More Than Rivals

by Whitney, Mary

  “Now you’re speaking crazy-talk.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “This is silly to even discuss as a hypothetical. Who would reject an endorsement like that?”

  “Don’t you think I feel the same way about the idea of you dropping out? That sounds crazy to me. A woman steps aside for a man. That’s a recipe for resentment.”

  “I won’t resent you because you’d never ask me to drop out. It would be my choice. I don’t want to run in a campaign where we have to attack each other.” Her mouth set into a hard line. “That I won’t do.”

  “I won’t either.” His voice was equally serious.

  “But if we don’t go on the attack, it will be obvious something is up.”

  Lily gazed at their clasped hands, realizing she was going to have to let fate take over. When she looked up at him again, she said, “I think you need to make a decision first about how you play this. Set our relationship aside. Do what you need to do for you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she said, standing up. “I’ll do the same, but you have to move first.”

  “Why is that?” he asked as he also rose from the sofa.

  “Because your tennis buddy, Charles, put the ball in your court,” she said with a defeated smile. “Not mine.”

  “Lily…”

  “This is your moment. Seize it.” Her smile perked up, and she kissed his cheek. “I mean it. Don’t worry about me or us. I’ll never forgive you if you do.”

  ***

  A few hours later, Jack sat alone in his family’s large den, staring blankly at the Giants game as it wound down. He’d had dinner with his parents where he’d avoided telling them about his conversation with Lily. Though their talk weighed heavily on his mind, when his parents asked about her, he brushed them off. He needed a break from the intensity of it all.

  Now as he sat by himself, he occasionally stole a glance at the time, and he felt the ticking clock became more insistent on a decision with every passing minute. Wanting to escape the pressure, he turned the television’s volume so high that he barely heard his father’s knock on the open door.

  “Mind if I join you?” his dad asked.

  Jack smiled and quickly lowered the sound on the game. “No. Come on in.”

  “I got a call from Laura,” said George as he took his seat.

  “Laura who?” Jack asked while keeping his eyes on the television.

  “Laura Kingsley. Charles’s wife.”

  Jack’s head snapped toward George. “What’s going on?”

  “Charles has had a stroke.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “It is. He’s in really bad shape.”

  “I’m so sorry for him and his family. This is terrible,” Jack said under his breath. He turned his attention back to the screen, again lost in his thoughts.

  After a minute of silence, George asked, “You’re not really watching, are you?”

  Jack looked at his father and frowned. “No. Not really.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Just when I think I’m leaning one way, I decide the other.”

  “Are you worried about what Charles will think? Because I’ll tell you if he was in good health, he’d respect your decision regardless of what you do. At the moment, though, I don’t think he’ll give a damn at all.”

  Jack nodded. He hadn’t really worried about Charles’s take on the matter. It wasn’t like Charles would say anything in the press, and he was too good of a friend of the family to question what would be a very personal decision by Jack.

  When Jack was silent again, George asked with a tinge of exasperation, “Be straight with me. Is Lily holding this over your head in any way?”

  “Not at all.” Jack shook his head. “In fact, she’s willing to quit the moment I accept Charles’s endorsement.”

  “If you don’t think she’s angling for something, why won’t you accept what she says at face value? You love each other. You should do that.”

  “I agree, but I worry even if she feels that way today, eventually she’ll regret it. I think that would be awful for us.”

  “It could pose problems later on,” George said with a nod. “Anything else?”

  Jack sighed. “You won’t like hearing it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I mentioned it earlier. I can’t help but feel guilty that the rich, white guy gets whatever he wants in the race and the Latino woman—who really has worked harder than me in life and during this election—well, she gets shafted.”

  “She still has a bright future ahead of her. Did you hear your mother? People are drawn to her. Lily will do well for herself no matter what happens.”

  “Of course, but I hate the fact that I’m the one doing this to her.”Jack looked down and smiled. “I love her.”

  “What do you want, Jack?” George asked, his voice filled with impatience. “What do you really want?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean what do you really want in life.”

  “Well … I … uh … I’d like to have a marriage like you and mom, and I’d like to have kids.”

  “And what else?”

  “I’d like to be a successful politician.”

  “You already are a successful politician.”

  “Okay.” Jack shrugged. “More successful.”

  “My overachieving son needs to overachieve more.”

  Jack scowled and rubbed his neck.

  “I’m sorry,” George said as he stopped smiling. He then took a deep breath and stared at his son. “Jack, I think you’ve made your decision. You just need to get used to it.”

  Jack searched George’s gaze to see if his father knew what decision he’d made, but he said nothing.

  George still nodded and said, “I knew it. You just need to remember there are lots of ways to get what you want when it comes to life. If you think there’s only one route, you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary disappointment.” George stood up and smiled. Before leaving the room, he looked back at his son and added, “That’s especially true in politics.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  After Lily left Jack’s parents’ place, she kept checking her phone. She expected a call from Jack telling her of his decision, but none came. When she woke up early the following morning, she immediately picked up her phone to see if she had somehow slept through a ring in the middle of the night. Yet the blinking light only warned of emails, none of which were from Jack.

  Like any morning, she met her parents down in the kitchen, where a pot of coffee had already been made. Her father looked up from his newspaper. “Any word from Jack?” he asked.

  “Nope,” Lily said, grabbing a mug.

  “Do you want to call him?” her mother asked.

  “Nope,” Lily repeated. Realizing she sounded curt, she added, “He’ll call me when he’s ready.”

  The three went about their morning routines in silence for a few minutes, with Lily and Pablo reading the paper and Martha making oatmeal, while Luke was still tucked in his bed. When there was a knock at the side door, Martha looked at the clock. “Who’s coming by at 6:15 in the morning?”

  “A neighbor, maybe? Sometimes the carriers deliver one of our papers to the wrong house,” said Pablo as he looked about the table. “But we got all the papers today.”

  “I’ll go see,” said Lily, taking her coffee with her.

  Lily pulled the sheer curtains on the door’s window to the side in order to look at the visitor. When she saw Jack, she jumped back so far that she almost spilled her coffee.

  Pablo asked, “Who is it?”

  Ignoring him, Lily opened the door and said in surprise, “Jack. What are you doing here?”

  An awkward smile crossed his face, and he gripped tightly at a piece of paper he had rolled up in his right hand. “Morning. I wanted to talk in person, and this seemed the quickest and easiest way to do it.”

  “Well, good mo
rning,” she said, holding open the door. “Come on in.”

  After Jack entered, he smiled at Pablo and Martha who were now both standing with looks of surprise and curiosity. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Robles. I’m sorry to intrude so early.”

  Pablo extended his hand. “Good morning, Jack. You’re welcome here at whatever time.”

  As the two men shook hands, Martha pointed to the coffeemaker. “Good morning. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  “That would be great,” Jack answered. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “How do you take it?” Martha asked.

  “Just with some milk, please.” Jack turned to Lily. “Can we talk for a few minutes?”

  “Sure,” Lily said. Her eyes showed her disbelief with the scene. Why was Jack in her kitchen so early? It had to be big news.

  After Martha gave him his coffee, Lily led the way to the formal sitting room in the front of the house. She closed the Victorian pocket doors behind her and then placed her coffee on the table where Jack had already sat his. She smiled and said, “Hi, Sweetie,” before giving him a kiss.

  Jack let out a sigh and took her in his arms, his hand still holding the piece of paper. “I like seeing you in the morning.”

  Lily looked down at her clothes. “In my yoga gear?”

  “Yes, in your yoga gear.”

  She gave him another kiss. “I like seeing you, too.”

  After another sweet kiss, he nodded to the sofa. “Let’s sit down. I want you to read something.”

  “Okay,” she said with some trepidation.

  Jack sat next to her, but turned his body on the sofa where they could see eye to eye. He took a deep breath and handed over the paper. “I’m sorry it’s wrinkled, but I wanted you to read a hard copy. This is the statement I’m going to release in at nine.”

  Despite her curiosity, she shook her head. “You didn’t have to drive all the way up here at this hour to tell me.”

  “Yes, I did.” He gave her a small smile. “I wanted to.”

  “Okay…,” she said, unrolling the statement which was on his campaign’s letterhead. She quickly read it, her mouth opening further and further in surprise as she read.

  STATEMENT OF CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR JOHN BENGSTON

  I was saddened last night to hear of the continued deterioration of Senator Charles Kingsley’s health. As a trusted colleague in the California Legislature, a formidable campaign opponent, and as a longtime family friend, for many years, Charles has been a wonderful mentor and companion to me. I wish him a speedy recovery and only the best for his wife, Laura, and their children.

  We all know Charles was eventually headed for victory in the current campaign for California’s Second Congressional District. He would’ve made a marvelous Congressman. Though I’m deeply honored Senator Kingsley chose to endorse me to serve in the United States Congress, I’ve decided to also withdraw from the race. Upon further reflection, I believe my commitment to public service is currently best done through my work in the state legislature. The people of my senate district deserve undisrupted advocacy on behalf of their needs and the greater needs of the state of California.

  My reasons to withdraw are both private and public. At this time, I no longer believe I’m the best person to represent the northern California’s northern coast. Today, I endorse Sonoma County Supervisor Ursula Robles for that job. Supervisor Robles is a dedicated public servant, with a distinguished record in local politics and a fine career as a registered nurse. She is the face of modern California, and indeed America. To be blunt, Congress needs more people like her than me right now.

  Thank you to everyone who supported my Congressional bid. I hope you, too, will see the wisdom in my choice to stay in the legislature and my endorsement of Supervisor Robles. I’ll work hard for her election, and I urge you to join me in voting for her in the primary in June and again in the general election in November.

  “You can’t be serious,” Lily murmured as she looked up from the page.

  “I am.” He grinned. “And I’m really happy about my decision.”

  “Jack, I don’t think it’s that simple. What will people say if you drop out? The blow back will be horrible.”

  “It won’t be that bad. I’ll weather it. They’ll say I never really wanted the seat—that I was only doing it to get my name out there.” He shrugged. “It’s sort of true.”

  “It’s only partially true.” She placed the statement on the table as if to put it open for debate. “You were running in an election you knew you’d lose just to get your name out there, but you’ve wanted to be in Congress your whole life.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “This is silly. You’ll hold it against me for the rest of our lives. We can’t build a relationship with that kind of resentment.”

  “What did you tell me last night? You said that you wouldn’t ever resent dropping out of the race because it would be your choice. The same thing is true for me. I’ll never resent you over this because I’m doing this on my own. It was my idea. I stand by everything I’ve said in the statement.”

  “You’re nuts!” she said, not believing what she was hearing.

  “And you’re going to be the next Congressperson from California’s second district,” he said with a grin.

  Lily continued to look at him like he’d lost his marbles. When she was quiet, he must’ve sensed she wasn’t buying what he was saying because he took her hands in his. “I’m not crazy, and I won’t resent you. I’m happy with this. I think it’s the best for me, for you, and for us, and actually, I believe what I say in that statement. You are the right person for this district.”

  “Oh, Jack…” she whispered. Her heartbeat picked up the pace as she realized he spoke the truth, yet she still wanted more confirmation. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.” He happily squeezed her hand. “Besides. I’ve got bigger fish to fry than Congress.”

  “You’re such a cocky bastard.” She giggled and kissed his cheek. “But I love you.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Later that morning, Jack was in Bill’s office at Dresser and DuBoise as the media began its response to his statement. Huddled with his best friend, the venerated law firm provided the perfect location for Jack to both be available for public comment, but not be under his staff’s judgmental eyes. While they respected his decision, they didn’t understand it. On the other hand, Bill understood the decision, respected it, and found great joy in making fun of the whole thing.

  As Jack ended a call mollifying one of his supporters, Bill poked his head around the door. “You free?” he asked with a smile.

  “Yup,” Jack said, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his neck to relieve the tension.

  Bill walked in with his iPad in hand and announced in a cocky voice, “Some more shit just hit the fan.”

  “Very funny,” muttered Jack.

  “Aw, hell,” Bill said as he sank into the sofa. “It’s not so bad. You knew this was going to happen.”

  “I did, and I’m happy with my decision. Today is just tough.”

  “Well, the San Francisco political gods have spoken.”

  “MacMillian and Kellog?” Jack asked, giving the names of the town’s most respected political gadflies.

  “Yup. They just wrote a blog on you. It’s their typical snark, but I think it will play to your favor.”

  “Read it to me,” Jack demanded in earnest.

  “Here goes,” said Bill as he read from his screen.

  With any good California earthquake, the aftershocks can be just as powerful as the original quake. The same holds true in politics as seen today by State Senator Jack Bengston’s announcement he’s dropping out of the race for California’s second Congressional District. Just yesterday, State Senator Charles Kingsley dropped out of the same race for health reasons after a serious heart attack. Kingsley had been the odds on favorite to win the primary and then the general election in the fall. When he announc
ed yesterday, he endorsed Bengston so it’s more than a little curious that Bengston would drop out after being ordained the next front-runner.

  The scuttlebutt is that the political climber, Bengston, never really wanted to be in Congress; he was just in the race to get some publicity as he toils away in obscurity at the state legislature. Bengston’s sights are higher than Congress. He eventually wants to be governor, and dealing with all the crazies in Washington, DC doesn’t really get him there. If he stayed in the race as the front runner, not only could he have ended up in Congress, but the race could’ve gotten ugly. Bengston doesn’t have Kingsley’s gravitas, and the other three candidates would be ready to take him to task.

  In particular, Sonoma County Supervisor Ursula Robles is a savvy and popular politician. Also Latina, she would’ve been a force to be reckoned with. That’s probably why Bengston dropped out—why get beat up for a job you don’t really want? Instead, he’s now endorsed Robles and is permanently in her good graces. In fact, she owes him one. That’s all good for Bengston because unless she gets caught drowning cute little kittens, we’re all going to be calling her Congresswoman Robles come January next year.

  Jack stared at the ceiling gathering his thoughts. When he looked at Bill again, he said, “You’re right. If that’s the spin, it could eventually work for me.”

  “Totally. You take a short term hit because you look a little ungrateful and kind of calculating, but in the long-term no one will really care because it makes sense.”

  “Well, a few of my donors care…”

  “How have those calls been going?”

  “Not too bad. I’d say only 1 in 20 wants their money back. Most people are fine with my reasoning. They just want any unused cash rolled over to my next campaign.”

  “See. Not so bad.” Bill’s lips turned up into a devilish grin. “But when everyone figures out that you and Lily are more than friends, then people will care again.”

  Jack chuckled. “That’s something no one will know until after she’s elected. We’ve already talked about it. We’re going to keep things quiet.”