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This was the final straw. He wasn’t answering his phone again today. Brady had already dealt with the press, his grandparents and the chair of the party’s Senatorial Reelection Committee because some half-cracked tree-hugger decided to pull a stupid stunt. A video of the event had gone viral overnight, and the voice-over of Aspyn saying, “It’s all I want … Someone to actually listen to us,” had become a rallying cry for every frustrated activist in the country. By Monday, she was everywhere on the Internet; by Tuesday, the press had really caught on and doubled-down on their coverage. The bloggers and pundits were eating it up, and Aspyn was now the figurehead of a movement that hadn’t existed three days ago.
And he’d been dragged into it as the symbol of old-school, establishment politics. It didn’t seem to matter he wasn’t a politician; he could listen all day long and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. As a Marshall, his name alone was all they needed to make their point.
He’d be drawing on what little patience he had left just to get through the meeting with his father and the new campaign consultants. He had none to spare for his brothers—either of them. “It’s not half as interesting as the talking heads make it out to be.”
“But it’s still funny. Oh, and Lily wants me to remind you that at least she never made the handcuffed ‘walk of shame’ on the national news.”
Ethan’s fiancée had an extensive juvenile record that, for the most part, they’d managed to keep from becoming blog fodder. Not that Ethan cared one way or the other—not who knew about Lily’s past nor what trouble it might cause politically to have a former delinquent in the family. Lily was nice enough, and he was glad his brother was happy, but she’d caused more than one headache for him already. “Is there an actual purpose for your call, Ethan?”
“Not really.” Brady could almost hear Ethan’s shrug. “Just wanted to annoy you.”
“You succeeded.”
“So, out of curiosity, did you listen to her?”
“Sort of. I told her I’d try to get her a meeting with one of the staffers. She seemed happy enough with that until all this broke loose.”
“She’s tapped into something in the people’s psyche. You’re practically getting wall-to-wall coverage.”
Like he didn’t know that already. “People are frustrated with the system. What’s new about that? On an otherwise slow news day, a pretty girl riding Internet-fueled fame makes the headlines. This will pass.” Hopefully very soon.
“So you think she’s pretty?”
Sometimes Ethan could display stunning acts of immaturity strictly to try to get a rise out of him. Today was not a good day to take the bait. “Does it matter?”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d go for the whole antiestablishment, counterculture type. She falls outside your norm—and you never fall outside your norm.”
The headache behind his eyes throbbed. “Must you be a complete idiot all the time?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Because you’re being an idiot.” The limo pulled to a stop at his father’s town house. “And I now have to go do damage control on this. Campaign staff should not be getting more air time than the candidate.”
“Uh-oh, sounds like the senator’s a little upset about this.” Ethan didn’t bother to cloak his bitterness. “Good.”
“Maybe for you, but not for me. I’d rather not be wasting time spinning ridiculous press. I’m the one who has to get him reelected.”
“It was your choice to work for him.”
“Yes. Because I can see beyond my own petty interests and childhood issues best worked out with a therapist.”
Ethan muttered something under his breath, but Brady wasn’t interested and hung up after a terse “goodbye.” Ethan couldn’t get past his own problems with their father to see the bigger picture. Douglas Marshall might be a lousy excuse for a father, but he was a damn good senator. Granddad’s legacy, oddly enough, was in good hands.
And that’s what was important, even though Ethan couldn’t see it. The mission that drove his family was coded into his DNA. Granddad had been a lion in the Senate, a forceful voice and advocate. Their father was carrying on that tradition, and as long as that was the case, Brady would fight to keep him in that seat.
Which meant he needed to turn the attention away from Aspyn Breedlove and back to the issues that really meant something.
He climbed the steps two at a time and let himself in. To his right, the door to his father’s study stood open, and he could hear voices inside. As he entered, he was surprised to see his father, Nathan and the new consultants already seated around the shiny conference table. And from the used coffee cups, open laptops and untidy stacks of paper, they’d been there for a while.
“Am I late?”
Jane, one of the consultants he’d brought on board only last week, had the good grace to look slightly abashed. Nathan just shrugged. His father, though, looked irritated, as always.
“Your little hippie friend has created quite the stir—”
“It will pass.”
“Possibly, but I’m sick of seeing her face—and yours—every time I turn on the news.” As if to prove his point, his father grabbed the remote and turned the sound up on the television. There, on one side of a split screen, was the video of Aspyn trotting beside him as they left the building and then being handcuffed to him. On the other side was a shot of an online bulletin board railing against the deafness of Congress and organizing itself into a full-fledged protest. The perky anchorwoman delivering the commentary called it a “grassroots uprising” and mentioned the Marshalls at least five times like it was somehow their fault.
The image then switched to Aspyn giving a makeshift press conference inside of what looked like a small bookstore. “I think the reaction we’re seeing just proves I’m not the only one frustrated with the disconnect our lawmakers have from the people they’re supposed to represent. Everyone deserves to be heard.” It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the clip, and, once again, he was impressed with how natural and articulate Aspyn was on camera. She might be a little out there, but she was smart and well-spoken and could hold her own with the press.
His father muted the sound again. “Because Miss Breedlove decided to handcuff herself to you, my office is now the center of this storm. Suddenly I’m the poster child for all that is wrong in Washington.”
Jane looked up from her computer as Brady joined them at the table. “And Mack Taylor is already keying in on it,” she added. “It’s about to become a campaign issue, and with the Marshall name prominently connected to the uprising, it doesn’t reflect very well on the senator.”
If I’d just let the elevator doors close in her face … Good manners didn’t always pay off, it seemed. But, then this was also what made campaigns exciting and challenging. This, too, just needed the right spin, and his brain was churning with the challenge already.
“Don’t get comfortable, Brady.” His father interrupted the thought. “You’re going on a little field trip.”
His brain screeched to a stop. That didn’t bode well. “Where and why?”
“I need to make Miss Breedlove my friend before Mack Taylor can make her my enemy and use her against me.”
“That’s always a good plan. In fact—”
“I’m glad you agree. You’re going to hire her.”
He couldn’t have heard that correctly. “Excuse me?”
“You are going to hire Miss Breedlove and make her a part of our campaign staff.”
That was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Doing what, exactly? Protesting?”
“Listening.” His father smiled smugly. “Miss Breedlove is going to be my official Campaign Listener.”
No, that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “That’s not a real job.”
“It is now. Instead of calling my office, concerned and engaged citizens may contact Miss Breedlove, who will listen to their concerns and organize them so they can be presented to me.”
That headache started to throb again. “You’re not serious.”
“Oh, yes, I am. That should keep Miss Breedlove busy and off the cable news networks, and it will show that I am attentive to the concerns of the people and want to give them a point person to contact.”
“And anyone with an ounce of sense will see it for the ploy it is. This isn’t a campaign issue. Listening and replying to constituents is a job for one of your staffers.”
Jane shook her head. “It’s a ploy, but it’s a ploy that will work.”
“This was your idea, wasn’t it?” He pinned her with a stare that had her squirming slightly before she nodded.
“Since you’re the one she handcuffed herself to, you’re the one who needs to be seen listening to her first.”
“And when the campaign is over?” he asked his father.
“Miss Breedlove can go back to whatever cause brought her to my office in the first place.”
Meaning he’s not going to listen to a single thing she has to say. This was more than just a ploy. It was a step above an empty publicity stunt. It was inherently dishonest and that bothered him. They were above this kind of trick. “I get the impression Aspyn is a true believer. She’s going to expect this to be an honest offer. When she finds out it’s not, the backlash could be staggering.”
“It is an honest offer,” his father supplied. “Of a job. Beyond that, we make no guarantees, so we’re not being dishonest in any way.”
Political splitting of hairs. “Only in spirit.”
His father sighed. “Good Lord, Brady, you sound like Ethan and his quest for truth and justice. You understand the bigger picture. Just find the girl a desk and let her channel her energies in a different direction.”
Brady tried one last attempt at reason. “If we do this, it sets a dangerous precedent and every activist in the country will find a politician to handcuff themselves to.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.” He nodded at Nathan, who shoved papers across the table at Brady. “Mary Aspyn Breedlove, age twenty-seven, foreign-born to American parents but raised in the U.S. in a variety of hippie-type communes. Some college work—mainly in Sociology before she dropped out to annoy people full-time—and a long history of do-gooding and activism. Miss Breedlove has no criminal record and a current address in Arlington. I’m sure you’ll enjoy working with her.”
In other words, Aspyn was officially his problem now.
Aspyn peeked out of the blinds and groaned. Still there. She flopped back onto the futon and heard it creak ominously in protest. Ugh. She felt like a prisoner. The video had gone viral with a speed she couldn’t wrap her head around, and the nation had arrived on her doorstep shortly thereafter. Technically it was Margo’s doorstep, since she lived above Margo’s bookstore. The bookstore was hopping now, and Margo was thrilled with the free publicity and additional business Aspyn’s new notoriety brought—even if Aspyn herself had to take time off and Margo’s niece brought in to help instead. From her tiny apartment on the second floor, Aspyn could watch the crowds and the press mill around out front. A small demonstration was organizing across the street, showing support for this new “movement” she supposedly—if completely accidentally—started.
She should be proud of what she’d accomplished—especially since it had required so little effort on her part. This kind of attention was every activist’s dream, but sadly, it wasn’t quite for the reasons she’d hoped for when she chased down Brady Marshall.
She’d turned her phone off last night, put an autoreply on her email account and settled in to wait it out. Thankfully the stairs up to her apartment were in the back room of the bookstore, so at least no one was knocking on her door.
Except that someone was …
She rolled off the futon ungracefully and crossed to the door, wondering who Margo had let up. Whoever it was, she hoped they brought food with them. And, to be honest, she was a little bored and could use some company.
Confusion reigned when she opened the door to find Brady. Here. At her door. Why?
“Mr. Marsh—I mean, Brady. Hi.” She ran her hands over her hair and tried to smooth down the curls. Be casual. “What brings you here?”
“I came to talk to you.”
Was that a good thing or a bad thing? “Okay.”
Brady smiled, adding a heart stutter to her body’s strange reactions to his presence. “Could I come in?”
I’m such an idiot. “Of course. Please.” She stepped back and held the door open. As Brady moved past her, that scent that she remembered so well tickled her nose and she inhaled deeply.
He seemed relaxed and unconcerned, unlike the man she’d seen on TV the last couple of days. At the moment, he didn’t seem angry about the media firestorm raging around him, but why else would he be here? “I was a little confused to find a business at your address. I guess it’s convenient to live above where you work.”
“It is. And it’s cheap,” she added with a small laugh. “I’m sorry about the mess.” She skirted around him to grab an armful of clothes and books off the futon and tossed them into the closet. “I’ve been rather homebound.”
“Since I just fought my way through that crowd, I fully understand why you’re hiding up here.”
“I would think your arrival here would only stir them up more.”
“Oh, it did.” He didn’t elaborate, but his face showed his exasperation with the situation.
Yeesh. Did that mean she was about to get an earful?
“Please, sit. Can I get you something to drink? Juice? Water? Herbal tea?” Stop babbling. She just couldn’t get her head around the fact Brady was here. The only people more confused about his presence would be the reporters outside.
He looked completely out of place, sitting on her rickety futon in his impeccably tailored suit and conservative red power tie surrounded by colorful batik cushions. Slivers of sunshine peeking through the slats of the blinds refracted through the glass beads of her curtain and sent tiny rainbows dancing over his skin.
Brady declined her offers with a small shake of his head. He seemed completely relaxed, leaning back and balancing one ankle on his knee. “It’s a bit of a circus out there.”
His mild, conversational tone didn’t help her relax any as she perched on the opposite arm of the futon, as far away physically as she could be without sitting on the counter of her kitchenette. “Definitely. I mean, I’m glad people are trying to find their voices, and that the media is showing that search and desire, but I wish …”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “They’d do it somewhere else?”
“Exactly.” She sighed. “Is that terrible of me?”
“Not at all. You didn’t ask for the spotlight.”
“And I don’t want to be there. There are so many issues that deserve at least half the media attention I’m getting just because Kirby was an idiot. It’s amazing what passes for news.”
He chuckled, and the sound caught her off guard. “I told the senator you were a true believer.”
He had spoken to his father about her? Not just some random staffer, but the senator himself? Wow. But the humor in his voice put her on guard a little. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“No, not at all …” Brady trailed off, and she realized his attention had been caught by the photo on the side table.
“Those are my parents,” she supplied when he picked up the frame and stared at it, surprise on his face.
“Are they actually handcuffed to the White House fence?”
“Yes, they are. If you look over my dad’s shoulder, you can see the top of my head. He had me in a backpack.”
An eyebrow went up. “Baby’s First Protest?”
“My third, actually.”
Brady replaced the photo, shaking his head at it as he did. “So it runs in the family.”
“Oh, no. They handcuffed themselves to the fence intentionally.”
He shook his head. “I meant the activism.”
“That? Oh, yes. My parents have always been activists—antiwar, environmental issues, Civil Rights—all kinds of good causes. I don’t remember which protest that particular one was, but that time they made the papers with that photo.”
“You’re telling me they handcuffed themselves to the White House fence more than once?”
Brady’s shock was amusing, but she stifled the laugh. “Yeah. They really are what you’d call ‘true believers.’ They’ve made a difference.”
“What do they have to say about all of this?” He jerked his head toward the crowd outside.
