Superior

VI.

Mallory sat next to her husband, leaning forward and straining to hear between the television, the radio, and the chatter of house guests. It was a last minute thing catered by a close friend of the Morgans. Ted suggested a viewing party, and a celebration afterwards should he win the mayoral position. He followed that idea by stroking Mal's ego, reinforcing that she throws the best parties and that they could have another when city council seats were announced.

Buttered up, Mallory couldn't say no.

So as his unofficial campaign manager, Mallory sent out last minute invites to a few donors and close friends of Ted's. Tonia assisted as best she could, running local stores dry of wine and champagne at the brunette's request and soothing the woman of any and all headaches she received. Somehow, it was a success, especially being hosted in the woman's modest home.

Surrounded by all these people, Mallory hoped for the best, leaning into Ted with rapt attention. She wanted him to achieve, and knew he could. All that mattered was if the city believed he would make a great mayor.

"Ted!" Frank called above the commotion, maneuvering around people to approach the radio and the couple. "Turn it up! Everyone quiet!"

Everything went still. Tension built within the room. Mallory inhaled shakily, squeezing her husband's thigh. "You got this," she whispered into his ear before going silent.

He responded with a cheeky grin and a kiss to her temple.

"Next we have Michael Gilbert, with 220 votes. And finally, Ted Morgan with 1,473 votes. Congratulations to Ted Morgan, Oakdale's newest mayor."

The silence remained for but a second before the room erupted in excitement.

The brunette clung to her husband as they stood, immediately surrounded by his friends, colleagues, and investors. The cries and chants were almost deafening yet despite the discomfort, Mallory grinned like a cat. Despite the projected odds from the week prior, Ted had pulled enough support to secure governorship.

With her husband's win, it would only be a matter of days before she heard more on the city council seat she desired. After that, she would be working with the current council members, discussing city projects, and ultimately, staying close to Ted. While that wasn't her motivation towards the seat, it certainly was an unexpected benefit.

The party continued, a toast having been made, men circling together with scotch in hand, and the women either by their sides or coming together for gossip.

Mallory stayed along a wall, observing obsessively. She didn't dare mingle knowing the number of various groups. She wanted to be an outsider—wanted to hear their secrets without being amongst them, wanted to know who they were with everything that was left unsaid. So she sipped her champagne slowly. Her ears were alert and her eyes shifted between people, honing in on their conversations as best she could and keeping tabs.

Lily was upset her in marriage—Hank was cheating on her with a younger girl; barely eighteen and his secretary. Mallory cringed, but couldn't help the ironic smile that pulled at her lips. Lily had announced weeks prior that her husband was so utterly infatuated with her—they were going on a trip soon. Unfortunately, that trip had more to do with his own guilt than love.

Patsy, just the name made Mallory's eyes roll, complained about her lack of spending. "No quality dresses", she screeched, and very little patterns she liked. The fabrics were always scratchy, the hemming uneven, colors dull, her husbands account balance decreasing. Nothing was good enough for the shallow woman.

The brunette downed her drink. She wasn't in the mood for light fares any longer—she wanted something hearty. So, she sauntered over to the men, making her way with ease between them and to the table holding her husband's "good" alcohol. Her hand roamed over the bottles, letting her intuition decide which was best.

Glenlivet was her choice.

Poured over ice, Mallory savored the spirit with a grin, enjoying the hints of cinnamon and vanilla. She noted a slight caramel taste and wondered if this would pair with a dutch apple pie well

Now that, she mused internally, would be heavenly.

New drink in hand, Mallory returned to her husband's side. The scent of his cologne instantly caressed her, and once he turned to look at her, her heart jumped at his smirk. His eyes were sparkling, ignoring the conversation to just look at her, not the way her family did--not looking through her, but actually seeing her.

"Darling," Mallory whispered, standing higher on her toes than she already was in her heels. Her hand met his bicep, rubbing and squeezing the muscle with temptation-laced words. "When will we call it a night? I want to properly congratulate the new mayor."

Ted laughed and ran a hand through his neatly combed back hair. "Who am I to deny you that?" He joked before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Consider this party over."