committee, but I suppose having doctorates in Political Science and Law helped considerably.â
I tried not to look as surprised as I was at the two doctorates thing. And here Iâd assumed she was a medical doctor. Duh.
Jane chuckled. âIt certainly didnât hurt, though Iâm still getting used to the maneuverings and behind-the-scene deals that arenât taught in the classroom.â
Nick gave a knowing nod. âYour detractors who are complaining that youâre not doing enough to secure a defense contract for Saberton donât understand how the system works.â
An expression of true regret swept over her face. âI would love to wave a magic wand and reopen the factory so that all those people could be rehired,â she said, referring to the employees laid off after Saberton bought a farm machinery company and then failed to obtain a hoped-for defense contract. âBut the sad and brutal truth is that in order to ensure Saberton lands that contract, I would have to expend every bit of political capital Iâve acquired in the past few months, and owe quite a few favors besides.â She sighed. âI canât afford to âblow my wadâ on the Saberton contract.â
Nick nodded again. âNot when there are bills coming up for programs and funding that have far more impact on this area,â he said. âWetlands, drilling rights, flood control. It would be a short term fix with long term issues.â
I glanced over at Nick, probably with my mouth hanging open, impressed and surprised that he had a clue. Hell, more than a clue. I caught the gist of what they were talking about, and as much as I wanted to see those factory jobs come back, I had a hard time getting behind anything that helped Saberton Corporation in any way. I figured Pietro couldnât either, not with their track record of fuck-yâall exploitation of both zombies and regular people. Yet Janeâs reasoning seemed logical and sound, and not at all based on an âI Hate Sabertonâ point of view. Then again, as far as I knew, Jane still knew nothing about the zombies. I had no idea if or when Pietro planned to tell her, but that sort of thing was
waaay
into the sort of none-of-my-business that I actually abided by.
Jane smiled at Nick, genuine and appreciative. âYou know my pain. Damned if I do, damned if I donât. Iâm going to have to find other solutions for the unemployment situation.â She sighed. âItâs a frustrating dance.â
Pietro leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. âOne you do with poise and grace, my dear.â
Jane gave Pietro a warm smile accompanied by a soft-eyed look that left no doubt how she felt about him.
Time for Nick and me to leave the lovebirds to do their thing. âWe should get going,â I said. âIt was great running into you two.â
Jane reached and touched my arm. âIt was wonderful to see you, Angel, and a pleasure to meet you, Nick.â
We made our goodbyes and headed to the counter. I picked up the box with pastries and glanced over at Nick. âHow did you know so much about that stuff?â
âI read a lot,â he said with a shrug as he collected the carrier with the drinks. âAnd this is a hot topic, locally.â
âIâm saving up for a computer,â I said as we headed to the door. âMaybe I can watch news videos or something.â A gust of wind sent leaves scuttling along the sidewalk as we stepped out.
âItâs important to keep up with whatâs going on,â he replied with a knowing nod.
âBy the way, thanks for asking me to come with you. I needed the distraction.â
He shot me a smug look. âI know.â
Laughing, I punched him in the arm, hard enough for him to feel it, but not hard enough to spill the coffee and chocolate he carried. I had my priorities.
He made a show of rubbing his arm, but we were both
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