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“Other men might have thrown her out, but I didn’t have the heart to do that, not when I had such a big house all to myself. She hadn’t known that at the time. She’d been doing her research though and she claimed squatter’s rights.
“I could have dragged her through court, but then where would she go? Where would she live? Who would make sure that she was taken care of? She’d already aged out of the foster care system. She no longer mattered in their eyes. They’d done their job and wiped their hands clean of her.
“I wasn’t going to do that to her, so I offered to let her stay. I didn’t charge her rent or ask anything of her but her company at breakfast and dinner a few times a week, mostly because I wanted to be certain that she would eat a whole meal because she desperately needed it.
“For weeks, we got to know one another. I stopped seeing her as a young orphan, but a capable young woman with an intelligent mind and an even sharper wit. She’d never been given a chance to develop even one iota of any of that.
“Many of you have reached out to me regarding the interior design of Bryson Manor. I didn’t hire any special talent or some famous name to decorate my home. No. That was all her. She hasn’t taken any classes or been given any special instruction. Nothing.
“That was her raw, natural talent. With the right training, I think she could be something truly magnificent.
“Over the weeks, we grew closer. Her presence in my home was a refreshing break from the rigors of running a tech company, and I came to value her opinion on many things, from what I should wear to a meeting to the wording of an email. I depended on her.
“More than that though, I fell in love with her.”
I swallowed hard. I was having difficulty holding myself together. My eyes were watering as he spoke.
“I tried my best to take care of her. I provided her with a home, a safe place to grow and explore while making it very clear that I would help her achieve whatever her heart desired. She became someone very special to me. She deserves the world and I wanted to be the one to give it to her, but I made a mistake, a really big one.”
His hands gripped the podium, and he took a deep breath before he continued.
“Last week, I held a banquet in my home. I invited the mayor, his wife, and several members of the Hudson community. I wanted to show them how I’d taken Bryson Manor and made it great again and introduce myself to the community in an official way so that if I ever did run for political office, they could know the type of man that I was and the kinds of things I stood for in this beautiful community.
“I asked her not to come that night. I asked her to disappear so no one would see her.
“I did that for several reasons, the first being that I wanted to protect her. She’s young and vulnerable, only nineteen while I’m thirty-four. Society would never approve of such a difference. They would call me names, and I would ignore them, but I didn’t want her to experience the vile kind of insults that would come her way.
“The second reason was selfish. I do aspire to run for office one day and I thought if I could maneuver myself into a more secure position and then introduce her later, that it would make things easier in the end.
“I thought of all those things, but what I didn’t think of was how that would make her feel. I didn’t know that she would think that I was hiding her because I was ashamed of her. I didn’t know that it would hurt her, and I wish I could take it back.
“I don’t care about the age gap between us, and I care even less about the difference in our social class. None of that matters to me and it never will. I will not apologize for loving her because she is an incredible woman, and she deserves to know that.”
At this point, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I was openly sobbing. My sandwich was sitting on my plate, half-eaten and long forgotten. Someone was talking behind me about the press conference, saying something about it being shown on every channel at this point. There was a live blogging of the event on their phone. Every news outlet in the city was broadcasting Mason. I heard them say that both regional and national news channels were showing the news conference and that made me sob all the harder because I knew that this might irrevocably destroy his chances for office in the future.
Ethel noticed and made her way over to me. She didn’t say a word, but she pressed her hand to my back in support.
“After the banquet, she disappeared. I’ve searched for her everywhere I can think of. I’ve driven the streets of Hudson and the surrounding area at least a dozen times hoping to spot her so I can tell her that I was wrong and that I’m sorry for what I asked her to do. I wish I could take it back. I’ve checked homeless shelters. I’ve contacted her friends. I haven’t slept since she left because no seat in office is worth having if she isn’t by my side. My future isn’t worth anything without her.
“I didn’t know what else to do, so I called this press conference in hopes that she might see it. I wanted to tell our story, to show her I don’t want to hide and that I’m proud to call her mine.”
He looked into the camera now and I felt like he was looking directly at me.
“My sweet girl, if you’re watching this, I love you. I will never stop loving you and I miss you terribly. I’m so sorry and there’s nothing I want more than to have you back. I am not ashamed of you, and I never will be. Know that in your heart. Please come back to me. Please let me show you how important you are to me.”
At this point, everyone in the diner had noticed that I was crying. Some of them muttered something that I was crazy or dramatic or just a hormonal girl, but I did my best to ignore them. Several diners came up to see if I was okay, but Ethel grasped both of my shoulders and made me look at her while brushing everyone else away.
“What is it, Cami? You can tell me anything,” she pressed. Her silvery blue eyes searched mine. She’d always been so nice to me, and I hung my head, deciding to trust her with my story.
“He’s talking about me,” I whispered, barely able to speak at this point. For a moment, she looked back at me in disbelief, and someone nearby laughed and said I was probably joking, but she paid them no mind.
“It’s not far. You should go to him,” she coaxed. Her expression remained gentle and kind, and I knew I’d made the right call to trust her.
“But I’m supposed to be working,” I said lamely. I fidgeted with my hands in my lap, and she cleared her throat before she continued speaking.
“Tell you what, Cami. You’re fired,” she answered, and I started crying even harder. I reached in my pocket to try to dig out a ten-dollar bill so that I could pay for my lunch because I didn’t know what else to do. I held it out to her, but she pushed it back toward me with a shake of her head.
“Listen, your lunch is on the house today if you promise to come back with that man and eat here together with him someday soon. You go back to him and tell him how you feel. Give it to him good for hurting your feelings and make him work for your forgiveness. Do you hear me, young lady?” she scolded. She shook my shoulders gently.
