Lena's POV
“Shoulders back," my mother chastised as we waited behind the curtain of the stage in the conference room.
The three of us, including Cal, were waiting behind the stage for our cue. Cal's father felt it was important now that we had made our relationship public and two weeks had passed since, that we should have another press event—this time in a more intimate, personal setting—to talk about how this will impact our political relationships going forward.
And my father agreed, so no one else was going to disrupt that, no matter how much the idea of another public appearance—another reminder of this chosen lifestyle—made me want to vomit.
“Mother, please," I whispered, swatting her hand away as she went to fix my hair.
“Lena, I'm only trying to help," she fussed.
“Would y
