Parties in Congress Read Free Page B

your string of come-ons that long?”
    “Are you kidding? I once hit on a woman sitting next to me on a plane nonstop from DC to Houston. Eleven floors is nothing .”
    “Impressive,” the woman remarked as the doors slid shut. “Tell me, is the camera so you can film it?”
    “Huh?” Bijal glanced down, having forgotten she was even carrying the thing. “Oh, no. I’m filming Congresswoman O’Bannon’s speech.”
    “Really? Is it something like a student project?”
    Bijal beamed. “What a smooth way to ask my age.”
    “You think you’re the only accomplished flirt in this elevator?”
    “I’m Bijal Rao,” she said, extending her free hand. “And I haven’t been a student in years. I work for the congresswoman’s opponent.”
    “Ooh, so you’re a spy? That’s kind of thrilling.” She held Bijal’s hand gently and for much longer than the duration of the average handshake.
    “No, nothing as exciting as that, unfortunately. I just do their research—you know, look for weaknesses to exploit.”
    She seemed intrigued. “I don’t know, all that espionage still sounds very…secret agenty.”
    “That would require a level of smoothness I don’t possess,” Bijal said, somewhat modestly. “Though I can drive a flaming speedboat over an open waterfall. Don’t ask me how I know that.”
    The elevator emitted a single chime and the doors opened. “Here’s my floor.”
    “Wait, I didn’t catch your name.” Bijal held the doors open expectantly.
    “Congresswoman Colleen O’Bannon, but you can call me…the opposition.” She winked playfully.
    “Shit,” Bijal hissed without thinking, pulling her hand back so the elevator could close and either her embarrassment could abate or she could privately wither away in mortification, whichever came first.
    “Good luck, Bijal. It was very nice meeting you.”
    The doors slid shut, but it was several moments before Bijal realized she wasn’t moving. She hadn’t hit a button.

    *

    As Colleen drove home, her cell phone rang. Pressing the Speaker button, she instantly recognized the number as that of her campaign manager. “Hey, Max.”
    “Hey, Colleen. How’d it go?”
    “Great. We had a decent-sized crowd, local media was there.”
    “You didn’t have any crazies picketing with signs saying ‘Screw the Homeless’?”
    She laughed. “Not unless you count that guy in the back who was shouting something about soylent green being people.”
    “Did he look like Charlton Heston?”
    “A little…oh, and Denton did send a staffer to film me.”
    “No shit?”
    “None whatsoever. She recorded the whole event.”
    “Hmm,” he said, his voice tinged with suspicion. “And you’re sure she’s with Denton?”
    “Yup, not a doubt in my mind.”
    “Did she say or do anything to try to discredit you?”
    “No, in fact, she was surprisingly friendly. Not to mention easy on the eyes.”
    “Crafty,” Max said. “Send a hot-looking Republican to distract you while you’re addressing a crowd. Did she at any point remove her blouse?”
    “Sadly, no. She kept her clothes on through the whole thing.”
    “Whew, you just narrowly escaped with your reputation intact.”
    Colleen gently slapped her turn signal. “So if I told you I motorboated her while a state delegate was speaking, you’d be mad?”
    “Mad and jealous, yes,” Max replied. “At any rate, I wanted to check on your event, as well as let you know that you picked up a couple of points in the latest Gallup Poll.”
    “Nice to hear.”
    “So I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that Denton is getting nervous. They started behind and just keep falling farther back.”
    “Well, let’s not get too cocky, Max.”
    “What are you, Han Solo?”
    “If I only had a tenth of his swagger. Is that all the news?”
    “For now, but stay away from bounty hunters.”
    “Thanks, Max. I can always count on you for the invaluable insight.”
    “And always check your hyperdrive,” he