There Must Be a Way

“I’m one short,” she told him. “Can you believe that? After all the work we’ve put in, all the backroom deals, we’re still short one. Personally, I don’t think it’s that serious a thing. So what if we can’t invoke cloture? We still have 59 votes. All we have to do is wait the Republicans out! At the most they’d filibuster for a week, but that’s not that long, not really. I can wait a week. A week is nothing! But the leadership doesn’t agree.” She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. “You know how those assholes are. They run scared at the mere mention of a filibuster. They even called me in for a damn meeting this morning just to threaten me with tabling the bill. Can you believe that shit? I’ve stuck my neck out for them so many times, I’ve presented bills that they’ve written because they’re fucking cowards that are afraid of the consequences, and this . . . this is how they repay me.” Her hands trembled as she spoke. “It’s not right. Not right at all.”

She stared at the tombstone, willing it to gift her wisdom, but none came.

“And I don’t know what to do.” She had projected confidence all throughout the morning, but in front of him, she allowed herself to be vulnerable. “The bill has to pass. There’s no question of that. It needs to be made into law before the session ends. We have the votes in the House, the President publically pledged to sign it – we’re just waiting on the Senate. And I understand it’s not ideal to have the Republican’s filibuster. It’s a hassle, I get it. But enduring a filibuster is worth it if we can get the legislation passed, especially legislation as important as this one. The party has spent years going on about how we need stricter gun control, but now that we’re on the cusp of it, these two assholes are getting cold feet and I wish I could say they were bluffing. I wish I could say they were just trying to scare me to work a little harder, but they’re not. They’re serious about the 48 hr deadline. If I don’t have the vote wrapped up by then they’re tabling the bill.”

To get her hands to stop trembling, she tore a few blades of grass from the earth.

“There are two Senators I could approach. I’ve had something on them for awhile now, but the thing is . . . as horrible as this undoubtedly sounds, I don’t want to use them for this vote. It’d be a waste.” She closed her eyes, embarrassed by her own callousness. “I need those Senators for the minimum wage fight. We’re going to push to increase it to $15 nationwide, and I know it’s not going to be easy. That’s why I want to save those votes for then. And I feel awful for thinking this way, but it is what it is. Those votes can’t be spared, so I have to find someone else. There has to be someone out there that’s fucked up. The leadership damn well better hope there is, because if there isn’t – if I lose this vote, I’m going after them. And I won’t care how long it takes. I’ll work the shadows until they’re unseated.” She paused, letting the blades she’d torn up fall back onto the ground. “But it won’t come to that. I’ll get that last vote, Sir. Although I have to admit I’ve no clue as to how I’ll go about that, so if you’re feeling generous up there, I could seriously use some help.”

She sat there a little while longer, prolonging her visit for as long as she possibly could. She might’ve only been ten minutes away from the Capitol, but it felt as though she were in another world. All was lush and green, and although it was a cemetery, she felt at peace there. The late Senator Kennedy’s grave was where she sought refuge in moments of doubt. It was at the foot of his grave that she sought, often in silence, although occasionally, when there was no one around, she spoke aloud and sought his guidance.

It was mad, she knew it was, but it eased her spirits, if only for a little while. Visiting him provided her with the tranquility that she so desperately desired in the corridors of the Capitol, and so she sat there until her phone began to vibrate. It was Jeffrey texting her that it was time to return to Washington, and she knew it was him, which is why she didn’t bother checking it. She simply got onto her knees and leant forwards until her forehead touched the marble tombstone. Her eyes instinctively closed when her forehead touched the cool marble, and when she felt recharged, when her spirits had been lifted, she placed a kiss on it and then sat back on her knees. It was then that she quickly did the sign of the cross and uttered an Our Father. When she finished her prayers she stood and straightened out her dress.

It was time to return to Washington.

It was time to continue the fight.

The entire drive back to her office was spent on the phone with Senator Warren. Warren had her staffers running reconnaissance. She knew that Paulina’s office couldn’t get the last vote on their own, so she offered support and she was filling Paulina in on the outreach her staffers had been doing, they were meeting with staffers from Republican Senators, trying to find who could be persuaded for the lowest price. So far there hadn’t been much luck, but Warren kept telling her it was only a matter of time.

“We’ll find someone,” she said. “They all have a price. It’s just a matter of finding one willing to cooperate, but we’ll get someone. I give you my word.”

“Thank you, Professor.” Paulina had been told time and time again that she could refer to Warren as Elizabeth, but it felt wrong, so despite Warren insisting that Paulina refer to her by her name, Paulina kept calling her Professor. “I’m glad I can still count on you.”

“You can always count on me.” She reminded. “Slowly but surely we’re making a difference. We just have to keep at it, so you do your bit and I’ll do mine. I’ll be in touch, Paulina.”

“Goodbye.” She hung up her phone and set it down on her lap. “No luck on their end either,” she told Jeffrey. “We’ve been at this all fucking day and there hasn’t been any luck. Just once I’d like things to go as planned. We fought for months to get this bill through committee, we’ve worn ourselves thin getting the votes for this, and even though it would pass with 59 votes, it’s that last vote that’ll keep us from even being able to vote on it!” Frustrated, she punched the back of the passenger seat. “Why is it so difficult to get people behind a bill like this? I thought for sure after Sandy Hook, something would’ve been done. They were all babies! But no . . . nothing was done. And then you get more shootings at high schools and colleges, and you can’t help but think that if they didn’t do something after the little kids were killed, then they won’t give a fuck now. But then the daycare happened, then two and three and four years old were murdered, and . . .” she closed her eyes; the images from the police report were burned into her memory. “I refuse to live in a country where the rights of gun owners are more important than the innocence of children, because if we can’t ensure the safety of children in a daycare or in a school, then we’ve failed as a society. And I won’t have that. I am disgusted by the fact that all my nieces and nephews know what to do in the event of a live shooter. My goddaughter, the one that’s not even five, was telling me the other day that if there’s a bad man in the school she has to go to the corner of the class with her teacher and be very, very quiet. Why the fuck does she know that? I didn’t know that until high school! Why can’t she just go to school and play with the other kids? Why does she have to worry about bad men?” Tears stung at her eyes, but she fought them back. There was no time to retouch her makeup. She had to hit the ground running as soon as she exited the vehicle. “The adults that came before us failed them, but we’re gonna fix that. So from this point forward, I’m not resting until I get that last vote.”

“I know you mean well, Ma’am.” Jeffrey began. “But you’d be doing yourself a grave disservice by exhausting yourself.”

“That’s not true.”

“All due respect, but it is.” He firmly stated. “I’ve been at your side long enough to know it is, which is why I think you should delay the return to the office.”

“What?”

“We need to be mindful of your blood pressure,” he told her.

“Jeffrey,” she said softly. “You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t take medicine for it, so we’re fine.”

“You specifically instructed me to –”

“I know what I said.” She cut him off. “But ignore it for now.”

“Afraid I can’t do that. It’s a health issue.”

“Everyone in Washington either has high blood pressure or is teetering on the brink of it.”

“Well then those personal aides should look after their politicians. I’m looking after mine.” He smiled a little smugly at that. “So you have yoga this afternoon. It’ll at least be a half hour session.” Jeffrey didn’t make it a habit of speaking to Paulina like that. He knew he was one of the few that could address her in such a manner, but even then, he chose his battles wisely. “And before you say you don’t have any clothes, I already packed a bag.”

“How do you even have clothes for that?” she asked, visibly baffled. “I threw all the clothes out when I tried it and hated it.”

“Correction, you stuffed them in a bag and asked me to throw them out, but I knew better than to listen,” he replied. “Now what do you say?”

“Does it even matter? You’ve clearly hijacked my schedule.” She paused a moment. “Did you push back my meetings and all that?”

He smiled sheepishly.

“Fine,” she told him. “Since you’re so set on this, we’ll do a half hour.” She looked away from Jeffrey. “Eric?”

“Yes, Ma’am?” replied the bodyguard.

“Has someone already been sent ahead to the yoga studio?”

“They have, Ma’am.”

“Fucking Jeffrey!” she cursed with a laugh. “I’ve given you too much power.”

“That was your mistake, Ma’am.”

“My mistake indeed,” she said as she smiled. “Well then can I at least get my work phone so I can get a few calls out of the way?”

“Afraid not,” replied Jeffrey. “When we exit the yoga studio, you can have access to your phones back, but for now, you’re in relaxation mode.”

“Remind me when do you return to Georgetown?”

“Not soon enough for your liking, Ma’am.”

Had Jeffrey been one of the other personal aides, he would’ve been dismissed, but fortunately for him, he was her favorite. He was the Leo McGarry to her Josiah Bartlet. As such, allowances were made. He was given the freedom to alter her schedule when he saw fit, something that he seldom did. He knew how important it was for her to adhere to the schedule, so if he changed it, then he had to have a good reason.

And so Paulina spent the drive over wondering whether or not she was being lax with her health. She didn’t think so, on Monday-Friday she rose at 4:30 in the morning to get two hours of exercise in before the day began. And she ate well enough. A salad was had at some point during the day, every single day of the week and she didn’t drink as much as she did during her first year in office when the stress overwhelmed on a near daily basis. So what was Jeffrey so concerned about? Why was he worrying so much about her blood pressure? She dwelled on that until they reached the yoga studio, and when they arrived, when they were greeted by the instructor at the door, she suddenly realized that her blood pressure wasn’t the reason for her being there. Something was going on. There was tension between the instructor and Jeffrey. Jeffrey played it off well. He’d been in Washington long enough to know how to cover that up, but not the instructor, his face altered when he saw Jeffrey, he stumbled over his words when he greeted Paulina, and then – in the middle of class, he went over to Paulina under the pretense of straightening her form, but instead of just telling her what to do at a reasonable distance, he leaned in close and pressed his lips against her ears, whispering for her to remain after class.

“What the hell is going on, Jeffrey?” she asked in a hushed voice as the others cleared out the studio.

“What do you mean, Ma’am?”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Her tone was sharp, but her face remained calm and by all means friendly. “Something’s going on here and you damn well better tell me what it is.”

“Do you trust me?” was his reply.

“Jeffrey,” she said his name warningly. “Tell me what’s going on or I’m leaving.”

“I can’t.” He told her. “I don’t even know, but Carter’s a good guy. I trust him.”

“You trust him?” Her eyes hardened. “For all we know he could be a Republican trying to subvert us.”

“He’s not.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he’s a gay Filipino,” he answered. “And believe me, he’s definitely gay. I’ve met some of his boyfriends. They go to Georgetown with me, and so does he. I know him from the Asian American Association at school. So please, please stay. I trust him.”

In the three and a half years that Jeffrey had been with her, he’d always done right by her. He had earned her trust, he kept her secrets, and it was due to that loyalty that she agreed to meet with Carter.

“Get a nondisclosure agreement.”

“Is that necessary?”

“I don’t want him telling anyone else what he tells me.”

Jeffrey did as he was told. He ran over to her suitcase and pulled out a nondisclosure agreement along with a pen. By the time Carter returned to the studio, Paulina had filled out all the relevant information on the form.

“Getting some work done.” Carter commented. “I suppose you have to, what with how busy you are.”

“This is actually for you.” Paulina told him. “You asked me to remain behind so here I am, but before you say whatever it is you wish to say, I require a signature.”

“Just to talk?” he asked, baffled.

“I don’t know you,” replied Paulina. “I don’t know your intentions with this meeting. What I do know is that politics are a dangerous game, and I don’t enter a meeting without protection. So if you wish to speak to me, sign this. Otherwise I thank you for the yoga.”

“Is she for real?” Carter asked Jeffrey.

Jeffrey nodded.

“Believe me when I say that I don’t mean to be rude, but one can never be too careful. You’ll learn that when you get involved in politics.”

“I don’t want to be in politics.”

“You’re studying law though. Jeffrey said you’re a part of the Asian American Legal Association group at school.”

“I don’t intend to work in Washington.” Carter informed him. “I plan on returning home to Seattle.”

“Then why am I here?”

“Let me sign this, and I’ll tell you why.” He knew that the nondisclosure agreement would act as a gag order, he would forever be forbidden of speaking of their conversation as well as the material which it concerned. “If he’d made me sign one of these I wouldn’t be here today. I suppose he’s just not as careful as you are.” He handed it back to her. “Is Jeffrey going to sign one?”

“He doesn’t have to.”

“You trust him that much?” asked Carter.

“With my life,” replied Paulina. “But if you prefer, he can step outside.”

“Let him step outside.” Carter didn’t want Jeffrey hearing what he was about to confide. “That way if my coworkers ask where I am, he can say we’re having a private session.”

“Could you please step outside, Jeffrey?” she asked him.

“I’ll be with Eric and Tomás, Ma’am.”

Carter waited until the door closed fully before speaking, “There are no cameras in here. No microphones. We only have cameras in the storage room and the cashier, as well as on the outside perimeter, in case anyone tries to steal. In here, we’re fine. I wouldn’t . . . I wouldn’t tell you this here if I wasn’t sure of that.”

“This has to do with that man you mentioned earlier, doesn’t it? With the one that didn’t make you sign an NDA?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Are you by chance having an affair with someone you shouldn’t be?”

His cheeks flushed with color.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” There was a part of her that urged her to stop, to let him tell her in his own time, but she didn’t have time to waste. “It’s a Senator, isn’t it? A Republican?”

“How’d you know?”

“That’s it though, isn’t it?”

“I was never going to tell anyone.” He raised his gaze to hers. “I mean it. I’m not the kind of person that does this. I loved him. You should’ve seen how sweet he was. He’d find little ways to show me how much he cared and he would sneak around to see me. I . . . I really loved him. I even thought that one day in the future we wouldn’t have to hide anymore, that he’d leave her, but then a month ago he stopped returning my calls. It wasn’t until last week that he finally visited me. I thought he’d changed his mind, but he told me that I was a mistake. If I was a mistake, he wouldn’t have spent over a year with me. If I was a mistake, he wouldn’t have gotten me a Cartier watch. But he said I was mistake, that I was his midlife crisis and that he couldn’t hurt his wife. If he felt that way, he wouldn’t have been with me as long as he was and I tried to make him see that, but he . . . he was just using me.”

“Men can be such assholes.”

“They really can be.” He tried to fight back the tears. “I fucking treated him like a king, and then he went and did me like that. I even broke things off with a Samoan that I was seeing. Can you believe that? I traded in a Samoan for a pasty middle aged white guy with a small dick! But that fucker has another thing coming if he thinks he’s just going to forget about me.”

“Are you sure you want to do this though? There’s no going back from telling me his name, and there’s a very good chance you can end up like Monica Lewinsky.”

“I won’t.” He knew that for a fact. “He wouldn’t do that to his reputation.”

“Are you a hundred percent sure about that?”

He nodded.

“The press is ruthless. Politicians are ruthless. Are you sure you want to risk doing that for yourself?”

“Why are you being like this? I thought you’d be all for it! I mean, aren’t you trying to pass a bill?”

“I am. And believe me I want this, but you’re looking to go into law, and in law your reputation is everything.”

“He won’t want this leaked.”

“Then what’s his name?”

“Raleigh Davis . . .”

“As in Senator Davis from Tennessee, the Minority Leader?” she asked.

“That’s the one.”

“No!” she exclaimed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just . . . I wasn’t expecting him. Had you told me Flynn from North Dakota or Webb from Florida, I could’ve seen it, but not Davis – not him.”

“It was him.” The sadness in his eyes made it clear. “And I know it doesn’t make sense, but he was just so sweet with me. I know I sound stupid, but I really thought I meant something to him.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” She reached over and wiped the tears that fell from his eyes. “I almost ran off to another country to be with a guy.”

“Prince Harry?”

She nodded. “I thought I was going to be with him forever, but things didn’t work out the way I wanted.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know you’re not alone and also because if you tell anyone, I will sue you for everything you have and everything you will ever have in your life.”

“You’re such a bad bitch.” He couldn’t help but smile. “You’re going to make him pay, right?”

“If you give me the tools to do so, I will.”

“In that case, I have a few things for you. He reached into his gym bag and beneath the fresh change of clothes; hiding in a textbook was a small envelope. “These will convince him.”

Paulina opened the enveloped and found herself staring at a naked David on all fours.

“When did you take these?”

“After he called me a mistake, I called him up a few days later and told him I was going to kill myself. Dramatic, I know, but it was the only thing I could come up with. He came over, comforted me, and told me not to do it. I think he was most concerned about my leaving a suicide note divulging everything that happened, but whatever the reason, he showed up and I had my camera set up. These are just stills from a video.”

“V-v-video?” she stuttered.

“I figured he could say that he was photoshopped into compromising positions, but that he wouldn’t be able to do that with a video.” He took in a deep breath. “If you look inside the envelope again, you’ll see a DVD and a little memory card. I made you a disc so that you could play it for him on the computer. I give you my word that’s the only copy, and if it’s not you can always sue me and ruin my life, so if you won’t take my word at least believe that I am terrified of you.”

“I believe you,” she said as she placed the pictures back in the envelope. “But tell me this, why are you giving me this information? If you’re as angry as you are, why not out him? Why not upload this to a blog or give it to a journalist? Why give me the information with the intent of it remaining between just the three of us?”

“Because I don’t want to ruin my future and because my little brother was killed in a school shooting.” His nostrils flared. “So make Raleigh regret having done me like that.”

“I give you my word.” She extended her hand for him to shake. “And I thank you for this. You’re doing a good thing, Carter. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to coordinate things.”

She quickly gathered her things and placed the envelope and nondisclosure agreement within the safety of her briefcase. She didn’t tell Jeffrey about the information, not because she didn’t trust him, but because she didn’t want him viewing his friend any differently. It was best he not see him in those intimate positions, and the good thing was that Jeffrey didn’t ask her what had been discussed. He knew it wasn’t his place to do so. If she wanted to tell him, she would. If not, then so be it.

“Don’t ever screw him over.” Paulina advised him during the drive back. “Do you hear me? Never screw that kid over.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise, Ma’am.”

“I mean it,” she said. “Never place yourself in a compromising situation around him, because he’s spiteful. It’s working to our advantage in this regard, but I don’t ever want him coming after you.”

“He won’t. I’m honestly not that close to him. I mean, we’re friendly enough but we don’t hang out a lot or anything like that.”

“Glad to hear it,” she said. “And I know I already said this, but thank you. You’re the reason this legislation is going to become law. This is your bill, Jeffrey.”

Since they had worked up a sweat from yoga, Paulina showered in her private bathroom in her office and Jeffrey went to the gym located in the building to use their showers. When she finished her shower, she fixed her hair and makeup and then went over to her desk to get on the computer. She spent the following half hour Google-ing Senator Davis and his family. He was a fifty-nine year old conservative Republican that married his high school sweetheart during his sophomore year at Vanderbilt. They had four children, all sons, the youngest of which was twenty-one years old. He had voted against her Amnesty bill, as well as her Transgender Rights Bill, he had voted in favor of the Defense Against Marriage Act, and had spent the last twenty-five years of his life actively screwing over the LGBT community on a federal level. His children echoed their fathers sentiment, and as Paulina heard Davis’ impassioned speech against the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010, she knew in her heart that if for some reason Davis refused to comply to her demands and she found herself obligated to leak the video, she would be able to look herself in the mirror and get on with life.

It was with that certainty that she reached out to Matheson and asked him to pay Davis a visit. Matheson knew she had to have discovered something on Davis, but the less he knew the better off he was, so he paid Davis a visit. He took the police reports regarding the massacre and went over all the speaking points, and as expected, Davis told him that it was a pity and that the children were in his prayers, but that he was going to vote against the legislation.

“He’s against it,” Matheson told her after the meeting had ended. “Says there ain’t no convincing.”

“Doesn’t matter what he says,” replied Paulina. “Were you able to secure me a meeting with him tomorrow morning?”

“You should’ve seen the fit he threw when I asked him, said there was no way in hell he’d have you defile his office.” He chuckled. “Thankfully for us, he owed me a favor. So you better make it worth it.”

“I will,” she assured. “Believe me, I will.”

And she did.

Davis was on the offensive from the moment Paulina stepped into his office. He didn’t even try to mask his dislike for her. At least the other Senators had been well mannered and cordial with her, but Davis made it clear that she was wasting her time.

“Like I told Wyatt yesterday, there ain’t no changing my mind on this.” His eyes narrowed when he saw her lean back in the chair. “Now listen here little lady, there’s no need for none of that.”

“None of what?” she asked, playing dumb.

“Getting comfortable,” he said straight out. “You won’t be in here long enough for that. This bill of yours offends me as an honest hardworking American. It is my constitutional right to bear arms and I’ll be damned if I let you take that from me.”

“I apologize if I gave you the impression that I was coming after your guns. Rest assured, I am not,” she said, innocently. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I want you to be able to shoot yourself a stag when you’re out hunting and to have a handgun to protect yourself if you’re ever in danger. What I don’t want is for people to have access to assault rifles and high capacity magazines, because no good ever comes from those.”

“It’s not your place to say whether or not any good comes from them!”

“It’s not?” she asked as she reached for a manila envelope from her briefcase. “Well so much for basing my opinions on reputable research and statistics. No matter. I can still argue my point. Now if you can please sign this, Senator.”

“What’s this?”

“A nondisclaimer agreement,” she replied as she pulled it out of the envelope and set it on the desk. “I like to keep things tidy.”

“Is that why no one hardly talks about their dealings with you?”

“That’s precisely why, Sir. A girl has to look out for her reputation. After all, that’s what matters most for a woman.”

“Well I won’t argue with you there. Let me see this.” He read it over. “Why’s this unilateral?”

“Because if it’s bilateral I won’t be able to talk to anyone else about the bill,” she replied. “I’m going to spend the ten minutes you so kindly set aside for me, making an emotional appeal on the behalf of my bill. The facts don’t really matter much in this situation. You know the numbers. You’ve seen them. You’re unmoved by them, but here’s hoping that maybe talking about the victims and the impact it made on the community will be able to move you.”

“I doubt that’ll happen, but I gave my word to Wyatt I’d hear you out.” He signed and dated the nondisclosure agreement, which he handed back and was securely put away by Paulina. “Go on with it. Say whatever it is you need to.”

“I just have some questions, Sir.” She paused, pretending to be conflicted. “You know the youngest victim at the shooting in Wyoming was a two year old little girl, right?”

He nodded. “I do. Was a shame what happened to that baby.”

“Then why are you against the bill?”

“Because it won’t do any good,” he said, very matter-of-factly. “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”

“But wouldn’t there be fewer deaths if we could remove weapons from circulation that we know for a fact are used to kill high numbers of people? I mean there’s no point in the average American having an assault rifle.”

“Wait just a minute there. The government has no right telling people what guns they do and do not need.”

“But if assault rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines weren’t in circulation, that little girl would still be alive. She was killed by an assault rifle.”

“Like I said, it’s a shame that that little baby was taken but –”

“What if she’d been yours?”

“Beg pardon?”

“You have a four year old granddaughter. What if she’d been killed? Would you feel the same?”

“Don’t you bring Abbey into this!” he snapped.

“Holly was somebody’s Abbey.” Paulina said softly. “There are grandparents that don’t have their baby girl running around their backyard anymore because a vile excuse of a human being was able to get his hands on an assault rifle. So I ask you again, what if that little girl had been your grandbaby?”

“You need to get your things and go.” His eyes narrowed. “What you waiting for? You need to get!”

“And you need to calm down, Senator.” She transformed her face into one of concern. “Working yourself up like this can’t be good for your high blood pressure. Or have you forgotten that heart attack you had a couple years back? Because I sure haven’t,” she said. “It happened on the same day I was sworn in.”

“Quit your talking and get out of my office.”

“I have a better idea. In fact, it’s one I think you could really benefit from. Why don’t we change the location of our meeting? The Vice President once asked me to meet him for a meeting and instead of being at the White House we went out for a jog, which was amazing. Don’t worry though. I’m not recommending a jog. I already ran this morning. What I’m thinking of will be good for both of us, because I’m really stressed out about the vote and you have high blood pressure, so I think we should take this to a yoga studio. It’ll be so good. We can talk and relax.”

“What part of you have to leave don’t you understand? I’ll have my staffers throw you out if I have to.”

“And Eric and Tomas will hurt anyone who tries to lay a finger on me,” she replied. “But let’s not focus on that. I think we should go yoga. I know this great studio a few blocks away. It’s larger than most, there are actually four studios, but the people there are just so friendly. There’s this fantastic instructor that I actually just met yesterday. He really helped me perfect the forms and he was so encouraging throughout the entire experience. What was his name?” she pretended to think it over. “Was it Cole? Hmm, not that, but it definitely started with a C.”

“Why are you wasting our time talking about yoga studios? I don’t care for –”

“Carter!” she exclaimed. “That’s his name.” She watched in satisfaction as Davis shut his mouth. “He’s by far the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had. He’s so high energy and his enthusiasm is infectious. And I told him that I’m going to be doing at least two sessions a week with him, because it just felt right. You know? I felt safe with him. He has these really kind eyes, and to be honest, he’s Filipino so he pronounces words kind of like I do, because you know how the Spaniards colonized them to.”

“What are you playing at?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, innocently. “I’m just trying to get you to do yoga with me, because I feel like we could really connect in that space. I figured that if it’s worked for others, it might work for me.”

“Worked for others?” he repeated. “What are you going on about? I’ve never done yoga.”

“You’ve definitely done yoga.” That was it. “I’ve seen you. You have great form. In fact, it was Carter who recommended I mention yoga if you got worked up. He said it always soothes you.”

“I don’t know who this Carter this.”

“You do though!” she said with a smile. “Maybe you don’t remember his name, but when you see him, you’ll definitely know who he is. Let me show you a picture. This’ll –”

He stood up, unable to sit there anymore.

“It’s time you leave.” He firmly told her. “I’ll see you to the door.”

“Where is that picture?” She pretended to fumble through her briefcase. “I swear it’s here. Give me just a . . .” she went on a few more seconds, it wasn’t until Davis touched her shoulder that she finally pulled the image out. “Here it is!” she held it to his face. “See, I told you that you knew Carter. You know him better than most, I’d say.”

Davis didn’t speak, not immediately. He instead looked at the picture in horror. His instinct was to deny. He had to say that wasn’t him, that that was a doctored image, but he couldn’t get passed the picture itself. There he was on all floors, there he was with a man balls deep in him.

“T-t-that’s not real.” He eventually stuttered. “I don’t know which of your interns did that, but that’s not real and I’ll see you in court.”

“Will you?” she said. “Because last I checked you signed a nondisclosure agreement stating that you wouldn’t discuss their conversation, especially the parts pertaining to yoga and everything that could thereafter relate to it.”

“I thought you were trying to be funny with that.”

“You thought wrong.” That was when her expression changed. “When it comes to legal documents, the last thing I am is funny. I am incredibly thorough when it comes to them. That’s why I placed that sentence about yoga in the most random spot. I was riding on the fact that you’d dismiss that as my being a silly woman and you did – I thank you for that.”

“You fucking bitch.”

“Guilty!” she said with a smile. “But let’s be honest, everyone knows I’m a massive bitch. What people don’t know is that you have a touch of the yellow fever. Not that I blame you. Carter’s hot. If I were a gay man, I would totally get at that. And you know what, I congratulate you on having been with such an attractive young man. That’s not an easy accomplishment! Usually people that attractive are turned off by old men with pot bellies, but you made it work. You had that dick for an entire year. I bet it was amazing. It had to have been, and I mean you were getting it in some good positions. I saw the video, and Carter was pulling some of the moves on you that Francis does on me. Only difference was that I wasn’t taking it up the ass, but Francis holds out hope that I will one day. “

“VIDEO?!” he snapped.

“It was some of the most entertaining porn I have ever seen in my life, and that’s saying a lot because I watch Manuel Ferrara, and that man gives a mean dick.” She paused a moment. “I know Francis will feel the same, but how do you think the Republicans will feel? They’re not as progressive as myself and Francis, so they might not appreciate the fact that you take a dick like a champ.”

By then Davis was so overwhelmed that he was literally hunched over his desk, struggling to breathe. Paulina took that as her cue to intervene. She abandoned her seat and despite the fact that he protested and smacked her a few times, led him to his chair. Once he was seated, she took off his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. She even poured a glass of water and one of scotch.

“The way I see it, you have two options; the first is you vote for my gun control bill and I burn the pictures along with the DVD and memory disc that have the video on it, and you can get back to leading your life and we’ll both forget this ever happened. The other option is that you refuse to vote for my bill. Needless to say, that option gets messy. I’ll have the video anonymously uploaded to the internet. We’ll put it on the pornsites and send it to all the news outlets. I’ll make it so everyone in the country knows you have a small dick and that you like taking it up the ass. I’ll do that. Do I want to? No. Not really. I’d actually rather not, because I want to spare your wife and children and grandchildren, the humiliation of knowing that the honorable Christian man that they know and love is nothing more than a big gay hypocrite. Your wife deserves better than that. She’s been with you for nearly forty years! She deserves to continue leading the life of luxury that she is accustomed to. That woman has cooked your meals and raised your children, you owe her. And the kids! Well, if the kids found out you were cheating on their mom, they’d be pissed. If they found out you were cheating on their mom with a man, they’d never talk to you again and you would subsequently never see your grandkids again. Not to mention, the GOP would cut ties with you, they would set up a challenger to run against you for your seat, and your constituents wouldn’t vote for you because you’re dishonest and because you’re gay. So it seems to me that there’s only one clear choice here. You vote to invoke cloture. After that, you can vote against the bill. I honestly don’t care what you do after you invoke cloture, but you damn well better vote to invoke because if you don’t, I will destroy you and everything you have spent the last few decades building. Now I’m going to give you a few hours. You actually have until – let’s say five o’clock tonight to make your decision.”

“That’s not necessary.” He said in a strained voice. “You know it’s not.”

“Then what’s your decision?”

“You know what it is,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I suspect I do, but I still want to hear it and I’m going to need you to get on the phone and call my party leaders to let them know you’re with us.”

“I will do no such thing!”

“You will.” She said sternly. “Otherwise you’re fucked.”

“If I do this . . . you’ll burn the pictures and the video?”

“After you vote to invoke cloture, I will burn the pictures and video. I’ll actually come to your office and we can do it right here.”

“If I’m giving you my word, you can trust me.”

“You promised to love and honor your wife all the days of your life, and you haven’t done that. So I’ll hold onto the pictures and video just a little longer.”

“The three Republicans that had resigned in the last couple of years, that was your doing – wasn’t it?”

“It was theirs, actually. I gave them a choice. They chose wrong.”

“How do you sleep at night?”

“Surprisingly well, actually.” Paulina replied. “I can look myself in the mirror without feeling embarrassed or guilty. Can you do the same?”

He kept quiet.

“Finish your scotch.” She said as she pulled out her phone. “You have a call to make.”

“Just because you have me cornered now that doesn’t mean I won’t get you back for this. Everyone has secrets.”

“I’ve spent the last decade having my every waking moment documented, good luck finding something.”