K. Linde - Off the Record

“Let’s see how I do in the primary then,” he murmured against her lips before pulling away.

Liz nodded reluctantly as Brady maneuvered the car back on the road. The primary and November…back to the same place they were before they started this conversation.

Sometimes the decision about whether or not to stay with Brady felt easy, and sometimes it didn’t feel like a decision at all. And all she really knew was that every time she pushed Brady to make a decision…forced an ultimatum…his walls slammed down and his answer was written on his face like a judge giving the guilty verdict to a death sentence. And she was the defendant witnessing her judgment.

Liz stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was all jittery and couldn’t stop fidgeting. Today was the day. She had walked into the polling booth this morning and cast her vote for State Senator Brady Maxwell III for the House of Representatives in the primary.

Three months ago she wouldn’t have believed she would do that. But standing there with the ballot in hand in a small cubicle surrounded by mostly elderly women, Liz knew there was no other option. Brady Maxwell had won her vote over the course of the summer even before he had unequivocally won her heart.

Then came the unbearable waiting period. Sitting through classes, working at the paper, watching students go about their business without the slightest idea of how important today was. She had spent all week with her new assistants, Tristan and Savannah, encouraging the student body to go out and vote. They all knew the consequences, but conveying that to the student body proved tiresome. And there wasn’t much she could do besides use her voice to coax people into going to the polls.

It was finally that time. Hayden would be there any minute to pick her up and take her to the results party for Brady. She had tried to get out of going with him; she would have rather gone alone, but Hayden thought she was going for work. Once again, she couldn’t explain her way out of the situation without giving away secrets she meant to hold on to.

With her jitters came an uncontrollable need to do something while she waited. She had changed outfits three times before settling on a charcoal pantsuit with a blue blouse and black platforms. She had slid her locket over her head and then back off more than a dozen times before leaving it on. Her hair was flat ironed to perfection, and she had never applied her makeup so thoroughly.

A text appeared on her phone from Hayden, telling her it was time to head out. They still had a full forty minutes before they made it to Raleigh.

Liz exited her house, walked to Hayden’s Audi, and sat down in the passenger seat. She tried not to think about the last time she had been a passenger in a car.

“Hey,” Hayden said. His smile was full-on charm. “You look great.”

“Thanks,” Liz said. She appreciated his compliment in spite of her nerves as he pulled out of her driveway.

He looked good too. He wore a fitted black suit with a white button-down and a blue tie that matched her blouse. Brady would surely look better, though. Liz gritted her teeth at the thought. She hated comparing, so she racked her brain to find something else to talk to Hayden about.

“How do you think the paper is doing so far?” she managed to get out.

“Good. We lost a lot of seniors at the end of the last year, but the incoming freshmen are really stepping up. I was surprised to see Savannah Maxwell in the room. Weren’t you?”

“I was surprised.” Though for reasons he would have never guessed.

“You would think with her family’s history she wouldn’t have chosen reporting,” Hayden continued. “I was worried she would be a liability.”

“I think she doesn’t want to be under the shadow of her family. Big shoes to fill and all that,” Liz told him. It felt strange to have insight into Savannah’s head, but she was working closely with her now. Liz could kind of pick up on her vibe.

“Well, as long as you two work well together, then I don’t see any problem with it. I know how you feel about our politician.”

Liz tried not to cringe at the name Hayden still used for Brady. She needed to change the subject again, but worried that somehow it would always go back to Brady…especially today.

Finally Liz relaxed enough to just shrug. She wasn’t going to talk about Brady. She was too nervous for him at present.

“What do you think about the other freshmen?” Liz prompted.

Thankfully that incited a long-winded discussion of every new person Hayden had come into contact with. Some Liz had seen or heard about already in the first week and others she hadn’t, but she fed him a few questions here and there so she didn’t have to give much input.

Even though Hayden kept up a steady stream of conversation, Liz couldn’t keep from wringing her hands in her lap from nerves. When Hayden asked about it, she tried to brush it off. She was too invested in the race, since she had spent all summer on it. The outcome was really important and all that. But she was really just anxious for Brady…and for what it meant for them going forward.

They followed the directions to the south side of Raleigh, where a ballroom was to be the spot for the Senator’s victory celebration and his acceptance speech to run for office. The press passes she had received had Senator Maxwell’s Victory Celebration written on them. Liz wondered how well Brady was taking it all. She knew he wasn’t as certain of the title as his own party.

Hayden pulled up in front of the ballroom and then into the press parking lot. He flashed his press pass and then drove into their designated lot. The sun was sinking on the horizon when Hayden finally parked, which meant the polls would be closing, ballots counted, and results would be coming in soon.

Liz stepped out of the car into the balmy afternoon heat. She grabbed her bag, complete with notepad and trusted recorder. Hayden carried the camera equipment. Then they walked up to the grand building together.

They flashed their passes and were handed a press information packet, and then were directed to their section of the room. Liz smiled at the usher and followed Hayden into the ballroom.

Her breath caught at the sight before her. The campaign had pulled out all the stops for this event. The room was decorated entirely in the festive red-white-and-blue, with VOTE FOR MAXWELL banners hanging all around the perimeter. A giant staircase opened up on the opposite end of the room from two tiered balconies and led to the ballroom floor below, as well as to a stage that had been erected. A podium rested on the stage with an American flag across it, and another enormous Maxwell sign hung up behind it. A projection screen took up part of one wall and was broadcasting the news as they waited for election results to come in.

A crowd had already formed and people milled around the room, anxiously awaiting the results. Some of the press were interviewing partygoers and speaking excitedly into their microphones, but most were just enjoying the company as they waited to hear the fate of the man they had put their trust in.

She wished in that moment as she surveyed the room that she weren’t wearing a press badge, that she weren’t dressed in a pantsuit, that she weren’t here to work. She wanted to be in an elegant modest cocktail dress backstage waiting and stressing over the results with Brady. She wanted to be something that everyone said was impossible.

“Come on. This way,” Hayden said, touching the small of her back and guiding her into the ballroom.

Liz remembered the first press conference she went to with Hayden and what it felt like when he had touched her then. She had been exhilarated and excited, but now all she felt were her nerves threatening to bubble over. She needed to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and walked confidently over to the press section, which had a raised platform for the photographers to capture the speeches. Hayden pulled out the tripod stand and began setting up the camera as she dropped her bag on the ground next to his stuff. They would use some of the footage tomorrow in their post-primary reel online. It made her think of Justin…and how everything had changed after this summer.

A hush fell over the crowd just as Hayden got the equipment secured into place, and Liz bit down on her lip hard in anticipation. Were they already announcing results? Had the ballots already been counted? Could it possibly be that quick? It didn’t seem plausible.

The news commentator straightened his tie and spoke confidently into the camera. “Thank you so much for your patience in these matters. We’re all waiting to hear the primary results, and we’ll update you as soon as they start rolling in. We already have some winners popping up on the screen now. Follow below to see the list while the rest of us wait for the toss-ups that we have been tracking—the Hardy-Maxwell race over there in North Carolina in particular along with…”

Liz tuned out the rest of the commentator’s speech. They were still waiting. Toss-up race. She had used the phrase herself in her journalism in the past week while encouraging people to vote, but hearing it on the news made it even worse.

She didn’t realize that she had been staring at the screen until Hayden waved his hand in front of her face.

“We’re not getting to the results any faster. Are you all right?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Just zoned out, I guess.”

“Do you want a drink or anything? I was going to go snag a water,” he offered.