Chapter 206

All of the air seems to suck straight out of the room. I stand there gaping for a minute, so startled at having been called out by Mr. Anders. Replaying the past few moments back in my mind, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what I had done to offend him within two minutes of meeting him.

“I’m going to need to ask you to clarify that statement, Mr. Anders,” Miles says slowly. His voice remains friendly, but there’s an iciness in his eyes now that wasn’t there a moment ago. “Esther Owens has been with me for a while now. She is the heart of my campaign. Any issues you might have with her, you also have with me.”

“I am not asking you to remove her from your campaign, Representative Hamilton. Only from the room. You have brought me here to assist you, and I am good at what I do. I cannot imagine why you would not accommodate my request.”

“I will say again that Esther plays a pivotal role in my campaign. She has as much right to be here as anyone,” Miles says.

“Miles,” I start. I can sense he is a half-step away from firing Mr. Anders, and while I’m not particularly fond of the way Mr. Anders has taken an immediate dislike to me, I also cannot allow Miles to throw this opportunity away for my sake.

Not everyone has to like me. I just need Miles to focus and do well at the debate.

“No, Esther. You are more important than this pompous –”

“Miles,” I say again, louder.

“Insults are hardly necessary,” Mr. Anders says.

“I disagree, Mr. Anders. You have disrespected Esther, and that disrespects me.”

“Yet instead of saying precisely that, you have taken to name calling,” Mr. Anders says.

Just like that, Mr. Anders has proved his point.

“You have no real issue with Esther, do you?” Miles asks, coming to the same realization.

“No,” Mr. Anders says. “Not at all, and I apologize to you, Ms. Owens. I meant no true offense. I merely wished to show all of you – especially you, Miles – how quickly your temper will land you in trouble. You’ve seen it yourself at the last debate, yet even here, in a safe space with me, you fall back on your rash emotions.”

“Esther as a topic is off limits,” Miles says.

“Edward Zimmer won’t think so,” Mr. Anders says. “You have to be prepared for when he goes low. He knows Ms. Owens is your weakness, so he will not stop pushing you on her. He wants to get you to break. What we need to do is train you to resist when he baits your anger.”

Mr. Anders looks around. “I would request that everyone leave except for Representative Hamilton and Ms. Owens. Just for a moment.”

The others nod and then proceed to file out of the room. With them gone, Mr. Anders looks between Miles and me.

“How long have you two been romantically involved?” Mr. Anders asks.

I blush at once.

Miles just stares at Mr. Anders.

Mr. Anders stares right back. “I am a professional, Representative Hamilton. I have no interest in the sorted details of your personal affairs. But I am also very good at what I do. You have hired me to do this job that I am very good at. So I am obligated to tell you this…

“Your relationship is obvious. The way you two look at each other like there is no one else in the room. The way you automatically lean close to each other. The way you are so quick to defend her, Miles. And Esther, the way you blush whenever he does. The newspapers were right to suspect something is between you.”

“I’m not sure if the nature of our relationship is relevant,” I say.

“It is,” Mr. Anders says. “Would you like to know why?”

I would, so I nod.

“It gives context to Miles’s outbursts. Without it, Miles comes across as an arrogant, reactionary youth who can dish out the criticism but not take it. In comparison, Edward Zimmer appears the picture of calmness and friendliness, even when he’s being cruel. If you were not who you are, which temperament would you prefer for your president?”

He’s making good points. I can see that clearly, and it hurts a little. The president generally needs a calm temperament so that he will listen as he needs to, negotiate fairly, and make the correct choices after carefully considering all angles. Someone who reacts solely off emotion might make an impulsive and incorrect decision.

“Either way, we need to work on steeling you against these pointed attacks from Mr. Zimmer,” Mr. Anders says. “But, I would at least consider coming forward with your relationship to give the campaign the added bump. The people are more likely to be sympathetic if they believe you are defending your love, Miles.”

Miles looks at me. I try to smile at him, but he seems lost in thought.

“I can provide the contact information of a friend of mine who does public relations. She is the best in the business and can help you navigate future steps,” Mr. Anders says.

“Thank you,” I say to Mr. Anders.

He nods, and gives me the card for his PR friend.

“You can bring the others back in now,” he says. “Consider it on your own. The decision you make is up to you.”

Later, after Mr. Anders has gone, I stand in Miles’s office, alone with him. He’s looking out the window. I’m a few feet away, watching him.

“Mr. Anders was able to tell so easily,” I say, slightly ashamed that I couldn’t hide my feelings for Miles. “He knew before he even came through the door.”

Mr. Anders walked into this room with a purpose, to piss off Miles using me. That must have been his plan from even before he met us, which meant he had perceived our relationship from only watching us on a tv screen.

“I’ve been too obvious,” Miles says, lowering his head. “My defense of you… among everything else.” He turns toward me. “Esther, I’m sorry. I’ve put you right in the limelight again.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that,” I say. “I’m equally to blame.”

Miles tilts his head like he doesn’t quite believe me, but he nods in the next instant, keeping me from trying to persuade him.

“What do you think we should do?” Miles asks. He glances over at the business card Mr. Anders left us, of his friend who works in Public Relations. Miles left it on his desk. “It would be a big step forward, bringing our relationship into the light like that.”

“What do you want to do?” I ask him.

He smirks a little at me. “I asked you first.”

He could be asking me for my honest input, or he could be asking me for permission. Bringing a relationship to light might give Miles the boost he needs to win the election. It certainly wouldn’t hurt him at all.

But… how would I survive it? Knowing that it is all temporary?

Miles needs that boost to his popularity at the polls, but when all’s said and done, he’s going to leave me behind.

How would I ever move on, when the whole world pities me for not being good enough to hold onto Miles Hamilton?