Page 53 of The Thorne at My Side
"Chill out! It looks like you're about to go on stage. You're green!" A production assistant tells me like we’re friends. Not necessary right now, random person, but thanks. I force a smile wave her off but instead I freeze because behind her I see Austinand the nauseous feeling returns.
What is he doing here?
My body stiffens and a welcome chill runs through me.
"Maggie," he says in greeting as he comes up beside me. We’re both looking out at the stage and the three inches between our shoulders is thick with tension.
Can he feel it too?
"Austin," I reply and it's a mix of disdain and relief and I don't like that I find his presence comforting.
He checks his watch and I focus on the many veins in his hand and the slight dusting of hair on his arm as he lifts his sleeve out of the way. "It's a little less than 12 hours but maybe we can agree to a travel addendum to the rules."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I want you to come to my room tonight."
"Oh," I whisper and icicles fall down my spine. "Um, okay."
"Everything should be wrapped up by 11:00." He says as he slides a key card into my hand. I wrap my fingers around it and hold tight. "Room 1201."
And with that he steps backwards and turns away from me. My breath leaves my lungs with force because the promise of a night with Austin has already settled my nerves. When the senator crosses past me to the stage she gives me a curt nod. Sam gives me a thumbs up and heads out of the auditorium. She’s headed to watch the debate from the spin room at the hotel. I stay in the wings so we can regroup during commercial breaks.
We have a full team of people ready to respond to the media during and after the debate. I have spent the last three days prepping all of them and getting them to practice certain lines. We need them to be confident and strong.
They need to spin anything negativeand reinforce everything positive.
My palms start sweating more as the importance of tonight hits me again and when my fingers slide against the keycard I'm gripping, I quickly push it into the pocket of my pants and turn to find a glass of water.
???
"And the senator's response to the prison reform question was another departure from her normal stance, care to elaborate?"
My pen taps out a furious pace against my notebook as I stand off to the side of this interview. Sam is doing great but the reporter has picked up on the face that some answers were different tonight. Sam and I know it was the AI Media written responses but we can’t say that on the record.
The AIM team told us they would be factoring in real-time opinion data from a select set of voters but I did not expect it to alter her positions.
"While slightly different from what Senator Quinn has been saying on the campaign trail, I see her response tonight as an evolution. She's learned new information, had more conversations, and has decided to deepen her understanding of the issue."
"By calling for reduced sentences?"
"That is just part of a comprehensive plan aimed at addressing systemic issues for incarceration."
When Sam slices her hand through the air below the seat of the chair she’s in with a "cut it off" motion I jump to action. I turn to the producer standing next to the camera man.
"She has time for one more question."
He checks his watch and gives me an inquisitive look. "I thought we had five minutes, it's only been three."
"Well since your reporter is trying to do everything to catch her out I think three minutes is plenty."
"Fine, one more question," he says begrudgingly before tapping the side of his headset to tell the anchor it's time to wrap up.
When the camera's light turns off, Sam unclips her microphone and shakes hands with the anchor.
"That went quickly!" She says cheerfully as she joins me. "It felt like only a few minutes."
"I cut it short after you motioned to me."
