Dark Dreams Read Free Page A

shirt.
    “Jana!” She nudged her friend with an elbow. “I know that man. He’s already a member of parliament.”
    Jana recognized him from television. “I’ve seen him.” She remembered the man as a good speaker with tremendous poise. Even sitting, eating and reading a newspaper, he projected a strong presence. There were not that many people who looked good while putting food in their mouths. “He’s handsome.”
    “He’s even better when you get closer.”
    Sofia started moving toward his table, Jana following close behind.
    “We’ll be interrupting him,” Jana warned.
    “All politicians want people to admire them, which is what we’re now going to work at doing.”
    Jana thought about the Sofia she had seen today. “Sofia, maybe you’re right for this job after all.”
    “Ah, suddenly I’m right for the job?”
    “Maybe it’s not so sudden. You were almost always willing to do whatever was necessary to get to where you wanted to go, and damn the consequences.”
    “You may take out the ‘almost.’ ”
    The man looked up just as they reached his table.
    “Do you mind if we join you?” Sofia asked. “Most of the other seats are taken.”
    He waved a welcoming hand at the chairs, watching them as they sat, his eyes resting longer on Sofia. Jana could see that Sofia was right about one thing: he looked even better up close, a sprinkling of gray in his carefully combed hair, a straight boned nose, and rather large ears which seemed, for some reason, to add a soft touch to what otherwise might have been too stern a face.
    “We know each other,” he said to Sofia. “I’m trying to remember from where.”
    “It’s not good for a politician to forget names and events.”
    He snapped his fingers in a flash of pleased recognition. “Yes, the lady from Transparency who is always trying to reform the political process. I remember now. We met briefly at that strategy session on the Freedom for Expression bill. You spoke.”
    “Right.”
    “Now that I’ve remembered, does that put me back in your graces?”
    “You were never out of my good graces.”
    He reached over and shook Sofia’s hand, then held his hand out to Jana. “My name is Ivan Boryda.”
    “The member of parliament?”
    He nodded, pleased that she recognized him.
    “My name is Jana Matinova. This is Sofia Senec.”
    “I remembered Sofia. I promise that I’ll remember you too.”
    “I hope we’re not taking you away from anything important.” Sofia indicated the newspaper.
    He shrugged, folding the paper up, setting it down next to his empty dish. “They conducted a poll. According to the poll, the present prime minister is going to win the next election. His party took the poll. Since I know how much money they steal, and how much they skew their figures, I would deduct at least twenty percent from their totals, which means we’re ahead.”
    “I agree,” said Sofia, staring openly at Boryda. Jana kicked her under the table, trying to bring her back to reality. There was a wedding ring on the man’s finger. As usual, where men were concerned, Sofia paid little attention to Jana.
    “I am going into the political arena myself,” Sofia informed him.
    He looked at her with new interest. “How so?”
    “I’ll be campaigning for our party.”
    “Our party?”
    “I’m going on the bicycle junket. I think we will be on the same program.”
    He stared at her for a long moment. “Then we’re already close associates.”
    “I hope so.” Sofia started to reach out, almost as if to take his hand, and then pulled it back. “We’re on a mission together.”
    “Here’s to the mission.” He raised his water glass in a toast, the two women joining him, clinking their glasses against his, sipping the water. He set his glass down. “I have to go.” Boryda got up. “Jana, Sofia, I know we’ll all see each other again very soon. Sofia, you and I will have fun together on the campaign trail.” He inclined his head, then