever since his father died in sixty-eight. Even with his scholarship, he held a full time job to send money home."

"What happened after he got Renee’s letter?"

"He did the right thing, of course. Once he saw her reference to her mom, he knew it was not a hoax. He told his wife and children, and they all drove down to Greensboro. Renee ended up with two loving families."

"How come this never came out?"

"I told her not to write in the father’s name, but Mary could never bring herself to lie. So few of us knew. Even her mom didn’t know who the father was. I was her best friend in high school. I knew, the doctor knew, and, I suppose the clerk at the time. She wanted it that way. Now the secret is out and you can do your damage with it. We kept it in the family."

"So will I, I promise you."

A look of relief spread across the clerk’s face. "Oh, I didn’t know you were family."

"Not yet."

* * * * *

Cal reached across the large wooden desk and shook the man’s hand.

"Thank you Senator, for taking the time to see me."

"Well, it seems that it would be in all of our best interest. Renee told me about your last, um, altercation with her. I realize the damage you are able to cause with that information, and I felt I should discuss it with you, especially since you haven’t published anything about it yet. Have you?"

"No, not yet. There are a few facts I’d like to verify with you. First, I want to make one thing clear. I love your daughter and would never do anything to hurt her."

"That makes two of us."

"Even though I know the truth, it may not do any good, at least not where it means the most to me. I’m afraid I accused her of having an affair with you before I knew the facts and she may never forgive me for that."

"I can’t speak for her, but I’ve found her to be quite a level headed woman. Try talking to her."

"She was very upset the last time we talked, and I really don’t think she’ll talk to me until I print my article."

"And what do you intend to say?"

"The truth. In the last week I’ve done quite a bit of research on you. Renee showed me that even though I have exposed the worst part of Washington I could dig up, good came of it because I wrote the truth."

"Like I said, she’s a smart woman. I have never feared the truth, so I look forward to seeing your article."

"It seems Renee inherited a lot from you. Her glowing reputation in Greensboro attests to that. Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You might as well."

Cal slipped the picture out of his pocket and slid it across the desk. "What was happening when I took that picture?"

Hal studied the picture, then set it down. A smile crossed his lips. "Now this you are going to find ironic. Renee and I had just finished having a good old-fashioned father/daughter talk. Believe it or not, she had just told me about the relationship between the two of you developing. She was very optimistic and excited, and I was for her. However even at that time, I realized there could be a problem. Cal, I know your work and I know that Renee could never share your cynical viewpoint. I just didn’t realize that the problem would come so soon."

"Well Sir, maybe the view is changing for me. That is, I hope that I can still change things. I have just a few more questions for you. These are professional, not personal. Tell me about the bill your currently working on."

The remainder of the conversation centered on politics. Cal noted that the Senator and his daughter shared another feature – they were both genuine.

Finally, after several hours of discussion, Cal had gotten all he needed. "Thank you Senator." He rose and shook the Senators’ hand again.

"Call me Hal. Senator sounds so formal. Are you going to go talk to Renee?"

"Not just yet. I’d appreciate if you’d not tell her what we were discussing."

"It’s your call."

"Thanks, and I’ll talk to you again." Cal quietly opened the door from the Senator’s office and watched Renee sitting at her desk. She was obviously nervous and agitated as she moved from looking at a file, then to the computer monitor, not typing a word, then back to the file.

Hearing the door open the remainder of the way, Renee looked up and froze. The frightened deer look in her eyes hurt because he knew he was the cause of it. He had to say something, but wasn’t ready for a confrontation. Then he knew what he would do. He walked right up to her desk, smiled down at her and said, "By the way, Aunt Jen sends her regards."

He turned and walked out of the office, leaving her to stare after him.

* * * * *

He knew the headline would shock her again. He wanted it that way. He wanted her to learn something very important about him. It read "The Secret of the Saint of The Senate."

That headline was a private set-up for Renee that most of the country would also see. Cal made the paper agree to send the article to all of the wire services. It went on to read, "This reporter has made it his business to lift the foundation stones of the Capitol City and expose the dirt beneath. When one finds a sparkling jewel in that dirt, one is compelled to find out how it came to be there…."

The article began as a biography of Senator Douglas, and then examined his work. For the most part, the facts were not new, but nobody had ever chained them together to give such a clear picture of the man and how he came to be. It drew a direct line from Senator Douglas’ humble beginnings and midwestern work ethic to the bills he fought for on the Senate floor. Renee was not mentioned.

The call he had hoped for came later that afternoon.

"Mr. Robinson, this is Renee Farrell. Senator Douglas asked me to call and thank you for what you wrote. He has had so many calls from other senators wanting to co-sponsor his Federal Mentoring and Training Act for Single Parent Families that they are going to have to add a page to the bill. Nobody even paid attention to it before."

She sounded so formal to Cal. "Why didn’t the Senator call himself?"

"He told me he would be speaking to you personally, but he…insisted I make this call."

Cal smiled then. "He is a wise man."

"Okay Cal, I was wrong about you and I’m sorry. I thought you would use the facts on your crusade against the evils of Washington."

"That is exactly what I did. I’m just going about it a different way. Instead of fighting the bad guys by myself, I’m fighting with the good ones. It’s getting easier now that I am getting to know who they are. Besides, I was becoming afraid I would end up like Andy Rooney."

"I must say that you have surprised me. Cal, do you…"

He interrupted her. "Can I see you again, real soon? Please?"

He heard her chuckle on the other end of the line. "I was hoping you would say that. How does in five seconds sound? I’m on the other side of your apartment door."

In two bounds, Cal was at the door and he swung it open. There she stood; her cell phone in one hand, the paper in the other, and a smile on her face. He could not believe how beautiful she was.

He stepped into the hall, scoped her up and swung her around.

She held him around the neck. "Cal, I’m so sorry that I even doubted you."

He put her down and pulled her into his apartment, closing the door behind her. "You’re sorry? I’m the one who owes you an apology. I never should have accused you before I had the facts. That’s reporter’s rule number one. How I could ever mistake you for a mistress is unfathomable."

"We all make mistakes. We live and learn."

"I have learned a few things in the past week. One of them is that I don’t want you walking out of my life again."

Their lips met in one of those perfect kisses. Cal knew he would never tire of them. He pulled back. "I love you Renee, and right now I want to make love with you. But not on the living room floor. I want to do it right."

She smiled at him. "Then lead the way."

He held her hand once again, as they walked to the bedroom. "This time let me love you."

"Only if you let me love you back."

He stepped forward and started to remover her clothing. Slowly as the clothes were discarded, her perfect flesh was exposed until she stood naked before him. He drank in that beauty. Leaning forward, he kissed along her delicate collarbone, and up her neck.

Gently she pushed him away. "My turn."

He smiled down at her and watched as she undid each button on his shirt and peeled it off his broad shoulders. With trembling fingers, she fumbled with his belt, and then finally dispensed with it and the remainder of his clothing.

"Finally," she said. "Cal, come love me."

He took her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He kissed her deeply, igniting their desire. This time, he vowed he’d take his time, even if it killed him. He wanted this to be perfect for Renee.

They lay on the bed beside each other, his hardened cock pressed between them. Slowly his fingers started their exploration of her. He felt the swell of her breast in his hand, and traced around her nipples as they puckered under his touch. He bent and took one in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue while his hand traveled even lower, along her hipbone then sliding between her thighs.

"Cal," she whispered.

He raised his head. "Does that feel good?"

"Oh, yes."

"Renee, there’s something I’d like to do."

"What?"

"I want to taste you."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Then taste me, my love. But I get my chance too."

He kissed his way down her body and positioned himself between her legs. Slowly he kissed around her labia, and then flicked his tongue out to taste her. He heard her moan and she rocked against him. Gently he licked across her button, causing her to jerk involuntarily. How he loved doing this to her. Tenderly he started lapping at her clit, and her fingers worked their way through his hair. He placed one finger at her opening and slowly slid it in, stroking along the upper wall of her pussy.

"Yes. Right there," she gasped.

Her hips rocked back and forth on his finger as he continued caressing her clit. She held his head firmly there, not wanting to break the contact. Then he felt it. Her muscles started to grip his finger and he knew she would come for him.

"Yes. Oh God, yes! I’m gonna come."

He stroked his finger and she bucked against him; he held her firmly as she rode through the waves of her climax. Slowly he removed his finger then licked along her opening. He’d love to do that to her again, and he smiled hoping that he would have forever to do it.

He kissed his way back up her body, and lay down beside her. "Did you like that as much as I did?"

She smiled at him, and pulled him to her "I guess you could say that."

He placed his hand over her heart, feeling the rapid beat beneath it. She took his hand and brought his fingers to her mouth, first licking then sucking him, sliding him in and out. He moaned and pushed his cock up against her.

"My turn." She pushed him onto his back and started a trail of kisses across his chest, stopping to nibble on his nipples, then passing over his abdomen and across his hip bones, getting ever closer, but not yet touching his cock which stood proudly away from him. She turned then, and lay between his legs. She placed wet kisses along the inside of his thighs then dipped her head to lick and gently suck on his balls. That was when she finally touched him. She continued her ball play as she slowly started to stroke his cock.

"Oh, yeah. That feels great," he said.

Finally, she knelt, braced herself on one arm and placed the tip of his cock on her lips. With the otherone hand, she stroked the headof his cock back and forth, wetting it. Her copper curls fell forward and caressed him. She was beautiful. Her ass was raised in the air behind her, and she leaned forward and took him between her lips. He was in heaven.

"I don’t think I can take this long," he warned.

She pulled herself off him and smiled. "Then hold me still when you want me to stop." Then she licked along the underside of his head, and then took him back in.

He watched in fascination as she stroked him with a combination of her hand and mouth, taking him in so deep that he felt the back of her throat. He ran his fingers through her hair as she bobbed her head up and down. That was enough. He held her firmly still, encasing him tightly in her mouth, and then gently she pulled off.

She smiled down at him, "Had enough?"

"I don’t think I ever will, but you know what I want."

She moved up his body and placed her pussy along his hardness. He pulled her toward him and held her in a crushing hug as they continued to kiss. Those kisses were fire. She moved forward and aligned their bodies then, slowly pressed back and he slid slowly up into her. They both held their breath.

She looked down on him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now and always," he answered and they started to move.

Gently she rocked back and forth on him. Slowly he pulled out, only to enter the same way. She pressed her clit against him on every down-stroke. Trying to delay the ending and continue the wonderful feeling, they held the slow pace for as long as they could, then finally she changed the pace. He could feel it building in her, and he knew there was no turning back.

"I’m gonna come again," she said. "Yes, I can feel it. Come with me. Come with me, Baby."

Their bodies moved together instinctively, stroking and thrusting until the cries of their release filled the room. He held her firmly to him, savoring the feel of being inside of her. Then he picked her up and she lay down beside him.

"I love you, Renee," he whispered into her hair. He felt her smile against his chest. This wonderful woman he wanted to be his forever. "Renee, will you marry me?"

She rose up and looked down at him. "Are you serious?"

He nodded.

"Do you think you could handle having a Senator’s daughter as your wife?"

"If we’re talking Senator Douglas’ daughter, yes."

She kissed him then, and he knew there would be no more secret agendas.

THE END

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