The Perfect Candidate

by Sterling, Stephanie

  “So it would seem,” he murmured slowly. “Unless you have a better idea?”

  “I- well, I-” Ashley stammered uncertainly. How could she possibly reply to such a question? Not with the answer that she wanted to give- that was for certain! Because… what she would really like to suggest was that they get married for real… it was ludicrous really, they hardly even knew one another, but it just- it felt so impossibly right with Michael!

  “Exactly,” Michael sighed, dragging a hand through his hair, mussing it even more than it had been mussed to begin with. Ashley was sure that she wasn’t imagining the gleam of regret in his eyes, and it gave her a small sliver of hope.

  “Well, I suppose I should go,” Ashley murmured, when he didn’t say anything else. She had managed to repair her appearance a little when she had been shut up inside the closet, although, not nearly well enough for her to want to bump into anyone!

  Michael looked as though he wanted to say something on that score, but he held his tongue- until she reached the door at least. “Ash, are you doing anything this weekend?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Ashley said, slowly shaking her head, trying to remember if she had anything arranged.

  “Excellent,” Michael grinned broadly. It took Ashley’s breath away to finally see his handsome features slip into a smile again. “And, how do you feel about puppies?” he chuckled.

  “Puppies?” Ashley frowned, puzzled. “What are you talking about?” she asked curiously.

  “I’m getting a new dog,” Michael announced, with a glow of boyish excitement.

  “I didn’t know you had an old one,” Ashley said, a little suspiciously.

  “Well, I haven’t, not for a while now, but-”

  “The President needs a pet?” Ashley asked silkily. She didn’t know if she should be amused or insulted by Michael’s habit of obtaining the ‘things’ he needed to fit the perfect presidential model.

  “Hey! I resent that!” Michael cried, although the slightest hint of embarrassed color had risen to his face, highlighting his cheekbones. “I like dogs! I’ve been meaning to get one to replace Buster for a while now- I’ve just never- got around to it before,” he finished weakly.

  “Maybe you just never had a reason to get another one until now?” Ashley couldn’t resist teasing, although she felt a pang of guilt when she saw that Michael had taken her comment seriously. She hurried back across the room and placed a light kiss against his cheek. “Oh, don’t look like that!” she pleaded. “I promise I’ll come and pick out a cute little Chihuahua for you.”

  “A what?” Michael choked. Ashley giggled. “We’re getting a proper dog, Ashley!” he declared.

  She smiled, a little sadly, at his use of “we”, he didn’t mean it in the way it had sounded of course, but that hadn’t stopped Ashley thinking about it in that way. I

  “Well, we’ll see,” she said sweetly. “I might let you get a spaniel.”

  25

  For the remainder of the week Michael was as good as gold. He worked hard on the campaign, hardly pausing to eat or sleep, and he didn’t let himself see Ashley. It was part test, and part punishment. He wanted to see if he could manage without her, but he also didn’t trust himself to have her close.

  The way that he had behaved in his office was unforgivable! He couldn’t believe he had been so reckless, and he couldn’t risk losing control like that again. He kept Ashley at arms length, until the weekend rolled around, and then he planned to reward himself for his restraint by spending the while day in her presence.

  Michael picked Ashley up early on Saturday morning. He was driving his own old Jeep, which would be much more suitable for driving along the country roads and farmers tracks than any of the sleek cars he was chauffeured around in on a typical day.

  Ashley had started off the day a little cool and distant. Michael flattered himself that she was upset that he hadn’t called on her earlier in the week, but there was something about cute, fluffy little puppies that worked in his favor, and quickly softened Ashley temper.

  “We just have one more breeder to see,” Michael said, after they had stopped for a quick bit to eat at lunchtime. He had already taken Ashley to see a litter of Red Setters, one of collies, and another of Great Danes. You’re determined to get a big dog then, aren’t you? She had asked, amused, after they had left the last place.

  “What are we seeing next?” she asked, sipping the last of her diet coke, and then following Michael back outside to the car.

  “Labradors,” Michael grinned, a touch sheepishly.

  Ashley giggled. “I’m not going to find my little purse dog today, am I?” she teased.

  Michael made a face, as he held the car door open and helped Ashley climb in. “Why anyone would want one of those ratty little fashion accessories is beyond me,” he muttered, walking around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

  “So, what’s been your favorite so far?” Ashley asked, deciding that it was pointless to try to argue the merits of cute little dogs to a man who was obviously determined to buy some huge great beast.

  “I think the collies,” Michael said thoughtfully, which surprised Ashley a little. They were by far the smallest dogs they had seen. “Buster was a collie,” he said, smiling boyishly. The slightly uncertain grin melted Ashley’s heart.

  “Well, they were adorable!” she enthused, but then she had wanted to take home every animal that they had seen so far. “But maybe you’ll fall in love with one of the Labradors?”

  “I don’t know,” Michael said doubtfully, starting up the engine and backing out of the parking space. They were back on the road again in seconds. “I’ve always considered getting a black lab, but when I spoke to the breeder she warned me that this litter was chocolate.

  “Oh, but you hardly ever see chocolate Labradors, Michael!” Ashley gushed.

  “And that’s a good thing? It’s probably because no one wants them!” Michael chuckled wryly.

  Ashley pouted at him. “Aww, don’t say that! I have a good feeling about this one,” she beamed. “I’m sure we’ll find your Lolly here!”

  “Remus,” Michael growled, but was ignored.

  “How far away is this last place?” Ashley asked, absently peering out of her window at the passing scenery.

  Michael was still muttering under his breath about the name that he intended to choose for his dog, and she thought it would be better to draw him into conversation rather than let him dwell on it. While he told her about the farm and the breeder that they were heading towards next, Ashley let her own thoughts wonder over what a very, almost surprisingly, pleasant day they had spent together.

  She had rarely seen Michael so relaxed and at ease. She knew that his job was a stressful one. It would be the most stressful job in the world if he got elected, and although Michael never complained, it was obvious for anyone to see the strain of the daily pressure that he was put under. It was different side of him again that she saw when they were in bed of course… but it was still, and perhaps especially, not the carefree, almost boyish side of his character that was on display in the man sat beside her at present.

  “Here we are then, this is it,” Michael announced, turning off the main road onto a dirt track. “The farmhouse is meant to be just a couple of miles up this road,” he told Ashley.

  She nodded silently and kept her eyes peeled, smiling when they rounded a corner and she saw the building come into view. There was a lady sitting on the front porch peeling potatoes. A large chocolate brown Labrador was curled up at her feet. He lifted his head and barked when he heard the jeep, and then his tail started to wag frantically when he saw Michael and Ashley climb out.

  “Mrs. Henderson?” Michael called. “I’m Michael Reese. I called about the Labrador puppies.”

  The woman got to her feet, laughing slightly to herself. “Well of course you’re Michael Reese!” she cried, wiping her hands in her apron before shaking the hand that Michael offered her.

&n
bsp; Ashley tried not to look too amused by the starry-eyed glaze that had washed over Mrs. Henderson’s face. She was getting used to this affect that Michael had on women… on her too, if she let him. He introduced her, and then asked again about the puppies, as the full-grown lab danced excitedly around their feet.

  “Oh, of course!” Mrs. Henderson said, flushing warmly, as she realized that she was staring at Michael. “They’re just around the back. Down Toby!” she yelled, when the dog, Toby apparently, started getting a little too boisterous. “Sorry, they just love people!” she apologized, tugging on his collar.

  Michael laughed and scratched the dog’s ears. “Well, I’d rather have a friendly dog than a vicious one,” he grinned.

  Perhaps so, Ashley thought to herself, but she was having a hard time picturing a dog of this temperament living in the White House, of all places! She held in a giggle, heaven knew how much damage it might do to the priceless furnishings!

  “Come on, Ash,” Michael said, catching hold of her hand and tugging her along after him.

  “I’m coming!” she laughed, although she was struggling to keep up with his long, eager strides, as he followed the retreating figure of Mrs. Henderson around to the back of the house.

  Mrs. Henderson gave Michael an account of the full pedigree of the puppies she would be showing them today, before leading them inside a shed, where the puppies in question were being housed.

  “Oh Michael!” Ashley squealed. Five little balls of brown fluff started to yap excitedly when they saw the three humans enter the shed. “They’re adorable!” she gushed.

  “You’ve been saying that all day!” Michael reminded her, laughing mildly.

  Ashley poked her tongue out at him, but then she turned her attention back to the puppies. She asked Mrs. Henderson if she could go in with them, and when she was told yes she stepped inside the enclosure and crouched down to stroke one. All five little dogs instantly started to clamber over her, chewing at her laces and licking at her fingers.

  “You okay in there?” Michael chuckled, watching as the puppies besieged Ashley.

  “Yes, fine!” Ashley beamed, cooing at them lovingly. “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked, tickling one little brown tummy.

  “In a minute,” Michael grinned. He was still talking to Mrs. Henderson, asking her questions about the best diet for the puppies, and size and speed with which they would grow. He wanted to know if they were prone to any particular types of disease, and then asked to see the bitch and dog that they had been bred from.

  “That all sounded like you were taking things very seriously?” Ashley said to Michael. Mrs. Henderson had left them alone for a few minutes. She had gone to see if she could find the vet’s history for the puppies’ mother. “I don’t think you’ve been quite so thorough anywhere else,” she said slowly.

  “No?” Michael smiled. He stepped into the pen too, and the puppies were beside themselves with excitement- not knowing which person they wanted to love more! “These are the puppies that you like best though?” he asked, although it was really more of a statement.

  “Oh, but- it’s going to be your dog, Michael,” Ashley said urgently. “You really need to be the one to choose…”

  “But I trust your judgment,” he said smoothly, dazzling Ashley with one of his most charming smiles. He turned his attention to the dogs. “Which one do you think looks most like a Remus?” he asked thoughtfully.

  “I think this one is a perfect Lolly,” Ashley said sweetly, nodding to the puppy that had climbed onto her lap, and was sitting there contentedly, happily wagging its tail, as its brothers and sisters tried to knock it down from its exulted position.

  “Ashley,” Michael growled. “We are not calling our- the dog, Lolly,” he sighed, picking up the puppy that had been sitting on her lap. He looked it over, while the wriggling bundle of fur tried desperately to lick his nose. “Well, it’s certainly a happy little-” he checked “-boy.

  “Do you think he’s a little bit smaller than the others?” Ashley frowned. Truthfully, that was part of what had drawn her to him, but she was worried that Michael wouldn’t want a dog that was anything short of perfect.

  Michael shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll grow. What do you say then, Remus?” he said, addressing the dog now. “How do you fancy being the next President’s dog?” he grinned.

  “Michael,” Ashley sighed. “Don’t jinx it!” she begged, cursing her Irish roots. Michael just laughed at her.

  “The little guy has a right to know what he’s getting mixed up in, don’t you, buddy?” he joked.

  26

  The next few weeks seemed to slip into some kind of weird, hyper-accelerated, state of time. The days flew by rapidly. Everyone involved in the campaign was rushed off their feet- no one less than Michael of course, but Ashley felt that she came a very close second. She didn’t only have her own job to hold down, but she also seemed to be the main coordinator of the wedding.

  Ashley thought that Norm would have liked to handle that responsibility for her, but as Michael had pointed out, it would look a little strange to people if his campaign manager was dealing with it all.

  In all honesty, Ashley would not have minded handed over the reigns to someone else, so that she no longer had to worry about venues and flower arrangements and bridesmaids dresses… It was all so painful… planning a wedding that she knew she was never going to get to enjoy.

  Ashley’s parents were thrilled, if confused, by the whole thing. She hated lying to them, but she didn’t know what else to do. They kept begging her to bring Michael to meet them. So far she had been able to put them off, Michael’s schedule was frantic to say the least, but it was going to look odd to people if they had never met before the wedding day… the wedding day that wasn’t going to happen, Ashley reminded herself glumly.

  Lolly seemed to pick up on Ashley’s depressed mood that evening when she went around to Michael’s house. She and Michael had been going to go over a few speeches that she had written for him to use at the upcoming convention (depending on how things went), but he had been delayed in a meeting, and was over two hours late getting home.

  Michael’s housekeeper had let Ashley in, but she had long since gone home herself. So Ashley and Lolly were curled up together in the living room, waiting for Michael to get back so that they could eat! Ashley had looked over a few of the polls that Michael had left lying out on his coffee table. They were close, but Michael did appear to have a slight lead over the opposition- not they he could become complacent!

  He wasn’t being complacent, Ashley admitted to herself. A proud little smile tugged at her lips. She didn’t think that she had ever seen Michael work as hard as he had been working over the last few weeks. It reminded her of what an incredible man he was, and why she had originally wanted to join his team.

  “Remus? Here boy!” Michael’s tired voice boomed through the house all of a sudden. His puppy looked up, interested in the noise, but he didn’t answer to his name. “Ash? Are you here?”

  “We’re in here, Michael,” Ashley called back. She uncurled her legs from under herself, and then she eased herself up off the sofa. “I didn’t hear the car,” she said apologetically, as Michael entered the room. At the sight of his master, Lolly almost burst with excitement. He leapt off the sofa and starting barking and running around frantically.

  “He’s going to knock someone over if he does that when he’s fully grown!” Michael laughed.

  “Aww, you just need to train him a little,” Ashley said, popping a kiss on Michael’s cheek. He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “In all of my copious free time, right?” he teased.

  Ashley flushed a little guiltily. “Well it will be harder to train Lolly once he’s all grown up,” she pointed out quietly, but then changed the subject before Michael could start insisting that his dog was called Remus. “Did you want to order takeout for dinner?”

  “Sure,” Michael nodded. “Is Chinese okay with you? I don’t th
ink I can eat another pizza,” he joked.

  Ashley pouted at him, but then rummaged around for a telephone number. Michael watched her as she moved aside some bridal magazines as she searched. His mouth became rather dry, and he suddenly felt the need to clear his throat. He ran a finger over the cover of one magazine in what he hoped was a causal manner.

  “When is the big day?” he murmured, although he knew the answer perfectly well. “It must be getting pretty close now.”

  Ashley blinked at him uncertainly, and then looked down at where his attention lay and colored slightly. “Oh. It’s the first Saturday in September,” she murmured. “I forget the exact date,” she added quietly. Michael’s eyes narrowed. He wondered if she was lying? He knew the exact date… but before he could question Ashley any further she dialed their Chinese restaurant and started giving their usual order.