The Thrill Is Gone

“Are you sure you’re alright over there?” inquired Alfred, his voice ringing with compassion. “That is, we don’t mean to pry or anything like that, but – well, Via and I worry for you. What with everything that’s been said in the press. Not that we believe everything they say. Most of its rubbish, we know, but we reckon that since . . . since there’s been so many photographs, that there must be some truth there.”

“Alfie!” cried Olivia. “Why would you bring up the pictures? I thought we agreed it’d be best not to.”

“Did we?” He covered the speaker portion of his mobile. “Bloody hell, we did. Didn’t we? I’ve just gone and made an arse of myself. Sorry about that. I’d completely forgotten, but I reckon they had to be brought up at some point.”

“But now you’ve gone and upset her,” said Olivia in a low voice, not wanting Paulina to hear. “We’re meant to make her feel better, Alfie.”

“We will.” He shot Olivia a weak smile, and then removed his hand from the speaker. “Paulin, you still there?”

“I am.” Paulina spoke, shifting slightly from her place on the bed. “And you should tell Olivia not to freak out about your having mentioned the pictures. It’s no big deal. I’ve already seen them, so it’s not like it’s anything too surprising anymore. Anyways, what were you gonna say before Olivia cut you off?”

“I was, um, I was going to say that we don’t mean to pain you. We understand that our worrying about you, over what’s happened, might have distressed you a bit, but we truly don’t want to pain you. It’s only that we worry for you. We just want you to be happy, is all.” He paused, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “Are you happy? Because if you’re not, Via and I were thinking that since we’ve time to travel, we might pop by for a visit. If it’s alright by you, of course. We wouldn’t stay too long since you’ve exams to revise for, but we reckon a weekend might be quite brilliant.”

Olivia snatched the phone from Alfred. “We do miss you, terribly,” she said in that tender way that made Paulina feel as if Olivia were sitting right beside her. “And I’ve never been to Boston, so it’d be fantastic.”

“There’s nothing I’d love more than to have you visit, but I don’t think it’s the right time.” Paulina hated telling her friends that they shouldn’t fly over to visit her, but she honestly didn’t think it wise for them to travel. “I don’t want you to have to deal with the press.”

“We’ve already dealt with them.” Olivia reminded. “They used to hang about us whenever we were out with you in Oxford.”

“They did, but things have changed since then. They’ve gotten worse.” Paulina instantly regretted saying that. She knew Olivia was going to worry even more. “Not worse as in I’m overwhelmed by them. I’m not,” she lied. “I can deal with them well enough, but the thing is, they’ve gotten more annoying and rude. And I seriously don’t think it wise for you to be put in a situation where you have to deal with them. It’s better to just let things cool down.”

“So things will cool down then?” Olivia asked. “Everything . . . everything will be sorted out?”

Although Olivia didn’t mention Harry, Paulina knew that was what she was getting at.

“They will,” Paulina replied, honestly. “Everything will get sorted out sooner or later. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Well, I’m pleased to hear that. I really am, Paulin.” Olivia smiled softly. “And I want you to know that even though we’re across the pond, we’ll always be here for you. No matter the time. No matter what. We’re here, and we love you very much.”

“I love you guys too.” Paulina’s voice softened. Her vision blurred by tears. She wanted to tell them that she missed them, that they should ignore what she’d said earlier and hop on the first flight to Boston they could get, but she didn’t want them to get swept up in the mess her life had become. The photographers were worse than they’d ever been before, ruder and primarily concerned with provoking her, and she didn’t want them to have to deal with that. And if she was to be perfectly honest, she didn’t want them to intrude on her privacy. She was looking forward to being alone in her basement suite, because once there, she’d be able to completely lose herself in her distress. “And I really appreciate that you called to see how I was doing. That means a lot to me.” She sniffled lightly. “Well, uh, it seems I’ve got to get going. I have to run a few errands for Elizabeth before she heads out for the night, but thanks for calling. And like I said, everything will be sorted out soon enough. So please don’t worry, I’m alright.”

They didn’t spend much time saying goodbye, a few warm words were uttered by each, and then Paulina was allowed to hang up under the pretense of her lie. Neither of them suspected that their curly haired friend was being dishonest, they both knew that being an assistant was high paced and demanding, so they didn’t think twice about it. They accepted her lie, and Paulina was free to sprawl across the bed and resume her weeping. She’d been crying ever since she got back from a meeting with the progressive Senators. Having to be graceful and composed while she carried out her duties as a personal assistant, had exhausted her. And the moment she stepped into the hotel room, was the moment her heels were kicked off and she launched herself onto the bed. She planned to remain there for the remainder of the night, but then Alfred and Olivia called.

Their conversation wasn’t a particularly lengthy one, but it was one Paulina didn’t want to have. She’d been avoiding phone calls from everyone; her parents, her siblings, Harry, and her friends. Everyone that wasn’t Elizabeth, was being ignored by her. She knew it wasn’t fair to them – well, in her opinion, ignoring Harry was fair – but she knew it wasn’t right to ignore her family and Stephanie and the rest of her friends. She just didn’t want to talk to them though. It was hard enough getting on alone, without having to add them to the mix, so she sent them text messages explaining that she was swamped with work and couldn’t call them back, but that she’d get back to them on Sunday when she finally had time to herself. She’d initially planned to send Alfred and Olivia a text similar to that, but when she went to silence her ringer, she accidentally accepted the phone call, and found herself forced to talk to them. Their kindness and compassion struck her to the core, it moved her so much that it took everything she had to not burst into tears when they were asking how she was and telling her that they loved her. She loved knowing that despite not being able to see them every month, they were still there for her. They were absolute best friends that anyone could ever had, and she was grateful that they were hers.

When her conversation with them finally ended, Paulina thought she was going to be left alone to continue with her sulking, but just as she was resuming her weeping, a knock came at the door. Not wanting to interact with people, she was tempted to not answer it, to act like she hadn’t heard it, but she knew that the person on the other side was Professor Warren. That was the only person that could knock from that particular door, so with a groan, Paulina stood up and trudged over to the door that was linked to Elizabeth’s room.

Before Paulina reached the door, she wiped her tears with the heel of her hand and took in a deep breath. She knew the vein on her forehead was highly visible and that her eyes were puffy, but she couldn’t do anything about those.

“Hello Ma’am.” Paulina spoke when she answered the door. “Is everything alright?”

Elizabeth was momentarily taken aback by Paulina’s appearance. “Yes,” she eventually said. “Yes, I’m fine. I was only knocking to say that I’m going to leave for the party now. If anything comes up and you need to get in contact with me, please don’t hesitate to call my cell phone.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Ma’am. Thank you.”

“And I . . . I was curious as to what your dinner arrangements were.”

“My dinner arrangements?” Paulina didn’t have any. If she was going to be honest, she hadn’t planned on having dinner. “I, well, I think I’m going to order take out,” she lied. “There’s bound to be a good place to get yakiudon around here.”

“Why don’t you just go downstairs to the restaurant? That way you don’t have to take a gamble on a place you’ve never heard of before.”

The restaurant was the sort of place where the American political elite ate, and its prices reflected that. Paulina didn’t want to go there to spend fifty dollars on some overly done up burger, when she could walk down the street to get one for seven bucks, and she didn’t want to spend over a hundred dollars on a meal that she wouldn’t truly enjoy.

“I would, Ma’am,” she found herself lying, “But the restaurant requires a reservation in order for one to be seated.”

“Oh, I know.” Elizabeth stated. “That’s why I came over. While I was getting ready, I got to thinking that you might not have dinner plans, so I took it upon myself to make reservations for you.”

“Ma’am, I –”

“Humor me, Paulina.” Elizabeth smiled. “I’ve made the reservation for eight o’clock. So go down there, and have yourself a delicious meal on me. You’ve earned it after all the hard work you’ve put in during the week.”

“It’s my job though. I’m meant to put in hard work.”

“For the research that I’m doing. Not for my escapades to Washington.” Elizabeth chuckled.

“Still, you already pay me for coming out here with you.” Paulina reminded. “And even if you didn’t, I still would’ve come. It’s . . . it’s a privilege to be here, assisting you in whatever way I can. This isn’t just work. It’s a learning opportunity for me, and I’m grateful for it. Senator Kennedy always told me that I had to be willing to learn, and that’s what I’m here for, Ma’am.”

“You still think of Ted?”

“Every day, Ma’am.” Paulina answered honestly. “I wouldn’t be attending Harvard if it hadn’t been for him. Nor would I be assisting you.”

Elizabeth knew that was true. She would’ve never thought to have taken on Paulina as her research assistant. She would’ve hired someone from the long list of graduate students that were eager to work with her, but Ted had called her asking for a favor, he’d spoken highly of Paulina. And since Paulina thought highly of Ted, she’d taken the young woman on.

“I’m sure Ted would agree with me on this.” Elizabeth told her. “He knew the importance of ensuring that those closest to us are comfortable and well looked after. So will you humor me? Because if not, I’m going to show up at the restaurant and have them, send up food for you, food you probably won’t like.”

“In that case, I’ll go.” Paulina smiled. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

“No need to thank me.” Elizabeth assured. “Just make sure you eat well, and look after yourself. You’re starting to look a little pale, and I can’t help but think Ted’s going to start haunting me soon for working you too hard.” She chuckled lightly. “Well, I’m gonna be going now. Don’t want to keep Senator Carbajal and the rest of them waiting, but like I said, if you need me, don’t hesitate to call and make sure you eat. Goodnight, Paula.”

“Goodnight, Ma’am.” Paulina waited to close the door until Elizabeth had closed hers. “Great . . .” she muttered. “Now I have to get dressed to go to that fucking restaurant. Ugh. Did I bring an extra dress? Hmm, let me look . . .” she went through her luggage and found that she hadn’t brought an extra dress. “What the fuck am I gonna wear then?”

She rummaged through her luggage for something decent to wear, but all she had left were two jeans, a blouse and a t-shirt. She had packed according to the functions that she was going to partake in, and having another fancy night out, hadn’t been one of them, so if she was going to have dinner at the restaurant, then it was going to have to be in a pair of dark washed jeans, purple polka dot blouse, and her leather jacket. She figured that since they probably wouldn’t let her sit inside the restaurant, but maybe she could order something to go.

Quick as she could, Paulina jumped into the shower and scrubbed the day from her body. She was careful not to we her hair, because she didn’t want to deal with having to straighten it all over again. When she finished showering, she let down her hair, reapplied some make up, and got dressed. She looked ready for a night at a bar, not dinner at an exclusive restaurant, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that, so she grabbed her purse from the bed and headed out.

As she walked down the halls, she could feel the eyes of strangers on her. She’d thought that because the people staying at the hotel were older members of the Washington elite, that they wouldn’t be paying any attention to her. It wasn’t like she wasn’t anyone important by their standards, but they all looked at her, they whispered amongst themselves about how that was the girl that was dating the prince, about how she was the one that had been rude to the former Secretary of State, and how she was the one that Ted Kennedy had taken an interest in.

When she reached the restaurant’s entrance, she became even more aware of how out of place she looked. There were women walking in with floor length gowns, their arms dripping with diamonds. And she was standing there in a beat up leather jacket and matching boots. She was about to head back to the hotel room when the receptionist, a beautiful young woman in her late twenties, spotted her.

“Good evening, Miss Balcázar.” The young woman had been informed that Paulina had a reservation, and that it was her duty to see that she was properly looked after, because even an exclusive restaurant would do well to boast a client directly linked to royalty. “How are you this evening?”

At the sound of her name, Paulina stiffened slightly. She hadn’t expected to be addressed in that manner. It was one thing for people to refer to her in that manner whenever she visited restaurants with Harry, and it was another thing entirely when she was on her own.

“Good evening,” her eyes darted to the woman’s nametag, “Vanessa. I’m doing quite well. Thank you for asking. And you? Is it a busy night?”

“It is.” Vanessa confirmed with the polite smile she used with all the clients. “Friday and Saturday are always the busiest.”

“I bet so.” Paulina smiled in return. “Well, Vanessa, I have a reservation for eight o’clock, but I forgot that there was a strict dress policy implemented at this restaurant. That said, would it be alright if I were to place the order and take a seat at the bar while it’s prepared? If not, I could wait out here, because I completely understand that I am completely out of compliance with the dress policy.”

“There’s no need for you to wait at the bar or outside, Miss.” Vanessa assured. “If you like, you may be seated in your present attire.”

“I can?” Paulina asked in disbelief, she was kind of hoping that she wouldn’t be allowed in.

“Yes, of course.”

“But wouldn’t that get you in trouble? I mean, I don’t want to be seated if it will lead to your facing disciplinary action by your employer –”

“Rest assured that no disciplinary action will be taken, Miss Balcázar,” spoke a man in his late forties, he wore a fitted midnight blue suit, and the way he carried himself made it clear that the restaurant belonged to him. “Vanessa, I’ll see that Miss Balcázar is seated.” He told his receptionist, and then redirected his attention to the young woman standing before him. “It is a true honor to have you in my restaurant once again.” He held his hand out to her, and she extended hers, fully thinking that they were about to shake hands, but instead he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss atop it. “I take it that the menu was to your liking.”

“It was indeed, Sir.” Paulina had to hold back her desire to laugh. She always thought it so absurd when people kissed her hand and acted like she was the one with the title. They only ever did that because they wanted her to praise Harry about it, and get him in their establishment. “Though I dare think that with such a talented chef at the helm, it would be impossible for the menu to not be to someone’s liking.”

“High praise indeed.” He stated. “I’m sure you’ve dined at some of the finest restaurants in the world.”

“Perhaps once or twice, I have.” She said, forcing an amused little smile. “But are you sure that it won’t be troublesome to have me seated in my present attire?”

“Of course not,” he assured her. “Please do follow me, Miss Balcázar. I will show you to your table, but before I do, I must say that Professor Warren was explicit in her desire for you to have a private table in the more reserved location of our restaurant. Is that also your desire? If not, we can accommodate you in the main area.”

“The reserved location is fine, Sir.”

“Ludo,” he said. “Call me, Ludo.”

“Well then the reserved location is fine, Ludo.”

“Then it’ll be right this way, Miss Balcázar.”

Paulina had been naïve enough to think that because she was being seated in the reserved section of the restaurant, she wouldn’t have to pass through the main floor. In her mind, it made sense that there would be a private path to take to that section, but unfortunately for her, that wasn’t true. Ludo led her straight through the main area, where the political elite sat at their respective tables. She prayed that no one would pay attention to her, that they would be so wrapped up in their conversations that they wouldn’t notice the casually dressed young woman walking by them, but she went noticed by almost everyone that she walked by. The heads of John McCain, Bernie Sanders, Paul Ryan, Diane Feinstein, and countless others turned towards her as she walked by. They had all heard talk about the young woman being in Washington with Elizabeth Warren, and they were all curious about her. They had heard about her from the former Secretary of State, as well as from the late Ted Kennedy, and everything they’d heard had made them wonder about her. Just what sort of person was she? And would she truly come to be someone in the American political landscape?

Knowing very well that it was best not to acknowledge the strangers staring at her, Paulina focused her attention on the back of Ludo’s head, and followed him in silence. He spoke throughout the entirety of the walk, telling her about the special dishes that the chef had put out for Saturday night, as well as informing her of the previous restaurants that his head chef had worked at.

“Here you are, Miss.” Ludo pulled out her chair, and once seated, he pushed it back in for her. “Might I start you off with a drink? If so, here is our wine list, which boasts a fine selection of imported wines. Are you partial to reds?”

“No.” Paulina stated, as she set the wine list down. “Red wine has never sat well with me. Might I have a scotch neat?”

“I’ll have it out shortly.” Ludo did a slight bow of the head and then left.

Paulina picked up the menu from the table, her eyes immediately darting to the steak selection. She’d planned on finding the cheapest thing to eat and picking that, that way Elizabeth wouldn’t have to pay a lot for the dinner, but she had forgotten that the restaurant was the sort that didn’t list their prices. So since she couldn’t go with the cheapest, she went with something she’d enjoy and ordered the filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and wild rice. A salad and bread were taken to her table as she waited, and although having initially thought that she wouldn’t eat it, Paulina changed her mind as soon as she saw it. She hadn’t had anything to eat all day, the stress and heartache having taken her appetite from her, but at the sight of the salad, her appetite suddenly came back, and she gladly ate it. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started eating, and she couldn’t help but think that in the coming days, she was going to have to remind herself to eat, because whenever she got stressed out or things were rocky with Harry, she’d forget to eat.

It was while Paulina focused on the salad that drinks began getting sent over to her table. At first she thought her waiter had gotten the order mixed up, that he thought she’d asked for another drink. So she explained to him that she hadn’t ordered anymore scotches and that she was fine for the time being, but then he explained to her that the drinks were being sent over by a gentleman from a certain table, whom sent his regards. And he told her that same thing countless times throughout the course of the night.

Not in the mood to humor the strangers, she had each drink sent back and didn’t even turn in the direction that the waiter told her the men were seated at. She didn’t want to make eye contact with them, she didn’t want to have to smile apologetically or raise her own glass as proof that she still had a drink. All she wanted was to eat her salad, devour her steak, and then find a liquor store nearby to pick up a bottle at. That was it.

And she was able to do that for quite some time, but then one of the men who’s sent over a drink, grew bored. He understood why she was sending all the drinks back. It was a natural response for women who didn’t want to be bothered, but unlike some of the others, he wasn’t trying to get in her pants. He simply wanted to meet her. He’d heard talk of her from a person very close to his heart, and wanted to form his own opinion of her. So instead of sending another drink and hoping that that time she would accept it, he ordered a bottle of the scotch she was drinking, and then waltzed over to her table as if it were the most natural thing for him to do. He waltzed right up to her, and then, without saying a word, took the seat directly across the table.

“I take it you’ve had a busy night sending back drinks.” He spoke to her in a clear Boston accent. “It seems like every fucker in here tried their luck with you.”

Paulina initially planned to ignore him, to keep her gaze fixed on the steak until he got the hint and left, but at the sound of his voice, she looked up. He was a stranger to her, and yet, she had seen his face several times before. The copper brown hair and ginger beard had been featured in photographs shown to her on two occasions. In those photographs, he hadn’t been dressed as finely as he was at the present, but it was the same man, of that she had no doubt.

“And who are you?” she found herself asking, though she knew very well who he was. “Are you one of those fuckers as well?”

“Me?” he feigned hurt. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not one of those fuckers. Don’t get me wrong, I sent a drink over, but it was out of courtesy, not because I wanted to fuck you.”

“Then you should’ve made those sentiments known to the waiter.” Paulina put down her fork. “Maybe I would’ve accepted the drink.”

“Well, I’ve brought a bottle along with me. How’s about I pour you one, Your Highness?”

“Do you really think it wise to refer to me as that? You know how the Irish are when it comes to British royalty, and I wouldn’t want to get a Kennedy in trouble with his beloved Ireland.”

“So you do know who I am.” The corners of his lips hitched upwards.

She nodded, her features softening slightly. “Your dad talked a lot about you.”

“Did he? Well, I guess since my dad made you acquainted with me and made me acquainted with you, then we have no choice but to have a drink.” His eyes quickly darted over to his table, where his cousin and brother were discreetly gesturing for him to return. “Let me rephrase that, I think we have no choice but to have a drink with my relatives.”

“Your relatives?” she nearly laughed. “No offense, but I don’t even know you. I’m just trying to enjoy my dinner here. That’s it. I didn’t come here to socialize.”

He shook his head as he laughed. “You don’t get it, do you? The moment you stepped in here, you consented to socializing. Why do you think the food’s so expensive? Yeah, it’s delicious. I’m not gonna say it’s not, but they’re charging for the company and the connections that might arise from that. So come on, turn around real quick so you can have a look at my table. If you know who I am, then you’ll definitely know who those two are.”

“I told you already, I’m trying to have dinner.”

“Come on, princess. Don’t be a –”

“The name’s Paulina.” She stated, firmly. She wasn’t in the mood to be called a princess or anything else connected to royalty.

“Then come on, Paulina. I’m sure my dad would’ve approved.”

“Did you really just use the daddy card?” she said, staring at him with disbelief.

“I did.” He smirked. “When in doubt, that’s always a good card to pull. So what do you say?”

She pursed her lips together, thinking it over. There was a part of her that was tempted to go over to that table with him, to meet the other Kennedy’s in the restaurant, but she couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t look right for her to be out with them, not when things were so shitty between her and Harry.

“You haven’t even introduced yourself,” she eventually said. “I can’t go somewhere with someone that hasn’t introduced themselves.”

“But you already know who I am.”

“I do, but I’ve never met you before, so introductions are in order.”

“Introductions?” He wanted to laugh, but instead kept his smirk in place. “Fine, I can do introductions.” He cleared his throat. “But don’t expect them to be that posh crap from across the pond.”

“I’m not expecting you to be posh since you’re from this side of the Atlantic.”

“Then you won’t be disappointed.” He stated. “Good evening, Miss.” He spoke in a more formal tone. “Are you enjoying your dinner?”

“Quite so, though I would much prefer an absence of company.”

“Oh that’s cold.” He placed his hand over his heart. “That hurt right here. I think I might end up sneaking off to have a cry over it.”

She shook her head, suddenly fighting an urge to laugh. “I’m sure it won’t come to that.”

“And I think it might.”

“Just go ahead and tell me your name. Or do you want to drag out the introductions?”

“Must I remind you that the introductions were your bright idea?” He set to work on opening the whiskey bottle. “And I think, since it was your idea, that you should introduce yourself first. It’s only right.”

“And must I remind you that you’re the one that showed up uninvited?”

He sat back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated her features. “I can see why my dad liked you. You’re as much of a pain in the ass as him.”

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment.”

“That’s what it was meant to be.” He leant forwards. “I’m Francis.” He extended his hand to her. “Francis Patrick Kennedy. Now humor me by saying how much of a pleasure it is to meet me, and introducing yourself.”

“Who says it’s a pleasure? I think I’m going to say that it’s been lovely meeting you.”

“Lovely?” He chuckled. “What kind of an American uses lovely?”

“The kind that’s been at Oxford for two years.” She cleared her throat, and then in the polite, formal tone she used whenever at events, said, “It’s lovely to make your acquaintance, Francis.” She shook his hand. “I’m Paulina Aureliana Balcázar.”

“Well, now that we’ve gotten the insisted upon introductions out of the way, what do you say to joining us for dinner?”

“I thought I was only going over for a drink.”

“Drink, dinner, it’s the same thing.” He grabbed the bottle. “You in?”

“Uh . . .” she hesitated. Did she really want to have dinner with them? There was no denying it would be interesting. She’d yet to look back to see who’d been seated with him, but she knew for a fact that Senator Kennedy only had two other sons, Edward Moore Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Joseph Kennedy II. She didn’t who the cousin that was there was, but all of the Kennedy’s were impressive in their own way, and she knew that Senator Kennedy would’ve wanted her to have dinner with them, to get to know them, because that’s what he’d intended to do. All along, he’d planned on making her an honorary Kennedy, on introducing her to the family. “Alright,” she found herself saying. “Let me grab my plate and I’ll be right over.”

“Just tell the waiter.” Francis told her. “They’ll bring everything over, and then clear up the table so they can seat someone else.”

“I don’t want to give them more work though.”

“They’re gonna have to clear it either way, might as well give them a heads up. Plus, that’s what they get paid for. And speak of the devil, here comes your guy. Excuse me.” Francis spoke to the waiter by the name of Sean. “Sean, would you mind taking Miss Balcázar’s plate over to the table where I’m seated?” Discreetly, he pulled a twenty from his pocket, and handed it to the young man. “Please be quick about it.”

“Yes, Sir.” Sean spoke, gladly tucking the bill into his pocket.

Paulina pursed her lips to keep herself from saying something. She knew that tips were the norm, and that Francis was used to handing out money like it didn’t mean anything, but she always felt strange about settling things so easily with money. She felt it rude that she’d asked to be reseated when that young man had already served her food there. He was only meant to take her plate to the table, not to take it that table and then to another one, but alas, she was on her way to the Kennedy table.

“Which of your cousin’s is with you?” she asked as she followed Francis.

“Bobby,” he replied, nonchalantly.

Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. He was a force to be reckoned with when it came to environmental law. She had seen him speak in person during a Hillary Clinton presidential campaign rally, and he’d been a brilliant orator. So to be told that she was about to meet him, that she was about to have dinner with him, was unfathomable. Not only was he impressive in his own right, but he was also the son of Bobby Kennedy.

When Paulina and Francis reached the table, Edward and Robert stood to greet them. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Robert. There was so much of Bobby in him; the facial structure, the smile, the eyes weren’t Bobby’s, it was obvious that they’d been influenced by his mother, but as she looked at his face, Paulina couldn’t help but think that if Bobby had been allowed to age, he would’ve looked a lot like his son.

“Sorry about my cousin, Miss Balcázar.” Robert apologized. “We told him not to bother since you’d sent back the drink, but you know how impulsive young Kennedy’s are.”

“I’ve seen a few documentaries that speak to the matter.” Paulina replied, trying her best not to seem overly excited. “Though I’m sure going over to my table isn’t the most impulsive thing a Kennedy has ever done.”

“It’s certainly not.” Robert smiled. “By the way, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Balcázar.”

“The pleasure is entirely my own, Mr. Kennedy.” Paulina said.

“Call me, Bobby.”

“Then please call me, Paulina.” She smiled nervously.

“Paulina, it is.” He shook her hand. “Again, I’m sorry about Frankie, but as you can imagine, we were all eager to meet you. My uncle Teddy talked about you quite a bit, so . . .” he grew quiet when his eyes finally settled on hers. There was something about them that so familiar, their brilliance, the intensity in them, they all reminded him of another’s, they reminded him of his father’s, which was absurd considering that he hadn’t had brown eyes, but there was something there, something he couldn’t quite explain that called to mind those eyes that he hadn’t seen since he was a fourteen year old boy. “I’m sorry about that. I . . . well, I lost my train of thought.”

“You were going on about how dad talked about her.” Francis reminded.

“Right, right, of course I was. Well, yes, my uncle talked about you quite a bit. In fact, just a few days before his passing, he mentioned that he was going to meet with you, and then arrange to take you to Washington.”

“That would’ve been an amazing treat.” Paulina commented.

Robert nodded. “But at least you’re here now, and with Warren. What a fantastic mind, she is. But before I get talking, let me introduce my cousin, Edward.”

“Ted,” spoke up Edward from beside him. “There’s no point in putting on formality if Frankie already bothered her at her table, and dad had already given her the clear, so that’s that. Hello Paulina,” he shook her hand. “As I just said, I’m Ted. And I’m glad to finally meet you. I kept telling Bobby that we had to pay a visit over at Harvard to see if we could see you around there, but you know how it is, sometimes the schedules won’t allow it, but you’re here now, so please do sit. Frankie, get the hell out of the way, let her sit first. Excuse him, Paulina. Frankie’s not as well-mannered as he ought to be.”

“We’re not all old farts like you, Ted.” Francis shot back as he moved so Paulina could slide in first.

“You’re nearly thirty.” Edward stated as he retook his seat.

“Two and a half years short of it.” Francis slid in beside Paulina. “Why we even fighting about this? I thought we were going to put on the good Kennedy act for our guest.”

“There’s no need for that.” Paulina spoke up. “This is kind of what I always imagined the Kennedy dynamic to be like.”

“Really?” asked Robert, as he poured himself more wine.

“Well, this and partying and chasing tail.” Paulina replied.

A booming laugh rang out from Francis, a more subdued one from Robert, and Edward had himself a hearty chuckle. She tried not to smile to brightly, not to seem so pleased with herself, but they were laughing so unembarrassedly, that she didn’t feel the need to conduct herself by royal standards, and she allowed herself to smile a bit brighter than what Lady Fellowes would’ve deemed appropriate.

“I like her.” Francis declared. “She’s a pain in the ass, but I like her. You’re alright, you know that, Paul.”

“Who said you could call me, Paul?”

“I did.” Francis stated. “So do you want me to top off your drink?”

“Well if you’re gonna be calling me, Paul, then I’m most definitely going to need a strong drink.”

Paulina spent the rest of her night with the Kennedy’s. She ate her meal with them, and even after they’d all finished eating, they remained at the restaurant, just talking. They told her about what Senator Kennedy had said about her, then they laughed over her conversation with the former Secretary of State. They were genuinely interesting guys, with whom she could have a lengthy political discussion with and also have a laugh. When she was in their presence, she wasn’t worried about whether or not they were going to sell her out to the press, because at the end of the day, they were more high profile than she was. It felt nice to not have to worry, it felt nice to be able to hold those conversations and feel so accepted.

After the big fight she had with Harry, it was a blessing to have something so good happen to her. The Kennedy’s had stepped into her life at precisely the right time. They had kept her from going back to her hotel room, where she planned to spend the night drinking and crying. They had been good company for her, and she couldn’t help but think that Senator Kennedy had had something to do with it, that he was a guardian angel that wanted to give her a little joy before she had to face Harry in another heated conversation.

Whether or not, Senator Kennedy had had anything to do with it, she was just grateful that he’d spoken so well of her. He had praised her to those closest to him, praised her to Elizabeth Warren and Barbara Boxer, before he died, he gifted her his good opinion, and she was glad of it. She was glad that he’d seen so much potential in her. And as she sat at the table with his sons and nephew, she couldn’t help but los herself in the lively conversation. She was so engrossed in discussing policy, that she was completely unaware of a lone photographer that had snuck into the restaurant. She was completely unaware that several pictures had been taken of her smiling as she sat among the Kennedy’s.

Even when she was made aware of their existence, she didn’t think much of it. The headlines that the tabloids attached to it weren’t anything too dreadful, nothing compared to the headlines they attached to the photographs of Harry on his nights out with his friends, but when Harry saw the picture of his girlfriend smiling as she sat beside the bearded Kennedy, his mind began to race.