before sitting down.
“We weren’t expecting you,” Kate said to her husband.
“I wasn’t coming,” Will replied, “then I thought to myself, why should my wife have all the fun?” He ordered a bourbon and sat down, facing the convention floor. “I hope this is better than the football game on TV,” he said.
“You must have had the press all over you downstairs,” Ann said.
“No, I left the motorcade a couple of blocks up the street and arrived downstairs in a single SUV. Nobody twigged.”
“Look,” Ed Eagle said, pointing at a TV on the wall. They all turned and saw a shot of a single black SUV turning into the Staples Center underground parking lot. Ed switched on the sound as Chris Matthews was saying, “We’re told that was a shot of the president arriving at the convention. But there was no motorcade, and he hasn’t been seen on the floor or backstage. I’m betting he’s watching from a skybox.” Ed switched off the sound.
“So much for my security arrangements,” Will said. “If anybody calls, tell ’em I’m in some other skybox.”
Mike Freeman entered the suite, shook hands with the president, and asked for a glass of orange juice.
“Have you made your rounds, Mike?” Stone asked.
“I have and all is well. Anyway, nobody would want to kill anybody who’s spoken so far. I did hear a rumor that a couple of VIPs sneaked past the press into a skybox.”
“Don’t believe a word of it,” Will said. He found the remote control and turned on the sound from the floor, plus a TV.
A documentary film began, honoring the recently deceased Senator Eleanor Stockman, and the crowd listened respectfully for five minutes, then applauded warmly.
“Here comes Dick Collins and his speech,” Will said.
“And here comes the young governor of California,” Chris Matthews was saying. “Eight years from now, he’ll be a likely candidate for president. His first two years in office have been a spectacular success.”
Dick and Cara Collins spent a couple of minutes waving at the crowd and making eye contact here and there, then finally Cara kissed him and left the platform. Then the podium and the glass shield rose from the floor.
“It worked!” Mike said. “As late as this morning we weren’t sure it would.”
“This is something new at a convention,” Matthews was saying. “That wall of non-glare glass is said to protect against bullets, bombs, and maybe even Republicans. Also, a little inside info: you can’t see it from the audience but the teleprompter is projected onto the inside of the glass wall so the speaker will appear to be speaking without reading it.”
Collins began to speak. “Good evening, and welcome to the great state of California!” The crowd went suitably wild, then calmed down. “Word has reached me that a Californian is seeking your nomination.” Big laugh. “I have not come here to endorse him.” He waited a beat. “Nor to bury him.” Another laugh. Then Collins got serious and began to speak of the challenges facing the country. He finished ten minutes later with a few short sentences. “I’m told that the current president of the United States is watching tonight. On television, of course. I want to say that this country is in the best shape it has been in for many years. Probably since World War Two. And Will Lee is the man we can thank for that!” The crowd went nuts, the band played, and Cara Collins appeared, took the governor by the hand, and led him off the stage.
“Well, that was mercifully short,” Will said. “I think we can thank Bill Clinton for the brevity. And what he said about me was nice.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t true,” his wife said. “If I get this office, I’ll do my best not to screw up your legacy.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him.
A waiter materialized. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served.” They all got up and went to the table, where place cards seated Will and Kate
“We weren’t expecting you,” Kate said to her husband.
“I wasn’t coming,” Will replied, “then I thought to myself, why should my wife have all the fun?” He ordered a bourbon and sat down, facing the convention floor. “I hope this is better than the football game on TV,” he said.
“You must have had the press all over you downstairs,” Ann said.
“No, I left the motorcade a couple of blocks up the street and arrived downstairs in a single SUV. Nobody twigged.”
“Look,” Ed Eagle said, pointing at a TV on the wall. They all turned and saw a shot of a single black SUV turning into the Staples Center underground parking lot. Ed switched on the sound as Chris Matthews was saying, “We’re told that was a shot of the president arriving at the convention. But there was no motorcade, and he hasn’t been seen on the floor or backstage. I’m betting he’s watching from a skybox.” Ed switched off the sound.
“So much for my security arrangements,” Will said. “If anybody calls, tell ’em I’m in some other skybox.”
Mike Freeman entered the suite, shook hands with the president, and asked for a glass of orange juice.
“Have you made your rounds, Mike?” Stone asked.
“I have and all is well. Anyway, nobody would want to kill anybody who’s spoken so far. I did hear a rumor that a couple of VIPs sneaked past the press into a skybox.”
“Don’t believe a word of it,” Will said. He found the remote control and turned on the sound from the floor, plus a TV.
A documentary film began, honoring the recently deceased Senator Eleanor Stockman, and the crowd listened respectfully for five minutes, then applauded warmly.
“Here comes Dick Collins and his speech,” Will said.
“And here comes the young governor of California,” Chris Matthews was saying. “Eight years from now, he’ll be a likely candidate for president. His first two years in office have been a spectacular success.”
Dick and Cara Collins spent a couple of minutes waving at the crowd and making eye contact here and there, then finally Cara kissed him and left the platform. Then the podium and the glass shield rose from the floor.
“It worked!” Mike said. “As late as this morning we weren’t sure it would.”
“This is something new at a convention,” Matthews was saying. “That wall of non-glare glass is said to protect against bullets, bombs, and maybe even Republicans. Also, a little inside info: you can’t see it from the audience but the teleprompter is projected onto the inside of the glass wall so the speaker will appear to be speaking without reading it.”
Collins began to speak. “Good evening, and welcome to the great state of California!” The crowd went suitably wild, then calmed down. “Word has reached me that a Californian is seeking your nomination.” Big laugh. “I have not come here to endorse him.” He waited a beat. “Nor to bury him.” Another laugh. Then Collins got serious and began to speak of the challenges facing the country. He finished ten minutes later with a few short sentences. “I’m told that the current president of the United States is watching tonight. On television, of course. I want to say that this country is in the best shape it has been in for many years. Probably since World War Two. And Will Lee is the man we can thank for that!” The crowd went nuts, the band played, and Cara Collins appeared, took the governor by the hand, and led him off the stage.
“Well, that was mercifully short,” Will said. “I think we can thank Bill Clinton for the brevity. And what he said about me was nice.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t true,” his wife said. “If I get this office, I’ll do my best not to screw up your legacy.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him.
A waiter materialized. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served.” They all got up and went to the table, where place cards seated Will and Kate
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