Point Counterpoint

by Fiona Wilde

  "Well, the expression 'you'll never work in this town again' comes to mind," Jill replied glumly. "Given that I've burned every bridge on the left by taking the job at ANN and no one on the right will hire me because of Shale's influence I'd say my options are pretty limited." She sighed. "Financially I'll be able to float for awhile. You know how anal I am about saving money. But I can't live on my nest egg forever."

  "And what about Brad?" Megan inquired.

  "What about him?" Jill asked, in a tone that suggested she didn't want to answer the question.

  "Is he still with ANN?"

  "I can't imagine why he wouldn't be, since I'm the sinner and he was a mere victim of my sexual appetites," said Jill. "Brad got to have his cake and eat it, too. And judging by his comment on the air tonight, the whole thing was just a big game to him anyway."

  "You don't think you're being a little hasty, Jill?" Megan asked gently. "He may have just meant it as a bad joke."

  "I think it was just how he really feels slipping out. It's like I told him, Meggie, if there was a joke it was on me."

  Megan said nothing.

  The silence made Jill uncomfortable. "What?" she finally asked.

  "What do you mean what?'" asked Megan.

  "You know what I mean," said Jill. "You aren't saying anything. Which means you have something to say. Something I won't like."

  "Does that mean you want me to say it?" her sister asked.

  "Seeing as how it probably couldn't make me feel any worse, shoot," Jill said.

  "I think you were right to tell Shale to shove it, but I think you were completely wrong to paint Brad with the same brush. From what you've told me, Brad is old-fashioned, but he is nothing like Shale."

  "If he's nothing like Shale then why didn't he speak up when that fat toad was all but calling me a whore?" Jill said.

  "People handle things in different ways, Sis. He may have been shocked. He may have been angry and afraid of your seeing just how mad he could get --"

  "Or he could have been in agreement with Shale," Jill interrupted. "Remember, this came on the heels of the potshot he took on me by agreeing with that moron Peck."

  "Sorry, sis, but you're overreacting. I think Brad is proud that you are like you are. He doesn't see your desire for a strong dominant guy as some sort of laughable flaw. But you do. I don't think you're so much mad at him as you are at yourself. You're still not comfortable having exactly what you want. So you're sabotaging it and making it easier to do by lumping Brad in with Shale. If you separated it all out I think you'd see there's a big difference."

  Jill was quiet for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I disagree," she said.

  "Maybe so," said Megan, but I bet you can't tell me why.

  Jill thought for a moment. "I'll tell you why," she said. "Because even after the way I was treated, Brad Chadwick will still carry on at ANN, working for the man who treated the woman he claimed to love like some sort of slutty Jezebel."

  "You don't know that," said Megan. "You don't know what happened after you left that office."

  "Oh, I think I do," Jill shot back. "I know his type, Megan - his best financial interests will trump everything else. Ultimately he'll choose the bottom line over me. Brad knows who butters his bread and it's Shale. He'll sacrifice me in a heartbeat before he'd leave ANN. I'd bet you a dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town that I'm right."

  Jill waited for a response. "Megan?" she asked. "Are you there?"

  "Yeah," her sister said quietly. "And guess what. You owe me a dinner at Cafe Violette. Turn on your TV. There's breaking news on ANN."

  Part III

  Square-jawed ANN anchor Kip Klein, who usually delivered media gossip with an obvious glee, looked somber as he informed viewers that ANN's popular debate show Loggerheads was cancelled, effective immediately.

  "I'm sure many of you are now aware of news beginning to filter out about an alleged inappropriate relationship between co-hosts Brad Chadwick and Bill Parmele," he said. "Like many companies, ANN forbids fraternization between unmarried employees and the doesn't discern between office staff and broadcast personalities when disciplining such infractions. Earlier this evening, both Ms. Parmele and Mr. Chadwick resigned from the network. ANN head Bill Shale plans to issue a statement on the matter at a press conference scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow morning."

  "Oh my god," said Jill.

  "Told you," said Megan.

  "Why would he do that?" asked Jill, more to herself than to her sister.

  "It seems this might be the second time you've misjudged him," said Megan. "Maybe it's time you put aside the assumption that you know what he's thinking and start listening to the man."

  Jill heard a noise outside and looked out the window. She blinked, wanting to convince herself it was really Brad Chadwick's SUV pulling into her driveway.

  "I've got to go," she suddenly said.

  "Why?" asked Megan.

  "I've got company," said Jill.

  "I won't even try to guess who. It would be too easy," said Megan. "Kiss, kiss."

  The phone line buzzed, indicating that Megan had hung up and Jill walked to the door, pulling her jacket on as she did. When she walked out, Chadwick was leaning up against the vehicle, hand shoved in his pockets and long legs crossed at the ankles. He looked at her as she approached, but didn't speak. Jill walked over and stood beside him, sharing in his silence until she could no longer stand it.

  "So why'd you come?" she asked.

  "Because I wanted to," he said. "And in case you're wondering if I was followed, the answer is 'probably.'"

  "It doesn't matter now anyway," she shrugged, sighing. "I know I don't have any right to ask, but I just have to. What happened after I left Shale's office?"

  Chadwick clucked with his tongue and looked up at the sky, as if struggling to recall. "Well, let's see," he said. "Shale sat down at his desk and started muttering about how he and I could find ways to patch up the 'mess' as he called it. And then the next thing you know he agreed with me that maybe it would be better if I just left ANN."

  Jill glanced at him. "Why do I get the feeling that you're leaving something out?"

  "Because I am," he said, grinning. "He agreed that I should leave after I swept everything off his desk, grabbed him by his collar and told him he was the sorriest fat fuck I'd ever met and if he didn't personally apologize to you by midnight I'd make it my life's work to paint him as the biggest asshole in network history. And I reminded him that, being a lot sexier than he is, I'd likely be successful. And that I wouldn't stop until I saw him destroyed."

  "You're kidding," said Jill, wide-eyed and then jumped as the cell phone in her pocket rang. Scrambling for it, she looked in disbelief at the number, which showed ANN CEO SHALE.

  "Jesus," she said.

  "No. It's just Shale," Chadwick said. "But you'll kick yourself if you don't take this call so just do it. Please."

  Jill opened the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello," she said.

  Bill Shale's gruff apology was bare bones and obviously insincere, but it was an apology nonetheless and all the sweeter because it had been forced. Shale had completely lost her respect, and it was good to see him taken down a notch. Jill graciously agreed that the incident was behind them and thanked him for his call before snapping the phone shut.

  "Wow," she said.

  "So do you still think I consider you some kind of joke, Jill?" he asked.

  "No," said Jill. "I know I overreacted and then let the whole thing snowball. The problem isn't you, Brad. It's me. I'm still trying to settle into this new reality I've opened myself up to and I guess I feel guilty for wanting what you've offered. In retrospect I think I was just looking for a reason to bolt."

  Chadwick reached out and stroked her face. "The door's still open if you want to bolt back home."

  Jill looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. She suddenly began to shake. "Are you sure?" she asked through the sob that rocked her body.


  Chadwick turned and pulled her to him. "I am absolutely positive," he said, holding her as she clung to him, weeping in gratitude. "Now you just lean on me for as long as you want. I don't mind. I don't mind a bit."

  Part IV

  "Five, four, three, two, one." The cameraman pointed at the hosts and two guests sitting on the dais, signaling the show had begun.

  "Good evening, Welcome to Chat with U.S.. I'm Jack Martin and this is my co-host Amanda Blain. In the studio tonight is Washington's most unlikely power couple, Brad Chadwick and his wife, Jill Parmele-Chadwick, husband and wife, political pundits and co-authors of the runaway best seller, Finding Common Ground: A Guide To Peace Across the Political Spectrum.

  "Wow," said Blaine, pushing a strand of blonde hair away from her sculptured face. "It's been quite a hectic year-and-a-half for the two of you. Eighteen months ago you were both riding high as the co-hosts of Loggerheads on conservative network ANN.

  Brad raised a finger. "Yes, and if I may interrupt, Amanda, both Jill and I wish Bill Shale the best as he continues to recover from his heart attack."

  "A sentiment we all share, I'm sure," Blain said. "And a gracious sentiment, considering that Shale's refusal to accept your relationship resulted in your both walking away from the top rated show in cable television."

  "Yes, it did, Amanda," said Jill. "But ultimately it was a blessing in disguise."

  "Exactly," offered Chadwick. "When Jill and I got together, we were so locked in our rigid ideologies we never realized how it shaded our relationships with other people."

  "So what does this mean," asked Martin, the male co-host. "Are you now a liberal and she a conservative?"

  "Oh, heavens no," said Jill. "We still are polar opposites politically. Everyone who went past our house last election season did a double-take to see both Democrat and Republican signs in our yard. So no, we still disagree. We've just learned to do it while listening to other viewpoints, rather than talking over them."

  "And that's what your book is about, basically," said Amanda Blain. "It makes a great case for civility in debate and both of you are pretty candid about your own bad behavior in past clashes with political opponents."

  "Absolutely," said Chadwick. "Steamrolling over someone may feel good at the moment, but when you think about it, no one every thought the schoolyard bully was particularly smart, did they? And that's because he wasn't. He used his fists to silence opposition, usually because he didn't really have a good way to deal with it."

  "Yeah," said Jill. "And on the other hand, there's also a grace in deferring when you're wrong, backing off your point and taking time to think about it. Sure, you risk changing your mind and for ideologists that's a scary prospect because it means losing their identity. But on the flip side, contemplation also allows you to hone your argument. And when you come back to the debate, you don't have to bully because you actually have something to say."

  "Well, I just have to ask," said Blaine, putting her hand on Jill's. "What is it like living with a guy like Brad Chadwick?"

  Jill looked at her husband. "If I can sound old fashioned, it's like being a princess. He's chivalrous, protective and someone I look up to."

  "Wow," said Martin. "That doesn't sound very liberal."

  "And it might not sound very conservative for me to say that my wife is the strongest person I know," said Chadwick. "But you know what? I don't care."

  "Absolutely," said Jill. "Because life shouldn't be about fitting into camps or living by some cookie-cutter expectation. It should be about forging successful relationships in our families, community and government."

  "Wow, that's quite a success story," said Blaine. "So, you two. What's your next project?"

  Jill looked at Chadwick, a smile in her eyes. "Do you think we should tell them?"

  "I don't see why not," he said. "It's not like we're all that good at keeping secrets."

  Jill reached down and put her hand on her belly. "His name is Brad, Jr.," she said. "He'll be here in about five months."

  The End

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