The Campaign by Tracey Richardson

Author:Tracey Richardson [Richardson, Tracey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Fiction, Lesbian
ISBN: 9781594932823
Google: uj8rYAAACAAJ
Amazon: 1594932824
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2012-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

***

Along with most of the nation, Jane found herself shocked and upset by the deadly tornado that had swept across northern Texas and into Oklahoma days ago, slicing through the latter state’s third largest city. Lawton had a population of just over ninety thousand people. At least ninety-eight of them died in the disaster, which was quickly looking like the third deadliest tornado in the nation’s history. Searchers were still looking for the missing.

With Alex, Jane watched the carnage on television, wanting to do something but unsure what she could do until Alex announced that she wanted to go down to assist in an unofficial capacity. She’d love to spend a week helping people there rebuild, she said, even handing out bottles of water if that’s what was needed. She’d do whatever it took, as long as she could do something to help.

Jane admired her partner’s instinct to help others, and more than that, her desire to do something tangible. She felt exactly the same way, but as vice president, particularly during a campaign, she couldn’t exactly travel down to Lawton and pound nails or hand out blankets. She could, however, pay the city a visit and try to give the people there a morale boost, especially since Collins so far gave no indication he was interested in visiting the embattled citizens of Lawton.

It was common for presidents to visit areas hit by disasters, natural or otherwise, particularly when there had been loss of life. If Collins shrugged it off, Jane thought in frustration, he’d be doing a disservice to all Americans, and most especially to himself and the office of the president. Not that she needed one, but his reluctance was another reason to despise him.

“He’s not going,” Corey confirmed to her on the third day of the disaster after marching into Jane’s office.

“What?” Jane wasn’t completely surprised, but still, it was hard to digest that Collins would be so insensitive, so out of touch. Was he losing his grip on reality?

“He’s going to hold to his schedule. He’ll be in Boston for the next two days, giving speeches on the economy. He says the economy is more important to most Americans right now than some tornado in Bumfuck, Oklahoma.”

Anger blazed in Jane’s chest. “He didn’t actually say that to you, did he?”

“Yup. Word for word.”

“Jesus, Corey.” Of course the lagging economy was important, but it was incumbent upon leaders to show compassion, and to show leadership when peoples’ lives were so drastically upended. A community in pain needed to know the nation’s leaders cared, but she didn’t need to explain that to Corey.

“Well, I’m going,” she announced spontaneously. Alex clearly wanted to go, so why not go together? “You, Carter and Steph set it up, okay? Day after tomorrow?”

“Sure, but a word of caution. Whatever you do there, do not make it look like you’re campaigning.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I’m going as the vice president, seeing that our president doesn’t feel it’s worth his time. Alex will want to go.

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