Page 75 of Where There's Smoke

My head snapped up. Roger, Jesse, and Ranya all watched me like I’d suddenly grown an extra limb.

I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Just…thinking.”About how much I want to kick everyone out of here except Jesse so I can…focus. Fucking focus.

My train of thought miraculously found its way back onto the rails, and I remembered one of them—Jesse? Roger?—had asked what we’d come up with during this evening’s meeting.

“Why don’t we take this outside?” I gestured at the other patrons in the bar. “Fewer ears listening in.”

Roger pulled up the sleeve of his tux and looked at his watch. “You three go on ahead. I think this old man’s going to turn in for the night.”

“Come on, Roger,” Jesse said. “It’s notthatlate.”

“Your perspective about what’s late and what isn’t changes a bit when you’re my age,” Roger said. “I’ll see all of you in the morning.”

We said good night to Roger, and as he headed upstairs, the three of us went out to the parking lot. I lit a cigarette and looked around, making sure we were alone. Could never be too careful, particularly not after Greg the Mole had grumbled his way back into the hotel earlier.

Satisfied there were no eavesdroppers nearby, I tapped my cigarette ashes onto the pavement and turned to Jesse. I gave him the rundown of everything the staffers and I had discussed, including the latest strategies for his campaign.

“Overall those involved in political groups like you,” I said, “but the voters in general aren’t convinced. Not enough for my taste, anyway. We need to keep you visible to those groups, but also get you on the ground and shaking more hands. Have you appear in more intimate settings with smaller groups so individuals feel more of a connection to you.” I paused to suck in some more smoke. “You’ve got a strong lead in the thirty- to fifty-year-old demographics, and we need to keep at least some of our efforts on maintaining that lead. At the same time, we need to work harder on the older and younger generations.”

Jesse inclined his head. “So everyone, then?”

“Basically. And for that matter, Casey’s latest bent is that you were a college screw-off. Like that’s news. After doing a little informal polling, though, we’ve found that his attitude is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of college kids. They feel like he’s attacking any student who doesn’t spend every waking moment studying, and it’s off-putting. We can take advantage of that and get them on your side.”

Jesse cocked his head. “If he’s already alienated them, is that really a group we need to focus on? Seems like he’s done the work for us.”

“Yes and no. He’s turned them off to himself, but young voters have a shit turnout in most elections. Doesn’t matter who they like or dislike if they don’t even vote. But give them a personal connection to you on top of a dislike for Casey, make them feelrelevant, and they’ll make the effort and vote.”

“What do you suggest?”

I nodded toward Ranya. “She suggested getting you in front of college students, which I think is a brilliant idea.”

“Nicely done,” Jesse said to Ranya.

She sniffed. “Would you expect any less?”

“Of course not, darling,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“That’s what I thought.”

“So much humility on this campaign,” I said with a wistful sigh.

“Oh right,” Ranya said. “This coming from you.”

I laughed. “Anyway, I’ve got Ranya in charge of a team who’s contacting every politically minded group on every college campus in the state. Including the little guys. You’reexpectedto visit students at Berkeley and UCLA, but show up and shake some hands at a community college in Yreka or Cape Swan, and you’ll make an impression on every student on campus. This will put a few holes in Casey’s attitude that you’re just some kid, and it’ll connect you to the young voters while simultaneously separating you from them. You’ll be accessible, but notoneof them, because you’re not just some kid trying to get into office.”

Jesse nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

I brought my cigarette to my lips. “Of course it does.”

“Cocky son of a bitch,” Ranya muttered with a grin.

“Guilty as charged.” I took a drag, then dropped the cigarette and smothered it with the toe of my shoe. “And I think I’m about ready to follow Roger’s example and get some sleep.”

“God, no kidding,” Jesse said. “Where in the fine print was that part about campaigns running us all into the ground?”

“It wasn’t in the fine print. It was in bright red neon letters.”

“That would be why he missed it,” Ranya said. “Hide it in plain sight, he’ll never find it.”

---