Page 91 of The Charlie Method

“I don’t know. I changed my mind all the time,” I admit. “Sometimes it was a cop, sometimes a firefighter. Sometimes I thought about being a doctor, till I realized you deal with way too many bodily fluids.”

She laughs. “What about following in your dad’s footsteps?”

I grimace. “Hard pass.”

“You wouldn’t enjoy being a politician?”

“No, I don’t need that kind of attention. Media scrutiny all the time, always having to say the right thing.” I pause. “I’m not against the behind-the-scenes stuff, though.”

“Hey, if you like excitement,” she says, waggling her eyebrows enticingly, “there’s nothing more exciting than working on a campaign. Did you ever help out with any of your dad’s?”

“Other than the obligatory photo ops, no.”

“Interesting.”

“But like I said, I wouldn’t be against it. It does sound challenging, taking a raw candidate, polishing them up, bringing them in front of a national audience, and giving them an opportunity to sell their policies and ideals to the public.”

“Yet you won’t do that for your father.”

I shrug. “If I ever worked on a campaign, it would have to be for someone who—”

I stop, recognizing the land mine I almost stepped in.

“Finish that sentence,” Tessa urges.

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“Puff piece,” she reminds me. “Your dad’s staff made it clear not a single negative word will be on the page. They have final approval before it goes to print.”

Shrugging again, I decide to finish the sentence, because she’s right—Dad paid good money for this piece; there’s no way he’d allow them to print what I’m about to say. Besides, I like Tessa. She seems smart. I hope she gets to write the hard-hitting stuff one day.

I meet her gaze. “I would want to campaign for someone who’s more deserving.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You believe your father is undeserving?”

“That’s not what I said. He’s good at what he does. But I feel like I’d probably connect better with someone else’s policies and overall approach.”

She changes the subject again. “What are your thoughts on the UCS scandal?”

Thankfully, I’m prepared for this one. Dad’s PR firm sent me a stock reply I’m supposed to use.

“I keep my head focused on my own program. But if there’s any truth to the allegations, then I would want to see the perpetrators punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

At that, the interview comes to an end, and I honestly can’t say I hated it. Tessa says she’ll contact me if she has any follow-up questions, and I walk her to her car before getting into mine and driving home. I have just enough time to catch a nap and grab some food before I need to head back to campus to meet the bus. Both games this weekend are in New Haven.

I’m pulling into the driveway when a notification lights my phone.

Charlie.

My heart instantly kicks into second gear. I don’t think I’ve ever been more eager to open a message.

CHARLIE:

How about tomorrow night? Your place. No expectations, no promises. We can watch a movie or something?

I waste no time typing back a response. I know Beck won’t mind. He wants this as badly as I do.

LARS & B:

---