Read Online 299 Days: The Preparation by Glen Tate - Free Book Online Page A

be the typical American white-collar professional. Lisa was happy to resume her former life of plenty, which had been put on hold by medical school, and she filled up her closet with clothes and shoes. They took vacations. Nothing extravagant, but they were living very, very comfortable lives of American professionals. Looking back at this time, Grant called it the “Dockers years.”
    The Matsons got to know the other WAB families. They spent time with Ted Foster and his wife, Joyce. There was also Brian and Karen Jenkins. Brian, who was in his forties and looked very distinguished, was WAB’s chief lobbyist. Brian was a great guy who worked hard for the small businesses in WAB; he was not the typical lobbyist that lines the halls of the capitol building. He was a genius at legislative strategy. His wife, Karen, was great. She was beautiful and about a foot shorter than Brian. Karen and Lisa really got along well because Karen came from a wealthy family. Karen wasn’t spoiled, but she was used to nice things.
    Another of the three WAB senior staff families were Ben and Laura Trenton. Ben was the WAB political director. He got people elected to the extent it was possible to elect decent people in Washington State. He raised lots and lots of money for candidates. He knew all the rich Republicans in the state, and with a few phone calls, could raise buckets of money. Ben was dedicated to his “guys,” the small businesses of WAB. He constantly chose conflict with squishy moderate Republicans over the comfort of being a “money guy” on the Hill, as the state legislative building was called.
    Ben was destined to be a politician himself, if the voters in Washington State ever wanted a change from big government. He was a very handsome guy, who at age thirty already looked like a future elected official.
    His wife, Laura, complemented the future elected official by being a very beautiful wife. At first, Grant (and probably most other people) found it hard to relate to her because she was so attractive. People assumed she would be bitchy and unintelligent. She was neither. She was genuinely nice to people and smart as a whip.
    The Fosters, Jenkins, and Trentons were the only conservatives the Matsons knew. These four families were like pilgrims from a far off country who settled in a new and different land. They had a bond because they were so different than those around them. They would get together every year for a giant Super Bowl party and, a few months later, a Fourth of July party with all their kids playing together.
    These parties were joyous during this high point of the easy times when everyone was making a ton of money and Grant and the WAB guys’ careers were going great. They were climbing the ladder. They were the only thing close to a conservative “government in waiting” as they were often called. Everyone knew if a Republican somehow managed to get elected, that WAB would be staffing the new administration. It felt great, even though they knew that the odds of a Republican winning were so remote. They could dream.
    At one Super Bowl party when Grant and Ben drank about a thousand beers, they went outside during half time to get some air. The kids were running around and it was getting loud.
    Grant handed Ben a beer and said, “Here you go, Governor.” Ben laughed and then said, “You think that’s possible? You know, someday?” Ben seemed serious. Or drunk. Or both.
    Grant was feeling particularly honest, given the many beers. He said to Ben, “Hell, yes it’s possible. If this state ever gets its head out of its ass… oh wait, that will never happen. So, no, man, I don’t think it’s possible.”
    Grant could tell that Ben was a little hurt, “No, I don’t mean you’d suck as a governor,” Grant explained. “You would be great. It’s just that…”
    “It would be insane to think I could ever be governor,” Ben said, after snapping back into reality. “I was just playing with