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Authors: Mary Whitney
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asking Lily about a country music singer.
Ethel clenched the paper she held as her voice wavered with distain. “George Jones is holding the people of Marin hostage, and you don’t know about it?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t say that I do, but if—”
“How can you want to represent the people of Marin in Congress if you don’t know anything about one of the most pressing issues facing the citizens of Marin County?”
As Lily valiantly tried to take charge by offering to speak with Ethel after the panel, Jack looked down the table at the other candidates. Each one sat motionless as he witnessed an opponent take a beating. Some of them knew what Ethel was talking about, and a few were as lost as Lily. He glanced at Herb who wore a smug smile which Jack wanted to punch. Herb was friends with Ethel.
If any of his opposition were hanging in the wind like Lily was at that moment, Jack would’ve thrown them a lifeline. Ethel was raising a stupid issue that only a bunch of very wealthy people cared about—not to mention Ethel was a pain in the ass. At that moment, Jack wanted to crack a joke to diffuse the tension, move the conversation forward, and above all, shut up Ethel.
But Jack thought better of it. Lily probably wouldn’t want his help, and knowing her, she’d probably take it the wrong way. So rather than lending a hand to a friendly rival, Jack watched as Ethel took one last shot at her.
Leaning close to the microphone so her voice boomed throughout the auditorium, Ethel said, “I’d be happy to educate you on these issues, Supervisor Robles. You clearly aren’t prepared.”
“Thank you,” said Lily with a frozen smile.
After the event was over, the usual mingling occurred, but Lily didn’t mingle. Instead, she stood off to the side, looking earnest and nodding as Ethel lectured her. Ethel’s finger wagged, her arms waved, and occasionally she overstepped the boundary of Lily’s personal space. When that happened, Lily would give a tense smile and take a step backward.
Jack kept an eye on their conversation while he worked the room. When he looked up as he spoke to the owner of a local car dealership, he expected to see Ethel and Lily still speaking. Instead he saw Ethel talking to Herb, but no Lily. He surveyed the auditorium and found her happily shaking hands, but with her bag on her shoulder as she headed toward the door.
Spying the clock above the stage, he saw it was still early—too early for a candidate to leave such a large gathering. Jack understood why she was leaving though. If he’d endured a round with Ethel Nathan, he’d want to skulk away too. As he watched Lily push through the auditorium’s double doors, he again felt badly for her.
An impulse struck him, but this time, he didn’t question himself before he acted. After a quick excuse, he spotted an exit sign pointing to a side door, which he hoped led straight outside. He slid out and closed the door behind him, as his eyes adjusted to the bright sun. He was happy to be right about the exit and even more pleased to see Lily talking on her phone and heading toward the parking lot.
Jack walked toward her, but he stayed back a bit until she ended the call. When she tucked the phone in her bag and quickened her step, he jogged to catch up with her. “Hey!” he said in a teasing voice. “You’re not going to leave me alone to deal with Ethel Nathan.”
Lily spun around, and her expression went from surprised to sour. She muttered, “You can have her. She’s your constituent.”
“Do you know how many times she’s done that to me?” he asked with a smile, trying to cajole her out of her pissy mood.
“She’s a piece of work.” Lily closed her mouth as if that would be her final word. She stared at Jack for a moment, and he noticed her dark eyes softening. She sighed with an air of defeat. “To be honest, I still don’t get what she was talking about. Something about the military industrial
Ethel clenched the paper she held as her voice wavered with distain. “George Jones is holding the people of Marin hostage, and you don’t know about it?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t say that I do, but if—”
“How can you want to represent the people of Marin in Congress if you don’t know anything about one of the most pressing issues facing the citizens of Marin County?”
As Lily valiantly tried to take charge by offering to speak with Ethel after the panel, Jack looked down the table at the other candidates. Each one sat motionless as he witnessed an opponent take a beating. Some of them knew what Ethel was talking about, and a few were as lost as Lily. He glanced at Herb who wore a smug smile which Jack wanted to punch. Herb was friends with Ethel.
If any of his opposition were hanging in the wind like Lily was at that moment, Jack would’ve thrown them a lifeline. Ethel was raising a stupid issue that only a bunch of very wealthy people cared about—not to mention Ethel was a pain in the ass. At that moment, Jack wanted to crack a joke to diffuse the tension, move the conversation forward, and above all, shut up Ethel.
But Jack thought better of it. Lily probably wouldn’t want his help, and knowing her, she’d probably take it the wrong way. So rather than lending a hand to a friendly rival, Jack watched as Ethel took one last shot at her.
Leaning close to the microphone so her voice boomed throughout the auditorium, Ethel said, “I’d be happy to educate you on these issues, Supervisor Robles. You clearly aren’t prepared.”
“Thank you,” said Lily with a frozen smile.
After the event was over, the usual mingling occurred, but Lily didn’t mingle. Instead, she stood off to the side, looking earnest and nodding as Ethel lectured her. Ethel’s finger wagged, her arms waved, and occasionally she overstepped the boundary of Lily’s personal space. When that happened, Lily would give a tense smile and take a step backward.
Jack kept an eye on their conversation while he worked the room. When he looked up as he spoke to the owner of a local car dealership, he expected to see Ethel and Lily still speaking. Instead he saw Ethel talking to Herb, but no Lily. He surveyed the auditorium and found her happily shaking hands, but with her bag on her shoulder as she headed toward the door.
Spying the clock above the stage, he saw it was still early—too early for a candidate to leave such a large gathering. Jack understood why she was leaving though. If he’d endured a round with Ethel Nathan, he’d want to skulk away too. As he watched Lily push through the auditorium’s double doors, he again felt badly for her.
An impulse struck him, but this time, he didn’t question himself before he acted. After a quick excuse, he spotted an exit sign pointing to a side door, which he hoped led straight outside. He slid out and closed the door behind him, as his eyes adjusted to the bright sun. He was happy to be right about the exit and even more pleased to see Lily talking on her phone and heading toward the parking lot.
Jack walked toward her, but he stayed back a bit until she ended the call. When she tucked the phone in her bag and quickened her step, he jogged to catch up with her. “Hey!” he said in a teasing voice. “You’re not going to leave me alone to deal with Ethel Nathan.”
Lily spun around, and her expression went from surprised to sour. She muttered, “You can have her. She’s your constituent.”
“Do you know how many times she’s done that to me?” he asked with a smile, trying to cajole her out of her pissy mood.
“She’s a piece of work.” Lily closed her mouth as if that would be her final word. She stared at Jack for a moment, and he noticed her dark eyes softening. She sighed with an air of defeat. “To be honest, I still don’t get what she was talking about. Something about the military industrial
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