Chapter One
She was unlike anything the world of politics had ever seen. With caramel colored, long hair and piercing green eyes, she looked more like a candidate for America's Next Top Model than someone who could become the most powerful woman in the United States.
"Are you sure you don't want me to do it for you, Mrs. Santos? That's what I'm here for."
"I'm positive. And please- call me Ashlie. 'Mrs.' always makes me feel dated."
"You, dated? How old are you?"
"25."
"Wow. When I was 25, I was working at Sears and still in community college. You already have your Master's degree and there's a 50/50 chance you might become the youngest First Lady in history. You've done more in 25 years than most people do in their whole lifetimes."
Ashlie smiled and said, "Sometimes it all seems like a dream. It seems too good to be true."
The makeup artist, Tina, watched as Ashlie applied her own eyeliner and mascara.
"There," Ashlie said, "and see? You got a nice little break. I'm not that much of a diva….I have no problem doing my own makeup."
"You know, if you become First Lady, you'll have people wanting to scratch your nose for you."
"I guess I'll deal with it. I'm-"
A familiar voice interrupted and said, "Stubborn. Anyone who knows Ashlie Santos knows that she is as stubborn as they come."
Ashlie replied, "And that's why you love me, Josh."
Tina asked, "Did Abbey Bartlet ever wear
anything like what you're wearing to talk on TV?"
Ashlie
examined her outfit- which consisted of black stiletto boots,
low-rider jeans, and a fitting black t-shirt that showed a good
portion of her toned midriff.
She said, "People forget that I'm 25. I'm not going to dress like I'm 40 just because I'm a politician's wife."
After watching her put in silver hoop earrings, Josh said, "They're waiting for you, Ash. Ready?"
"Let's roll. Thanks, Tina."
"My pleasure. Have fun."
"It's an interview with Stone Phillips. Fun wouldn't be the word I'd use. Interesting is more like it."
Ashlie left the room with Josh, who said, "Stone is going to ask you two a whole bunch of questions about your relationship- like how you met, why you fell in love with him, the age difference…all the stuff that the Matt groupies don't want to hear. Oh, and cherish this interview. This might be the only time you and Matt spend together for a few days. Remember, you and Donna are off to Florida to visit that performing arts school."
"Yeah, I know. How long is this supposed to last?"
"It depends on how long it takes for you to answer the questions."
They made their way onto the set, where Matt was talking to Stone Phillips. Ashlie introduced herself.
"Hi, I'm Ashlie. I'm a huge fan. I've been watching Dateline for as long as I can remember."
"Please to meet you, Mrs. Santos. I'm a big fan of yours too."
Ashlie snickered and said, "You're a fan of mine?"
"I admire anyone who doesn't change or conform their personality to please other people. Matt and I were just talking about how strong willed you are."
Ashlie glared at Josh as she said, "Some say stubborn. But I guess it's a good thing."
She sat in a chair next to Matt and held his hand.
"Sorry I'm late. The makeup artist and I were having a very interesting conversation."
"It's OK. You look amazing, baby."
"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. If you didn't have such a loving wife, I'd want you."
"Well, she doesn't have to know."
They looked at each other and snuck in a quick kiss on the lips.
A director approached them and said, "We're ready when you are."
"Let's do it," Matt said.
"Alright, roll tape in…5, 4, 3, 2…"
Stone paused for a moment and then asked, "Ashlie, you and Congressman Santos have been married for two and a half years now. How would you describe the past two and a half years?"
Ashlie looked at Matt and replied, "It's been the most amazing experience of my life. I've accomplished and done things I never thought possible, and I've grown so much as an individual. And never in my life did I think I could be so dedicated to and so in love with one person like I am with Matt. He's everything to me…the love of my life, my strength, my oxygen…and my hero."
She stopped for moment to compose herself, after becoming overwhelmed with emotion. Then she continued.
"And even if we don't win this thing, we've gotten the experience of a lifetime out of it. I would still love Matt unconditionally if he was running for president of our homeowner's association. I have to fight constant criticism every day- people saying that I'm in this just for my own personal gain…but if people really knew me, they'd know different. People who are constantly around Matt and I know that we're incredibly in love with each other."
Stone looked at Matt and asked, "And you feel the same way about Ashlie?"
"I feel exactly the same and possibly a little bit more. She's my sanity. This campaign trail is so hard sometimes…no sleep, constant questions and answers, people who probe into every single little aspect of your life…and at the end of the day, I know Ashlie will be there for me and she'll love me unconditionally no matter what."
Ashlie squeezed Matt's hand as the next question was asked.
"How exactly did you two meet?"
Matt replied, "It was in November of 2002. The last thing on my mind was anything to do with dating, because I was in the midst of a divorce. I was in town and made a stop at the U of Houston…"
November 2002
"Where's Ash?"
"She was wasted last night. She's probably not gonna make it here today."
"I don't know. She was really looking forward to seeing Congressman Santos."
"I don't blame her. He is kinda hot."
"Yeah, and he's kinda old and kinda married."
"No, not anymore. He's in the process of a really nasty divorce. His wife is trying to get custody of their kids and everything."
"Damn, I wish I had Houston's top anchor as my dad too. You know everything first."
"Look, there he is."
The dean of the University of Houston walked in, with Congressman Matt Santos beside him.
"Students, I want to thank you all for attending this forum today. The man standing next to me really needs no introduction. He is probably one of the most popular House representatives that Houston has ever had and he's here to answer any questions you may have about our state and national government. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm U of Houston welcome to Congressman Matt Santos!"
The packed classroom, which was holding almost 250 students, erupted into applause as Matt stepped onto the podium where the dean was.
"Thank you, Dean Fields. And thanks to all of you for having me today. I'm here today to address-"
Suddenly, Matt was interrupted by a door slamming. A young girl quickly walked down the stairs and to the front row, where her friends were sitting. She didn't look like the majority of the political science students who were in there- she looked as if she would be the popular head of a sorority.
"Way to make an entrance, Ash," one of them whispered.
Matt continued, "I'm here today to address the issue of student tardiness," as he looked right at her.
The entire room burst into laughter. Ashlie Anderson looked at the ground and twirled a strand of her hair in her fingers- something she often did when she was embarrassed or intimidated. Matt continued talking to the students, but he found that his attention kept diverting to her.
Ashlie had prepared about ten questions that she had wanted to ask Matt. As she pulled out her notebook, one of her friends passed her a note. Ashlie opened it and read it.
"Ash- how high school is it of me to be writing you a note in grad school? Anyway, did you see how he completely stopped in his tracks when you came in? You could be a Lewinsky in the making."
Ashlie wrote back, "Yeah, not so much. I made the worst first impression possible. We'll talk more about this after class."
She handed the note over and then focused her attention on Matt. She found it strange that he was primarily looking in her direction during the entire time he was talking. Finally, he opened the floor to questions. The majority of the classroom, who were political science grad students like Ashlie, raised their hands immediately. She waited about ten minutes and then raised her hand. Matt noticed her and was interested in what she had to ask.
He pointed at her and said, "You. The late girl. What's your question?"
"Congressman Santos, do you think you'll ever consider running for President?"
"It's something nice to think about….I can't say yes and I can't say no. I have a lot of other issues on my plate right now, so get back to me in about a year and I'll have a solid answer for you."
Their eyes locked for a second or so, and then he went on to answer more questions. Her friend on the left of her snickered.
"You know, Ashlie Santos sounds better than plain ol Ashlie Anderson."
"Whatever, Cat. He just answered my question- that's all."
Another 45 minutes or so passed, and then the discussion came to a close. Ashlie's friend stood up and gathered her belongings.
"I don't have class for the rest of the day- just work on my research paper. Do you wanna grab some Starbuck's?"
"I'll meet you there. I wanna stay and ask him a question."
"Oh, I bet you do. I can hear it now- 'Congressman Saaahhntos, do you need an assistant? I'm single…'"
"Cat, you always jump to ridiculous conclusions. I've always wanted to intern for the House of Representatives and he could maybe help me out. My parents said they would help me pay rent in DC if I got an internship. I only have half a year until graduation…I gotta figure out what to do with my life."
"Well, you figure out what you're doing with your life….a caramel macchiato is calling my name. Call me, OK?"
"I will. Bye."
As Catalina walked away, Ashlie remained in her seat. Slowly, the students filtered out and only a few remained to ask Matt questions. Ashlie packed up her notebook and threw her bag over her shoulder as she stood up and approached the front of the class. Matt had finished talking to another student and was heading out with a man who looked like his assistant.
"Congressman Santos?" she called.
He stopped walking and turned around.
"I'm not gonna make you late for your next class, am I?"
Ashlie smiled and replied, "Quite a sense of humor you have there. My name is Ashlie Anderson. I'm in the final phase of getting my M.A. in PoliSci. I was wondering-"
"You're going for a Master's degree in Political Science?"
"Yes."
Matt snickered and replied, "You don't exactly seem like the typical Political Science student."
"And what, to you, is the typical Political Science student?"
"Everyone else who was in here. Glasses, male, know-it-alls…you know what? I'm sorry. It's incredibly unprofessional of me to just judge you."
"It's OK. I'm used to it."
"You said you were wondering about something."
"Yes. I graduate this spring and I really want to intern in DC. I would love to maybe work with someone in the House of Representatives. How would I go about doing so?"
"The magical world of the internet, my friend. The House's website tells you how to go about applying for internships. If that doesn't help you.."
He took a business card out of his pocket.
"Those are my office numbers- for here and in DC. I'm mainly in DC though. I'm only in town through the end of the week."
"Is there a meeting or something this week?"
"No, I'm here for personal reasons."
His divorce? Ashlie thought to himself.
"Oh. Well, I don't want to hold you up any longer."
"Yeah. Your lateness might rub off on me."
"Hey, today was an exception."
"I'm sure. It was nice meeting you."
"Same here."
They shook hands and then Matt said, "By the way, nice button. I guess it worked, huh?"
Matt was pointing at the "Bartlet/Hoynes 2002" button that was attached to Ashlie's bag.
"Yeah. I'm a big Bartlet fan."
"Me too."
Their hands were still together in a handshake.
"Take care, Ashlie," Matt said as he let go.
"You too."
They smiled at one another and then Ashlie walked up the stairs to the exit of the classroom.
Ashlie sat in the break room of Sambuca, the restaurant she worked at. She was lost deep in thought as she worked on a research paper. However, someone interrupted her as she wrote.
"Hey Ash, got a minute?"
Ashlie looked up and saw her manager standing in front of her.
"I was on time for work today, Dan. I just had to-"
"I wasn't going to address that, but now that you mentioned it…"
Ashlie glared at Dan and he quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, I just got this phone call…you're into politics, right?"
"Come on. You know the answer to that question."
"Yeah, you're right. You're the hottest nerd I know. Anyway, Matt Santo's assistant just called- you know who he is, right?"
Ashlie felt her heart skip a beat as she replied, "Of course. I went to a Q&A with him earlier. Why did his assistant call?"
"He's coming here in about 10 minutes to have dinner with some of his colleagues. I figured that you would want to be their server. After all, you're into that whole scene."
"Wow. And I look horrible today too. Of all days."
"You look fine, Ash. But you might want to get your station ready."
"OK. Thanks Dan!"
Ashlie quickly put her books away and went up to the main floor of the restaurant. She made sure everything was perfect- from the silverware settings to the menus. A couple of minutes later, Dan came by again.
"They're here," he said, "It's only five people. Do you want me to close the rest of your station?"
"Yes, please."
"OK. Shana's bringing them back now."
Ashlie stood in the beverage side station and watched as the hostess brought them to her table. Sure enough, Matt was there- along with his assistant and three other men. She took a deep breath and tried to figure how she was going to approach the table.
Finally, she casually walked over and said, "Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to Sambuca. Can I interest you in a selection from our wine menu?"
Matt still hadn't looked up from his menu to see Ashlie. She wrote down everyone's orders but his. When it came to his turn, he looked up and smiled.
"Are you stalking me?" he asked with a laugh.
"You're the one who came here," Ashlie replied.
One of the men at the table asked, "Do you know her, Matt?"
"We met earlier. She's a Poli Sci major at U of Houston."
Matt's assistant asked, "Going for your Bachelor's?"
"No- my Master's."
He extended his hand and said, "I'm Chris. Congressman Santos' right hand man."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ashlie."
"So are you looking to get into politics?"
"I'm not sure. I'm just taking things one day at a time."
"Interesting. So have you-"
Matt said, "Chris, let the girl do her job."
Ashlie smiled and asked Matt, "And what can I bring you?"
"Just water."
"I'll be right back."
As Ashlie walked away, Chris whistled and said, "Since when did Poli Sci students look like that?"
One of Matt's colleagues added, "Watch your back- you might have to fight Matt for her."
Matt snickered and said, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I saw the way you were looking at her. I've never even seen you look at Helen that way."
"I was just being nice to her, that's all. She's a sweet girl."
"A sweet girl who just happens to be drop dead gorgeous. You're a single man now- you're allowed to look."
"I'm also a father and a public figure. I can't just date and run like I did when I was younger. Dating is the absolute last thing on my mind right now."
For the remainder of the time they were there, Ashlie made little contact with Matt. He was in his own world, talking business and politics with the other men at his table. About 90 minutes later, they had finished with dinner and only Matt and his assistant remained.
Ashlie came by and said, "Are you sure you guys don't need anything else? I'm about to go home. It's slow and I volunteered to leave."
"No, we're fine," Matt said, "How long is it until you're off?"
"Pretty much…now. I'm just gonna go change out of this."
"Well, go change and then come sit with us."
"Um…OK. Give me a few minutes."
"We'll be here."
Ashlie finished up her side work and then changed out of her uniform into regular clothes. Then she came back to Matt's table.
"Have a seat," he said.
As she sat across from Matt as Chris asked, "So, Ashlie, is your boyfriend into Political Science as well?"
"What boyfriend? I'm painfully single."
"Would you possibly be interested in-"
Matt interrupted and said, "Chris, will you give us a moment alone?"
"Sure. I'm actually going to catch a taxi back to the hotel. I have some work that I need to do."
"OK. I'll call you later."
Chris got up and left and Matt lowered his voice.
"Ashlie, have you ever had an assistant?"
"Can't say I have."
"They're not all they're cracked up to be."
Ashlie laughed and said, "He seems to be ready and willing to do anything for you."
"You don't have to be nice. It's called ass kissing."
"You said it, not me."
Matt looked into her eyes and asked, "Why do you want to get into politics?"
"It intrigues and challenges me. Plus, I love to argue."
"Can I be honest with you?"
"Sure."
"Don't take this as mindless flirtation, but you're too beautiful to be involved with politics. You'll get eaten alive."
"I think I can handle it. I've had to prove myself and fight my whole life. I'm tougher than a lot of people give me credit for. Besides, I'm sure you say this to every poor little grad school girl you meet."
"Believe what you want to believe, Ashlie. Just be careful."
Ashlie got up from the table and said, "I have to be up early for class tomorrow. Thanks for the advice, Mr. Santos."
"Don't call me that."
"I'm sorry. Congressman Santos."
"Don't call me that either. I prefer Matt."
"OK…Matt."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"I guess."
"How old are you?"
"I turn 23 on Saturday."
"23. That's such a great age."
"So I hear."
"I leave for DC tomorrow night. I have some things to tend to in the morning, but my afternoon is free. Would you maybe want to meet for coffee or drinks tomorrow afternoon?"
"Why are you doing this? I'm not stupid, you know."
"You don't have to. I'm not forcing you to do anything, Ashlie. Do you still have my business card?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Let me have it for a second."
Ashlie went into her wallet and pulled out the card. Matt took it and wrote a phone number on the back.
"This is my
cell number. If you change your mind, call me."
Ashlie took the
card and put it back in her wallet.
"I'm sorry," she said, "That was really rude of me to be so abrasive. I guess that the whole politician stereotype just scares me. I'm already reluctant to so much as talk to men."
"And why's that?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow."
They stood up and Ashlie said, "I have to get my things from the back."
"I'll wait outside."
"OK."
Ashlie quickly hurried to the back, grabbed her work bag, and met Matt at the front entrance of the restaurant.
"Did you drive?" Ashlie asked.
"No. My car is still at my house…well, if my wife has her way, it won't be my house much longer. But I came over in a town car earlier. I was just planning on catching a cab."
"No, I'll drive you back. Where are you staying?"
"I wouldn't want to be a burden to you. I have no problem with-"
"Matt, where are you staying?"
"The St. Regis."
"Come on. My car is over there."
They walked to Ashlie's Mini Cooper and Matt laughed.
"This has got to be the girliest car I've ever seen."
Ashlie glared at him and he quickly replied, "But I'm sure it's a great car."
They got in and Ashlie began driving toward the St. Regis. Neither one of them said anything for a bit, and then Ashlie spoke up.
"I think you would be a great candidate for President."
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind giving it a try. But with the divorce and everything, I'm starting to rule it out. People don't really accept bachelors as potential Presidents."
"Then you'll just have to find a suitable wife to be your First Lady before the primaries, I suppose."
Matt laughed and replied, "That's probably very unlikely. But I like your optimism."
"Thanks. At least someone appreciates it."
"So, what do you plan on doing after you get your Master's?"
"Ultimately, I'd like to move to DC and work on Capitol Hill…doing anything. I'll even teach if I have to. I just love the vibe of DC."
"I consider it more of my home than Houston now. Of course, my kids are here, but DC has been my escape lately. No one ever told me that a divorce could be this hard."
"Yeah, they tend to be. My brother just went through one. But he did it because his wife cheated on him. He's still madly in love with her, so it's extremely painful for him."
"You know what? It's not even that I'm still in love with Helen. It's my kids that I'm worried about. Every kid wants to see their parents together, but whenever Helen and I are together, it's nothing but negative energy. And now she's desperately trying to prove that I've been cheating on her, but I never have. Ever. This whole thing is just taxing. I wish it was overwith and that the kids didn't have to be in the middle of it all."
Ashlie couldn't believe that this man she had met less than 12 hours before was opening up to her.
Matt Santos, nonetheless, she thought to herself.
Before they knew it, Ashlie had pulled up in front of the St. Regis.
"This hotel is gorgeous. I've always wanted to explore it."
"Well hopefully you can tomorrow…that is, if you still want to meet up."
"I think I can pencil you into my schedule."
Matt smiled and said, "Have a good night, Ashlie."
"You too. I'll see you tomorrow."
As Matt got out of her car, he waved a final goodbye before he shut the door. Ashlie watched him as he walked into the hotel, completely confused about the entire situation. When she got back to her apartment, she logged onto her computer and went onto a blogging site she frequented often. After contemplating for a few moments, she typed out her innermost thoughts.
Presidents have groupies. Vice-Presidents, even. Women would give their right arm to spend a night with a man who holds more power than anyone in the world…and I find it boggling and strange. There are girls I study with who say that they would sleep with President Bartlet…just to say that they did so. President Bartlet! As for me, I've always stood behind the underdog. The ones who don't spend much time in the spotlight…which is why I've always taken such an interest in members of Congress and the Senate. I've always liked Matt Santos. Even before I moved to Houston to finish out my degree, I was a huge fan of his. I admire his unwavering stance on certain issues, and his fight for the Patients' Bill of Rights. A lot of people dismiss him as just another handsome face in the crowd, but I consider him the Kennedy of our generation. And tonight, I gave him a ride to the hotel he's staying in. I'm still in utter disbelief over this fact, the fact that today I met this man whom I look up to so much. I hate to sound like a teenybopper, but he's even more handsome in person than he is…than he is whenever I catch him on CSPAN or MSNBC. He's very intelligent, witty…and there are so many other adjectives I can write, but my mind is a warbled mess right now. Matt is just fascinating. Someone I could talk to about everything for hours upon end. It's too bad that there are no men my age like him. Wow…here I am rambling about a man I met just today. Well, not just any man…Matt Santos. Former mayor of Houston…Congressman…the rumored favorite to possibly run for President in '06. A man whose cell phone number rests comfortably in my wallet. It's up to me. Should I call him and set up our…well, I wouldn't call it a date…let's just say a friendly afternoon of drinks and discussion? Or is this a passing thing? Will he even remember poor little Ashlie Anderson tomorrow? I'm probably just another fish in his ocean.
Ashlie read over the entry, made sure it was a private one, and posted it so that only she could go back and read it. Then she got ready for bed.
Meanwhile, Matt sat at a bar in the hotel with Chris.
"I'm thinking about going back to Sambuca tomorrow to find that girl."
"What girl?" Matt asked.
"The one who was our server tonight- Ansley, right?"
"Ashlie. Her name was Ashlie."
"Wow, you certainly paid attention."
"So why are you going back to find her? We're leaving tomorrow."
"I want to at least get her number…so that I can get in touch with her the next time we're here."
Matt contemplated for a moment and then said, "She has a boyfriend. She was just playing around with you."
Chris looked incredibly disappointed.
"Oh. Then why didn't she say so? She didn't have to lie."
"Chris, she's gorgeous. Did you honestly think she was single?"
"A guy can have hope. Do you want another vodka tonic? It's on me."
"No, I'm exhausted. I probably won't see you until tomorrow night. Helen and I are meeting with the lawyer all of tomorrow morning and my afternoon is packed."
"OK. I'll be in touch. Goodnight, Matt."
"Goodnight."
As Matt made his way up to his room, he thought about what he just did.
Why did I lie to Chris about Ashlie? Ashlie would be more likely to be interested in him anyway.
When he got to his room, he tried to think of everything else possible that he could- but no matter what he did, he saw Ashlie's face.
I just need to forget it. It's just a side effect of the divorce. I haven't been single in almost 15 years and Ashlie just happens to an attractive woman. I'll call Chris in the morning and tell him the truth.
Or would he?