“She went public with it, and now I’m going to have to step down.”
“Shit. Okay, come and see me when you can.”
“I’m sorry, Josh. The whole thing is such a mess.”
“Yeah, it is,” I said and put the phone down.
Kason was my best friend, but it was hard not to feel annoyed by what he had done. This wasn’t just going to ruin Kason’s life, but it was also going to be very bad for the campaign. So much for being so confident about winning the election. I made my way over to see Ralph, knowing that he was about to get the shock of his life. Had we been working our butts off for nothing? I felt sick to my stomach knowing that it could all come to an end because of one bad decision made by Kason. I knocked on the door and quickly stepped inside Ralph’s office.
“It’s bad,” I said to him.
Chapter Four
Reagan
There had been no job offers. It was hard not to feel despondent. I had a good resume, and I knew I worked harder than most people. And yet, there seemed to be nothing coming my way. I’d made my way over to the Dana’s for lunch. Mostly because I couldn’t face the thought of cooking, but also because I felt like I needed a bit of company. Dana always put me in a good mood and the longer I sat at home, the more depressed I was starting to feel. She noticed that something was wrong the moment I walked through the doors.
“Wine? Whiskey?” she said.
I laughed. “Do I look that bad? No, just some coffee would be great. Any chance you can inject it straight into my veins though? I need a definite boost after the week I’ve had.”
“Oh no. Rough week?”
“Boring week. I’ve done nothing except look for jobs. There just doesn’t seem to be anything on the market at the moment. I don’t know what’s going on. Either that or I’m just not all that employable.”
“You’re the most employable person I know. Maybe the market is just dry at the moment. Let me get you a cup.”
“Here,” she said moments later. “I made it extra strong. So, you okay? Don’t be so hard on yourself. Work will come your way. I know it.”
I sighed. “I’m not so sure, to be honest. It feels like I’m going nowhere.”
“It’s not like you to be so despondent.”
“I know. I’m losing my optimism with every passing day. Looks like I might have to take you up on the offer to work here.”
“Really?”
I looked at her and grimaced. “I know you probably don’t want me really working here.”
“Reagan, you’re my best friend. You know you can work with me whenever you want to.”
“Just not in the kitchen.”
She giggled. “That’s probably the wisest decision. But seriously, I’d love to give you a job if you need one. Why don’t you come and work here while you look for something?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I’ll give it some thought. If I haven’t found anything by next week, then I might just do that. Thanks, Dana.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. And don’t worry, it won’t be forever. It will just be until you find something else. Don’t let it get you down.”
“I won’t,” I said, even though it was already getting me down. I pointed to the TV. “Mind if we put that up quickly? I really want to hear what Josh has to say. I totally forgot that it was the press conference today. And trust me, I always know when these conferences are on. I must be losing my mind.”
Dana groaned. “This is why I didn’t want a TV here. Okay, but I’m only doing this because you’re depressed and you’re my best friend,” she said and adjusted the volume.
I leaned in to watch Josh Maxwell on the TV. I’d always been fascinated with him, mostly because of the different approach to politics he took. It didn’t harm that he was so good looking. Even in a suit, he looked like he’d just gotten out of bed. He had a rough exterior, and dark brown eyes that went on for days.
“He could’ve shaved,” Dana said with disgust as she watched with me.
I chuckled. “That’s his style.” I would’ve been super devastated if Josh had to appear on TV one day clean shaven. He could probably use a little bit of polishing, but I liked the way he looked.
“Do you like him or something?”
“Like him? I don’t even know him.”
“What’s the big deal with him anyway? I’ve heard his name mentioned a few times, but I just don’t get it. Personally, he seems like kind of a prick to me. Look at him. He has such a smug look on his face. He’s just lapping the whole thing up like a puppy. Do women really fall for him?”
Do women fall for Josh Maxwell? It was like asking if I liked coffee. “Of course. He’s very appealing to the public because he’s so different from the sort of people we are used to seeing up there. I know he has a tough attitude, which is definitely off putting to some, but I like that you know where you stand with him. Also, the women love him because, let’s be honest, he’s very good looking.”
Dana peered closer. “I guess. He’s just a bit too rough around the edges, if you know what I mean. He could use a little smoothing over.”
It wasn’t the first time that I had heard someone say that about Josh. She was probably right; if he took a little more care in what he said, he would probably be more likable. Right now, he had a good group backing him based on his looks, but that would double if he appealed to a wider audience. “Yeah, I suppose so. He can’t help but be who he is, but you’re right. He’d probably be a lot more appealing to more of the public if he got rid of the cockiness. Oh, it’s about to end, one more question.”
I watched as a guy from the press, a man in a black shirt that looked two sizes too small for him, stood up with a grin on face.
“I was wondering what you thought about the allegations being made against Kason Rydell, regarding an alleged affair? I know the two of you are quite close.”
My eyes widened as I took in the scene before me. Kason Rydell was having an affair? “He’s married,” I mouthed to Dana as I continued to watch. I wasn’t sure why I was so surprised, though. From what I had seen, Kason had always loved attention from the ladies. Kason was Josh’s best friend, but from the look on Josh’s face, he obviously had no idea what the reporter was talking about. He looked nervous, and the man in the black shirt seemed pleased to have gotten a reaction from him. The organizer stepped in and wrapped up the conference so that Josh didn’t have to answer. I sat back while Dana switched the TV off.
“There’s more drama in politics than there is in a soap opera,” she said. “So that guy is having an affair? I told you he looked shady.”
“No, not Josh. Josh is single as far as I know. It’s his friend, another political guy, who had an affair. But it’s not going to be good for their campaign as they’re in the same party. Ooh, this is not going to be good. You could tell by the way the press reacted that this thing is going to blow up. Pity Josh hadn’t known about it before. His face said it all. This is bad. Very bad. If he had known about it, then at least he would have prepared something to say. Always stay ahead of the game. I don’t know why people don’t do this!”
I sat talking to Dana about the campaign and filling her in on why something like that could totally ruin things for them. She wasn’t all that interested, but the added excitement of the scandal made it a little easier for her to listen.
“You know,” she said thoughtfully. “You really should be in that line of work. You know more about it than I realized, and your eyes literally light up when you talk about it. You love it, don’t you?”
I laughed. “I do. Which makes not having a job doing what I love that much harder. I would love to do something that I’m passionate about. I mean, look at you. I’ve never seen anyone as content in their job as you are. You were made for this. That’s how I want to feel about my job. It’s so utterly frustrating.”
“I’m sorry. Don’t give up.”
“Ah, you know me. I won’t give up,” I said as brightly as possible, even though I wasn’t
sure how much I meant it anymore.
“Good. Let me get our lunch; that will cheer us up. I’ll be right back,” she said and walked off.
Just then my phone rang, and I pulled it out of my bag to answer. It was Ralph, a good friend of mine from my college days. He’d been a few years older than me at the time, but we’d connected in our mutual interest of politics. I had been delighted when he got the chance to head the campaign for Josh Maxwell. If anyone deserved it, he did, and I knew that he would be the perfect man for the job. He was probably the most organized and focused person that I had ever met. The two of us were very good friends in college, but since then we’d filtered in and out of our friendship. We were terrible at meeting up, but we tried calling each other every now and again just to catch up. With everything that was going on, I thought it was a strange time for a catch-up, but maybe he just needed someone to vent with.
“Ralph, it’s so good to hear from you again.”
“I know, you too. It’s been way too long. I’m sorry I haven’t called in such a long time. Is this an okay time to speak?” he asked.
“Are you kidding me? I know how busy you’ve been lately. I’m surprised that you’re even calling me now. It must be madness where you are. I’ve been keeping up with the election, so I know this is not exactly your quiet time. And yeah, this is the perfect time to speak.” I was excited to hear from him. I loved talking to Dana, but she wasn’t exactly the best person to talk to about politics. I missed the days of hanging out with Ralph. The two of us always had so much to say.
“It’s so crazy around here. Did you see the conference?” he asked.
“I did. I’m glad I remembered to watch it. I’ve been wallowing in self-pity lately, but the TV happened to be on at the diner so I got the chance to watch the whole thing. And the end bit, I couldn’t believe it. It’s crazy. What’s going on? Tell me everything.”
“It’s bad. The worst part is that I had no idea that it was going to happen, and as you could probably tell, neither did Josh. It took us completely by surprise, which is definitely something you don’t want to happen in front of a whole lot of cameras. And to think, just before the conference I was talking to Josh about how confident we were that we had this whole thing in the bag. Josh is always confident, but for the first time, I started to believe it too. Then this whole mess happened. The whole thing is unraveling before our eyes. Our opponents are obviously going to milk this for what it’s worth, and this is exactly the sort of thing that the media loves so much.”
“I’m so sorry. And you’ve worked so hard on this. I can’t imagine what a blow this must be for you. This is such a crucial time to look good in front of the public. I know how fickle they can be.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m calling you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You aren’t by any chance looking for a job at the moment are you?”
I chuckled. “I am. Why do you think I’ve been wallowing in self-pity? There’s nothing out there. Why? Are you giving up your job?” I asked. I clearly thought he was just joking with me.
“I’m not giving up my job, but I do need someone that can help clean up this mess that we are in. I think you’ll be perfect for the job. If you want, I can get you an interview for Wednesday if you’re free.”
I sat in shocked silence. I couldn’t believe what I was just hearing. The whole thing was so incredibly serendipitous that it almost felt too good to be true. I tried to reply, but I couldn’t seem to find my words. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
“Hello, are you still there?”
“Are you kidding me?” I said when I finally found my voice again.
“Not at all. I’m being serious. I can’t guarantee it, but I can definitely put in a good word. Although, between you and me, I think you’ll get it. It’s such short notice, and you’re perfect for this sort of thing. You’re exactly what we need right now. Although, I can’t say it’s the best time to start a job in politics. There is not long to go on the campaign, and it’s going to be chaotic.”
“Oh, I love chaos. Ralph, you have no idea what good timing this is. Send me the details and I’ll be there.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” he said.
“No, trust me. You’re the lifesaver.”
I put the phone down and fist pumped the air. Just then, Dana walked in carrying the plates of food and laughed at me.
“Are you that excited for lunch?”
I chuckled. “I am excited for lunch, but that’s not the reason why I’m so happy suddenly.”
“Oh yeah? Did something happen?”
“There’s a chance that I might not need a job with you just yet.”
“You got a job?” she said with excitement.
“Not yet. But I have an interview on Wednesday. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m so glad that a senator had an affair.”
“You’re going to work on the campaign?”
“Maybe. Just maybe. Ralph just called me. Turns out they’re looking for someone to come in and help them with this mess. Apparently, he thinks I’m just the person for the job. I have an interview on Wednesday, but Ralph says it is likely that I’ll get the job. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but it’s hard not to. This is the best chance I’ve had yet.”
Dana grinned and held up her cup of coffee. I did the same, and we clinked them together.
“To politicians being like characters from soap operas,” she said.
“To a new job,” I said.
“To best friends.”
“To amazing food.”
We both chuckled and turned our attention to the food in front of us, which was once again absolutely amazing. It also seemed to taste better now that I was once again in a good mood. I needed to get that job because there was no way that I would do well working for Dana. I was very good when it came to eating food, but terrible when it came to cooking it. I needed this job more than anything else, and I was determined to get it.
Chapter Five
Josh
I was on my way to meet Kason at the golf course. It might seem like a strange place to meet after the scandal, but the two of us needed to let off some steam, and the golf course was always the place where we did this. It was the perfect place for Kason to hide too, even though he’d be out on a big open field. There was a general rule at the club that whatever happened there, stayed there. It was all very Fight Club, but without the fighting. It wasn’t that anything even happened at the golf course, but it was a place to let off steam without fear of people talking. My younger self would have cringed, but I was actually looking forward to it.
There was something about the wide expanse of space around us that allowed us to breathe more easily. The conference had happened only yesterday, and already there was an uproar about what had happened. Our phones had been ringing off the hook, and I had no idea how we were going to come away from this unscathed.
I knew Kason was probably nervous to see me. If it wasn’t for him, the election would’ve gone smoothly, and he must know that he had messed up. Even though I was incredibly annoyed by what he had done, I still felt bad for him. He was a good guy, and he probably hadn’t meant any harm. I had known Kason for a very long time, and I considered him to be my best friend. Unfortunately, the political world was so convoluted with fake people that it was often hard to find someone you could trust. No matter what happened, though, I would always stick up for Kason. He might have made a mistake, but he was certainly not politically corrupt. Unfortunately, I was sure that this was not the side to him the public was seeing right now. Nobody liked a cheater. It was a tough predicament for me to be in because I didn’t like cheaters, either—but he was my best friend, and I would never turn my back on him.
I’d barely slept the night before thinking about what had happened, and I knew it wasn’t good to speak over the phone. We’d already taken that risk yesterday, and while I was sure that our phones weren’t being bugged, it w
as always better not to take a chance. We’d seen it happen to people before so there was no reason why it couldn’t happen to us.
When I arrived at the golf course, I saw that Kason’s car was already there. I made my way inside and saw him on the course, ready to start the game. He looked sad to me even from a distance.
“Kason, ready to get your ass kicked today?” I said and shot him a smile. I wanted him to know that I wasn’t going to tear him apart. He was already getting enough of that from the public.
He smiled gratefully at me, and I could see him visibly start to relax a bit more.
“Oh yeah? Since when did you get so cocky about golf? You should know I’m the superior one here.”
I laughed. “I think we better pull out our score card to see who’s in the lead.”
“We have a score card?” he asked.
“No. But it sounded cool.” Neither one of us had ever played for competition, and we both knew it. We liked to pretend as if we were these big golfers who liked to win every game, but that wasn’t what our days out on the course were really about. Anyway, if we were to have kept score, I was almost certain that he would be the one in the lead. He was much more of a natural golfer than I would ever be. It was like the moment he got onto the golf course, he became a different person.
We began playing, keeping the conversation light at first and waiting until there was nobody around but the two of us. When we were finally all alone, I faced him.
“You okay?” I said eventually and shot him a look that I hoped portrayed that I was worried about him.
He sighed. “I don’t know. I guess so. I thought you might be angry at me. I was stressing about meeting you today. I don’t think I slept at all last night. That press conference. I felt so bad about it. I couldn’t believe it when I was watching it. I had no idea that it was all going to come up like that.”
I shook my head. “I’m annoyed, but I’m not angry. It’s just a little bit of a speed bump for the campaign, that’s all.”
“I know. I can’t believe it. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe how badly I messed things up for all of us. And we were doing so damn well. I just feel so bad. Let’s be honest; it’s all my fault. I’ve ruined things for us. You were in the lead.”
Dirty Boss (An Office Romance) (The Maxwell Family) Page 3
