ericrodman101
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
- Posts
- 7,174
Damien Hale finished answering the interviewer's questions and looked about the room. For a moment there was silence. Then uproarious applause. Once more he felt the surge of power and pleasure that he was now addicted to. He'd had the room in the palm of his hand. The crowd were his. The political prize was his. Junior senator at 40. They'd said it wasn't possible. That the voters were rusted onto his opponent and would let the old man stand down and retire gracefully at the time of his choosing.
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...55/1544811979215/28118079476_dc11344871_k.jpg
Well, Damien had proved them all wrong. The old man was licking his wounds somewhere in private. It had been a total victory. He scanned the room again, his eyes roaming the cheering crowd. He waved with both hands, mouthing thank you into the wall of sound.
In the wings he could see Susanna and the children. And Paul his mentor. Damien gestured for them to join him onstage. The sound seemed to double as they did. He kissed Susanna, then the children, before the happy family stood in the spotlight.
.....................
An hour later, Damien glanced up at Paul sitting opposite as the black limousine sped into the night. The older man's face gave nothing away.
"Susanna and the kids are spending the weekend with her mother," Damien said.
"And then?"
"Then," Damien began, hesitated and coughed, before beginning again. "Then I will wait for her attorney to call."
Paul raised an eyebrow.
"It will be enough to buy her silence, Paul. I know it. I know Susanna. She's as committed to the cause as I am. As we all are. Susanna knows this is a political marriage. Sure it means biding her time, but who knows? When I'm Senior Senator and the kids are a little older, that might be her time."
Paul smiled. It wasn't a long speech by Damien's standards, but it contained more substance than usual.
"So she'll agree to stand by you as if nothing has changed."
Damien folded his arms hoping to look stern. But he knew it was for his own benefit. It wouldn't fool Paul.
"Nothing has changed," Damien said. "I'm the same man she married, the same man they elected, the same man who'll start work tomorrow."
He waited for Paul to smile, for that telltale upturn of his mouth to show disdain. But Paul was good.
"I know that," he said, looking into the distance as the limousine slowed and turned into a side road. The bright neon sign pointing to the Country Club lit up the night. "Susanna knows that. But the party, the voters, the press, they know nothing. It's been hard enough keeping your..." Now Paul hesitated, struggling uncharacteristically for the right word. "...your predilection our secret up until now. But you're a senator, Damien. Everything is public. Nothing is private. I'm doing my best, but you've got to help me a little more."
Damien watched as Paul peered over his shoulder into the night behind the car as if he was looking to see if they'd been followed. A weekend of golf is what I need, Damien thought. To take my mind off...everything.
"I have you to thank for everything, Paul. I know that. We're a team. Always remember that. You keep things sweet and I'll keep making it worth your while. Senior senator in two years, four years at the most. Then whatever we want. VP? Maybe even the big one. Four years max. Chief of staff? Ambassador? Whatever you want. We can do it, Paul. Together."
The limousine curved between high hedges. Up ahead the lights from a car park broke through the darkness, and a large Tudor-style building came into view. The driver pulled up beside a stone staircase leading up to double doors.
"Together," Paul echoed, placing a hand firmly on Damien's knee. "But divided we fall, Damien. It's trite, a cliche, I know. But it's true. Other men with less confidence would have fallen by the wayside by now. Or been caught. Or simply made the decision that..." Again Paul hesitated. "...that aberrant sexual tastes were incompatible with striving for the highest offices in the land. But not you Damien. Nothing phases you. It's your strength. It's my raw material. And it's a risk beyond sober analysis. But if you insist..."
"I do." Damien nodded as much to himself as to Paul. "I do."
"Then it's your choice, but you need to trust me. Do you trust me, Damien?"
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...55/1544811979215/28118079476_dc11344871_k.jpg
Well, Damien had proved them all wrong. The old man was licking his wounds somewhere in private. It had been a total victory. He scanned the room again, his eyes roaming the cheering crowd. He waved with both hands, mouthing thank you into the wall of sound.
In the wings he could see Susanna and the children. And Paul his mentor. Damien gestured for them to join him onstage. The sound seemed to double as they did. He kissed Susanna, then the children, before the happy family stood in the spotlight.
.....................
An hour later, Damien glanced up at Paul sitting opposite as the black limousine sped into the night. The older man's face gave nothing away.
"Susanna and the kids are spending the weekend with her mother," Damien said.
"And then?"
"Then," Damien began, hesitated and coughed, before beginning again. "Then I will wait for her attorney to call."
Paul raised an eyebrow.
"It will be enough to buy her silence, Paul. I know it. I know Susanna. She's as committed to the cause as I am. As we all are. Susanna knows this is a political marriage. Sure it means biding her time, but who knows? When I'm Senior Senator and the kids are a little older, that might be her time."
Paul smiled. It wasn't a long speech by Damien's standards, but it contained more substance than usual.
"So she'll agree to stand by you as if nothing has changed."
Damien folded his arms hoping to look stern. But he knew it was for his own benefit. It wouldn't fool Paul.
"Nothing has changed," Damien said. "I'm the same man she married, the same man they elected, the same man who'll start work tomorrow."
He waited for Paul to smile, for that telltale upturn of his mouth to show disdain. But Paul was good.
"I know that," he said, looking into the distance as the limousine slowed and turned into a side road. The bright neon sign pointing to the Country Club lit up the night. "Susanna knows that. But the party, the voters, the press, they know nothing. It's been hard enough keeping your..." Now Paul hesitated, struggling uncharacteristically for the right word. "...your predilection our secret up until now. But you're a senator, Damien. Everything is public. Nothing is private. I'm doing my best, but you've got to help me a little more."
Damien watched as Paul peered over his shoulder into the night behind the car as if he was looking to see if they'd been followed. A weekend of golf is what I need, Damien thought. To take my mind off...everything.
"I have you to thank for everything, Paul. I know that. We're a team. Always remember that. You keep things sweet and I'll keep making it worth your while. Senior senator in two years, four years at the most. Then whatever we want. VP? Maybe even the big one. Four years max. Chief of staff? Ambassador? Whatever you want. We can do it, Paul. Together."
The limousine curved between high hedges. Up ahead the lights from a car park broke through the darkness, and a large Tudor-style building came into view. The driver pulled up beside a stone staircase leading up to double doors.
"Together," Paul echoed, placing a hand firmly on Damien's knee. "But divided we fall, Damien. It's trite, a cliche, I know. But it's true. Other men with less confidence would have fallen by the wayside by now. Or been caught. Or simply made the decision that..." Again Paul hesitated. "...that aberrant sexual tastes were incompatible with striving for the highest offices in the land. But not you Damien. Nothing phases you. It's your strength. It's my raw material. And it's a risk beyond sober analysis. But if you insist..."
"I do." Damien nodded as much to himself as to Paul. "I do."
"Then it's your choice, but you need to trust me. Do you trust me, Damien?"