she’s completely exploiting it. She’s so transparent.”
What an ass , Jack thought, yet he found a civil way to dispute Herb. “You know every time I hear her speak I regret my choice of studying French instead of Spanish, but that’s my fault, not hers. If she can speak Spanish, well, good for her.”
“How can you say that? It’s unfair. She has a leg up on us all.”
“I see where you’re coming from, but do you honestly believe it’s easier for a Hispanic woman to run for office than a white man?”
“Yes,” Herb said flatly. “This is California.”
“Given the composition of the state’s congressional delegation, I have to disagree with you.” Jack gave him the side-eye and walked away.
As he headed toward his seat on the stage, he checked his gut as he realized how upset he was. Sure Herb was offensive, but Jack mixed with troglodytes every day—rich political donors who looked down on everyone, occasionally working class whites who needed someone to look down on to feel good about themselves, and even some of his older relatives who were just backwards. Why was he so offended by Herb?
After he found his seat on stage, he poured himself a glass of water from the pitchers placed on the long table before him. He took the opportunity to search for Lily in the crowd, and he found her busy in an animated conversation with a local reporter. It was the perfect example of what he tried to convey to Herb. Lily was striving hard to get the reporter’s attention for a few minutes, while Jack already had given the reporter a long interview earlier in the day. The reporter wrote for a paper that had long supported Jack in its editorials. Though Jack had gained the newspaper’s respect by his own work over time, he knew the initial support he received had everything to do with the fact his parents were best friends with the paper’s publisher.
He studied Lily, trying to sort out his feelings. Why did he want to defend her so much? The immediate answer that came to mind was objective—something anyone who’d spent time with her would feel. She simply didn’t deserve Herb’s negative comments. She was a good person who worked hard for everything she’d gotten in life. No one in her situation deserved Herb’s insults.
But there was something else though that moved Jack. It was a strong desire to protect Lily. The feeling was overwhelming, and he nervously tapped his fingers on the table, anxious she was under his skin.
Over the course of the next hour, Jack was able to forget Herb and focus on the speakers. Yet when a question was lobbed at Lily, he always paid special attention to her answer. He also noticed her profile was quite pretty, and though she spoke about serious matters, her smile could be very sexy.
As the panel wound down, Jack’s mind drifted off as the audience began asking the pat questions for the county. His ears perked up when he heard an older woman say, “This question is for Supervisor Robles.”
Jack recognized the elderly woman standing at the microphone, Ethel Nathan. She was a well known anti-growth gadfly in the county. She called herself an environmentalist, but Jack knew it wasn’t a deeply held conviction to protect the land. Her environmentalism was based on her wealth and desire to keep Marin her own private countryside. Jack’s staff liked to call her Ethel NIMBY because her reaction to any development in the county amounted to “Not in my backyard.”
She stared Lily down. “Supervisor Robles, what is your position on George Jones?”
Lily was silent for a moment, her face placid. Leaning into the microphone, she asked, “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you mean?”
Jack wanted to close his eyes to avoid watching the train wreck that was about to happen. Ethel had brought up a sleeper issue that only people steeped in Marin politics followed, though those that did, were passionate about it. The average person might think Ethel was
What an ass , Jack thought, yet he found a civil way to dispute Herb. “You know every time I hear her speak I regret my choice of studying French instead of Spanish, but that’s my fault, not hers. If she can speak Spanish, well, good for her.”
“How can you say that? It’s unfair. She has a leg up on us all.”
“I see where you’re coming from, but do you honestly believe it’s easier for a Hispanic woman to run for office than a white man?”
“Yes,” Herb said flatly. “This is California.”
“Given the composition of the state’s congressional delegation, I have to disagree with you.” Jack gave him the side-eye and walked away.
As he headed toward his seat on the stage, he checked his gut as he realized how upset he was. Sure Herb was offensive, but Jack mixed with troglodytes every day—rich political donors who looked down on everyone, occasionally working class whites who needed someone to look down on to feel good about themselves, and even some of his older relatives who were just backwards. Why was he so offended by Herb?
After he found his seat on stage, he poured himself a glass of water from the pitchers placed on the long table before him. He took the opportunity to search for Lily in the crowd, and he found her busy in an animated conversation with a local reporter. It was the perfect example of what he tried to convey to Herb. Lily was striving hard to get the reporter’s attention for a few minutes, while Jack already had given the reporter a long interview earlier in the day. The reporter wrote for a paper that had long supported Jack in its editorials. Though Jack had gained the newspaper’s respect by his own work over time, he knew the initial support he received had everything to do with the fact his parents were best friends with the paper’s publisher.
He studied Lily, trying to sort out his feelings. Why did he want to defend her so much? The immediate answer that came to mind was objective—something anyone who’d spent time with her would feel. She simply didn’t deserve Herb’s negative comments. She was a good person who worked hard for everything she’d gotten in life. No one in her situation deserved Herb’s insults.
But there was something else though that moved Jack. It was a strong desire to protect Lily. The feeling was overwhelming, and he nervously tapped his fingers on the table, anxious she was under his skin.
Over the course of the next hour, Jack was able to forget Herb and focus on the speakers. Yet when a question was lobbed at Lily, he always paid special attention to her answer. He also noticed her profile was quite pretty, and though she spoke about serious matters, her smile could be very sexy.
As the panel wound down, Jack’s mind drifted off as the audience began asking the pat questions for the county. His ears perked up when he heard an older woman say, “This question is for Supervisor Robles.”
Jack recognized the elderly woman standing at the microphone, Ethel Nathan. She was a well known anti-growth gadfly in the county. She called herself an environmentalist, but Jack knew it wasn’t a deeply held conviction to protect the land. Her environmentalism was based on her wealth and desire to keep Marin her own private countryside. Jack’s staff liked to call her Ethel NIMBY because her reaction to any development in the county amounted to “Not in my backyard.”
She stared Lily down. “Supervisor Robles, what is your position on George Jones?”
Lily was silent for a moment, her face placid. Leaning into the microphone, she asked, “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you mean?”
Jack wanted to close his eyes to avoid watching the train wreck that was about to happen. Ethel had brought up a sleeper issue that only people steeped in Marin politics followed, though those that did, were passionate about it. The average person might think Ethel was
Similar Books
