Chapter Three
Josh
I loved the hype around election time. There was a buzz in the air that was impossible to ignore, and one that always got me excited. We’d been working on our campaign for quite some time now, and we were all very happy with the angle that we had taken for this election. I saw Ralph in the distance and waved at him.
Ralph Peterson was my campaign manager, and he probably spent more time worrying about the election than I did. But it was his job to worry, and I knew that I wouldn’t be where I was without him. He held up two cups of coffee, and when I got near, he handed me a cup.
“I thought you might need something a little stronger than usual today,” he said as I took the cup from him.
“What do you mean? Is there whiskey in here or something?” I asked as I put the cup to my nose.
He chuckled. “No. There’s an extra shot of espresso. But I see where your mind is.”
I laughed. “I did think it was a little strange that you were trying to get me tipsy at this time of the morning, but now that it’s out there, I don’t actually think it’s such a bad idea.”
“Actually, neither do I,” Ralph said and laughed. “So, how are you feeling about the upcoming election? I can’t believe it’s next month already. I remember when we still had ages to go.”
“I know. It almost felt like it was never going to come, and yet here we are. But we’ve been so busy, we probably haven’t felt the time slipping away from us. Well, you’ve been working the hardest out of all of us.”
Ralph grinned. “That’s my job. So, are you worried at all?”
“Worried? Not at all. We’ve got this one in the bag.”
Ralph shook his head. “I wish I had your confidence.”
“You should. Our office has been doing a good job, and we already know that I have some die-hard followers out there. They’re going to make sure that I get this. You’ll see. We’re going to do great.”
“Good way of thinking. I need to adopt that. But you’re right. We are doing very well, and I’ve heard some great things. You’re a great public figure. Personally, I think you’re what everyone is looking for. But, we still have a long way to go, and a lot of work to do. So we shouldn’t let our guards down too quickly. And we shouldn’t be too cocky about things.”
I chuckled. “It’s the confidence that’s going to make us win. You’ll see.”
“I hope so. So, you’ve got a press conference today. You ready?”
“I’m always ready,” I said. I had no idea where my confidence came from, but I was a big believer in going out and fighting for what you wanted. Which is why I made sure to never look nervous, even when I was.
“Good. Let’s sit down and run through a few things before you go out there.”
“Sure,” I said. Then I looked around. “Have you seen Kason anywhere? He was supposed to meet me here this morning, but I can’t see him anywhere.”
“I haven’t. I don’t think he’s here yet. But don’t worry about it; he knows where to find you.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. Okay, let’s talk strategy,” I said and put Kason out of my mind.
I walked with Ralph to the meeting room, and the two of us sat for the next hour discussing work and how we wanted to move forward. Ralph had everything set out for the next month, and looking at what he wanted to do made me feel even more confident than before. The two of us were so involved in what we were doing that when someone knocked on the door to let us know that the conference was about to start, we were both surprised at the time.
“No wonder this whole month has gone so fast. Look at how fast this hour just went together. Okay, Josh, you’ve got this. Go out there and show them what you’re all about.”
I grinned. I had no problem when it came to talking to the media. I did not believe in shying away from them and would happily answer all their questions. I knew Ralph worried, though, because I had gotten into trouble with some of my comments in the past. It was so close to the election that he worried every time I opened my mouth. But I didn’t care. It was why I had so many adoring fans out there. They loved a straight talker. At least people always knew where they stood with me. I had no idea why that was such a bad thing. I looked at Ralph and chuckled.
“Don’t worry so much. I won’t say anything wrong.”
I walked out into the hall and took my seat. I listened to a few speeches and then heard my name as they called me up. All I had to do was stand up and say my pitch, and after that, I’d answer a few questions and my time would be over. I walked up calmly and smiled at everyone around me. I’d gotten used to smiling while flashes were going off. When I’d first started, I’d been horrified at some of the pictures I’d seen of myself in mid-smile. I’d looked like a deer in headlights, which was not a look that I wanted anyone to see from me. I always made sure to maintain my smile now, no matter how bright the lights were.
“Thank you for having me here today, and for providing me with this opportunity of a lifetime. You all know why I’m here, and why I’m doing this. I might not be the sort of man that you’re used to seeing up here. I might be a little too free with my words and a little too blunt in my actions, but at least you always know what you’re going to get with me. At least you know that if you elect me, you’re not going to see me shy away. This is who I am, and I’ve made no apologies for it,” I said. I continued to talk to them about what I was going to do and how I was going to do it. My approach was very different from my opponent’s, and I knew that I was unconventional. But I believed in myself, and I was sure that it shone through my speech. When my time was almost up, I stopped and smiled at everyone around me. I heard a few clicks and saw few more flashes, and I couldn’t help but think that those were going to be good photos. “I’m here for one reason, and one reason only. I believe that the state of Washington is going to thrive with the upcoming election. I believe that you will make the right choice for a better community and an even better future. And let’s be honest: you know I don’t talk bullshit. I say it like it is, and boy do I love it here.”
I watched as the crowd went from surprise at hearing me use the word bullshit, to pleasure as they all laughed and clapped. Ralph was standing in the corner looking at me in horror, but when he saw everyone clap, I saw the relief wash over him. I wish he would have a little more faith in me. After all, this is what he had signed up for from the start. He knew what sort of person I was, and that I was not the type of guy to change my ways. I winked at him, and I saw him chuckle.
The floor was opened to questions, and I answered each of them with the same direct honesty as always. Things were going very well, and by the big smile on Ralph’s face, I knew that I wasn’t the only one that thought so.
“Okay, we have time for one more question,” the organizer said as he began to wrap up my segment of the conference. “Yes, how about the man in the black shirt. Yes, go for it. What question do you have for Mr. Maxwell?”
The man in the black shirt stood up, a big smile playing on his face as if he’d been waiting all day to finally get his chance to say something.
“I was wondering what you thought about the allegations being made against Kason Rydell, regarding an alleged affair? I know the two of you are pretty close.”
The what? I stared at the man in confusion. What was he talking about? And speaking of Kason, where was he? He was supposed to be here for the conference. For the first time, I was at a loss of what to say, and I just stood there open-mouthed. I looked at Ralph and saw the panic written all over his own face. Thankfully, the organizer seemed to understand my distress because he cut in and told the man that there would be no further questions. The man seemed annoyed that his time in the spotlight had been taken away, and I rushed off to talk to Ralph.
“What the hell was that all about?”
Ralph shrugged. “I have no idea. Dammit, and things were going so well until that idiot stood up and ruined everything. Are you sure you don’t know what he’s talking about?”
“I don’t. I was looking for Kason this morning, remember? Where the hell is he?”
“I don’t know, but if I were you, I’d go and talk to him right away. Go to your office and close the door. We don’t want anyone listening in. And come and see me once you are done.”
I quickly made my way to the office, closed the door, and called Kason.
“Kason, what’s going on? Why aren’t you here? And why did someone just stand up in the conference and asked me what I thought about you having an affair?” I blurted out.
“I . . . Josh, I can’t really talk over the phone about this. I’m going to have to come in and see you. I don’t know . . . I . . . I messed up, man.”
“What do you mean you messed up? What happened?”
Kason sighed into the phone. A loud, world-weary sigh that spoke volumes. “Remember the cleaning lady that I hired? The one that I said was super-hot?”
I groaned. “The one that you said I had nothing to worry about? The one that apparently had no brains?”
“The very one. Turns out she was a lot smarter than I thought.”
“Oh no, what did you do?”
“Well, you know what I did,” he said. He clearly didn’t want to say the words out loud.
“You had an affair,” I said bluntly. “And what did she do?”
“She went public with it, and now I’m going to have to step down.”
“Shit. Okay, come and see me when you can.”
“I’m sorry, Josh. The whole thing is such a mess.”
“Yeah, it is,” I said and put the phone down.
Kason was my best friend, but it was hard not to feel annoyed by what he had done. This wasn’t just going to ruin Kason’s life, but it was also going to be very bad for the campaign. So much for being so confident about winning the election. I made my way over to see Ralph, knowing that he was about to get the shock of his life. Had we been working our butts off for nothing? I felt sick to my stomach knowing that it could all come to an end because of one bad decision made by Kason. I knocked on the door and quickly stepped inside Ralph’s office.
“It’s bad,” I said to him.