On His Terms by Rachel Masters Page B

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     to her.
                          “The thing is, I started with very little, and I will never, ever, forget what that
     feels like. I’m here to give you my word, my absolute word, that I will fight every
     minute and every hour of the day to make things right for regular, working class people,”
     said the governor.   “I’m going to fight for you.”
                          The crowd erupted into applause, and Ally applauded right along with them, completely
     forgetting herself.    
                          He looked around the diner, nodding with a gleam in his eye, and then he stared right
     at Ally again.   This time she was sure of it, and there was the tingle of electricity shooting up
     her spine—she wondered if everyone would notice.
                          How could they not notice what she was feeling, the chemistry laid bare for all to
     see?
                          But then the moment ended and Ally looked away, shaking her head and feeling rather
     silly.   He was just a charismatic politician, Ally thought, and she’d been caught in his spell
     for a second or two.
                          As Hale made his way around the diner, shaking hands with every soul in the place,
     Ally found herself unable to stop glancing at him, hoping to catch his eye once more.
                          And as she looked around the room she could tell that she wasn’t the only one captivated
     by his aura.
                          Martha was chomping at the bit, dying to get in there for her very own personal handshake
     with the politician, and maybe even a picture in the paper with him.
    As Martha grew more and more impatient to make her way towards the governor, she failed
     to notice the puddle of spilled coffee on the floor. And she failed to notice her
     co-worker, Ally, standing in front of that slippery puddle.
    “Mr. Westbrook! Mr. Westbrook!” Martha called out, determined to meet the potential
     governor. Martha inched closer, waving her arms and literally shoving Ally aside so that she could accomplish her
     goal.
    Ally’s foot had nowhere to go except right into the pool of coffee. Her right leg
     flew into the air, then her left. Then her entire body went back, hard, as she crashed
     onto the cold diner floor.
    She was frozen. Stunned from the crash. She laid flat on her back, not able to really
     see or hear anything for what seemed like forever. The flashes from the cameras didn’t
     help matters.
    As her vision came to, there he was, down on his knees and staring right into her eyes.
    Ally had never been so happy to have fallen in her life.
    “You okay, ma’am?” Hale asked. His voice was even more penetrating up close. And his
     eyes even more piercing.
    He took her hand in his. Her entire body melted from this alone.
    “Can somebody get me some napkins?” he asked.
    As he wiped the coffee off her arm, she studied his face. She was a natural skeptic,
     especially after all she’d been through in life, so she was caught off guard by his sincerity.
    This isn’t a politician posing for the cameras. This is real.
    “You fell pretty hard. You okay?” he asked, sporting a smile that Ally was convinced
     was customized just for her.
    “I’m fine. Thank you, sir.” Ally never called anyone sir in her life, but with all
     eyes watching, she thought it best to speak formally to the man who might soon be
     governor of her state.
    Hale paused, probably for longer than he should have, holding her wrist. She felt
     a charge from his simple touch. And she was sure it was real, and not just because
     he was a celebrity.
    As he helped her to her feet, it began to hit her just how much the two of them were
     being watched by the crowd around her.
    “You got a photo in you?” he asked, but didn’t wait for her reply. “Look ready, kid,”
     he said out of the side of his mouth, and then put on a big smile.
    Before she