by Mary Whitney
I took a breath. “I’m about to say something that may sound glib, but I actually mean it very plainly. I try not to even think about Michael’s voting record. I don’t want to study it or see what he says to the press because I know it will only irritate me.”
“I suppose I do the same thing with Jessie. I don’t want to hear about her votes either.” Michael snickered.
“But you can only do that for so long. One day, probably not that far in the future, one of you will vote against a piece of legislation the other offers. You may even need to speak out against it.” Evelyn nodded at Emily. “There’s a big difference between these two and Mary Matalin and James Carville. For Jessie and Michael, a difference of opinion could hurt the other’s career. They’re not just commenting on television about politics.”
“Mom, Jessie and I aren’t worried about this, so you shouldn’t be either.” Michael smiled at me. “In the end, none of this has any bearing on how we feel about each other.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Evelyn turned to me and said warmly, “Please, forgive me, Jessie. I still worry about my son.”
“Not at all. I understand.” I smiled, but gave her a steely glare. “I’ve considered it myself.”
“As any good politician would,” said Gerald with a wink. “Now, that we’re done with this I’m ready for dessert. Emily, what did you bring for us?”
~~~
Later that night in one of the Grath’s palatial guest suites, I’d finished getting ready for bed and began the daunting task of removing the throw pillows from the four-poster bed. There had to be thirty of them. I wondered if all the beds in the house had that many pillows or was it just the guest bedrooms. I pictured Michael standing in front of his bed and tossing pillows across the room like Frisbees. Then a loud crack from the door caused me to jump, and I warily stared as the door opened.
Michael entered, wearing a white t-shirt, pajama bottoms, and a grin. “Hello.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here,” I whispered but smiled.
He closed the door and walked toward the bed. “I don’t really care.” Taking me in his arms, he asked, “Do you?”
“Not really.” I gave him a peck. “I’m kind of lonely in here, except for all these pillows.”
Leaning down to give me a kiss, he murmured, “I can take care of the pillows and the loneliness.” Then he placed his lips on mine.
We kissed just as we always did at night, but the fact I was in his parents’ house was in the back of my mind. After a string of sweet kisses, I asked, “Just so I know. Where is your parents’ bedroom?”
“The other side of the house,” he said with a laugh. “And don’t worry about them anyway.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who was brought here for approval.” I turned and climbed onto the bed and slid under the covers. Patting the space beside me, I said, “Come here. We can talk.”
“Sure.” He got into bed and wrapped his arms around me. “I’ve got a few things to tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“When the story hits this week, I think we should go out to dinner that night—some place really visible, so we look as normal… like we’re not trying to hide anything.”
“That sounds good.”
“And then on Saturday night…”
“What’s on Saturday night?”
“I have tickets to the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. They’re box seats. It should be nice.”
“Really?” I probably had such a dopey grin on my face. “That’s great! I can’t wait.”
He found my hand and held it in his. “These are things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’m glad we can. The rest of the world is just going to have to get over it.”
“I agree,” I said, giving him a kiss.
“I don’t think it will take that long either. Look how easily you charmed my family.”
“I don’t think ‘charmed’ is the right word.”
“I’d say you charmed Emily. She thinks you’re great.”
“That’s nice. I like her. She’s a lot of fun.”
“For a sister, I suppose…”
I poked his arm. “What about your parents? I doubt I charmed your mother.”
“I don’t have any direct intelligence yet.” He grinned and waited a moment like he was going to make a major announcement. “But it looks as if you may have hit it out of the park.”
“Really?” That seemed impossible. “How?”
“Well, I can tell my dad liked you.”
“He was very kind, and he’s pretty funny too.” I had stroked his arm before I asked the kicker. “What about your mom?”
“I know what you’re thinking. She was a little harsh during dinner, but that’s just her. I swear she was being genuine throughout the entire time. She wouldn’t be that warm with you if she didn’t like you.”
“Like I said, I didn’t mind being asked any of those questions. I think they’re all reasonable, and she did seem genuine.”
“But…” Michael trailed off, his voice expectant of a response.
“I think she made a good point, which we haven’t really talked about. What do we do when one of us is offering legislation which the other is going to vote against?”
“I think we just agree to disagree.” He kissed my hair. “We’re not going to convince the other one is wrong. We should just let it go.”
“She’s right, though. What if a vote is crucial to one of us? What if our reelection depends on it? There are so many scenarios that could put us in that situation.”
He lifted up my chin, which I’m sure was to see my face, but it also allowed me to see his beautiful blue eyes. They were always so reassuring. “We can’t worry about this. When something like that happens, we’ll know well beforehand. We’ll get through it and move on. That’s what we’ve done so far, and it’s worked.”
“It has worked,” I said, and my smile returned. I reached up to kiss him. “I love you, regardless of everything else.”
He grinned, his blue eyes dancing for me. “And I love you regardless of everything else.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The Graths
In the master suite on the other side of the house, Evelyn and Gerald Grath began their nightly bedtime ritual. As they took their time preparing for bed, they always talked about the events of the day. Only that night, there was only one subject. Evelyn closed the door, ready for the discussion.
“So, what did you think of her?” asked Gerald, as he took off his shoes.
“Hmm,” Evelyn murmured.
“You don’t know what you think?”
“No. That’s not it at all,” she said as she unclasped her pearl necklace and placed it in its case. She then removed the matching earrings. “I know exactly how I feel about her.”
“Well, I like her. She’s smart and nice, and it’s obvious Michael loves her.”
“He does,” Evelyn said with a nod. She had watched her son’s actions around Jessie, and he showed all the signs of a besotted man. “And I agree with you. She’s a very pleasant person to be around. There’s just something different about her, though…”
“What do you mean?” he asked as he unbuttoned his shirt.
“She’s pleasant, but she doesn’t seem to be eager to please. Does that make sense?”
Gerald laughed. “Yes. I picked up on that, too. I can understand it. She interacts with us like we’re equals. She’s a very successful woman and doesn’t need our approval.”
“It’s actually sort of refreshing,” said Evelyn with a contemplative smile as she walked toward the dresser holding her nightgown. “She’s the exact opposite of Stacy, who was always ingratiating herself.”
“That’s right. She’s no Stacy.”
“Not at all. In fact, you know I’ve always said I’d like Michael to end up with someone with money of their own. That way, I would know the woman loved him for him and not his mone
y. And even though she’s not wealthy, I think Jessie fits that mold. As a congresswoman, she has enough power that she doesn’t need anything from Michael.”
“I agree.” Gerald smiled and wrapped his arms around his wife. “They’re going to have some bumps when this comes out, and we’re going to take some grief from our friends. But all in all, I think they’ve got a great future ahead.”
“Yes.” Placing her hand on Gerald’s chest, she winced. “But I’m not sure I can agree with you yet on the last part.”
“What do you mean?” He furrowed his brow.
“I think their party divisions are going to affect them far more than they’re willing to admit.”
“They’ve had these discussions. It’s clear they’ve talked through their differences. You don’t think they can deal with specific issues as they come along just like every couple?”
“No, I don’t. They’re uniquely conflicted in their jobs.” Her mouth set in a hard line. “I think they’re being naïve.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jessie
A few months later in July, I was rushing to get out the door. My grandmother’s pearls were around my neck I wore my black shift dress, and my hair was twisted up high, but what I really needed was a boost of caffeine before the fundraiser that night. With no Diet Cokes in my fridge, I ran out the back, up the stairs, gave an obligatory knock, and walked into Trish and Larry’s kitchen where cold soda was always available.
I grabbed one and just as I tipped my head back for a long drink, Trish walked in the room, her laptop in hand. She placed the computer on the table. “Good. You’re still here.”
As I wiped my mouth with my fingertips, I told her, “I’m here only for a minute. I told them I’d get there on the early side, so I need to leave soon.”
“We have to talk before you go anywhere.”
“What’s going on?”
Trish raised both hands as if she was making a grand statement. “Let me just preface this by asking, have I not been incredibly supportive of Michael since you two were outed?”
“Absolutely.” I took another drink and said, “But considering that, after the initial forty-eight hours of blowback, the press has only been good for me, I’m not sure how much of a burden it’s been for you to support us.”
“Fine.” Trish rolled her eyes. “The fact that it’s all played well has made it easier, but I would’ve stood by you regardless.”
“I know you would have, Trish. I didn’t mean it like that.” I smiled. “You’re my rock.”
She also smiled, but then took a breath. “And I’m trying right now to be a rock rather than—”
“Rather than what?”
Her voice rose, and her eyes blazed with fury. “Rather than going absolutely ape shit over what that man has said about you!”
“That man? What man? Michael?”
“Yes. The quote has already been picked up everywhere, and he only said it two hours ago.”
“What did he say?” Even though she was angry, it was hard for me to get worked up. Michael would never say anything negative about me.
“I’ll read you the story in Hackster.” Trish leaned down to look at her laptop and read aloud. “In a moment of humor at the Republican congressional retreat on Saturday morning, Colorado Congressman Gary Martin introduced Illinois Congressman Michael Grath by saying, ‘We all know today’s next speaker, Michael Grath, is from a good Republican family. Of course, he’s now seeing a Democrat, but we won’t hold it against him. I’ve spent time with Congresswoman Clark, and she’s good people. I doubt there’s any pillow talk going on between them.’ As the room politely chuckled, Mr. Grath took the stage saying, ‘I promise you when I’m alone with Jessie the last thing I want to do is talk politics.’ Mr. Martin asked, ‘So she’s not your esteemed colleague when you’re alone?” “Uh. No,” said Mr. Grath. To which Mr. Martin said, “I bet you’re not talking at all over those pillows.’ To which Mr. Grath said, ‘You got that right.’ The room then erupted in laughter.”
I was tongue-tied as I comprehended Michael’s stupidity. In my moment of shocked silence, Larry entered the room and declared, “I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s pretty funny.”
“For a locker room!” Trish glared at him. “You’re just backing him up because you’re a guy and it’s what you always do.”
Slowly, the situation took shape for me. “I know he didn’t mean any harm,” I said, shaking my head in a daze. “But, holy hell, what has he done to me?”
“It’s like he completely forgot who you were. You’re not his wife where it would be accepted. You’re his colleague. You work with these guys. You have constituents. He shouldn’t be making sex jokes about you.”
“Technically, he didn’t make the joke,” said Larry.
A soft knock on the door turned everyone’s heads as Michael entered the kitchen. “Hey. How is everybody?” He walked over to me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I just got back from the retreat and wanted to say ‘hi’ before you left.”
“Hi,” I mumbled.
“You didn’t come to apologize?” asked Trish, placing her hands on hips.
Larry calmly touched his wife’s shoulder. “Trish, let Jessie deal with this.”
“Deal with what?” asked Michael. He looked at me. “Apologize for what, Babe?”
“You don’t know?” I asked, my heart sinking.
“No. What?”
I pointed at the laptop. “Show him, Trish.”
Michael walked to the table and read the screen while the room silenced. In less than a minute, he said, “God damn it. That was supposed to be off the record.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The speeches were off the record today.” He stood up, his expression a mixture of anger and apology. “The leadership allowed reporters in for background information only.”
“Well, obviously the opening remarks weren’t considered part of the speeches.” I was becoming increasingly annoyed at his stupidity.
While I tried to keep my cool, Trish shut the laptop with a hard slap. She raged. “How can you speak about Jessie in that way? What do you mean she’s not your esteemed colleague? She’s not some floozy girlfriend who doesn’t care if you make a sex joke. She’s not your wife either where it’s sort of funny if you mention sex. She’s a member of Congress, just like you. She has an image and constituents and has to respond to the press, and she also has colleagues she has to work with, including those jerks in your party who you just belittled her to.”
“Trish,” said Larry with both hands on her shoulders as if to hold her back. “That’s enough. Let Jessie and Michael talk about this privately.”
I stared at Michael, who had lost all color in his face. He really did look genuinely contrite. “Jessie, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I never meant it like that. I would never want—”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clock and I was now late. The growing knot of anger in my stomach hardened. “I’m late,” I said. “We can talk later.”
“No. Now,” said Michael, reaching out to me.
“I can’t.” It was a difficult situation because I was pissed, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Still, he needed to know the consequences of his actions. I shook my head. “I don’t have time. I need to figure out what the hell I’m going to say when I’m asked about this by fifty people in a few minutes.”
“You can joke about it, but your sex life is not an appropriate topic,” said Trish. “Say something like ‘You can imagine how much I enjoyed reading that today.’ That should work.”
“Jessie,” said Michael. “Please, just a couple of minutes, please.”
I knew this would all blow over, but at that moment it was too much. I couldn’t help but snap at him. “Can you please remember that I have responsibilities just like you?” I opened the door and looked him in the eye again. “I’ll call you when I’m done tonight.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
&
nbsp; Michael
As she walked away, I turned to Trish and Larry, though I wasn’t sure why. I’d completely lost my bearings, and couldn’t speak as I comprehended how much I’d hurt Jessie, both personally and professionally. I was a stupid asshole.
Trish gave me one last furious sneer, grabbed her laptop, and turned on her heel, saying nothing as she left the room.
Larry sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Everything will be okay. Just go have a drink or something. I’ll try and meet up with you later, but right now I need to calm Trish down.”
“Shit,” I mumbled and followed Larry out of the room and then downstairs in silence.
At the doorway, Larry patted me on the back. “So I’ve got an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a good one,” Larry said, a smile forming. “It’ll fix this situation, and I think it has a lot of other benefits.”
“Really? Tell me,” I said, begging for a way out of my personal disaster.
Larry’s smile was now a huge grin as he seemed to think aloud. “Yeah… Jessie… you need to put a ring on it.”
I blinked a moment, making sure I’d heard him right. He wanted me to ask her to marry me? After this? I’d spent the last ten minutes realizing how crazy and stupid I was. Larry seemed to be asking me to do something that was both crazy and stupid. “Sorry, Larry. I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“Oh, come on. If you’re not ready to get married yet, that’s okay. Just have a long engagement.”
“I don’t think so…”
“Why not?
“That’s a desperate move.”
Crossing his arms, Larry eyed him. “You love her, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do.”
“See, I knew I was right.”
“You are right.” I leaned back against the wall of his foyer. Larry was this six foot four, two hundred and twenty pound black man, who could take on any guy who came after him, but here he was staring at me with a goofy grin and talking about love and marriage as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Maybe it actually was. I sighed. “I love her, and I want to marry her, eventually. I’m sure of that, but not right now. I need to get out of this mess with her first.”
