by K. C. Wells
Gary fished out his lighter and held it, hand still trembling slightly, while Sam lit up. “So… what did you do this morning?” he said with a smile.
Sam laughed. “Yeah, I know. Unreal, huh?” He took a drag. “I had to get out of there. Josh is going into overdrive.”
Gary chuckled. “He’s a character, huh? Is he always like that?”
“What—full of energy, acting like he’s drunk about twenty cups of coffee? Pretty much.” Sam’s expression grew more sober. “Look, before we go any further, there’s something I have to say.”
“Okay,” Gary said slowly. Sam’s hesitant manner and obvious embarrassment made him wonder what the hell was coming.
“I am so, so sorry that we put you in this position,” Sam said earnestly. “I know you haven’t been with the team all that long, and to have you react like this, well….” He drew in a deep breath. “Let’s just say you were more open to the idea than I thought you’d be.”
Gary chuckled. “Yeah, I may have surprised myself back there too. But really, there’s no apology needed. It wasn’t your fault he had someone spying on us. And if I hadn’t been out here sneaking a quick smoke, there’d have been nothing to see, right? It was just bad timing.” He regarded Sam with interest. “Can I ask you something?”
Sam arched his eyebrows. “Considering what we just agreed to? Ask away.”
“How long did it take you to get your head around this whole idea?”
Sam snorted. “What makes you think I have?” He shook his head. “When Josh and Becky first came up with the idea, tossing it back and forth between them, I thought they’d lost it. Then Curtis started talking statistics, appealing to common sense.”
Gary nodded slowly. “Let me guess. ‘Let’s appeal to the gay voters, especially all those who don’t follow Hartsell and the NCTVPC.’” He scowled. “I took a peek at their website once. Made me want to puke.” He studied Sam. “You sure you want to do this? Because this does seem a pretty drastic way to go.”
“To be honest? I’m still not entirely convinced. But what are my options?” Sam puffed on his cigarette. “Becky said it really burned her to see Hartsell’s campaign post. Well, it burned me too. You and I, all we were doing was sharing a cigarette and celebrating your news. Nothing remotely seedy or dirty about it, and yet with that one post, he made it look like I had something to hide. The pair of us, skulking in the backyard….”
“Yeah. I felt the same way.”
“And don’t you think it’s time North Carolina had a gay senator?” Sam asked with a smile.
“Sure, but you could still be a gay senator without this… subterfuge.”
Sam fell silent for a moment. “What looks better, to come out because Hartsell’s forced our hand and left me no choice? Or to do it this way, where I’m still coming out, but at least we get the chance to put a spin on it, to make it sweet, romantic, and nothing like he painted us? Granted, ours is the more desperate option of the two—behind the scenes, at any rate—but ultimately it could mean his nasty little post backfires on him and we gain public sympathy.” He sighed. “Both options end up with the same result—Senator Sam Dalton is gay—but you have to admit, this way is more positive.”
Gary couldn’t argue with that. Then he smiled. “By the way, your secretary seemed awfully happy to hear your news.”
Sam guffawed. “What gave it away? That delighted squeal of hers that went ultrasonic?” He shook his head. “You know, if you look up fag hag in the dictionary, it says See Becky Watson.” Gary let out a smothered gasp, and Sam’s cheeks flushed. “That was her term for describing herself, before you go thinking I’m insulting her. That woman is obsessed with gay men.”
Gary laughed. “And now she finds out she has one for a boss. She must be in heaven.”
“Oh Lord,” Sam groaned. “I didn’t think about that part. She’ll be in her element.” He paused and looked over Gary’s shoulder, peering intently at something.
Gary turned to look. “What is it?”
“I was just looking to see if there was a camera trained on us, but then I realized it didn’t matter—not with what we’re about to break, anyhow.” Sam pulled out his phone and glanced at it. “Speaking of which, we’d better go back upstairs. Josh will want to run through the press conference protocol with you before this afternoon.”
“This afternoon?” Gary’s heartbeat raced.
Sam smiled sweetly. “Did I forget to mention that he’s arranged a press conference, which is due to take place in about three hours’ time?”
“Yeah, you did,” Gary said with a scowl. “I think we’re gonna need to work on our communication.” He stubbed out his cigarette with his shoe and then picked up the butt. “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.”
To his relief Sam burst out laughing. “I like it. Looks like we have the same taste in movies too.” He held the door open for Gary. “After you.”
As they made their way up to Sam’s office, Gary realized he’d relaxed a little.
He’s got a similar sense of humor. This might work after all.
Chapter Four
Coming Out
“WHERE have you two been?” Josh groused as they came through the door into Sam’s office. “Sneaking off together? Don’t bury yourselves in the part, guys.”
Sam gave him a hard stare. “And don’t forget who pays you, Mr. Mapleton.”
A flush crept across Josh’s cheeks. “Sorry, Sam,” he mumbled. “It’s just that the phones haven’t stopped. They’re white-hot.”
“Huh?” Sam paused at Becky’s doorway and peered inside. “Hey, can we have some—”
A mug was thrust into his hand. “Here you go. I’m just pouring one for Gary.”
Sam chuckled. “Becky, you’re a—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, a national treasure,” she muttered, waving her hand dismissively. “Now go sit down, drink your coffee, and talk to Josh. You have work to do.” Sam stared at her, and she glared. “Get a move on! You have a certain pastor to put in his place, remember? Not to mention a speech to make.” She handed him another mug. “Here’s Gary’s.”
Sam took it and went to sit at his desk, shaking his head. He passed the mug to Gary and gestured for him to sit before giving Josh his full attention. “So what was that about the phones?”
“They started ringing about thirty minutes ago,” Josh said, “and they’re showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. We’ve told everyone manning the phones to tell all callers there will be a press conference later today, and that they’ll get what they’re after then and no sooner.” He scrolled through his iPhone. “I’ve had calls from all over the state. It seems someone reposted the photos and Hartsell’s campaign post, and it’s gone viral.” He grinned at Sam and Gary. “You two are big news, it appears.” He gazed at their mugs and scowled. “Hey, Becky, where’s my coffee? I’m the only one who’s done any work around here this morning.” When Sam caught his eye, he bit his lip. “Sorry, boss.”
Curtis snickered. “What was that you said about burying yourself in a part?”
Josh ignored him. “Okay, Curtis and I have gone through your schedule for the rest of this week and we’ve wiped the board.”
Sam paused, mug halfway to his mouth. “You’ve done what?”
“What about me?” Gary asked. “Am I included in these changes too?”
Curtis laughed. “Don’t look at me. This is Josh’s shindig now.”
“I’m sorry, but you two have some serious catching up to do,” Josh told Sam and Gary. “We’re about to tell the voters of North Carolina—and judging by the calls, the rest of the US too—that you two have been together for a while. There is no way I am letting you anywhere near journalists and interviewers without—”
“Wait a minute,” Sam interjected. “Interviewers?”
Josh let out an impatient sigh. “Sam, I’ve just spent the last half hour setting up interviews, radio broadcasts, TV talk shows, magazine articles—y
ou name it. Everyone wants to know about you and Gary, why you’ve hidden your sexual orientation, your hopes for the future, your plans….” He grinned. “All publicity is good publicity, right? But they won’t be taking place for a few days, or maybe even next week. Like I was saying, I’m not letting you anywhere near those guys until you two have had a chance to become more familiar with each other. Trust me, if you walk into an interview and it becomes obvious that you know diddly squat about each other, someone will notice, and then, as Becky observed earlier, our goose will be well and truly cooked.”
“But what about my engagements?” Sam demanded. “I was due to do a Q&A at Duke University Tuesday afternoon next week, not to mention a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, a visit to the county fair….”
“I’ve postponed the Chamber of Commerce meeting until a later date, and we can lose the county fair visit without anyone batting an eyelid. The Duke event can still go ahead, however, but Gary will be going with you.”
Gary blinked but said nothing, sipping his coffee instead.
“So tell me,” Sam said, sitting back and folding his arms across his chest, “what am I going to be doing the rest of this week?”
“You and your fiancé,” Josh said with a gleam in his eye, “will be taking some time away from politics and getting away from it all.” He snorted. “Yeah, right. By the time I’m finished with you two, everyone will know exactly what you were doing every minute of every day.” He cackled and rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?” Gary murmured. “What about my doctorate?”
Josh gave Gary a hard stare. “I’m sure you can spend a bit of time away from your studies for this.”
Gary said nothing, but that frown hadn’t gone away.
Sam knew where he was coming from; he was already feeling an uneasy pressure in his belly.
“I’ve arranged for a photographer to shadow you both,” Josh said. “His job will be to take as many pictures as possible. Once we’ve gotten the story out there, we’re going to let the public see you together. Shopping, the movies, going for walks…. All the things an engaged couple should be doing, but with one difference—the photographer gets to record every detail. I want photos of you walking down the street in Raleigh, holding hands. Then we’ll tweet them from different accounts to make it look like members of the public took them, you know, with comments like, ‘Aww, how sweet!’ and ‘Don’t they make an adorable couple,’ et cetera.”
Sam had always known Josh was good at his job, but right then he felt like he was staring at an oncoming freight train and there was no way to dodge its path.
“Which reminds me.” Josh gazed expectantly at Gary. “I’m assuming there are no horror stories about you just waiting to crawl out of the woodwork? No surprises we need to be aware of, like a husband? Kids? Stuff like that?”
Gary sighed. “No, nothing like that.”
“And we already asked him that,” Curtis added.
“Any hobbies?”
Gary stared at him. “Josh, I’m too busy working my ass off at my studies to have hobbies. The only time I get away from that is when I volunteer at the Wake County SPCA.”
Josh’s eyes lit up. “SPCA? Puppies? Kitty-cats?” He grinned and rubbed his hands together briskly. “Photo ops!” His fingers danced over the virtual keypad on his phone.
Gary shifted in his chair, giving Sam sidelong glances, his mouth drawn into a straight line.
Josh appeared not to notice his reaction, plowing on. “So I’m suggesting Gary spends the rest of this week and the weekend at your houses in Raleigh and Asheville, Sam. That will give you two time to get to know each other. We want you relaxed with each other when you’re being interviewed, and that kind of rapport can’t be achieved overnight.” He pursed his lips and gazed at them keenly. “In fact, it might be better if Gary stays with you for longer than that. You two need to be in each other’s pockets for at least a week.”
Curtis cleared his throat. “A more immediate matter is the press conference. We need to put together a timeline for you, plus some backstory. Because you know the reporters are going to ask all kinds of questions. We need to get your story straight.” He smirked. “If you know what I mean.”
Sam snickered, but Gary was staring at Curtis with wide eyes. “Will I have to speak?”
Curtis opened his mouth, but Josh got there first. “Other than to say how pleased you are that it’s finally out in the open and how happy you are that you can be honest about your relationship? No,” he stated emphatically.
“Guess that answers that question,” Gary muttered under his breath.
“Sam will be doing all the talking,” Curtis said. “It’s what he’s good at. You just get to stand at his side and look supportive. Think you can handle that?”
Gary straightened in his chair. “Sure. I can do that.”
Sam felt a pang of sympathy for him. Gary had just been thrust into a world he clearly felt uneasy with. “It’ll be fine,” Sam assured him. “And it will get easier, I’m positive of it.”
Gary gave him a quick smile. “I’m sure you’re right.”
The thing was, he didn’t look sure.
Sam made a promise to himself. He would do everything in his power to ensure Gary had as easy a ride as he could make it. After all, they might be paying for his help, but it was still a huge thing to ask.
“Okay.” Josh smiled at Becky as she placed a mug of coffee in front of him. He grabbed his stylus and iPad and gazed at Sam and Gary. “Let’s get to work. We have a couple of hours to get you two ready to face your public, and I want you word perfect.” He grinned. “I love it when I get to crack the whip.”
Curtis said nothing but raised his eyebrows.
Sam had a feeling when this was all over, Josh might regret his present exuberance.
WHEN his phone buzzed, Sam grabbed it instantly. “Josh is already downstairs in the Press room. He says he’s ready for us.” He glanced across his desk at Gary. “But are you ready for this?”
Gary drew in a couple of deep breaths. “As I’ll ever be.”
Becky stood in the doorway to her office. “You know what? You should walk into the press room holding hands,” she cooed.
Curtis growled. “No, they should not. This is a press conference, for God’s sake, not one of those cute-and-fluffy gay romances you’re so fond of reading.” When she gasped, he snorted. “Yeah, I see them on your desk. You forget, I see everything.” He turned away from her and gestured to the outer door. “Let’s go, guys.” He winked at Sam. “And don’t think I can’t see that face you’re pulling right this second, Becky.”
Sam tried not to laugh when Becky gaped at him.
“How… how did you…?” she stuttered.
Curtis turned back to face her. “Having eyes in the back of my head comes with the job, didn’t you know?” He gave her an evil grin. “Well, you do now.”
Sam and Gary left the office, with Curtis behind them, still chuckling. “I know she means well, but Jesus…. Holding hands?” They went down the staircase and into the hallway. Curtis paused at the doorway to the pressroom and faced them. From behind the paneled door came the buzz of many voices.
Sam was no stranger to speaking in front of an audience, so he was surprised to find he had butterflies. Next to him, Gary was pale. On an impulse Sam rubbed his back. “Hey, it’ll be fine. Just remember to breathe, all right?” He gave Gary a hopefully confident smile.
“Okay, deep breath. Let’s do this.” Curtis opened the door, and they stepped into the maelstrom.
As soon as they crossed the threshold, the cameras began flashing. Sam led Gary to a table set up at one end of the room, microphones waiting for them. In front of the table were rows of seats, about ten in total, and every seat was occupied. At the rear of the room were two guys with video cameras.
Josh stood by the table, smiling politely. Sam and Gary took their seats behind it, and Curtis went to s
tand at the side, his back to the wall.
Josh held up his hands for silence, and an expectant hush fell over the assembled guests. “Senator Dalton has a brief statement to make,” he informed the waiting journalists, “and then he’ll take questions from the floor.” He gave Sam a nod and went to stand next to Curtis.
Sam smiled at the faces before him. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Anyone seen any good photos of me lately?” He grinned, and a wave of laughter rippled through the audience. Beside him, Gary relaxed a little. Sam nodded. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, last night the Facebook campaign page of Pastor Floyd Hartsell posted a couple of photos of myself and one of my staff, who is sitting with me now. Along with these photos was a post that asked its readers to speculate on the nature of the relationship between myself and this staff member. Although the writer of the post was careful not to say it in so many words, the implication was that I’m gay.” He lifted his head high. “I’m here this morning to tell you all that this is indeed the case. I am gay.”
Cameras flashed and loud murmurs rebounded around the room almost instantly, but Sam held up his hands and once more the audience fell silent.
“It was never my intention to hide my sexual orientation. I simply felt that to reveal it would detract from what I was trying to do here in North Carolina. However, the writer of the post alluded to both the nature of my relationship and my support of the SCOTUS decision, so I felt the time had come to set the record straight—no pun intended.”
Another ripple of laughter made its way through the audience.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Gary Mason.” He paused. “My fiancé.”
TO hear the way Sam’s words were greeted, Gary could’ve been forgiven for thinking Sam had just announced the Second Coming.
From his position on the sideline, Curtis smiled encouragingly, and Sam gave Josh a nod.
Josh stepped forward. “The senator will now take questions.”
A man on the front row raised his hand and was acknowledged. “Chris Mendell, News & Observer. Senator, was this engagement a knee-jerk reaction to Pastor Hartsell’s post?”
