Page 81 of Not the Plan

Isadora:Shame. Everyone here for the meeting. No one on the 3rd floor, near the supply closet.

Karim:It is a shame. Wouldn’t have to cover your mouth with my hand this time.

She squirmed, a full-body wriggle betraying her. He smirked, his head ducked, waiting for her reply.

“Oh, come on, Daniel!” Another senator had been speaking,but Julian cut her off mid-sentence. “Just because you’re interested in completely snuffing out the healthcare industry in this state doesn’t mean we all are.”

That came out of nowhere, and the room fell silent.

Daniel leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Snuffing out the healthcare industry? That’s not even close to what I’m suggesting, Julian. You know that.”

“Yeah, right.” Julian leaned forward. “First of all, it’s bad enough that you aren’t supporting a majority member. That’ssupposedto be your job, right?”

There were several audible gasps but not from Isadora. She had gone still, the set of her shoulders reminding Karim of their first night together when she’d forbidden him from referring to himself as trash.

“Secondly,” Julian said, “we already did enough damage last session. If we don’t give the private insurers at least this, we’re going to lose them completely. And all their support.”

Daniel took a moment before he replied. “We’ve been over this, Julian. Multiple times. I really don’t think—”

“That’s exactly the problem, Daniel. You don’t think!”

Has my boss lost his mind?

Julian turned to another member. “Rex, I’m sure you can see my point? If we continue like this, Daniel’s going to make sure that our constituents can’t add on the care they want.” Julian stifled a grin. “Rex?”

“Well, um…you do have a point,” Senator Roberson said, more to the empty coffee cup on the table in front of him than to Julian.

—

Thirty minutes later, the meeting came to an end. Everyone except for Julian and his posse left surprised and confused. Low murmurs continued from the War Room, down the stairs and through the hallways. Going into the meeting, more than three-fourths of the majority members had been against the bill.Leaving, two-thirds were for it. Julian wasn’t that good at negotiation. And a lot of them had switched with minimal argument. Something else was going on.

Isadora had slipped into the back elevator with Daniel. Karim saw them go into the majority office followed by RJ’s boss and two other senators as he turned the corner on her floor. Isadora’s body language said “determined,” “efficient.” She’d left Karim’s side to lean against the wall behind Daniel as the tide began to turn.

Julian said that would happen. Didn’t expect a tsunami.Karim returned to his own office, closing the door behind him.If Julian wants to start an open war with Daniel, it’s only going to make things more complicated with Isa. If she’s willing to continue seeing me and someone finds out,she’ll look like a traitor. Dammit, Julian, you have to mess up my personal life too?

—

At the beginning of the afternoon, Karim began his rounds for the signatures he needed on the amendment. He’d sent a group email to the aides informing them of the final changes to the draft. After the meeting, he needed to make sure Isadora was okay. She was signing off on the final document in Daniel’s place, so he began with her.

Tapping on the outer office door, he waited for her to acknowledge him. At her desk, on the phone, she’d cupped her forehead in her hand and didn’t hear him at first. He tapped louder, and she waved him in.

“Listen, Mother…Listen…No, I know, I know, but look, I have to go. Someone’s just come into my office and I…Mother! Mother. I have to get back to work. We can talk later. We can…we…No, I’m not disrespecting you…Look…Listen. No, I don’t hate you…I am not abandoning you. Will you listen to me? I cannot talk right now. I am at work. I have to go…I have to go. I’m hanging up the phone now. I’m hanging up. Hang-ing up. Goodbye. Goodbye.” The receiver clicked into place as her forehead returned to her hands and she sighed, eyes closed.

A bitter taste stung his mouth. He was angry that just because someone might come into her office and see them, he couldn’t go around her desk and take her in his arms to comfort her. He wanted to speak but couldn’t, fighting to stay in the present, to be there for her. Instead, he was suddenly back in Harrisburg, back with Laila, enduring one of her rages when he tried to get a word in edgewise, tried in vain to defend himself. He’d been unable to help himself then, maybe he could help Isadora now. He dragged his knuckles down the edge of the door to ground himself in the present. She looked up, and her eyes were brimming with tears that sucked the breath out of him.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said.

“It’s okay. That’s just the way she is. Is that the copy?”

“Yes. If now’s not a good time, it can wait.”

“No, no, now’s fine.” She reached out for the file, opened it, signed at the bottom without checking what had changed, and handed it back to him.

“Thanks.” He hesitated to leave her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Her head was back in her hands, elbows on her desk. When she looked up again, a tear slipped out. His shoulders ached, furious at his uselessness to stop her tears.

Why am I so angry? Wouldn’t want to see anyone hurt, but this?Isadora’s vulnerability had become more important to him than his own fears. He scanned his emotions again. He wasn’t afraid of her hurting him, but he was enraged at the thought of someone else hurting her.What does that me—

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