Adam. He leaned against his advertising director's desks his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles as he joked and laughed with a small knot of staff members. He'd shed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, and -- despite the dark smudges of exhaustion under his eyes -- he held himself with a casual, heedless grace that, even from across the room, made Julia's breath catch in her throat.
How could so many contradictions exist within one man? Despite his fiery temper, he was also capable of remarkable tenderness. Adam took wealth and luxury for granted, yet also cared deeply about the state's poorest resident. He craved attention and publicity, and thrived in the spotlight, but he could also display a startling degree of thoughtfulness during private moments. Julia sighed. She would probably never understand Adam any better than she did now. Sometimes she saw a flash of genuine emotion, but then he threw his shields up again and she found herself staring at a blank wall.
"So, Julia, what's it like being the candidate's wife?"
"What? Oh, hi, Lucinda." Julia tore her gaze away from Adam and smiled at her husband's personal assistant. The warm twinkle in the older woman's eyes told Julia that the question grew from real concern rather than a gossip's nosiness. "It's hard to describe, Lucinda. It's. . .interesting."
Lucinda laughed and let her gaze wander across the room, to where Adam held court. "I imagine so. I've known Adam for years. He's not an easy man to get along with, but he's got a good heart. You're a lucky woman, Julia."
"I -- yes, I know." Julia felt herself blushing. She quickly changed the subject. "At least I have the right wardrobe, thanks to you."
Lucinda nodded. "You look wonderful in all the publicity shots. I hear you're filming a new ad next week."
"That's right. Danny will be in it, too. He's looking forward to it, the little ham."
Lucinda let out a throaty chuckle. "He's 10, right? I have a grandson just that age, but he's just the opposite. So shy I can't even get him to pose for photos."
Julia spoke with Lucinda for several minutes more before two other staff members drifted over join the conversation. Beverly West, Adam's chief fundraiser, was a sleek and sophisticated woman of about 40. Ted Okimoto, the campaign's issues adviser, was one of the party's rising stars. He often startled Julia with his encyclopedic knowledge of obscure facts and minor legislation.
At first, the two senior staffers treated Julia with a polite wariness -- after all, they assumed she shared a bed with their boss -- but Julia made an effort to set them at ease. Soon, they were all laughing and chatting like old friends. Julia found herself enjoying herself more than she had in weeks. She barely even noticed when Adam disappeared into his office and lowered the blinds.
Adam heaved a sigh as he glanced over the balance sheets one more time. "Phil, these figures can't be right. At this rate we'll run out of funds before the end of this week, and you know Norris will do a media blitz at the very end. He's going negative, too. That last series of radio ads. . . . " Adam leaned back in his chair and threaded his fingers together behind his head. "We've got to fight back. Otherwise, he'll walk away with the whole election."
Phil crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "I don't see that happening, Adam. The well's nearly dry. Every time we go back to our donors, they can afford to give less and less. You've got a broad base of support, but we're talking about families, small businesspeople -- donations of $20 or $100, not the big windfalls Norris hauls in from the corporations." His thin lips drew into a distasteful pucker. "You know I've been approached by Northern Lumber, but for their money they'd expect --"
Adam slammed his palm against his desk so hard it sent spikes of pain up his forearm. "Damn it, I know what they'd expect, and I won't do it. I won't let them destroy one of the most beautiful
How could so many contradictions exist within one man? Despite his fiery temper, he was also capable of remarkable tenderness. Adam took wealth and luxury for granted, yet also cared deeply about the state's poorest resident. He craved attention and publicity, and thrived in the spotlight, but he could also display a startling degree of thoughtfulness during private moments. Julia sighed. She would probably never understand Adam any better than she did now. Sometimes she saw a flash of genuine emotion, but then he threw his shields up again and she found herself staring at a blank wall.
"So, Julia, what's it like being the candidate's wife?"
"What? Oh, hi, Lucinda." Julia tore her gaze away from Adam and smiled at her husband's personal assistant. The warm twinkle in the older woman's eyes told Julia that the question grew from real concern rather than a gossip's nosiness. "It's hard to describe, Lucinda. It's. . .interesting."
Lucinda laughed and let her gaze wander across the room, to where Adam held court. "I imagine so. I've known Adam for years. He's not an easy man to get along with, but he's got a good heart. You're a lucky woman, Julia."
"I -- yes, I know." Julia felt herself blushing. She quickly changed the subject. "At least I have the right wardrobe, thanks to you."
Lucinda nodded. "You look wonderful in all the publicity shots. I hear you're filming a new ad next week."
"That's right. Danny will be in it, too. He's looking forward to it, the little ham."
Lucinda let out a throaty chuckle. "He's 10, right? I have a grandson just that age, but he's just the opposite. So shy I can't even get him to pose for photos."
Julia spoke with Lucinda for several minutes more before two other staff members drifted over join the conversation. Beverly West, Adam's chief fundraiser, was a sleek and sophisticated woman of about 40. Ted Okimoto, the campaign's issues adviser, was one of the party's rising stars. He often startled Julia with his encyclopedic knowledge of obscure facts and minor legislation.
At first, the two senior staffers treated Julia with a polite wariness -- after all, they assumed she shared a bed with their boss -- but Julia made an effort to set them at ease. Soon, they were all laughing and chatting like old friends. Julia found herself enjoying herself more than she had in weeks. She barely even noticed when Adam disappeared into his office and lowered the blinds.
Adam heaved a sigh as he glanced over the balance sheets one more time. "Phil, these figures can't be right. At this rate we'll run out of funds before the end of this week, and you know Norris will do a media blitz at the very end. He's going negative, too. That last series of radio ads. . . . " Adam leaned back in his chair and threaded his fingers together behind his head. "We've got to fight back. Otherwise, he'll walk away with the whole election."
Phil crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "I don't see that happening, Adam. The well's nearly dry. Every time we go back to our donors, they can afford to give less and less. You've got a broad base of support, but we're talking about families, small businesspeople -- donations of $20 or $100, not the big windfalls Norris hauls in from the corporations." His thin lips drew into a distasteful pucker. "You know I've been approached by Northern Lumber, but for their money they'd expect --"
Adam slammed his palm against his desk so hard it sent spikes of pain up his forearm. "Damn it, I know what they'd expect, and I won't do it. I won't let them destroy one of the most beautiful
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