Read Online Domestic Affairs by Bridget Siegel - Free Book Online

deal for him, and for Taylor as well. Jacob had been working late and around ten forty-five that evening when the governor came into his office and sat down. He threw his feet up on Jacob’s desk, an occurrence that had not yet become familiar, and said, “So how was the day?”
    â€œGood,” Jacob replied as he listed several of the accomplishments and updated him on endorsements, half wondering if he would be fired as a result of Aubrey’s anger.
    â€œGood, good,” the governor replied. “Oh, hey,” he added, “I got you something.” He placed a box on Jacob’s desk. Jacob looked down at the box of pencils and laughed.
    Ever since then the two had running private jokes about everything. Including Aubrey.

    Amazingly, Taylor made it to the Habitat for Humanity event only fifteen minutes late, and Jacob let out his first sigh of relief of the day. Habitat fundraisers were their signature event and accordingly second nature. Aubrey and Landon actually had been two of the organization’s first supporters when it was just a small, faith-based community group in Georgia. It was also at a Habitat event where the Taylors met Billy, the governor’s trusted adviser, longtime friend, and now chief of staff. He was a young staffer to a congressman then.
    On this May morning, Aubrey and Billy were waiting at the entrance to the site when the governor’s car pulled up. The governor and Jacob opened their doors and stepped out in tandem. Jacob forced a smile, pushing back his annoyance at Aubrey, who stood with her hand solidly at her hip, where it often seemed Krazy Glued. Obviously out of public eyesight, she turned her cheek to Taylor’s kiss.
    â€œYou’re late,” she said, shooting a stare Jacob’s way.
    And you’re a joy , Jacob said sarcastically in his head as he turned on as much charm as he could muster. “So sorry, Mrs. Taylor, we did everything we—”
    She began talking in the middle of his sentence, and Jacob stopped, knowing he wasn’t supposed to give an answer and kicking himself for trying. Aubrey looked at Landon with a smile that Jacob thought was more of teeth grinding than happiness.
    â€œDarling,” she said, transforming that faux smile into pursed lips, “the Angevines are here. Please remember her name is Danielle.”
    The governor gave a “Yes, dear” head nod, and Jacob could see one of those momentary pangs of timidity in his eyes and wondered how long it would be before Aubrey let the governor live down not remembering Danielle’s name one time last year.
    Billy stood back, hands folded in front of him, as always, with the unfazed look of someone who had been watching this same movie for twenty years. Jacob surveyed the chief of staff’s face, unsuccessfully trying to picture him twenty years younger. Billy was one of those men who seemed stuck in time, a statuesque African-American man with grayed hair that one couldn’t imagine him without. He was alwaysdressed meticulously in a three-piece suit without deference to occasion or weather. Jacob imagined he had little choice in the matter, having met Billy’s wife, Martha Ann. Martha Ann had edicts that would not be broken, and among them was, breakfast should consist of porridge, and a man should be properly dressed at all times. Jacob felt forever awkward in her presence, but especially at their first meeting, when he thought she was kidding about the porridge thing and had made a joke that was, retrospectively, not very funny. Okay, not at all funny. In his defense he wasn’t aware porridge was something people other than Goldilocks and the three bears ate.
    Martha Ann had since come to like Jacob—well, at least he thought she did. Maybe “tolerates me” is a better term , he thought, remembering the searing look of disapproval she’d given his khaki pants the last time they were in church together. Must work