Sex Love & Politics, a Life with Derek fanfic.
Title: Sex, Love and Politics, Chapter Two
Author; happy_overdose
Summary: Casey and Derek set up a contract outlining their conduct towards each other. But as the mayor for the city of London gears up to be reelected, his campain manager casey will find her personal scandal twisted up in his. Dasey
Rating: M. Oooh yay! I'm writing Dasey smut!
Disclaimer: I can't even pay my cable bill right now.
“Everybody is going to think we are the lamest people ever.”
Derek turned to look at Casey as the limo pulled up to take them to the gala, “Why? You look great.”
She glared at him, “No, you idiot! How did both of us end up bringing our little sisters to such a swanky event?’
They looked over to where Lizzie and Marti stood. Marti, looking beautiful in a purple borrowed dress, was fixing the crystal-encrusted headpiece she wore in her short cropped hair. She looked very grown up, as she should, for a freshman in college. Lizzie stood beside her, fixing her strapless peach dress that sparkled with silver embellishments. She had flat ironed her hair (no blowouts for their Lizzie) and wore a similar hairpiece to her stepsister. The dress was made of organic cotton, the hairpieces were of recycled material and the shoes were old ones that were professionally rewrapped and reinforced for tonight, which made them look as good as new. Casey admired her sister for her stand against waste of resources, and who could believe it would have such beautiful results?
Derek shrugged, “You could have found some desperate intern who would do anything to please you.”
She glared, “And you could have found some aspiring model that was sleeping her way through your team.”
“Don’t worry. I doubt anyone’s going to be paying that much attention to notice how lame we both are.”
Despite herself, Casey laughed. She guessed he was right. They were hardly the main attraction. Not only was Josh going to be there, but several Canadian politicians, celebrities and of course, sportsmen. Derek was a former player, but Casey doubted he would attract as much attention as the players that were currently on the roster. The fact that they both brought their sisters would hardly be a footnote of the night’s events.
Casey patted her barrel curls and smoothed down the front of her wine red backless dress. The chauffer opened the door for Marti and Lizzie to climb in.
“After you,” Derek offered, letting Casey get in before him. The limo drove off towards the club in a moment.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m nervous!” Marti confessed. She fanned her face with her hand, “Is it true there is going to be a red carpet, Casey?”
Casey nodded, “I’m hoping to avoid it. If I find a way, you’re welcome to join me.”
“Plus, you look great, Smarti,” Derek declared, “You don’ need to be nervous.”
“Thanks,” she sighed, gratefully. Then she looked over at Casey, “You, by the way, look stunning. I wish I could pull off a backless dress. You don’t have to duck the red carpet.”
“Maybe not, but I have work to do. I have to make sure everything is set up for Josh’s speech. Plus I have to make sure the courses are on time and the scheduled performers showed up and the items for auction are all ready…”
“Weren’t you at the office two hours ago doing all of that?” Lizzie asked, adjusting her bra under her bustier.
“Yeah, but in case something went wrong while I was home…”
“Jeez, Case, let go. Whatever comes up, I’m sure the twins can deal with it,” said Derek. He was talking about Isis and Jonathan, of course, “Promise me, all three of you, that you will not leave me for some society predator to get me. Each of you is going to dance with me.”
“Sure, I’ll dance with you Smerek.” Marti beamed.
“Alright, sure,” said Lizzie.
He looked at Casey, “Well?”
“When I get a break, sure,” she told him.
When they reached the club, the chauffer rolled up right to the red carpet.
“Hey, bud, is there a side door?” Derek asked, knocking on the partition.
“I was instructed to leave you all here,” said the chauffer.
Casey rolled her eyes, “Crap. Sorry Marti, we’re out of luck.”
They got out of the car, straightened their clothes and hair. Casey straightened Derek’s skinny tie, brushed at his tuxedo jacket and smoothed down his hair before declaring he was red carpet ready. She took Lizzie’s hand and he took Marti’s and the two couples walked onto the red carpet.
“Derek! Derek, over here!”
“Great to see you Venturi!”
“Who’s the lucky lady?”
“My sister, so watch how you take those pictures!” Derek yelled back, causing the bank of photographers to laugh.
For a while, Lizzie and Casey watched Marti and Derek pose for the camera. Then Casey heard her name.
“Miss McDonald, can we have some pictures?”
“Miss McDonald you look stunning!”
“Do you want to join in with your step brother?”
She looked at Lizzie, who shrugged. The two of them joined their step siblings and took some pictures. Surprisingly the photographers asked for pictures of Casey alone and with Derek. She obliged, trying not to touch him too much.
When they headed inside, Casey could see two familiar people rushing towards them. Isis looked like a princess in a dress made of traditional African print but with a modern silhouette and no straps. A matching kerchief was in Jonathan’s lapel. Casey wondered if they were slowly turning into the same person.
“Hey, Casey. No major crisis since you left, but they’re waiting for you to give your approval of the changes to the seating plan…”
“…even though we’ve already told them that putting Senator White’s ex wife and his ex girlfriend at the same table would be a nuclear disaster that you would approve of preventing. And Mr. Hammond is asking for you. Hi, Lizzie.”
Isis rolled her eyes as Jonathan drooled over Casey’s sister. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, “Ignore him. See you later. We have a lot of work to do.”
As she watched the two walk away, Lizzie pointed at them, “Are they dating?”
“I have no idea,” Casey grinned, “I’ll be right back. Josh wants to see me”
She told them to get seated without her and made her way towards the room that campaigners were using as a prep room. As she entered she watched as Josh I front of the mirror, holding up ties.
“Which do you think looks better?” he asked, looking at her in the mirror, “You look amazing by the way.”
“Thank you. Wear the dark blue one,” she told him. He dropped the other ties, tying on the dark blue one, “You wanted to see me?”
“Uh, I need a favour,” he turned to her, “You brought Lizzie, right?”
“Yeah,” Casey nodded.
“My date can’t make it. She has food poisoning. The press hasn’t seen me with anyone in over three months. Can you stand in for her? I’ll give you anything you want. Do you like ponies?”
Casey laughed.
“Are you paying me o be your date?”
“No, but I know it’s not a part of your job description.”
“It’s okay, Josh. It isn’t that I have to do much more than sit beside you and maybe dance a little. Plus I have a lot of work to do; I won’t be sitting with you for long.”
“Actually, I’m gonna ask the twins to deal with everything. They’re capable and they know exactly what you would do. Come on, we can go meet the press now.”
He had a hand on her arm and was pulling her forward before she could even answer.
The bank of press waiting for Josh was way more brutal than the ones that were at the red carpet. These were the reps from the local news agencies. Casey sighed, hoping they would stick to the soft stuff. She was in no mood to get in work mode, especially not in this dress.
“Good evening, everybody!” Josh said with a wave. He was greeted with a chorus of hellos.
“Any questions?”
“Yeah!” Hannah Wigman from the London Ledger smacked her gum at them, puffing out her bosom in a low cut pink dress, “How come you are here Miss McDonald, with Mayor Josh Hammond, when you arrived here with Derek Venturi, coach of the Bluebirds?”
Casey gaped, “What?”
“Does anybody have a pertinent question?” Josh asked, sending a glare Hannah’s way.
The rest of the gathered press asked questions that were a bit less intrusive and a lot more pertinent, thank goodness. And Casey breathed a sigh of relief.
They went in together. Casey sought out Lizzie in the sea of people seated in the ballroom. She saw her at a table on the other side of the room, texting on her phone. Marti was looking her way though, so she signaled an apology to her while she headed to the table at the front with Josh.
They got through Josh’s speech without a hitch. Casey had to turn and give the twins two thumbs up for that one. They gave her double thumbs up in unison back.
After a few more messages, and a talented harpist, they were served dinner. Casey leaned to Josh and told him she was going to talk to her sister before dinner. When she got to the table her family was sitting at, Lizzie drew her to the seat beside her.
“Case!” she whispered loudly, “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry I ditched you Liz. Josh’s date is sick so he asked me to hold her place.”
“That’s not what it sounded like to me.”
Casey frowned, “What are you talking about?
Lizzie turned her phone around, showing her Twitter feed, “Hannah’s been tweeting that you’re here with both Josh and Derek, like they’re sharing you or something.”
Casey gaped, “She’s crazy! I came here with you!”
“I tried to tell her that, but she’s not listening to me. Derek’s gone after her to set her straight.”
“You better go after him before he makes it worse,” said Marti.
Casey walked out to the reception area looking for Derek. She saw him in a corner with Hannah, who was trying to push her breasts as far as she could into his face. She made her way over to him, but before she could get there, she was being yanked in the next direction.
“How could you?” Octavia cried, her glasses foggy and her usually pleasant face ugly. The dress she wore, an artsy knee-length dress with yellow and blue designs down the front, had a large and inexplicable white stain ruffle all across the front. Her bun was unraveling.
“Octavia, I didn’t have anything to do with this!”
“You know how much I love him and you didn’t even consider my feelings before you started this…affair!”
“What affair? Tae, I didn’t do anything!”
“Omigod! They’re fighting over Mayor Hammond!”
Both Casey and Octavia turned to see they had an audience. Hannah and Derek walked over to them, Hannah with a smirk and Derek with a disapproving glare aimed at Hannah’s back.
“Hannah, there is nothing going on, okay? I came here with my sister Lizzie; Josh’s date couldn’t make it so I just sat in her seat. There is no story here!”
“That’s what your stepbrother told me,” Hannah jerked a thumb at Derek, “But you have to admit, it did look a little suspicious, you hanging onto the two most eligible bachelors in London.”
“One of whom is my step brother…”
“Yeah, I know,” Hannah smirked, “Well, I’ll leave you two to sort out your issue. Casey, compliments on the food, it is top notch.”
She took off.
Octavia wrung her hands together, “I’m sorry, Casey. I was just checking my Twitter and I saw her tweet…”
“It’s okay, Tae. I know how you feel about Josh.”
The younger woman smiled and made her way to the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Derek heaved a big sigh, “Wow. Crisis abated, Captain Politic.”
“Not entirely,” Casey sighed, “But, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to Josh so tonight won’t be a total waste.”
They went back to Josh’s table. Thankfully, Derek’s boss was also there, along with Josh’s father. They talked, mostly about hockey, took pictures and shook hands.
Casey watched the expressions of the two older men’s faces. They looked pleased to be talking to Derek like this and surprised that he was so intelligent and knowledgeable.
After a while, Marti came over and charmed everyone by announcing she had promised her big brother a dance. They went off on the dance floor, and Casey took the opportunity to make and exit. She spotted Jonathan’s blonde head near Isis’ braided one across the room and headed towards them.
They had their matching phones out, typing in sync.
“If only you two knew how cute that is,” said Casey.
They looked up, “What?”
Casey smiled, “Nothing. What are you doing?”
“Trying to mitigate a Social Media disaster.”
“No thanks to you and that red dress you’re wearing.”
“Or the fact that you were seen on two guys’ arms tonight.”
Casey huffed, “Derek is my stepbrother.”
“Yeah. And Mayor Hammond is your boss. People make a big deal out of the stupidest things,” Isis snarked. Jonathan looked over at her with an approving smirk.
“Why haven’t I fired you two yet?” Casey wondered aloud.
“You wouldn’t last a day without us,” they said in unison, looking up from their phones with identical smiles.
“You two are peas in a pod.”
They grinned, “Thank you!”
She gave them a look that could melt a glacier, “The band can go ahead and strike up the music. Everything set up for the silent auction?”
They nodded almost in unison. Casey opened her mouth to ask the question regarding their relationship status again, then decided against it.
“I’m going to go have some champagne. Hold the fort while I’m gone.”
“Aye aye Captain!” said Jonathan and both twins saluted.
Casey went back to the ballroom, watching as she got in the moment when Lizzie met Jordan McGregor, a politician that was spearheading the conservation of rare plants. She accepted his hand and they went to dance a few feet from where Derek and Marti were doing crazy disco moves to amuse themselves. She shook her head at the pair of them.
“You both brought your sisters?”
Casey turned to look at Josh. He smiled down at her with amusement.
“You date dumped you. Which of us is more pathetic?” she glared at him.
“Alright. I get it. It’s been a real pity party tonight. Senator Jennings brought his mother. Almost everyone came without dates. We seem to be the least lame ones.”
Casey grinned, “Do you have time between kissing asses to dance with your campaign manager?”
“I always do,” Josh grinned.
They got on the dance floor, just as the band started playing Brick House. Everybody on the floor was getting down to the funky song, making complete buffoons of themselves and completely distressing Josh’s mother.
The song came to a crashing end. The dancers gave them rousing applause.
“Alright, this next one is for the couples out there,” said the band leader in his honeyed voice, “Everybody out there find a partner and get close. This is a sloooow jam.”
Casey looked around at the couples getting close. Derek pawned Marti off on the guy who came by to cut in. Their eyes met.
Then suddenly, Josh was pulling her forward, and just as suddenly a flash bulb went off. Casey looked around at Derek, but he had already found a nameless blonde from somewhere. She tried to tell herself that she was silly for being disappointed.
They were dancing for a while when she saw Isis and Jonathan running up to her.
“Time for the auction, Casey!” Jonathan announced.
“Sorry to take her away, sir, but duty calls!” Isis trilled.
“Oh, of course,” Josh let her go, but then thought the better of it. He pulled her back to him, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Come right back, okay?” Josh held on to her hand a little longer than normal. And his eyes bored into hers imploringly.
Casey tried to hide her blush as she ran behind the twins.
She caught Derek’s eye across the floor, not sure what his eyes were telling her.
…………………….
Derek’s the proud new owner of a slightly used vintage car by the time the night is over, and seriously he has no idea why he bid on it. The quirky looking old man who was fighting him for it didn’t really put up much of a fight. He handed the keys to Lizzie once they were handed to him and she gave him a look that seemed to question whether he was switched by aliens. When Marti opened her mouth to complain, he told the girls they could chare the car, and he would even throw in insurance. After they did they requisite amount of squealing, they planned to drive their new wheels home.
Derek was left alone.
It took about ten minutes for Hannah Wingman to sidle up to him again.
“Totally off the record,” she began, what the hell does she see in him? He doesn’t have anything that you don’t have. And he’s all stuffy and conservative. What the hell is she doing with him while you’re over her all alone?”
“First of all, he’s on a date with her, not marrying her. Second, I’m her stepbrother.”
Didn’t stop my parents,” Hannah batted her eyelashes innocently.
Something distracted her and he took the oppourtunity to move away.
The twins were in a corner behind a desk, overseeing the handing over of the auction items to their new owners. And Derek was not proud of himself for it, but they were the nearest targets. He felt keyed up and agitated and for him, messing with other people’s heads was always the cure.
“Hi, Derek,” they said in unison, looking up for half a second between them, before turning back to the elderly lady who had won herself a trip to Seychelles.
“What is up with you two?” h asked, noting their looks of confusion were as always carbon copies of each other, “I have to as, do you two plan this stuff or is it really just coincidental?”
“What are you talking about?” Isis alone answered this time.
“You talk alike, you think alike. You dress to complement each other. Did you guys get a discount package, buy one soul get two vessels free? And while we’re at it, what do you see yourselves as? Brother and sister? The other piece of the puzzle? Are you guys boyfriend and girlfriend? Please tell me you don’t come at the same time when you’re having sex.”
Jonathan’s skin was pretty pale normally, so Derek could see the violent red blush spread across his face. Isis was dark, but the expression on her face alone made him know she was blushing.
“Come on guys. Don’t tell me you’re just friends. There’s no such thing. In the end, somebody is going to profess their undying love for someone else. Or, one of you is gonna want to fuck the other. So get to it and find out what the hell is it that’s got you two practically conjoined. Aaannnd…go.”
He turned from the two just after observing the looks they sent each other. Derek smirked. He hadn’t done that in a while, mess with people who are not Casey McDonald.
Speaking of her.
“Derek, where are the girls?” Casey grabbed his upper arm out of nowhere, “I came to tell you guys to go home without me. Josh needs me to go with him to his dad’s mansion. They’re gonna have a little impromptu after party.”
“Campain manager’s job is never done, huh?” he quipped. But she had had a decade to learn how to ignore his jabs.
“You and Lizzie and Marti can go home in the limo. It’s out front. Where are the girls?”
“They went home in their new car. I’ll take the limo.”
Casey gave him one last look, squeezed his arm, and ran to catch up with Josh.
Derek headed to the limo alone, trying not to miss her and her red hot dress.
…………………….
Monday morning when Casey walked into campaign headquarters, she realized something was wrong before she even got to look around. She frowned at Jonathan as he walked up to her, giving her a cutting stare.
“What? Fly drowned in your happy juice this morning?”
“Where is Isis?” Casey asked. It was weird seeing Jonathan without his other half. It was like he had lost an arm.
Jonathan shrugged, “How should I know?”
Casey frowned harder, “What? You two are basically joined at the hip.”
“I resent that,” Jonathan said over the lid of the coffee cup she handed to him.
“What happened to you two between Saturday night and this morning?” she asked, just in time to see out of the corner of her eye Isis slinking into the room, braids all over the place when they would usually be in a neat ponytail or bun.
Casey looked at Jonathan. Usually when they were in the same room, he would immediately seek her out. But now he was actively ignoring her.
Casey poked a finger in the air between her and Jonathan, “Whatever this is, it will have to wait. Josh wants me in his office.”
“I bet he does,” Jonathan muttered.
Casey handed him the other cup of coffee, “Go talk to her or I wring your neck.”
She headed down the corridor, too determined to look back and see if he had actually followed her command.
She walked to Josh’s office, sending Octavia a wave. She was met with a stare that could melt the polar caps. What was wrong with everyone this morning?
She went in to Josh’s office and found him on the phone, talking and laughing.
………………………
“I have something to tell you.”
Derek stopped in the middle of licking a trail up Casey’s neck. He looked at her, wondering what on earth was more important than him easing off the tiny cotton Save the Earth! shorts and tank top she was wearing in support of Lizzie’s fundraising campaign. She was only here for twenty minutes, then she had to get back to the park to start their annual walk/run.
“What is it? Talk fast,” he told her before sliding his hand to cup her between the legs. The sound she made was the best reward ever.
“Derek, Josh’s ratings have been going up for the last week. He’s been getting his best numbers ever. Isis, Jonathan and I have narrowed down the reason to the fact that people like seeing the mayor with a significant other, i.e. me.”
“Okay…” Derek had his hand inside her shorts by now, getting turned on as her breaths turned into pants.
“So since we want the numbers to stay up, they devised a plan to have me act as his girlfriend, just for the election. So, you know, we have to be a bit more careful with this… thing. Nobody can know about the contract.”
Derek drew back a little, but his hand never left her, “I thought you were gonna call it off. I was getting ready to screw you into submission in five minutes! We could have gotten out the stop watch and everything!”
Casey giggled.
“No. I wouldn’t do that. Especially since Josh and I aren’t really in a relationship, just pretending to be.”
“Good. I mean sure. No need for you to become a nun just because you’re shackled to a politician.”
Casey’s head wheeled to face him, “What does that mean?”
Their mouths were so close they almost touched, “N-nothing. I just mean he’s an elected official. All stuffy and prim. Actually, I bet that gets you wet; starched ties and boring speeches. I bet you get off thinking about him rearranging his sock drawer.”
“Wait no fair!” Casey groaned as Derek’s fingers moved against her. Her head went back on the couch and her hips writhed. Derek continued his ministrations, adding his tongue on her neck.
“See? You can always tell a keener. When you just say the words sock drawer and it gets her completely wet..”
He growled it in her ear. For some reason that brought her over the edge.
Casey screamed as her orgasm erupted through her, making her cheeks redden. She was still floating above her own body when she heard Derek chuckle.
“You know none of that is true!” she yelled at him, cheeks hot, “Josh and I are just friends! I am not sexually attracted to him.”
“Never stopped you before,” Derek smiled.
He was talking about the day when Casey brought the contract to his house and asked him to sign, claiming that this was just a business deal and that she had absolutely no feelings for him. She didn’t think any of them were still under the illusion that that was true.
“You moron,” she muttered, pulling his face to hers and kissing him hotly. Neither of them came up for air until Casey’s phone rang and it was Lizzie asking where she was with the Save the Earth banner already.
Author; happy_overdose
Summary: Casey and Derek set up a contract outlining their conduct towards each other. But as the mayor for the city of London gears up to be reelected, his campain manager casey will find her personal scandal twisted up in his. Dasey
Rating: M. Oooh yay! I'm writing Dasey smut!
Disclaimer: I can't even pay my cable bill right now.
“Everybody is going to think we are the lamest people ever.”
Derek turned to look at Casey as the limo pulled up to take them to the gala, “Why? You look great.”
She glared at him, “No, you idiot! How did both of us end up bringing our little sisters to such a swanky event?’
They looked over to where Lizzie and Marti stood. Marti, looking beautiful in a purple borrowed dress, was fixing the crystal-encrusted headpiece she wore in her short cropped hair. She looked very grown up, as she should, for a freshman in college. Lizzie stood beside her, fixing her strapless peach dress that sparkled with silver embellishments. She had flat ironed her hair (no blowouts for their Lizzie) and wore a similar hairpiece to her stepsister. The dress was made of organic cotton, the hairpieces were of recycled material and the shoes were old ones that were professionally rewrapped and reinforced for tonight, which made them look as good as new. Casey admired her sister for her stand against waste of resources, and who could believe it would have such beautiful results?
Derek shrugged, “You could have found some desperate intern who would do anything to please you.”
She glared, “And you could have found some aspiring model that was sleeping her way through your team.”
“Don’t worry. I doubt anyone’s going to be paying that much attention to notice how lame we both are.”
Despite herself, Casey laughed. She guessed he was right. They were hardly the main attraction. Not only was Josh going to be there, but several Canadian politicians, celebrities and of course, sportsmen. Derek was a former player, but Casey doubted he would attract as much attention as the players that were currently on the roster. The fact that they both brought their sisters would hardly be a footnote of the night’s events.
Casey patted her barrel curls and smoothed down the front of her wine red backless dress. The chauffer opened the door for Marti and Lizzie to climb in.
“After you,” Derek offered, letting Casey get in before him. The limo drove off towards the club in a moment.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m nervous!” Marti confessed. She fanned her face with her hand, “Is it true there is going to be a red carpet, Casey?”
Casey nodded, “I’m hoping to avoid it. If I find a way, you’re welcome to join me.”
“Plus, you look great, Smarti,” Derek declared, “You don’ need to be nervous.”
“Thanks,” she sighed, gratefully. Then she looked over at Casey, “You, by the way, look stunning. I wish I could pull off a backless dress. You don’t have to duck the red carpet.”
“Maybe not, but I have work to do. I have to make sure everything is set up for Josh’s speech. Plus I have to make sure the courses are on time and the scheduled performers showed up and the items for auction are all ready…”
“Weren’t you at the office two hours ago doing all of that?” Lizzie asked, adjusting her bra under her bustier.
“Yeah, but in case something went wrong while I was home…”
“Jeez, Case, let go. Whatever comes up, I’m sure the twins can deal with it,” said Derek. He was talking about Isis and Jonathan, of course, “Promise me, all three of you, that you will not leave me for some society predator to get me. Each of you is going to dance with me.”
“Sure, I’ll dance with you Smerek.” Marti beamed.
“Alright, sure,” said Lizzie.
He looked at Casey, “Well?”
“When I get a break, sure,” she told him.
When they reached the club, the chauffer rolled up right to the red carpet.
“Hey, bud, is there a side door?” Derek asked, knocking on the partition.
“I was instructed to leave you all here,” said the chauffer.
Casey rolled her eyes, “Crap. Sorry Marti, we’re out of luck.”
They got out of the car, straightened their clothes and hair. Casey straightened Derek’s skinny tie, brushed at his tuxedo jacket and smoothed down his hair before declaring he was red carpet ready. She took Lizzie’s hand and he took Marti’s and the two couples walked onto the red carpet.
“Derek! Derek, over here!”
“Great to see you Venturi!”
“Who’s the lucky lady?”
“My sister, so watch how you take those pictures!” Derek yelled back, causing the bank of photographers to laugh.
For a while, Lizzie and Casey watched Marti and Derek pose for the camera. Then Casey heard her name.
“Miss McDonald, can we have some pictures?”
“Miss McDonald you look stunning!”
“Do you want to join in with your step brother?”
She looked at Lizzie, who shrugged. The two of them joined their step siblings and took some pictures. Surprisingly the photographers asked for pictures of Casey alone and with Derek. She obliged, trying not to touch him too much.
When they headed inside, Casey could see two familiar people rushing towards them. Isis looked like a princess in a dress made of traditional African print but with a modern silhouette and no straps. A matching kerchief was in Jonathan’s lapel. Casey wondered if they were slowly turning into the same person.
“Hey, Casey. No major crisis since you left, but they’re waiting for you to give your approval of the changes to the seating plan…”
“…even though we’ve already told them that putting Senator White’s ex wife and his ex girlfriend at the same table would be a nuclear disaster that you would approve of preventing. And Mr. Hammond is asking for you. Hi, Lizzie.”
Isis rolled her eyes as Jonathan drooled over Casey’s sister. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, “Ignore him. See you later. We have a lot of work to do.”
As she watched the two walk away, Lizzie pointed at them, “Are they dating?”
“I have no idea,” Casey grinned, “I’ll be right back. Josh wants to see me”
She told them to get seated without her and made her way towards the room that campaigners were using as a prep room. As she entered she watched as Josh I front of the mirror, holding up ties.
“Which do you think looks better?” he asked, looking at her in the mirror, “You look amazing by the way.”
“Thank you. Wear the dark blue one,” she told him. He dropped the other ties, tying on the dark blue one, “You wanted to see me?”
“Uh, I need a favour,” he turned to her, “You brought Lizzie, right?”
“Yeah,” Casey nodded.
“My date can’t make it. She has food poisoning. The press hasn’t seen me with anyone in over three months. Can you stand in for her? I’ll give you anything you want. Do you like ponies?”
Casey laughed.
“Are you paying me o be your date?”
“No, but I know it’s not a part of your job description.”
“It’s okay, Josh. It isn’t that I have to do much more than sit beside you and maybe dance a little. Plus I have a lot of work to do; I won’t be sitting with you for long.”
“Actually, I’m gonna ask the twins to deal with everything. They’re capable and they know exactly what you would do. Come on, we can go meet the press now.”
He had a hand on her arm and was pulling her forward before she could even answer.
The bank of press waiting for Josh was way more brutal than the ones that were at the red carpet. These were the reps from the local news agencies. Casey sighed, hoping they would stick to the soft stuff. She was in no mood to get in work mode, especially not in this dress.
“Good evening, everybody!” Josh said with a wave. He was greeted with a chorus of hellos.
“Any questions?”
“Yeah!” Hannah Wigman from the London Ledger smacked her gum at them, puffing out her bosom in a low cut pink dress, “How come you are here Miss McDonald, with Mayor Josh Hammond, when you arrived here with Derek Venturi, coach of the Bluebirds?”
Casey gaped, “What?”
“Does anybody have a pertinent question?” Josh asked, sending a glare Hannah’s way.
The rest of the gathered press asked questions that were a bit less intrusive and a lot more pertinent, thank goodness. And Casey breathed a sigh of relief.
They went in together. Casey sought out Lizzie in the sea of people seated in the ballroom. She saw her at a table on the other side of the room, texting on her phone. Marti was looking her way though, so she signaled an apology to her while she headed to the table at the front with Josh.
They got through Josh’s speech without a hitch. Casey had to turn and give the twins two thumbs up for that one. They gave her double thumbs up in unison back.
After a few more messages, and a talented harpist, they were served dinner. Casey leaned to Josh and told him she was going to talk to her sister before dinner. When she got to the table her family was sitting at, Lizzie drew her to the seat beside her.
“Case!” she whispered loudly, “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry I ditched you Liz. Josh’s date is sick so he asked me to hold her place.”
“That’s not what it sounded like to me.”
Casey frowned, “What are you talking about?
Lizzie turned her phone around, showing her Twitter feed, “Hannah’s been tweeting that you’re here with both Josh and Derek, like they’re sharing you or something.”
Casey gaped, “She’s crazy! I came here with you!”
“I tried to tell her that, but she’s not listening to me. Derek’s gone after her to set her straight.”
“You better go after him before he makes it worse,” said Marti.
Casey walked out to the reception area looking for Derek. She saw him in a corner with Hannah, who was trying to push her breasts as far as she could into his face. She made her way over to him, but before she could get there, she was being yanked in the next direction.
“How could you?” Octavia cried, her glasses foggy and her usually pleasant face ugly. The dress she wore, an artsy knee-length dress with yellow and blue designs down the front, had a large and inexplicable white stain ruffle all across the front. Her bun was unraveling.
“Octavia, I didn’t have anything to do with this!”
“You know how much I love him and you didn’t even consider my feelings before you started this…affair!”
“What affair? Tae, I didn’t do anything!”
“Omigod! They’re fighting over Mayor Hammond!”
Both Casey and Octavia turned to see they had an audience. Hannah and Derek walked over to them, Hannah with a smirk and Derek with a disapproving glare aimed at Hannah’s back.
“Hannah, there is nothing going on, okay? I came here with my sister Lizzie; Josh’s date couldn’t make it so I just sat in her seat. There is no story here!”
“That’s what your stepbrother told me,” Hannah jerked a thumb at Derek, “But you have to admit, it did look a little suspicious, you hanging onto the two most eligible bachelors in London.”
“One of whom is my step brother…”
“Yeah, I know,” Hannah smirked, “Well, I’ll leave you two to sort out your issue. Casey, compliments on the food, it is top notch.”
She took off.
Octavia wrung her hands together, “I’m sorry, Casey. I was just checking my Twitter and I saw her tweet…”
“It’s okay, Tae. I know how you feel about Josh.”
The younger woman smiled and made her way to the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Derek heaved a big sigh, “Wow. Crisis abated, Captain Politic.”
“Not entirely,” Casey sighed, “But, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to Josh so tonight won’t be a total waste.”
They went back to Josh’s table. Thankfully, Derek’s boss was also there, along with Josh’s father. They talked, mostly about hockey, took pictures and shook hands.
Casey watched the expressions of the two older men’s faces. They looked pleased to be talking to Derek like this and surprised that he was so intelligent and knowledgeable.
After a while, Marti came over and charmed everyone by announcing she had promised her big brother a dance. They went off on the dance floor, and Casey took the opportunity to make and exit. She spotted Jonathan’s blonde head near Isis’ braided one across the room and headed towards them.
They had their matching phones out, typing in sync.
“If only you two knew how cute that is,” said Casey.
They looked up, “What?”
Casey smiled, “Nothing. What are you doing?”
“Trying to mitigate a Social Media disaster.”
“No thanks to you and that red dress you’re wearing.”
“Or the fact that you were seen on two guys’ arms tonight.”
Casey huffed, “Derek is my stepbrother.”
“Yeah. And Mayor Hammond is your boss. People make a big deal out of the stupidest things,” Isis snarked. Jonathan looked over at her with an approving smirk.
“Why haven’t I fired you two yet?” Casey wondered aloud.
“You wouldn’t last a day without us,” they said in unison, looking up from their phones with identical smiles.
“You two are peas in a pod.”
They grinned, “Thank you!”
She gave them a look that could melt a glacier, “The band can go ahead and strike up the music. Everything set up for the silent auction?”
They nodded almost in unison. Casey opened her mouth to ask the question regarding their relationship status again, then decided against it.
“I’m going to go have some champagne. Hold the fort while I’m gone.”
“Aye aye Captain!” said Jonathan and both twins saluted.
Casey went back to the ballroom, watching as she got in the moment when Lizzie met Jordan McGregor, a politician that was spearheading the conservation of rare plants. She accepted his hand and they went to dance a few feet from where Derek and Marti were doing crazy disco moves to amuse themselves. She shook her head at the pair of them.
“You both brought your sisters?”
Casey turned to look at Josh. He smiled down at her with amusement.
“You date dumped you. Which of us is more pathetic?” she glared at him.
“Alright. I get it. It’s been a real pity party tonight. Senator Jennings brought his mother. Almost everyone came without dates. We seem to be the least lame ones.”
Casey grinned, “Do you have time between kissing asses to dance with your campaign manager?”
“I always do,” Josh grinned.
They got on the dance floor, just as the band started playing Brick House. Everybody on the floor was getting down to the funky song, making complete buffoons of themselves and completely distressing Josh’s mother.
The song came to a crashing end. The dancers gave them rousing applause.
“Alright, this next one is for the couples out there,” said the band leader in his honeyed voice, “Everybody out there find a partner and get close. This is a sloooow jam.”
Casey looked around at the couples getting close. Derek pawned Marti off on the guy who came by to cut in. Their eyes met.
Then suddenly, Josh was pulling her forward, and just as suddenly a flash bulb went off. Casey looked around at Derek, but he had already found a nameless blonde from somewhere. She tried to tell herself that she was silly for being disappointed.
They were dancing for a while when she saw Isis and Jonathan running up to her.
“Time for the auction, Casey!” Jonathan announced.
“Sorry to take her away, sir, but duty calls!” Isis trilled.
“Oh, of course,” Josh let her go, but then thought the better of it. He pulled her back to him, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Come right back, okay?” Josh held on to her hand a little longer than normal. And his eyes bored into hers imploringly.
Casey tried to hide her blush as she ran behind the twins.
She caught Derek’s eye across the floor, not sure what his eyes were telling her.
…………………….
Derek’s the proud new owner of a slightly used vintage car by the time the night is over, and seriously he has no idea why he bid on it. The quirky looking old man who was fighting him for it didn’t really put up much of a fight. He handed the keys to Lizzie once they were handed to him and she gave him a look that seemed to question whether he was switched by aliens. When Marti opened her mouth to complain, he told the girls they could chare the car, and he would even throw in insurance. After they did they requisite amount of squealing, they planned to drive their new wheels home.
Derek was left alone.
It took about ten minutes for Hannah Wingman to sidle up to him again.
“Totally off the record,” she began, what the hell does she see in him? He doesn’t have anything that you don’t have. And he’s all stuffy and conservative. What the hell is she doing with him while you’re over her all alone?”
“First of all, he’s on a date with her, not marrying her. Second, I’m her stepbrother.”
Didn’t stop my parents,” Hannah batted her eyelashes innocently.
Something distracted her and he took the oppourtunity to move away.
The twins were in a corner behind a desk, overseeing the handing over of the auction items to their new owners. And Derek was not proud of himself for it, but they were the nearest targets. He felt keyed up and agitated and for him, messing with other people’s heads was always the cure.
“Hi, Derek,” they said in unison, looking up for half a second between them, before turning back to the elderly lady who had won herself a trip to Seychelles.
“What is up with you two?” h asked, noting their looks of confusion were as always carbon copies of each other, “I have to as, do you two plan this stuff or is it really just coincidental?”
“What are you talking about?” Isis alone answered this time.
“You talk alike, you think alike. You dress to complement each other. Did you guys get a discount package, buy one soul get two vessels free? And while we’re at it, what do you see yourselves as? Brother and sister? The other piece of the puzzle? Are you guys boyfriend and girlfriend? Please tell me you don’t come at the same time when you’re having sex.”
Jonathan’s skin was pretty pale normally, so Derek could see the violent red blush spread across his face. Isis was dark, but the expression on her face alone made him know she was blushing.
“Come on guys. Don’t tell me you’re just friends. There’s no such thing. In the end, somebody is going to profess their undying love for someone else. Or, one of you is gonna want to fuck the other. So get to it and find out what the hell is it that’s got you two practically conjoined. Aaannnd…go.”
He turned from the two just after observing the looks they sent each other. Derek smirked. He hadn’t done that in a while, mess with people who are not Casey McDonald.
Speaking of her.
“Derek, where are the girls?” Casey grabbed his upper arm out of nowhere, “I came to tell you guys to go home without me. Josh needs me to go with him to his dad’s mansion. They’re gonna have a little impromptu after party.”
“Campain manager’s job is never done, huh?” he quipped. But she had had a decade to learn how to ignore his jabs.
“You and Lizzie and Marti can go home in the limo. It’s out front. Where are the girls?”
“They went home in their new car. I’ll take the limo.”
Casey gave him one last look, squeezed his arm, and ran to catch up with Josh.
Derek headed to the limo alone, trying not to miss her and her red hot dress.
…………………….
Monday morning when Casey walked into campaign headquarters, she realized something was wrong before she even got to look around. She frowned at Jonathan as he walked up to her, giving her a cutting stare.
“What? Fly drowned in your happy juice this morning?”
“Where is Isis?” Casey asked. It was weird seeing Jonathan without his other half. It was like he had lost an arm.
Jonathan shrugged, “How should I know?”
Casey frowned harder, “What? You two are basically joined at the hip.”
“I resent that,” Jonathan said over the lid of the coffee cup she handed to him.
“What happened to you two between Saturday night and this morning?” she asked, just in time to see out of the corner of her eye Isis slinking into the room, braids all over the place when they would usually be in a neat ponytail or bun.
Casey looked at Jonathan. Usually when they were in the same room, he would immediately seek her out. But now he was actively ignoring her.
Casey poked a finger in the air between her and Jonathan, “Whatever this is, it will have to wait. Josh wants me in his office.”
“I bet he does,” Jonathan muttered.
Casey handed him the other cup of coffee, “Go talk to her or I wring your neck.”
She headed down the corridor, too determined to look back and see if he had actually followed her command.
She walked to Josh’s office, sending Octavia a wave. She was met with a stare that could melt the polar caps. What was wrong with everyone this morning?
She went in to Josh’s office and found him on the phone, talking and laughing.
………………………
“I have something to tell you.”
Derek stopped in the middle of licking a trail up Casey’s neck. He looked at her, wondering what on earth was more important than him easing off the tiny cotton Save the Earth! shorts and tank top she was wearing in support of Lizzie’s fundraising campaign. She was only here for twenty minutes, then she had to get back to the park to start their annual walk/run.
“What is it? Talk fast,” he told her before sliding his hand to cup her between the legs. The sound she made was the best reward ever.
“Derek, Josh’s ratings have been going up for the last week. He’s been getting his best numbers ever. Isis, Jonathan and I have narrowed down the reason to the fact that people like seeing the mayor with a significant other, i.e. me.”
“Okay…” Derek had his hand inside her shorts by now, getting turned on as her breaths turned into pants.
“So since we want the numbers to stay up, they devised a plan to have me act as his girlfriend, just for the election. So, you know, we have to be a bit more careful with this… thing. Nobody can know about the contract.”
Derek drew back a little, but his hand never left her, “I thought you were gonna call it off. I was getting ready to screw you into submission in five minutes! We could have gotten out the stop watch and everything!”
Casey giggled.
“No. I wouldn’t do that. Especially since Josh and I aren’t really in a relationship, just pretending to be.”
“Good. I mean sure. No need for you to become a nun just because you’re shackled to a politician.”
Casey’s head wheeled to face him, “What does that mean?”
Their mouths were so close they almost touched, “N-nothing. I just mean he’s an elected official. All stuffy and prim. Actually, I bet that gets you wet; starched ties and boring speeches. I bet you get off thinking about him rearranging his sock drawer.”
“Wait no fair!” Casey groaned as Derek’s fingers moved against her. Her head went back on the couch and her hips writhed. Derek continued his ministrations, adding his tongue on her neck.
“See? You can always tell a keener. When you just say the words sock drawer and it gets her completely wet..”
He growled it in her ear. For some reason that brought her over the edge.
Casey screamed as her orgasm erupted through her, making her cheeks redden. She was still floating above her own body when she heard Derek chuckle.
“You know none of that is true!” she yelled at him, cheeks hot, “Josh and I are just friends! I am not sexually attracted to him.”
“Never stopped you before,” Derek smiled.
He was talking about the day when Casey brought the contract to his house and asked him to sign, claiming that this was just a business deal and that she had absolutely no feelings for him. She didn’t think any of them were still under the illusion that that was true.
“You moron,” she muttered, pulling his face to hers and kissing him hotly. Neither of them came up for air until Casey’s phone rang and it was Lizzie asking where she was with the Save the Earth banner already.