Running Mate

by Katie Ashley

  Saundra stuck her head out of the bathroom door. “I’m ready for you now.”

  With a nod, I headed into the bathroom. I’d never known so much could go into making someone camera-ready. I’d always been a girly-girl who loved makeup and doing my hair, but I never spent more than half an hour getting ready. It took Saundra an hour to do my hair and makeup—of course, I’d never been into highlighting or contouring or any of that.

  Once she was finished, I couldn’t help doing a double take at my reflection. “You are so talented,” I murmured.

  “Thank you. It helps when you have something gorgeous to work with.”

  When I came out into the main suite, Barrett and Ty awaited me, and their eyes bulged. “You look beautiful, Addison,” Ty said with a warm smile. Have I mentioned the man’s smile? It made me a little weak…and that fact made me a cheap hussy. After all, I was a fake-engaged woman.

  “Thank you, but it’s all Saundra’s magic.”

  Saundra shook her head. “Like I said before, with your features, I don’t have to do anything magical.”

  Although Barrett continued staring at me, he hadn’t complimented me like the others. After Ty nudged him in the back, Barrett said, “Yeah. You look nice.”

  Nice?

  That was the best he could come up with? You look nice is what you say to a dressed-up teenage girl going through her awkward face with braces and acne, but what could I expect? I knew the women he was attracted to, and I wasn’t them.

  Interrupting the awkward silence, Saundra said, “I’m ready for you, Barrett.”

  As Barrett and Saundra headed back into the bathroom, I sat down at the table that overflowed with room service goodies. Ty took a seat across from me. “He’s spinning right now,” he stated as I slathered cream cheese across a bagel.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Barrett is spinning with you as his fiancée.”

  “Ah, so your definition of ‘spinning’ is when someone has emotional whiplash and says rude things?” I countered.

  Ty smiled. “I’m not condoning his behavior, Addison. I’m just trying to explain some of it to you. The idea of engagement itself is extremely confining to him, not to mention the fact that he doesn’t know what it’s like to have a woman not fall at his feet.”

  “Yeah, that’s certainly not going to happen.”

  “And that fact is driving him crazy. He can’t compliment you too much because then that gives you the upper hand.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That is so immature.”

  “That is so Barrett, at least with women.”

  I munched thoughtfully on my bagel. After swallowing, I asked, “With as much time as you spend with Barrett, how is it possible that none of your good attributes have rubbed off on him?”

  With a laugh, Ty countered, “Don’t put me on a pedestal I don’t deserve.”

  “You seem pretty genuine to me.”

  “I appreciate the praise, but just like anyone else, I’m a work in progress.”

  With a smile, I said, “It’s good work though.”

  “Thank you.” I hadn’t expected Ty to be so forthcoming. He knew Barrett’s taste in women, and surely he knew it would never be me, but it was still nice of him to try to smooth over Barrett’s inability to compliment me.

  I’d managed to polish off my bagel and a cup of berries when Barrett emerged from having his hair done. While it didn’t look that different to me, I supposed Saundra had some special product that kept it in place in windy situations or what have you.

  Ty’s phone buzzed. After glancing at it, he said, “The car is here. It’s time to go.”

  My stomach instantly cramped at the thought of leaving the safety and security of the suite. The next three weeks would thrust me not only into the spotlight, but into a whole new world of being on the road. Even during my parents’ missionary days, it was only our summers that were somewhat rootless, and in most cases, we spent the entire two months in one country or area. From the schedule I’d been given, some days I’d wake up in one state, have lunch in another, and go to bed in yet another, pinging from north to south to east to west. It was overwhelming.

  Even so, I pulled my shoulders back and took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Like a good soldier, I marched out of the suite with my head held high, and I kept it that way the entire elevator ride down to the lobby and out to the car. A small throng of reporters waited outside on the curb, and both embarrassment and pride filled me when some of them whistled at me. “Lookin’ good, Addison!”

  “Hey uptown girl.”

  “You’re a lucky guy, Bare,” another called. Of course, they would still call him by his nickname, which I was sure irked Barrett.

  Ty put us into the car before taking the front seat on the passenger side. When we got to Dulles, the car pulled us around to a special airfield for small planes. As I peered through my window, I saw a sleek jet with The Callahan Corporation in blue on the side. “Wow,” I murmured.

  “Ever been on a jet before?” Barrett asked.

  I gave him side-eye. “Although I’ve been on noncommercial planes, I’d hardly call the rickety four-seaters we rode into the jungle jets.”

  “I’d have to say it took balls of steel to ride those things.”

  I laughed. “I was a kid at the time. It felt more like being on a ride at the fair.”

  “Is a fair like Disney World?”

  “Uh, yeah, I guess.” Tilting my head at him, I asked, “Wait, have you never actually been to a fair?”

  “Nope.”

  “You’ve really missed out.”

  “Maybe we can find one along the campaign route and you can enlighten me as to its wonders.”

  I smiled. “That sounds good.”

  We pulled up alongside another sleek black Lincoln sedan and I didn’t have to wonder for long who was inside it because James and his wife, Jane, exited a moment later. I started to fumble with the door handle before it was opened for me by the driver.

  I stepped out of the car to see my fake future mother-in-law striding over to me. With her 5’9” frame, she cut an imposing figure, and I found myself shrinking back. After quickly sizing me up, a smile spread across her attractive face. “Hello, Addison. I’m Jane Callahan. It’s so very nice to meet you.”

  Instead of being formal and shaking my hand like I expected, she leaned in and kissed my left cheek and then my right. “It’s very nice to meet you, too,” I replied breathlessly.

  When she pulled away, her gaze dropped to my ensemble. “I see Everett took good care of you, just as I instructed.”

  I smiled. “Yes, he did. Thank you for sending him to me.”

  Her hand trailed down my shoulder to my sleeve. “Carolina Herrera or Diane von Furstenberg?”

  “Carolina Herrera for both the coat and suit.”

  “It’s just to die for. You’re going to turn heads today.” She smiled as she cupped my chin. “Of course, with your gorgeous face, you’d turn heads even if you were wearing a burlap sack.”

  “Thank you for your kind words and compliments.” I motioned to her tailored blue suit. “I like yours as well.”

  “I owe everything to Everett. I suppose he told you he’s been styling us for years.”

  “He did.”

  Her red lips turned down in a pout. “I don’t know what I will do without him when he retires. I guess I’ll just have to stay home and style my bathrobe.”

  I smiled. Less than five minutes with Jane, and I already liked her a lot. Since she came from a pedigreed background, I had been afraid I would find her snobbish. At the very least, I imagined her swapping sugar with me in public and then giving me the cold shoulder in private.

  “I understand you spent the weekend with Barrett.”

  “Yes ma’am, I did. We had a pretty intensive get-to-know-you session.”

  Jane waved her hand dismissively. “Oh honey, you don’t need to call me ma’am. Just Jane is fine.”

  “Okay then, Jane.
”

  A wicked look flashed in her ice-blue eyes. “Since Barrett’s still breathing, I imagine you fought the natural urge to strangle him?”

  I blinked several times as I tried to decide if she was serious. When I realized she actually was, I still couldn’t help wondering if it wasn’t some kind of test. At her girlish giggle, I finally laughed. “Yes, we both somehow managed to survive unscathed.”

  Jane waved one of her gloved hands. “He’s my son and I love him dearly, but he is just horrible when it comes to women.” Sadness washed away the amusement in her face. “Sometimes I worry it’s my fault. Before he had his surgery and outgrew his heart condition, I was so terribly afraid of losing him. I ended up indulging him more than I should have. I certainly hope you won’t do that.”

  Hmm, interesting. Now I had a little more insight into Barrett’s character. Of course, I wasn’t exactly sure how being spoiled as a kid made him into a womanizer, but I couldn’t help wondering if it hadn’t had something to do with it.

  “Rest assured, I won’t be indulging him. More than anything, I’ll be putting him in his place.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Are you two done talking shit about me?” Barrett questioned.

  Laughing, Jane turned around and gave Barrett a hug rather than kissing him on the cheeks. “Aren’t you the narcissist thinking if two beautiful women are talking, it must be about you?”

  Barrett crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re deflecting, Mom.”

  She winked at him. “I’m a politician’s wife—I always deflect away from the truth. Besides, we weren’t ‘talking shit’, as you say. We were merely swapping secrets.”

  Wearing his usual dapper smile, James came up to me. “How are you feeling about today, Addison?”

  “Great,” I lied.

  “You know, it’s okay to be nervous,” he said.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that, sir, because if I were to be honest, I’d say I’m very nervous.”

  He gave my shoulder an encouraging pat. “You’ll do great.”

  “Thank you, sir. I certainly hope so.”

  After I made my way up the narrow jet stairs, I stepped inside the cabin. I couldn’t help standing stock-still and just staring at everything. Of course, that caused Barrett to bump into me. “Oof,” I muttered as I toppled over one of the leather seats and landed in a heap on the carpeted floor.

  “Wow, you sure as hell aren’t graceful, are you?” Barrett asked as he pulled me to my feet.

  “I would’ve been fine if you hadn’t mowed me down,” I protested as I swatted his hands away.

  Once we realized our bickering had an audience, we ducked our heads and took a seat on the couch. Jane sat on the other side of Barrett while James and Bernie sat in two of the captain’s chairs. Some of the other advisors filled up the back of the cabin, along with Saundra and Everett. The jet had barely started moving down the runway when Bernie took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table in front of us.

  “Here’s the game plan for today: we’re going to be mimicking the whistle-stop train tour both Reagan and Truman took of Ohio, going from Dayton down through Perrysberg with five stops along the way.”

  James grunted. “Which means five speeches for me.”

  Jane smiled at him. “I’ve got your cough drops in my purse, and I’ve alerted Mary Anne to ensure there’s lemon honey tea at every stop.”

  “Thanks sweetheart.”

  “A train tour? That’s an interesting strategy,” Barrett remarked.

  “You don’t like the idea?” James asked.

  Barrett shrugged. “It just seems like a waste of valuable time. I mean, we could cover more ground by plane.”

  Eyeing me curiously, Senator Callahan asked, “What about you, Addison—what do you think?”

  I furrowed my brows. “Me? You want my opinion?”

  “Yes I do.”

  Nothing like being put on the spot. “Um, well, I kinda like it.”

  “Why is that?”

  With everyone’s eyes on me, I exhaled a nervous breath. “To me, a train provides an air of nostalgia in our modern era. Because you need to appeal to the farmers and blue collar workers of this area, a train is much more relatable than using your private jet.”

  James smiled. “Yes, those are the exact reasons.”

  While I basked in his praise, Barrett stiffened beside me. “Give Addison a cookie, she got the right answer.”

  Jane reached over to pat Barrett’s leg. “Don’t be petty and jealous, son. It’s unbecoming.” When I caught her eye, she winked at me.

  Ignoring her comment, Barrett asked, “What would you like Saint Addison and me to do?”

  I bit down on my lip to keep from telling him to quit being a petty bastard. Instead, I focused on Bernie.

  “When we first exit the train, there will be roped off crowds. You’re to greet them by shaking hands and smiling. We have seats for you in the front rows during all the speeches,” Bernie replied.

  “Got it,” Barrett replied.

  Once we were in the air, everything became very business-like. Some of the advisors talked on cell phones and worked on their laptops. Bernie appeared extremely old school as he read print copies of several newspapers.

  It was James’s actions that took me totally off guard. Taking a remote off one of the tables, he rose out of his chair, and music soon filled the jet’s cabin. It didn’t take me too long to recognize the oldies, and more specifically, it sounded like Motown. Maybe the Temptations or the Four Tops.

  Barrett, who had his head buried in his iPad, turned to me and rolled his eyes. “This is the music Dad insists on using to get pumped up before a rally.”

  “Really?”

  “Dad’s Rocky-climbing-up-the-stairs-to-fist-bump isn’t to ‘Gonna Fly Now’, but to the Four Tops.”

  “Don’t knock it. This is what I grew up on,” James argued. He extended his hand to Jane, and she smiled and rose off of the couch. She eagerly went to her husband and let him wrap his arms around her, their bodies moving in sync with the beat of the song.

  Warmth flooded my heart at the sight, as well as the green-eyed monster of jealousy. As a hopeless romantic, I wanted what James and Jane had. The adoration and mutual respect was endearing, and something you rarely saw in political marriages.

  An idea blossomed in my mind. “You guys should film this,” I said over the music.

  “Don’t encourage them,” Barrett replied.

  “I’m serious. This would be a positive way to promote yourself. I mean, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t appreciate music, and it shows that you’re approachable and not pretentious.”

  James appeared thoughtful. “You know, that isn’t a bad idea. We could put it with a compilation of speeches and appearances along the tour.”

  Jane laughed. “I’m all for it, just as long as I get to be in the editing room to make sure my best moves get put forward.

  “Of course,” James assured her. “What do you think Bernie?”

  After glancing up from his computer, Bernie nodded. “I’ll have someone look into it right away. We could use some backstage footage for the website.”

  “Addison, you’re already becoming indispensable,” Jane remarked.

  “Yes, she is,” James said. He whirled Jane back to her seat. “Thanks for obliging me, sweetheart.”

  She winked at him. “Any time.”

  I thought he was finished dancing, but James came over to me next. “Care to take a spin?”

  “Here? Now?”

  “With your theater background, I assume you’re a wonderful dancer,” James stated.

  “Well, I’m not exactly wonderful, but I’m not too bad either.”

  He held out his hand. “Come on, get rid of some of that nervous energy.”

  As I rose off the couch, the song changed, and the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” started playing. “This is one of my dad’s favorite songs.”
>
  “Is it?”

  I nodded. “He had it on vinyl, and he used to take this beat-up record player with us on our trips. Even though my siblings and I argued with him that CDs were way less cumbersome, not to mention better quality, he argued vinyl was the best because it was more authentic.”

  “I like his style,” Barrett mused from his seat on the couch.

  I craned my neck over James’s shoulder to look at him. “You’re a record kind of guy?”

  “I have a whole collection.”

  At the desk, Bernie grunted in frustration. “I knew there was something I left off your questionnaire—things you collect.”

  Barrett laughed. “I think that’s a pretty random question for a reporter to ask.”

  “Better safe than sorry,” Bernie replied.

  James eyed me curiously. “Speaking of your father, what did your parents say about your engagement?”

  “Thankfully, I called them when I went back home to my apartment the first day, so they didn’t have to see it on the news.” They had been very surprised, and I even heard a hint of disappointment in their voices that I had been partaking in a secret relationship. One day I hoped to be able to tell them the truth.

  “That’s good. I can imagine that would have been quite a shock.”

  “Yes, it would.”

  Our dance came to an end to the last strains of the song. “Thank you for the dance, Addison.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Feeling any better?”

  I tilted my head in thought. “Actually, I do feel a little better.”

  “It’s the power of dancing.”

  With a laugh, I replied, “I’ll have to remember that.”

  The captain came over the speaker to inform us we were about to begin our descent, and I couldn’t help marveling at how much speedier a jet traveled than a plane. Saundra came around to fluff Jane’s and my hair and touch up our makeup.

  Once we landed, the car took us the short drive to the train station. Even though it wasn’t an official stop on the tour, there were people waiting to see us, but our tight schedule didn’t permit us doing any kind of walk-through there. Instead, we boarded the train and headed for our first stop just down the tracks.

  We arrived to the fanfare of waving flags and Callahan for President signs as John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” blared over a loudspeaker. After the train came to a stop, James and Jane stood on the platform for a few moments, posing for photographs. Once they had made their way down the stairs, it was time for Barrett and me to come out.