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We make our way outside into our waiting car. Slipping inside, my body sinks into the soft leather seat as exhaustion nips at my heels. It has been a long week, and I haven’t even publicly announced my running yet.
“I am serious, Harrison. Lillian is a great girl. If anyone is on your arm during this campaign, it needs to be her,” Oscar continues to push, and my jaw clenches.
“Who I date, who I spend time with, is not up for debate. To be clear, I have no intention of stringing Lilly along for my own political gain.”
“You are running for Governor of Maryland. You need to have someone by your side. You can’t be a playboy bachelor during the campaign. The people need to see a stable, in control, dependable leader. They need to see family values, strong ethics, a perfect picture.”
I am not my father. I enjoy the company of women, but I am not a playboy. Not like he was.
“I don’t need Lilly by my side. I won’t portray something that simply isn't true. I don’t want to start this campaign with a fake state of affairs,” I retort, my frustrations starting to turn into anger.
“You also don’t need distractions, Harrison, and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn’t point these things out to you,” Oscar says, obviously sensing he is hitting a nerve.
“Oscar, let me make my position on this really clear. Lilly, in no way, shape, or form will be the woman by my side. For this campaign or ever. Do not question me on that again.” My words have bite, but I need him to know that Lilly and I are not an option, even though I know presenting a united front would help win votes.
“I also don’t plan on being a‘playboy bachelor’as you put it. I have dreamed of this opportunity for most of my life. Do I love women? Yes, who doesn’t. But I am focused and committed. I can do this without drawing any unsavory media attention. I know the game and I know how to play it.”
I take a breath and rub my eyes, trying to erase the bright blue ones from my memory. Oscar is right, and this is why I hired him. I need to remain focused. I don’t need distractions.
Especially one as beautiful as Beth.
5
BETH
After a heated discussion about me wheeling him versus him managing his chair on his own, Dad and I are on our way to the community center. We both slept terribly last night, a regular occurrence for us when thunderstorms roll through. Reminders at night are never good and we have been bickering with each other all morning.
As I walk along, half asleep, my cell vibrates, and I see it is Kelly.
“Kelly! How are you?” I ask with glee. She is currently back home from the hospital and is deep in her love bubble with John and their new little baby boy.
“Beth. I just got off the phone with Harrison Rothschild,” she states, and I stop walking, dread filling my bones. Here it is. I am about to lose my job. I am about to lose the only income my father and I receive. My eyes look at him, and like he can sense it, he lowers his head. I’m even surprised my father still loves me at this point due to the amount of anguish I cause him every time he looks at me. My face is a clear reminder to him of the night our lives took a turn no one was expecting.
“Look, Kelly, I am really sorry about the incident last week...”
“Beth. Stop. I trust you. You are amazing at your job. So amazing, in fact, that apparently you made quite the impression. So much so, Harrison has asked that I offer you as a secondment to assist his team for the next three months to help his campaign. He is announcing his run for governor today.”
“WHAT?!” I practically scream into the phone, needing to hang onto Dad’s wheelchair in case I faint on the spot.
“He has given me twenty-four hours to get back to him with our answer. I want you to think about it today, Beth. Speak to your dad and call me with your decision by tomorrow. I know it is quick, but it gives you a chance to keep a full-time income, and technically, you will still be working for me, so if it doesn’t turn out to be something you like, you can always come back to me on reduced hours and shuffle some paperwork at any time. Anyway, I have to run, the baby's awake, but call me later once you have decided, okay?” I squeak out a nonsensical reply, and she ends the call.
I jump when a car horn honks in the distance, and I try to center myself and refocus on Dad. Even though I feel like a walking zombie, Kelly’s call just now has my head spinning.Harrison Rothschild wants me on his team?
“Did you lose your job?” Dad asks, and the sorrow in his face says it all. He thinks that I did. I told him all about the champagne incident after the event last week because I wanted him to be prepared in case I became unemployed.
“No, I got offered a different one...” I say, lost in thought, and he breathes a sigh of relief and doesn’t ask any other questions. I walk along silently, as my mind races, before I try to snap out of it and focus on him. My eyes hone in on his wheelchair. For the last block since we got off the bus, I have been watching Dad glide ahead of me, and I've noticed one of his wheels wobbles in a way it isn’t meant to.
“Dad, is there something wrong with your chair?” I ask. He never said anything, but I can now see clearly that it is bothering him.
“No. It’s fine,” he grumbles.
“But your wheel looks…”
“Stop it, Beth, I said it is fine!” His tone leaves little room for questions. I may now be an adult in my early twenties, but I still keep quiet when my dad is stern with me. So I clamp my lips and keep walking.
My eyes continue to watch the wheelchair, and I wonder for a moment if the wheel is going to come entirely loose. He has had the same chair for years, but he doesn’t want us spending any more money on it.
We have had the same argument for weeks now. He hates the fact that as a young woman I am spending all my money on him. He hates being dependent on me. The guilt he feels for what happened to my mother continues to eat at him, even though deep down, I know I am the one to blame.
