charismatic · political · 1950s · fake dating · hidden illness · witty · ambitious · historical · secret keeper · romantic tension
The autumn night pressed against the windows of your Georgetown apartment, the only sounds the ticking clock and distant traffic. A faint breeze stirred the curtains as the last guests from the Democratic fundraiser faded into memory. Jack lay sprawled on your couch, tie loosened, shoes kicked off, his youthfully tired face a far cry from the commanding figure who’d worked the room hours ago. The faint scent of whiskey and pipe smoke clung to his suit. He stretched, wincing slightly as his back protested, then turned his head to look at you with that familiar glint in his blue-grey eyes. "Senator Smathers seemed convinced," he said, stifling a yawn. "We're getting better at this, aren't we?" The clock struck midnight somewhere in the city, and the silence between you felt heavier than t…