Friday
March 1, 2002
Baltimore, Maryland
Sherry smiled brightly and gave a low, coquettish laugh as Dennis Wilcox, multimillionaire and generous contributor to David's campaign, launched into yet another story. After standing in four-inch heels all day her back was killing her and she couldn't feel her feet anymore. Adding insult to injury, Mr. Wilcox had had one too many glasses of champagne and seemed to think her cleavage was the intended audience for his latest yarn. Despite this, she kept a smile on her face. Governor Glendening had been kind enough to host this event in David's honor and she was going to work over every last person in this crowd before the night ended.
A sharp shriek of static rang out over the muffled conversations and soft music. The governor had taken to the podium to introduce Sherry's husband.
She nodded politely to Dennis, who was too engrossed in his umpteenth glass of champagne to notice, and sat in the nearest chair.
The energy in the room changed as her husband took the podium. The smile that came to her face now was genuine as were the slight shivers down her spine. David was at his best in these moments, when he was commanding an audience. All her fears, all her doubts melted away when she saw how the crowds responded to him.
This time next year, they would be in the White House. Any other outcome was impossible.
Her grin widened as she realized she would soon be the First Lady. The idea of all their plans and dreams coming to fruition made her heart race. It was an intoxicating rush, like drinking too much champagne or falling in love. They were so close now.
Sometimes, and Sherry always felt a little silly for this, she was almost sad that she would only live out most of her dreams through David. In that dark corner of her heart she tried to ignore -- she was resentful of always being in his shadow. But that was foolish. As difficult as it was for a black man to get as far as David had, for a woman it would have been ten times worse.
It was almost thirty years ago when David had told her the dreams he had for himself and for the both of them. Her family hadn't been happy about their relationship or any of her choices regarding David. While they weren't rich her family was solidly planted in the middle-class and looking to move up the social ladder. They hadn't groomed their daughter to be with the son of a school janitor.
When David had been accepted to Georgetown they had been momentarily appeased but all their old biases resurfaced when she had started working full-time to put David through law school. She had taken almost any job she could find, mostly clerical work, to help David advance his career. She knew then that if he was going to make it to the top she had to forego all her dreams to support his because it was only with her that he would ever have a chance.
It was difficult subverting her own ego like that but it was necessary. Besides, she wasn't suited for the limelight. Oh, she had no problem with the attention and she could easily have the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand if she wished. However, David had the personality that people responded to. She was as charismatic and intelligent as he but he had this aura of integrity and innate goodness that people longed for in their leaders.
Moreover, she was better working behind the scenes. For all of David's wonderful qualities he just wasn't equipped to deal with the seedier elements in politics. He thought he could of course, he thought his dealings with Carl Webb and the Latham group prepared him for that but if he knew all the things she worked to shield him from -- he wouldn't be able to take it. He needed his illusions. If he knew some of the things she knew about their contributors or even about his own children he'd be crushed. She had to protect him for his own sake.
Her son had called her in tears from the hospital one night several years ago. He had confronted that the little shit who had raped Nicole and they had gotten into a fight that had resulted in Lyle Gibson's death. He didn't tell her much more than that but she was able to figure out most of it. She had known that could be disastrous for her family and for David's campaign so she had Keith contact Carl and he took care of it.
She had no problem with covering up what happened. Like Carl said, it was most likely an accident and Gibson wasn't worth sending her son to jail. She knew if David had gotten wind of what had happened he would have insisted on going public. Her husband was an intelligent man but he was could be such a wide-eyed Pollyanna sometimes! He honestly believed that people could handle the truth -- even ugly, complicated ones -- while at the same time remaining blissfully unaware to what was happening with his own children.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Her husband was going to be the next president of the United States and she would be right by his side.
March 1, 2002
Baltimore, Maryland
Sherry smiled brightly and gave a low, coquettish laugh as Dennis Wilcox, multimillionaire and generous contributor to David's campaign, launched into yet another story. After standing in four-inch heels all day her back was killing her and she couldn't feel her feet anymore. Adding insult to injury, Mr. Wilcox had had one too many glasses of champagne and seemed to think her cleavage was the intended audience for his latest yarn. Despite this, she kept a smile on her face. Governor Glendening had been kind enough to host this event in David's honor and she was going to work over every last person in this crowd before the night ended.
A sharp shriek of static rang out over the muffled conversations and soft music. The governor had taken to the podium to introduce Sherry's husband.
She nodded politely to Dennis, who was too engrossed in his umpteenth glass of champagne to notice, and sat in the nearest chair.
The energy in the room changed as her husband took the podium. The smile that came to her face now was genuine as were the slight shivers down her spine. David was at his best in these moments, when he was commanding an audience. All her fears, all her doubts melted away when she saw how the crowds responded to him.
This time next year, they would be in the White House. Any other outcome was impossible.
Her grin widened as she realized she would soon be the First Lady. The idea of all their plans and dreams coming to fruition made her heart race. It was an intoxicating rush, like drinking too much champagne or falling in love. They were so close now.
Sometimes, and Sherry always felt a little silly for this, she was almost sad that she would only live out most of her dreams through David. In that dark corner of her heart she tried to ignore -- she was resentful of always being in his shadow. But that was foolish. As difficult as it was for a black man to get as far as David had, for a woman it would have been ten times worse.
It was almost thirty years ago when David had told her the dreams he had for himself and for the both of them. Her family hadn't been happy about their relationship or any of her choices regarding David. While they weren't rich her family was solidly planted in the middle-class and looking to move up the social ladder. They hadn't groomed their daughter to be with the son of a school janitor.
When David had been accepted to Georgetown they had been momentarily appeased but all their old biases resurfaced when she had started working full-time to put David through law school. She had taken almost any job she could find, mostly clerical work, to help David advance his career. She knew then that if he was going to make it to the top she had to forego all her dreams to support his because it was only with her that he would ever have a chance.
It was difficult subverting her own ego like that but it was necessary. Besides, she wasn't suited for the limelight. Oh, she had no problem with the attention and she could easily have the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand if she wished. However, David had the personality that people responded to. She was as charismatic and intelligent as he but he had this aura of integrity and innate goodness that people longed for in their leaders.
Moreover, she was better working behind the scenes. For all of David's wonderful qualities he just wasn't equipped to deal with the seedier elements in politics. He thought he could of course, he thought his dealings with Carl Webb and the Latham group prepared him for that but if he knew all the things she worked to shield him from -- he wouldn't be able to take it. He needed his illusions. If he knew some of the things she knew about their contributors or even about his own children he'd be crushed. She had to protect him for his own sake.
Her son had called her in tears from the hospital one night several years ago. He had confronted that the little shit who had raped Nicole and they had gotten into a fight that had resulted in Lyle Gibson's death. He didn't tell her much more than that but she was able to figure out most of it. She had known that could be disastrous for her family and for David's campaign so she had Keith contact Carl and he took care of it.
She had no problem with covering up what happened. Like Carl said, it was most likely an accident and Gibson wasn't worth sending her son to jail. She knew if David had gotten wind of what had happened he would have insisted on going public. Her husband was an intelligent man but he was could be such a wide-eyed Pollyanna sometimes! He honestly believed that people could handle the truth -- even ugly, complicated ones -- while at the same time remaining blissfully unaware to what was happening with his own children.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Her husband was going to be the next president of the United States and she would be right by his side.