CHAPTER EIGHT

GOODBYE LOGIC

mother and sister had both returned home in the past week. The teenager's life was back to normal at last. She was no longer staying with her stepfather but instead at her own two story house. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss the agitating man.

The blonde aimlessly flipped through the television channels, trying to find some good background noise that she could finish her Calculus homework to. However, she stopped short when she was his face on T.V. After not hearing his voice for a few days, it was comforting to hear it even though it came from speakers instead of in person.

"Mr. Shepherd, tomorrow is your mother's birthday. Everyone in Washington D.C. knows she's an important woman so tell me, how is she celebrating another year?" The reporter asked Duncan who stood in front of Shepherd Hall.

He laughed, a chuckle that would seem authentic to others but Cindy had heard his real laugh and that wasn't it. "I will be throwing my mother a birthday party tomorrow night. In fact, the president's wife herself is going to be in attendance."

After a few more questions that he answered with ease, he gave the camera a charming smile, and the live feed cut to men and women sitting around a table discussing what they believed would be happening at one of the infamous Shepherd parties.

I wasn't invited to

any party, D. 🥺

1:32 PM

💛

You're my stepdaughter.

Your attendance was

automatically expected.

1:36 PM

Sureeee.

I'll see you, tomorrow.

1:37 PM

The teenager felt out of place as she always did at these types of parties. The kind of parties meant for the political elite and famous socialites. Looking around the crowded living room, Cindy caught sight of a few other teenagers who obviously felt the same way. Their parents had made them dress up and dragged them along to a party where they didn't know anyone.

While the blonde had willingly come to the party, she hadn't seen her reason for doing so: Duncan. Lately, she had found herself finding any reason to see him, speak to him, or just generally doing anything involving him.

Before she had the chance to introduce herself to any of the other teenagers who appeared bored out of their minds, a hand grabbed onto her wrist. Quickly turning her head to see who had the nerve to touch her in such a way, she instantly started smiling. In front of her stood Aaron.

"We really have to stop meeting like this." She told him, wrapping her arms around his torso, happy to see a familiar face.

The boy nodded, his dimples ever so present because of his facial expression that mirrored the girl's. "I suppose we have your stepfather to thank for this."

The two chatted aimlessly, agreeing to meet up outside of a catered event, until the man of the hour finally showed his face.

Duncan Shepherd looked as dashing as ever, dressed to the nines in an expensive suit that was no doubt tailored just for him, a pair of nice dress shoes, and a gold watch to accent his outfit. Compared to him, the girl looked drab in her black dress that ended mid thigh.

Next to him stood three women. On one side was his mother, the ever so famous Annette Shepherd. Cindy didn't know much about the women except that she always got what she wanted and her son did everything she asked.

On his left was Misty, looking like a trophy wife on the arm of a man five years younger then her. Close to Misty was the reporter named Esmeralda that had been rude to Cindy at the most recent charity event she had attended. To be completely honest, the girl could have cared less for the reporter.

Holding a glass of champagne, the host of the party hit the side of the crystal glass with a silver spoon, causing the party goers to cease their talking and give him their full attention. He gave everyone his signature smile once everyone was looking at him.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight."

Cindy immediately rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where this speech was going. It was a slightly altered carbon copy of the same speech every host gave at large events. The elites of D.C. loved to copy one another almost as much as they loved to bribe people.

"It makes me extremely happy to see familiar faces setting aside their differences, which can be hard to do these days, and come together for one common reason: to celebrate my mother."

His speech lasted for a few more minutes. It mostly consisted of Duncan practically kissing the ground his mother walked on. It sounded like he was her servant more than her son.

After he made a toast in Anette's name, he disappeared from sight in tow behind his mom. Misty was left talking to Esmeralda who seemed to want to do anything else then talk to the California Senator.

Aaron had excused himself as he was at the birthday party to work and not socialize with a pretty girl. This left Cindy alone with her thoughts and the half drunken glass of champagne she held in her right hand.

"Don't you think your dress is a little short?" The seventeen year old wanted to scream, to turn around and bang her sister's head against the wall. Melanie always had something to say and it was never anything nice to Cindy.

Without bothering to turn around to face Melanie, the blonde finished the rest of the bubbly drink she had, slammed the glass on the nearest table, and walked away from her source of annoyance.

The party had been thrown at Duncan's lavish penthouse so Cindy knew her way around after staying for several days. Making her way up the stairs to the room she had called her own, the girl passed Annette who was walking in the opposite direction of Duncan's office.

Waiting until her step grandmother was out of sight, the teenager made up her mind to find the man she had wanted to talk to all night. Figuring that he was in his office, she checked there first.

Knocking on the door, she let herself in even after being told to go away. On the other side of the room sat Duncan, a dejected look on his face, and a glass of whiskey in his hand.

His dull eyes flicked up, determining who had directly forbade him in his own home. However, when he saw that it was the little nymph who had plagued his thoughts for days, he couldn't bring himself to chew her out.

"D?" She spoke softly, understanding that he seemed to be in a fragile state. He hummed in response, not wanting to open his mouth for he knew that he would spill the contents of his mind.

"Duncan," Cindy pressed on, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she walked around his desk so she stood next to him. Effortlessly tossing her handbag onto the mahogany desk, she propped herself on top of it as well so she was sitting in front of him. "Talk to me."

The man just looked at her, wandering why on Earth a seventeen year old would even care so much about her stepfather. He knew she was a kind person by nature but she shouldn't be concerning herself with the emotions of a thirty year old business man who had married her mother for just that: business.

Despite his thoughts, he soon found himself opening his mouth and telling the young girl everything. "My mother is never satisfied with anything that I do. I could literally buy that woman the fucking moon and she would tell me that she wants Jupiter instead."

He continued ranting about Annette, giving examples of many times he had done his best for her and she hadn't been satisfied. He even detailed the conversation the two had moments before about the birthday party.

Apparently, Annette wanted the president himself in attendance of the party so she could talk political business with him. The First Lady has been present but she wasn't good enough.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it was to get Claire Underwood here?"

In that moment, the girl had never related to anyone more. No matter what she did, it was never good enough in Misty's eyes. She was always told to be more like Melanie.

Hopping of the desk, the blonde got on her knees in front of Duncan, and laid her head on his lap. "I thought the party was marvelous." She told him, hoping it would lift his spirits.

As she touched him, the same feeling from the wedding washed over the man, the same feeling from when they danced. It was a feeling of complete serenity. The feeling always happened when he was around the girl, but it only occurred with her.

It made him feel that with Cindy, Duncan didn't have to be the uptight business man he had to be on TV. He didn't have to be the perfect son Annette wanted. He didn't have to be the charming man everyone loved. He could be himself.

Finishing his drink, Duncan rode the wave of peace, placed the glass on the desk, and put his pointer finger under Cindy's jaw. Forcing her to look at him, Duncan stopped thinking logically. In fact, the man who was usually ruled by logic threw it out the window of his office.

Leaning down, the thirty year old connected his lips with the lips of the seventeen year old. And boy did it feel good.