julia_in_nj2007
Experienced
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2016
- Posts
- 54
Washington DC has always been a tough place. And while most associate the city of the eternal battle between Democrats and Republicans, insiders new the true battles were within parties.
Jennifer Adams knew that quite well. Her husband, Matthew, 55, was one of the last Republicans from the Northeast. He (and she) were blue-bloods. And it was a scandal when their relationship was revealed - her, an Ivy League educated staffer 20 years his younger. There was no impropriety. But it still made for great gossip.
As did the gossip about Matthew's standing. He had been critical about the right turn his party had made. He was a proud moderate. He had even had a position of leadership, chairing a prominent committee. But his words lingered. And it created a rivalry with his colleague, Mississippi Senator Chet Taylor.
Chet was a little older than her husband. Polished. Nary one of his greeting hairs out of place. His shirts starched. His skin red tanned. Tall. He was textbook Washington - and southern to the core, being an Ole Miss graduate. His wife, Tricia, was somehow even more fearsome, despite "only" having an undergraduate degree and portraying the dutiful housewife/charity organizer. But she was ruthless in her social skills, using them tonfudther her husband's career and her standing in Washington life.
And Chet had made no bones. He wanted Matthew gone from office. Bad for the party. Bad fornhis place. The rivalry was fierce behind the scenes. And Chet clearly had the upper hand. After all, the Blue Tide of northern states made Matthew the most endangered of species.
Tricia, too, smelled blood. Jennifer was holding court at a D.C. function. Tricia just smiles and nodded along. Finally, she made her move. Jennifer was by the punch bowl. Tricia approached.
"You had better watch that confident tone of yours. Your husband is on thin ice. You will be, too. You'd better think long and hard about how you want your life in Washington to go." She then turned around, a phony Amalie to embrace another wife of the powerful.
Those words lingered. And Jennifer steers over them. Part of the attraction to D.C. Was it's power. And a large part of her attraction to her husband was his power. She was his partner. But she knew deep down inside she preferred when she served his power.
And now he has almost none.
Jennifer called Chet's scheduler - an old friend she had lunch with many times soon after - and asked for a meeting with the Senator. Alone. It was curious but not unusual. And it was on the docket for Wednesday at 3.
Jennifer Adams knew that quite well. Her husband, Matthew, 55, was one of the last Republicans from the Northeast. He (and she) were blue-bloods. And it was a scandal when their relationship was revealed - her, an Ivy League educated staffer 20 years his younger. There was no impropriety. But it still made for great gossip.
As did the gossip about Matthew's standing. He had been critical about the right turn his party had made. He was a proud moderate. He had even had a position of leadership, chairing a prominent committee. But his words lingered. And it created a rivalry with his colleague, Mississippi Senator Chet Taylor.
Chet was a little older than her husband. Polished. Nary one of his greeting hairs out of place. His shirts starched. His skin red tanned. Tall. He was textbook Washington - and southern to the core, being an Ole Miss graduate. His wife, Tricia, was somehow even more fearsome, despite "only" having an undergraduate degree and portraying the dutiful housewife/charity organizer. But she was ruthless in her social skills, using them tonfudther her husband's career and her standing in Washington life.
And Chet had made no bones. He wanted Matthew gone from office. Bad for the party. Bad fornhis place. The rivalry was fierce behind the scenes. And Chet clearly had the upper hand. After all, the Blue Tide of northern states made Matthew the most endangered of species.
Tricia, too, smelled blood. Jennifer was holding court at a D.C. function. Tricia just smiles and nodded along. Finally, she made her move. Jennifer was by the punch bowl. Tricia approached.
"You had better watch that confident tone of yours. Your husband is on thin ice. You will be, too. You'd better think long and hard about how you want your life in Washington to go." She then turned around, a phony Amalie to embrace another wife of the powerful.
Those words lingered. And Jennifer steers over them. Part of the attraction to D.C. Was it's power. And a large part of her attraction to her husband was his power. She was his partner. But she knew deep down inside she preferred when she served his power.
And now he has almost none.
Jennifer called Chet's scheduler - an old friend she had lunch with many times soon after - and asked for a meeting with the Senator. Alone. It was curious but not unusual. And it was on the docket for Wednesday at 3.