“Did he call yet?” Kay asked as she grabbed the stack of mail.
“Not yet,” said the receptionist. “We both dodged a bullet. I just got here myself. We’ve got to do better.”
“I know, girl,” Kay said. “Believe me, I know. This CP Time shit is going to be the death of all of us one of these days.”
The receptionist laughed. “What happened?”
“My car decided to act up this morning.”
“That pretty Camaro?”
“Pretty on the outside only,” Kay said. “Trust.” Then she began heading for her office in the back of the building, thumbing through the mail as she walked.
A staffer walked up beside her and kept pace with her. “How much overtime are we allowed to pay the venue workers?”
“None,” said Kay as she continued to walk and thumb through her mail. “No overtime. The Senator has spoken. He wants us on a shoestring budget this election cycle until the big money boys loosen their purse strings. Which they haven’t done yet.”
“They won’t like it. They really wanted that overtime.”
“Tell their supervisor to come to me if they give her any trouble. But overtime is out.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the staffer said, and was about to leave.
But then Kay thought of something. “Hey?” she asked.
The staffer turned around. “Yes, ma’am?”
“How’s your mother?”
The staffer exhaled. “Not good. They’re operating in the morning.”
Kay frowned. “Then why are you here?”
“She’s in Kansas.”
“And?”
The staffer was shocked. “You mean I can go?”
Kay smiled. “Yes, you can go.”
“But Senator Drake is just launching his reelection bid.”
“And after your mother has a successful outcome, you will come back and help us with the launch.” Then Kay frowned again. “Family always first. Don’t you dare let politics cause you to forget that.”
The staffer was overcome with emotion. And she couldn’t help it. She hugged Kay. “Thanks, Kay!” she declared, and hurried to make the arrangements.
Kay smiled. Family. Having people you cared about, and who cared about you. That was what mattered to Kay. But then she remembered she was late, and had a meeting across town in less than an hour. She made haste to her office door, with Chief of Staff written above it. As she unlocked her office, Roger Pettway, the senator’s campaign manager, came out of his office. “You’re late,” he said.
“Car trouble,” she said, and entered her office.
Rog walked in behind her. “You and that car. You should just give it to me.”
Kay laughed. “Yeah, right.” Then she walked behind her desk and looked at him.
“Senator Drake says we need to coordinate strategy,” Rog said.
“Which includes?” Kay asked.
“Which staffers will remain in Chicago to work on his reelection campaign, and which staffers will go back to D. C. to run his office at the Capitol.”
Kay reached into her suit jacket pocket and handed him a list.
“What’s this?”
“The names of the staffers who are going back to D.C. to handle his legislative agenda, and those who will be staying here, in Chicago, with us.”
Rog smiled. “When in the world did you have time to compile this?”
“Last night,” said Kay. “Very late last night.”
Rog shook her head. “You need a man, Kay.”
She laughed. “You make me sound like some old maid already.”
“You are old.”
“I’m twenty-eight. That’s not old.”
“It is for a cat.”
“I’m not a cat. Guess what?” she said, and then sipped from her coffee.
“What?” he asked her.
“Congressman Holmes is not going to seek reelection.”
Rog was surprised. “Why not? He’s a cinch to win.”
“Who knows why? Who cares why? But you know what this means, right?”
Rog didn’t. “What does it mean?” he asked her.
“Close the door.”
Rog went and closed the door. Then he walked back up to the desk.
“It means his seat will be open,” Kay said. “It means I can finally detach myself from Eddie Drake and run for that seat myself, Rog.”
Rog was stunned. “You?”
“Yes, me!”
“I didn’t know you were interested in seeking office.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now.”
“You didn’t share those thoughts with me.”
“Only with myself and the Lord. But I’ve been thinking seriously about it.”
“But don’t you think it’s too soon, Kay.”
“Why is it too soon? Because I’m a woman?”
“Because you’re only twenty-eight years old.”
“You just said that was old!”
“In cat years. Not human years!”
“The constitution says any US citizen who reaches the age of twenty-five can become a member of the United States House of Representatives. And Lord knows I have the credentials. I’ve been in politics since high school. I’ve worked on Capitol Hill since college.”
“But you can’t think about running for office right now,” Rog said. “Not when Senator Drake’s in the middle of his own campaign.”
“That’s the down side, yes. But I’ve got to look at this intelligently, Rog. Every district in this state is filled with Congressmen and women who have no intentions of giving up their seats in the foreseeable future. They’ll die in those seats. This chance may not come around again. I have to think about that.”
“But what about Eddie right now?”
“What about him?” Kay asked. “He doesn’t give a damn about anybody but himself anyway. We both know that. I’ve been working for him since I left college, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done for the people. But he’s never going to agree to letting me do my own thing.” Then Kay got firm. “And I’m not waiting for his permission.”
“Yeah, but he’s the only African-American we have in the Senate right now, and we’ve got to make certain he gets reelected. Besides, at least he’s giving us high level positions no other senator would give to us.”
“What do you mean us?” Kay asked. “We’re the only two African-Americans on his entire staff. The only two.”
“And the two highest ranking members of his staff,” said Rog. “Don’t forget that.”
“But still!”
“But still what?”
“This opportunity might not come around again, Rog.”
Rog stared at her. He knew she was ambitious, but damn. “Why aren’t you on his side?” he asked her. “I thought you were on his side, Kay.”
“I am on his side! He does a lot of good for the poor, but let’s face it. If those poor people didn’t have votes to give to him, if they didn’t control his chances of remaining in the Senate, he wouldn’t give them the time of day. And how many times do we have to remind him who his constituents are?”