have to, whether it’s to
give people hope or sway their opinion on an issue important to the people who
got us here.”
“You
mean the voters?” Ron said.
Hopkins
topped his glass off with more gin. Any other night, Ron would have warned him
not to drink with an interview scheduled the next morning, but not this time.
The more befuddled Hopkins was tomorrow the better.
“Yeah,
the voters. But not just the voters. People in power
don’t get there on their own . They have friends –
powerful friends – who help them get there. And if a man wants to keep
his office he needs to take care of those friends, because if he doesn’t, he
won’t likely be staying long.
“That’s
an interesting take,” Ron replied. “I just remember democracy being described
under different terms back when I took civics.”
“You’re
not a child anymore,” Ron. Hopkins threw back the glass and drained it in one
gulp. “You’re a man riding coattails to power. It’s time you learned how the
big boys played the game.”
Ron
smirked. His half-drunk boss was reaching for the bottle again. He let him do
it, deciding after this drink he’d cut him off. He knew Hopkins was likely
nervous about the interview, but he didn’t want to have to cancel because he’d
gotten too drunk. This time when Hopkins walked away from the bar, Ron walked
over and locked the cabinet, pocketing the key after he did so.
“Yeah,”
Hopkins was saying again. “You’re playing with the big boys.”
“You’re
right,” said Ron under his breath. “And the bigger they are, the harder they
fall.”
Chapter
Nine
Lindsay’s
headache was better the next morning, but enough remained to get her off to a
slow start. She was about to call Clara and tell
her she’d be bit late when the doorbell rang. Lindsay sighed heavily; she was
in no mood for visitors but when she looked through the peephole she couldn’t
help but smile.
“Clara !, ” she said, as she opened the door. “You know you didn’t
have to do this.” She ran her hand through her uncombed hair as the candidate,
already impeccably dressed in a turquoise suit, breezed in with a box of donuts
and a tray holding two coffees.
“I
thought you could probably use some sugar and caffeine,” the older woman said. “Helps
clear away the fog. And it’ll give us something to enjoy while we watch Newstalk
Today. Hopkins is on this morning.”
Lindsay
groaned and flopped down on the couch, rubbing her temples. “Gee, I wonder what
he’ll talk about?” Her voice was sarcastic.
“I’d
better eat this donut fast.” She selected a powdery, jelly-filled confection
from the box. “Character assassination has a strange way of ruining my
appetite.”
Clara
laughed and sat down beside her campaign manager. “I wouldn’t worry too much,”
she said, picking up the controls and switching on the set. “Mark Holden is a
really fair-minded host. If Hopkins goes too far it could actually hurt him.”
Lindsay
shook her head. “Ron Sharp won’t let that happen,” she said. “He’s taken this
campaign too far to let his own candidate lose.”
“I’ll
say,” Clara said, then – seeing Lindsay’s hurt expression –
hastened to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
But
Lindsay waved her off. “It’s alright,” she sighed. “I deserve it for being so
stupid. I’m just glad your numbers are back up.”
“Thanks
to your good performance yesterday,” Clara said.
“We
shouldn’t have to be playing damage control right now. Or playing catch-up. We
should be building on the lead we had before I made the mistake of getting
involved with Ron.”
“Can’t
change the past, honey.” Clara said in her no-nonsense way. “All you can do is
look forward to the future. We’ll have a better idea of where we stand after Newstalk.
If Hopkins scores points at our expense we may have our work cut out for us.
But if he flubs it or comes off as too mean-spirited then
give people hope or sway their opinion on an issue important to the people who
got us here.”
“You
mean the voters?” Ron said.
Hopkins
topped his glass off with more gin. Any other night, Ron would have warned him
not to drink with an interview scheduled the next morning, but not this time.
The more befuddled Hopkins was tomorrow the better.
“Yeah,
the voters. But not just the voters. People in power
don’t get there on their own . They have friends –
powerful friends – who help them get there. And if a man wants to keep
his office he needs to take care of those friends, because if he doesn’t, he
won’t likely be staying long.
“That’s
an interesting take,” Ron replied. “I just remember democracy being described
under different terms back when I took civics.”
“You’re
not a child anymore,” Ron. Hopkins threw back the glass and drained it in one
gulp. “You’re a man riding coattails to power. It’s time you learned how the
big boys played the game.”
Ron
smirked. His half-drunk boss was reaching for the bottle again. He let him do
it, deciding after this drink he’d cut him off. He knew Hopkins was likely
nervous about the interview, but he didn’t want to have to cancel because he’d
gotten too drunk. This time when Hopkins walked away from the bar, Ron walked
over and locked the cabinet, pocketing the key after he did so.
“Yeah,”
Hopkins was saying again. “You’re playing with the big boys.”
“You’re
right,” said Ron under his breath. “And the bigger they are, the harder they
fall.”
Chapter
Nine
Lindsay’s
headache was better the next morning, but enough remained to get her off to a
slow start. She was about to call Clara and tell
her she’d be bit late when the doorbell rang. Lindsay sighed heavily; she was
in no mood for visitors but when she looked through the peephole she couldn’t
help but smile.
“Clara !, ” she said, as she opened the door. “You know you didn’t
have to do this.” She ran her hand through her uncombed hair as the candidate,
already impeccably dressed in a turquoise suit, breezed in with a box of donuts
and a tray holding two coffees.
“I
thought you could probably use some sugar and caffeine,” the older woman said. “Helps
clear away the fog. And it’ll give us something to enjoy while we watch Newstalk
Today. Hopkins is on this morning.”
Lindsay
groaned and flopped down on the couch, rubbing her temples. “Gee, I wonder what
he’ll talk about?” Her voice was sarcastic.
“I’d
better eat this donut fast.” She selected a powdery, jelly-filled confection
from the box. “Character assassination has a strange way of ruining my
appetite.”
Clara
laughed and sat down beside her campaign manager. “I wouldn’t worry too much,”
she said, picking up the controls and switching on the set. “Mark Holden is a
really fair-minded host. If Hopkins goes too far it could actually hurt him.”
Lindsay
shook her head. “Ron Sharp won’t let that happen,” she said. “He’s taken this
campaign too far to let his own candidate lose.”
“I’ll
say,” Clara said, then – seeing Lindsay’s hurt expression –
hastened to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
But
Lindsay waved her off. “It’s alright,” she sighed. “I deserve it for being so
stupid. I’m just glad your numbers are back up.”
“Thanks
to your good performance yesterday,” Clara said.
“We
shouldn’t have to be playing damage control right now. Or playing catch-up. We
should be building on the lead we had before I made the mistake of getting
involved with Ron.”
“Can’t
change the past, honey.” Clara said in her no-nonsense way. “All you can do is
look forward to the future. We’ll have a better idea of where we stand after Newstalk.
If Hopkins scores points at our expense we may have our work cut out for us.
But if he flubs it or comes off as too mean-spirited then
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