Governor Charlene King was a smart woman who knew all of that and more. She had campaigned on women’s rights and the positive impact on equality for economic and job growth. She also had to consider her re-election, and placate some of the more centrist members of her party who might be a little skittish about such a revolutionary project.
Her support was invaluable.
“Hey, why don’t you and Kaylee come?” Marc suggested.
Hilary had to curb his and Frances’s enthusiasm. “What about school?”
“Mom.” Frances made a face. “You keep saying how important this is, right? School just started, I won’t miss anything important. I’ll be fine.” That was most likely true. Frances, unlike Hilary at her age, didn’t get distracted. Studying came to her easily, and her grades reflected that. If they were to uproot her for the greater good, they had to cut her some leeway.
“Okay, this one time, but it is an exception.” Frances’s principal probably wouldn’t argue much with one of the school’s most important donors, but Hilary was always uneasy using her privilege like that.
“So I can ask Kaylee? That’s awesome!” Her cell phone already in hand, Frances started punching in numbers.
“Mr. and Mrs. Greene, can I ask you a question?”
Aimee might not want to be part of the visible revolution, but she was already knee deep in the general concept, having worked hard today to coordinate the flow of information.
“Of course,” Hilary said.
“Is there still room?” Aimee blurted out. “I mean I saw how quickly those applications came in, and that’s just co-workers from around here and the state so far. If it’s already too much, I understand.”
“Of course there’s room. We’d be delighted to have you join us,” Hilary said, and Marc nodded. The next few days and weeks would be a challenge for the Human Resources department. With some of their best talent moving with them, there would be the need for replacements, as they didn’t want to close down this branch completely.
“Thank you so much. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’ve realized—especially today, that it’s not just about moving and starting a new job. It’s kind of a model society. Maybe one day, we can apply those principles here as well, but I guess the timing is not right for that.”
“No, it’s not,” Hilary agreed. If only some of her closest friends would come to the same conclusion.
* * * *
“That was scary. I knew it would be crazy, but I never thought we’d get arrested.”
Vivien questioned the wisdom of her letting Lee in when she should get dressed and at least clean up the table a bit for their guests later—after all, she’d had all day. Somehow she had hoped the company would keep her from going mad. She was well aware that her state of mind didn’t just come from yesterday’s events, or that one ugly threat, or even the headache. She and Kerry hadn’t had a real vacation in years. Well, pity, the same went for millions of people, and they were dedicated to their jobs after all. She felt exhausted. Her guard wasn’t only down, she didn’t think she had any left.
If she turned on the TV and saw Miller or one of his friends, she’d cry, from anger, from the realization of how Sisyphean her work really was. Women and girls around the world were dismissed, degraded, left to die—getting a stupid email was relatively mild in comparison.
As the day progressed, Vivien had come to the conclusion that not even Hilary’s project would create real change. Humans, as a species, would have to start from scratch. Well, at some point, climate change would take care of that, she assumed—but would the new people be wiser, not walk right into the old pitfalls?
Vivien was preoccupied, in a way she knew was dysfunctional, but she couldn’t stop it. That’s why she was completely unprepared for when Lee leaned over to kiss her, and didn’t pull back right away. When she did, Lee regarded her with a happy smile, as if she hadn’t just issued an invitation to Vivien that meant cheating on the woman she loved. The woman that had been by her side for over a decade.
“Okay, Lee, stop. This is not happening.”
“Are you guys married?” Lee asked, as if that was of any relevance in this context.
“No, we’re not. We don’t cheat either. Come on. We still have to work together.”
Lee’s expression was an unabashed pout. “I haven’t made it a secret that I’m interested. I thought you were too, that…I don’t know. Sometimes, when the fire is out, something new can bring it back.”
“What?” Vivien shook her head, not wanting to laugh in the face of the young woman. First, because she didn’t feel humorous at the moment anyway. Second, because she didn’t want to be that conceited. Regardless, she wondered where Lee might have gotten that idea. “I’m sorry we had a misunderstanding. I’m not…we’re not. We’re perfectly fine, thank you.”
“I’m sorry too,” Lee said, and at least she sounded sincere. “You are so awesome, and your girlfriend seems to leave you alone often. I don’t get it. Kerry—that’s her name, right—where is she anyway?”
“I’m right here,” Kerry said. “Hi, Lee.”
Her tone didn’t reveal how much of the conversation she had overheard, but Vivien blushed hotly. Silly, she told herself. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
“I thought you had house arrest too?”
Lee shrugged at Kerry’s question. “I guess since I’m an unpaid intern, they didn’t bother going through all the red tape. They probably think I’m young and easy to influence, to one side or the other. Whatever. I came to check on Vivien.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Vivien noted the small edge to Kerry’s voice. “Yeah,” she said. “I don’t think Lee has a lot of time though, right?”
“Marc and Hilary will be over soon, and they said they’d bring food. Would you like to stay?”
“Sure! I’d love to.” Lee’s face lit up. The fact that she’d done something completely inappropriate moments ago, seemed forgotten.
Vivien’s headache was getting worse. “I just need to clean up the table.”
“Oh, can I have this?” Kerry asked, reaching for the laptop. “I need to check something quickly.” No big deal, they did that all the time on each other’s computers, but today wasn’t like any other day. Vivien chided herself for only minimizing, but not closing the window with the email. Kerry looked as stunned as Vivien had been, but knowing her, she wouldn’t stop at staring at the offensive mail for hours.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
That’s my line, Vivien almost said. Since when are you inviting my interns over?
“Don’t worry,” Kerry said to Lee. “We’ll be back in a minute, and we even got wine. No pregnancy tests either, for anyone—at least not yet.”
“Don’t,” Vivien warned the moment they had closed the kitchen door behind them.
“Don’t what?” Kerry asked, as if she didn’t know, brushing a strand of hair from Vivien’s face, no doubt revealing skin that was even more discolored today than it had been yesterday.
“Be a cop. I can’t deal with that right now.”
“You know I have to call it in.”
“Please. It’s Saturday night. We get this kind of crap all the time. Even if you find them, what are you going to do? They’ll deny, downplay, wiggle their way out of it as usual.”
“Not this time,” Kerry swore grimly. “I can’t believe you weren’t even going to tell me!”
“Maybe that’s because you’re hardly ever here.” Vivien slapped her hand against her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say this, or anything that could possibly support Lee’s theory. They were fine.
“I’m here now, and frankly, this is not how I want our child to grow up. How can you say this is something we should ignore?”
“Because I can’t keep doing this job if I look at what it really means. I’m afraid that I’ll be too scared to go on. I can’t afford that.”
“Viv.” Kerry took both her hands, holding them.
“I understand. Please understand me too. I have to report this.” She pulled Vivien into an embrace. Vivien went, because she’d been cold all day and needed that warmth badly, and because she had no resistance left. “We’ll be okay. Whatever that means for where we are going to live and raise our child, but we’ll be okay. Right?” She tilted her head up, and they kissed, something starting out as a gentle exploration of lips and tongue, igniting a kind of hunger that surprised them both. Never mind the fact that they had a guest waiting in the living room, and more to come. Vivien wished they could just ignore that reality, give in, and do the less responsible thing. Sex would be a beautiful comfort and proof that the fire had never gone out. The sound of the doorbell made them both jump.
Kerry took a deep breath, straightening her shirt as they shared a regretful smile.
“I’ll make that call, have a tech look into this. You could open the wine. I think we all need it.”
Chapter Nine
For all her youthful confidence, Lee was a bit taken aback when she realized who Kerry and Vivien’s dinner guests were. Once introductions were made, she gave voice to her enthusiasm.
“Wow, this is such an amazing coincidence. I can’t believe I’m meeting you here. When will I be able to sign up for Exodus?”
Vivien’s expression told Kerry that this came as a surprise to her. Obviously, it wasn’t something they had discussed earlier.
“I’ve been meaning to wait,” Lee continued, “but what I saw on the website looks fabulous. I want to be a part of it.”
“That’s great,” Hilary said. “We should be able to offer a general sign up form in a few days.”
“Which reminds me.” Kerry perched on the edge of the couch after putting the phone back into its station. The report was filed, and she had contacted one of the techs she had been working with many times. Ruth was quick and efficient, a wizard, and she didn’t mind a personal favor. Unfortunately, Vivien had had a point. There was only so much Kerry could do job-wise if they ever recovered the identity of the sender, but she wanted to know the coward’s name and face. She’d go from there. “I have someone for you as well. Office worker, is on sick leave at the moment, but she’s got ten years of experience and could really use a new start. She asked me earlier. I didn’t even know you guys were that far ahead.”
“Well, up until earlier today it was news to us too,” Marc said. “The right-wing blogosphere is all over it—which is probably a good selling point. As for your question, we’ll let you know when she can apply.”
“Is there any possibility for a…shortcut? It’s kind of urgent.” Not just because of Vincent’s situation, but because of her resignation to the idea that nothing would ever change. Kerry would have loved to prove her wrong, this one time.
“Human Resources is setting up a new department that will handle all forms of applications. How about you come by on Monday and I’ll give you some? Remember, those are for emergencies at the moment. At some point, which is hopefully end of next week, everybody will be able to access that form on the internet or in print.”
“Good, thank you. What about Governor King?” Kerry asked.
“Well.” Hilary sighed. She had probably worked non-stop all day, but as usual her appearance was flawless, only her tone revealing weariness. “We’ve been called into the principal’s office, so to speak. We gave her what she needs to work with the press, but we’ll fly over on Tuesday for a meeting.”
Lee shook her head in awe.
“I’ve heard some amazing stories about you, and frankly, I thought they might be a bit exaggerated, but you are the real deal. If we had more insanely rich people to follow your example, the world would be better off. I’d be honored.”
Kerry noticed that Vivien wasn’t nearly as thrilled. She had barely said a word since Marc and Hilary had arrived. Kerry wasn’t blaming her. The online stalker, even if this was a one-time thing, disturbed her as well. Who could say if someone like them didn’t cross the line to become violent, as Joanie Vincent’s ex had? They all felt damn entitled, because in their mind, they were always in the right. To them, a woman, any woman, was by default inferior.
“That’s your own plane?” she asked Hilary. “How many seats does it have?”
“First of all, it’s rented. Second, you know there’s always space for you.” For the first time this evening, Hilary’s tone was more animated. “There are also a couple of houses you could look at while you’re there.”
If Vivien was interested in doing just that, she didn’t give any indication.
“I’ve been offered a promotion,” Kerry said. “It would help us a lot…but maybe this is a chance to risk big, and win. I sure as hell have enough of the attitude around here. It’s not that people don’t do horrible stupid things elsewhere, but it’s kind of becoming the norm here. It’s not a good place to have a family.” She noticed Lee perk up at the last statement, but the young intern didn’t comment.
“Nevertheless, we have to do a lot of work in terms of information right here,” Marc said. “Vivien, I suppose you and Dana would be interested to set up events with us, coordinate?”
She shrugged wearily. “Probably. I still have to wait for the hearing though.”
“Don’t worry about that. Every one of those cases is going to be thrown out. It was mainly the husband of one of the patients who filed charges, and he’s on our side. The rest is pretty much whining of those who have no standing. They might have the right to go to the front door, but not run people over who are already there.”
Vivien poured herself another glass of wine. “That’s exactly what they’ll keep doing. What about women like that patient? If we all go hiding in our little safe place, what’s going to happen to the next one?”
What’s going to happen to the next Joanie Vincent?
“I know where you live.”
“We’re not going to leave anyone behind,” Hilary said firmly. “Logistics—we figure that out. Those who can make the trip by car or bus, will. Those who can take a plane, will, and for people who have absolutely no means, we’ll find a way. There’ll be a fund for that.”
“What happens when the ark is full?” Vivien asked darkly. “See, I happen to think it’s a brilliant idea. Greene Industries is parting the waters, but what’s going to come after that? There is going to be a backlash. There always is.”
“You mean lies and threats and the general immature behavior from those who cling to the past?” Marc asked.
“No. I mean looking for the weakest link and destroying it. The pressure on women and minorities here, and in places where they are afraid the idea could actually be successful, will be worse.”
“That’s not a reason to do nothing,” Hilary said. “Come with us on Tuesday, look at the real thing. This isn’t just a dream. In just one day, we had numerous business partners and organizations pledge their support. If you can move, and not necessarily in the literal sense, it’s your responsibility to get something moving. If you can talk, it’s your responsibility to speak out. Kerry, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure,” Kerry said. “Why don’t we open another bottle?”
“What is going on?” Hilary asked the moment they were behind the closed kitchen door.
Kerry leaned against the door with a tired sigh. “Where do you want me to start? The promotion is the least of it. I guess we could get used to living in a warmer climate. You know Vivien got arrested and temporarily suspended, on bogus charges. Dana Martin knows that, but the judge gave her no choice. If that’s not enough, one of the crazy folks sent her an email, one of those bloody pictures they just love spreading around, and they thought it was clever to top it with a rape threat. That’s not even a new low. That’s the low we’ve come to expect, and how sad is that? Speaking of which, I’m still going to make that person’s life hell once the tech finds out who they are.”
“Believe me, I so understand the sentiment, but isn’t that kind of dangerous regarding your promotio
n?”
“I love her, but that’s beside the point here. The dangerous part is that I’d really like to hurt them, which of course is not going to happen. Everyone who threatens a woman with rape, is—” Kerry stopped, realizing she was running out of breath. “I know we need education first and foremost, get it into people’s heads that rape is no matter to joke about, that it’s the rapist who is always to blame, without exception. Do away with the myths, that’s right. Forgive me, for in the meantime I just want to punch them, over and over again. We know it’s not just those protesters. It starts with stupid teenaged kids on the internet, boys who don’t know what rape is, girls calling other girls whores. God, this shit is never going to stop.”
“It feels like that sometimes,” Hilary agreed. “Sometimes I think that people all over the globe have fallen for the cult called patriarchy, one way or another, and there needs to be a huge deprogramming. You know when people stick little flags into places where they have been, or want to go? They think of their honeymoons or anniversaries, and they never see anything but the beautiful sights and the view and the pool…and all those images and headlines rush in, and I think, this is where a woman was stoned to death for being raped, this is where a woman died because she was denied an abortion. This was where a woman was held for ten years and this is where politicians laugh into the faces of women who demand equal pay for equal work. Child brides, revenge videos. It’s not just one country, culture, or misunderstood religion. It’s a disease that’s worldwide, just with different symptoms. I wish the people who call Vivien names and campaign against equality would rally as passionately against young girls being ‘married’ in some places. If they really cared about the sanctity of marriage, they should.”
“You’re proving my point.” Kerry wiped her face in a curt angry gesture, thinking that the wine wasn’t enough to help with the influx of images. “You can’t make those promises! You will leave people behind. You’ll have no choice. One of them will be a woman in a domestic violence situation who will be worse off, because her idiot husband will get even more paranoid and hateful after he hears about Exodus from his favorite TV channel or radio station. You can’t go and rip women from their countries and culture, much as you want to.”
The Exodus Strategy Page 10