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“Well, you can rest easy. One governor is enough for this woman to handle. I am not interested in anyone else but you,” she says, leaning forward, kissing me softly, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to start the biggest day of my life.
***
As we wrap up our last visit for the day, I have an energy humming through my body that I find difficult to contain. We are all at our last canvassing location, another Elementary School, our campaign focusing heavily on education. Although, I am tired after staying with Beth last night, our nighttime activities kept us both up too late. They were worth it, as I look over and see her laughing again, making me smile.
I haven’t made any announcements today, and I won’t be yet. But it is clear from our body language that she will be by my side if I am announced governor tonight. The media are circling us both closely, photographers grabbing all kinds of shots of us together and separate, her friend Max watching over her, making sure she has space and isn’t overwhelmed, while I walk and talk with people.
“Okay, so I think we are all done,” Oscar says, breezing up to me.
“Really? I can’t believe it,” I say, looking around the room, my smile the most genuine it has been for the entire campaign. This is it. This marks the end of campaigning, and the start of the waiting.
“Me neither. It has been a big journey, but I think your life is going to change tonight,” he says, his smile wide as well.
“It isn’t over until the fat lady sings…” I warn. Before Oscar can reply, I hear her. Laughter fills the small school room, Beth’s giggles interrupting all conversations as the kids join in and the laughing becomes contagious. All the adults who were standing on the outskirts talking politics stop and stare at my girlfriend who is in fits of laughter, her arms wrapped around her middle and with bright blue paint on the tip of her nose and down the front of her dress. The culprit, a young boy holding a paintbrush with blue paint on the bristles, looks horrified, until Beth’s laughter puts him at ease, and he is soon in fits of giggles as well.
The cameras flash like crazy, capturing the moment, and I watch them all for a beat before I walk over, and the kids all scatter after being pulled away by their teachers.
“Got a little something on your nose,” I say as I walk up to Beth as she is wiping the tears of joy from her eyes.
“Really?” she asks in mock surprise.
“And a little something on your dress...”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed.” She smiles as we say our goodbyes and start to leave the school. I shake the last few hands, and wave to the group of people who are seeing us off, before I fall into the car with Beth.
“So I think I need to go home, get changed, and maybe meet you at the center later?” she says, taking in her appearance.
“Let’s drop Beth home, and then get straight to the center. We need to lock ourselves in for a bit now and make a few phone calls,” Oscar offers, reviewing his very tight schedule.
“I’ve left a present on your bed at home. Wear it tonight,” I murmur in her ear, kissing her cheek. While I know that she doesn’t want me spending my money on spoiling her, I hope she’ll like her surprise.
“Okay. Thank you. I just hope this paint doesn’t stain…” she says, and I pass her my hanky to wipe her nose. She succeeds in smearing it across her cheek, making me chuckle.
“Is it gone?” she asks innocently.
“You look beautiful,” I reply, because blue paint or not, she does.
40
BETH
As I zip up a new black dress that, along with some matching black heels, was left in a gift box on my bed today, I look at myself in the small mirror on the back of my bedroom door and smile. It was nice of Harrison to kit me out for today, but he didn’t need to. He hasn’t provided clothes for me since the kickoff party his mother arranged back when I first started working with him. The night we both put caution to the wind, and I ended up in his bed.
A smile comes to my face as I relive the memories. While the dress and heels are nice, they are not what I would assume someone like Harrison would normally buy. The dress is lovely and from Target, the shoes stunning and fashionable and look to be from Walmart. The tags are still on and they are thrown onto the bed like someone was in a hurry. I wonder for a moment if this is something Dad did and had Marci shop for, and the gift Harrison left is somewhere else. Looking around, I can’t see anything else, though. Regardless, I am grateful as I look at my reflection, pleased with how they fit.
My eyes roam my face and body.Do I look the part? Can I pull this off? Will people like me? Accept me?Flashes of Mrs. Rothschild's face come to my mind, and I sigh. I know I am not for everyone, and I know that bonding with that woman is going to be like climbing Mount Everest. I am expecting to see her tonight. I will be nice and civil, much more than she deserves, but I will be the bigger person.
I will do it. For Harrison. Tonight is all about him, and as I take one more sure and steady breath, a feeling of calm comes over me. For the first time in my entire life, I feel like the steps I am about to take with Harrison are where I need to be.
My cell phone pings from the bed and I grab it quickly.
Tom:Stuck in terrible traffic, running late.
Not ideal, but noticing the time, I run around and grab the rest of my things, and with one last look in the mirror, I leave. I have too much nervous energy humming through my body to just sit here and wait. I nip outside, locking the front door behind me, and even though the weather is crisp, I decide to start walking. Tom can pick me up on the way.
My new shoes click on the sidewalk, the hard leather pinching my toes a little and the backs rubbing my heels. As I near the end of my street, I am already regretting my decision to walk and stop for a moment, trolling through my handbag, wondering if I have a Band-Aid to put on my already raw heels.
Coming up empty, I contemplate staying where I am to wait for Tom or walking the fifty yards to the bus stop. Still too nervous to sit still and wait, I slowly step toward the bus stop, grimacing with every step.
