The Perfect Candidate

by Sterling, Stephanie

  Once things got properly underway, Ashley had to admit that she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to be involved in an election campaign again. It was completely manic! She didn’t have a second to herself all day- she barely had time to use the restroom. She just smiled, waved, and tried to convince every person over the age of eighteen that crossed her path to vote for her husband!

  By the time that she was allowed to climb wearily onto the airplane that was heading back to Chicago from Texas, Ashley was no longer a little Zen of calm. She was an absolute bag of nerves! Some of the results from back east had already started to come in! Things were looking… okay… Ashley didn’t let herself get her hopes up any more than that- Michael had a tiny lead, but she knew perfectly well that he might loss it all in a heartbeat!

  It was a three and a half hour flight home, and she refused to let anyone tell her how or if the results had altered as they made the journey.

  She hadn’t wanted to hear anything at all until it was all over- it was too stomach churning to wait and watch every precinct report back! But she hadn’t been able to avoid overhearing a news broadcast before she boarded the plane. She was determined not to listen to anything else however, she was going to lock herself away in one of the rooms of the hotel that the party had booked and not come out until it was all over!

  Ashley managed to shut herself away in the room that had been put aside for her and Michael with surprising ease. She supposed that everyone else was too busy listening to the results that were coming in to bother with her. She couldn’t say that she minded- she was looking forward to having a little time to herself. Michael wasn’t back in Chicago yet, but he already knew that she didn’t want to be told anything under the final result was given.

  Ashley kicked off her heels once she was safely ensconced in the hotel room. She helped herself to a drink from the mini bar and then sank down onto the soft bed, curling up on the luxurious mattress as she sipped her red wine. She flicked on the television (very careful to avoid any of the channels that might mention the election) and found an old movie that she tried to watch. It was hard to follow what was going on though- she was too tired and distracted to keep up with the plot.

  She finished her drink and settled down on the bed more comfortably, snuggling back against the fluffy pillows. She closed her eyes- just to rest them. Ashley was far too tightly strung to fall asleep- or so she thought- the wine must have relaxed her more than she had realized, because the next thing she knew, she was being woken up by the sound of a her phone ringing.

  Ashley started and jumped up off the bed, almost tripping over in her sleepy hast. By the time she had fumbled around with her purse and found her cell phone she was a little more awake- and rather apprehensive about answering the call.

  A glance at the caller ID told her that it wasn’t Michael phoning. It was Cat… all the way from England… but was she calling to congratulate, or commiserate, or just to chat? Ashley didn’t know of course, but she couldn’t risk answering! She let the call ring through the answer phone, and saw on the display that Cat had left a message for her.

  Was that good or bad?

  Ashley just didn’t know! She thought she could hear people cheering outside… but of course, she didn’t know why they were cheering! She paced back and forth for a little while, almost deciding that the not knowing anything was worse than knowing only part of something… but before she had fully resolved to go downstairs and join everyone else, the door to the room opened and Michael stepped inside.

  The first thing that Ashley noticed was how tired he looked, and then she saw the serious, virtually grim, set of his mouth… they must have lost.

  “Oh Michael!” she murmured, hurrying over to him. She felt the disappointment keenly, but she refused to feel defeated. She threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. “I don’t care what the result was- I’m so proud of you! You’ve worked so hard- you’ve done so much! I believe you were the best candidate! I still believe it! We won’t give up! I’ll help you on a new campaign, Michael! I’ll help any way I can! I- I can write your speeches again!” she nodded fervently.

  Michael finally started to grin. His smile grew until he was positively beaming at her. “Well, that’s good to know. I’m going to need you in another four years.”

  “You… W-What?” Ashley breathed shakily.

  Michael kissed her, hard and deep, until she swayed and swooned in his arms. “CNN just called it… we won, baby! We won!!!”

  “We- you- you won?” Ashley stammered, dazed.

  “You don’t need to sound quite so surprised,” Michael chuckled. He tried to kiss her again, but she placed her hands on his chest and held him back. If the look on her face was anything to judge by then the meaning of his words was slowly sinking in. It had happened the same way for him- it was just too huge an enormity to take in all at once. He was going to president!

  “Oh my God, Michael!” Ashley screamed. She threw her arms around his neck again. He picked her up and twirled her around the room. “You won! I knew you could do it!” she cried euphorically.

  “We did it,” Michael corrected her firmly. “I could never have done this without you,” he insisted, and meant it whole-heartedly.

  He moved to kiss her again, and this time she didn’t try to stop him. Michael devoured his wife ravenously, he knew exactly the manner that he wanted to celebrate their victory, but he also knew that they could only count on having a few minutes alone. Someone had probably already been sent from downstairs to fetch him. Right now though, he didn’t care. He had his wife in his arms, her taste in his mouth, and he wasn’t going to stop kissing her until he was forced to.

  That happened much too soon for Michael’s liking. The door wasn’t even knocked on before it was thrown open.

  “I thought I might find you up here, Michael,” Norm sighed. He gave his head what looked like an amused shake. “Good evening, Mrs. Reese,” he said politely.

  “Good evening, Norman,” Ashley mumbled. Her skin had flushed a deep crimson, but she didn’t try to struggle out of his arms, Michael thought, with a surge of pleasure.

  “What can we do for you, Norm?” he asked.

  “You’re needed downstairs. Mr. Vance has already started his concession speech,” Norm informed Michael.

  Michael had the grace to look a little sheepish. He probably shouldn’t be missing this… as if she had read his mind, Ashley whispered into his ear, “don’t worry, you know how much Mr. Vance likes the sound of his own voice, I’m sure we can get you back downstairs before anyone realizes you were even gone.”

  Michael grinned. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t been missed, but he was sure that Vance would still be talking when they got downstairs – which he was… Michael listened to the other man finish his speech, and then it was time for him to take the floor. He gave Ashley one last kiss, and then took his place on center stage.

  “Before I say anything else, I want to thank the people for giving me this opportunity to serve them. I want to make them a promise, that my team and I will spend the next four years proving that they made the right choice.”

  There was a short spattering of applause here, and Michael took the opportunity to put his thoughts in order. Ashley hadn’t let him prepare a speech (convinced that it would somehow jinx the election result), so Michael had to speak of the cuff and from his heart. Fortunately, that was something he did very well. He carried on talking, finally ending with a round of thanks.

  “…and there is of course one last person who I really need to thank, the love of my life, my wife, Ashley, who believed in me even when I didn’t believe me. She is my constant source of inspiration and support, as well as being a powerful, passion force in her own right- and no,” Michael chuckled, “before anyone asks, she didn’t write this speech for me.”

  People turned to Ashley and grinned, as they clapped and cheered Michael. Ashley felt her heart give a dangerous start, as thought someone had closed their fist around it and
squeezed. She wanted- she wanted so badly to believe that what he said was the truth! If only she was the love of his life… she was convinced now that he was hers.

  It was almost frightening how sincere he sounded when he spoke though! How she would ever be able to distinguish a lie on his lips was a worrying mystery to Ashley.

  Michael walked straight up to her when he had finished receiving his applause. He wound an arm around her waist and bestowed another kiss. He couldn’t seem to stop his public displays of affection!

  “So how did I do?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear. “What was your professional opinion?”

  “Well, I think you deviated from the point a little in the middle,” she said, but she was only teasing. “But I thought that the ending was wonderful,” she confessed, a little huskily.

  “Did you really?” Michael murmured quietly. Ashley saw that there was a strange, darkly intense, light burning in his eyes as he looked down at her. “Because you know I meant-”

  She blinked, uncomprehending. “I’m not sure that I do.”

  Michael swallowed hard. He had just been elected as one of the foremost leaders of the Western World…but now he felt powerless and vulnerable. Still, he couldn’t keep the words inside. There was only one thing standing between him and perfect happiness.

  “I love you, Ashley.”

  Ashley froze, uncertain if she had really heard the words or if they were simply a euphoric delusion.

  “You love me?” she finally croaked.

  “Is it really that surprising?” he asked, rubbing his palm up and down her back.

  Ashley nodded. “I thought you just needed me so that you could become President.”

  “It started that way,” he agreed, “but then something changed. I want this-” he paused to make a gesture at the room, the sweep of his arm taking in the campaign posters, ecstatic supporters and the bank of televisions declaring his win. “But I need you.”

  He stopped to stare at her. Ashley could only stare back- until she noticed a frown forming on the edge of his lips. “I hoped that you felt the same way,” he murmured, finally sparking her into action.

  “Of course I do!” she exclaimed, surprised that she hadn’t said so before. “Oh, Michael! I love you so much! The morning of our wedding I wished so badly that it could be real!”

  “It was real!” he said firmly and then leaned closer to purr into her ear. “It is real!”

  Ashley tipped her lips toward her husband, inviting a deep, slow kiss- but it was not to be.

  “Michael! Ashley! I need you over here!”

  Ashley sighed and Michael swore under his breath, as Norm interrupted them again.

  “I think I’m going to make him ambassador to Fiji,” Michael muttered.

  Ashley’s lips spread into a grin. “Whatever you say, Mr. President!”

  “Thank you for your approval, Mrs. President.”

  “First Lady!” she corrected.

  Michael grinned and peppered another kiss on top of her head. “I like the sound of that!”

  THE END