Page 8 of Kissing the Beach Town Fire Chief
“That’s amazing, Aunt Maggie!” I exclaim, setting my coffee down and leaning forward. “You would be perfect for the job. You know everyone, and everyone loves you. Who could possibly run against you?” Aunt Maggie’s smile falters slightly, and shelooks at me. “Well, I should tell you who’s contesting against me.”
I shake my head, “Who?” She takes a deep breath and says, “Ethan Campbell.”
My jaw drops. “Ethan?! Mr. I-Burn-Down-My-Own-Yard’ Campbell? Are you serious?”
“Yes, he announced it last week. Apparently, he has some big ideas about improving the town’s infrastructure and business environment.”
With a thud, I set my mug down a little harder than necessary, coffee sloshing over the rim. “You have got to be kidding me. He has been bumping into me since morning, literally, and he couldn’t even blurt out that he’s running against my aunt? Why is he even doing it? He is a grumpy man with a knack for fires. He is not a politician!”
“Calm down, Ami. It’s not the end of the world. I’m confident in my campaign, and I have a lot of support.” I huff, crossing my arms. "Still, it's infuriating. He doesn't deserve it. You've done so much for this town, and he is just... I mean, just… Ethan!"
“I know, dear. But it’s a free country. Everyone has the right to run for office. Even Ethan.”
“Right,” I mutter, staring into my coffee. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“No, it doesn’t. But it does mean you should brace yourself for more run-ins with him. Campaigns can get heated, and you know how he is.” I groan. “Great. Just what I needed. More Ethan in my life.”
We sit in comfortable silence for a few moments, and I try to wrap my head around the idea of Ethan running for the municipality office. It feels like a bad joke, but I know Aunt Maggie is serious. And if she is taking him seriously, maybe I should, too.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” I ask finally, looking at Aunt Maggie. “How can I help?”
She smiles warmly.
"Well, I am glad you asked. There's a lot to do. We need to organize some community events, get the word out about my platform, and, of course, convince people to vote for me."
"Count me in. Whatever you need, I am here, and I can really help you out with my research skills."
“Thank you, Ami. I knew I could count on you.”
Aunt Maggie and I spend the next hour discussing campaign strategies. I jot down some notes to beat that jerk.
The idea of Ethan running against Aunt Maggie still makes me want to throw something, but now I am channeling that energy into brainstorming.
I hug Aunt Maggie goodbye and head back to my place.
Once inside, I kick off my shoes and toss my bag onto the couch.
“Right … research,” I mutter to myself, heading straight for my desk.
I fire up my laptop and start digging into the local government website, looking for anything that might give Aunt Maggie an advantage.
Then I pick up my phone and type a text message to Lyla.
“You won’t believe it. Aunt Maggie’s running for the municipality elections. And guess who is running against her? Ethan freaking Campbell.”
Her reply is instant.
“No way. That’s insane. How can I help?”
"I know right. But let me get back to you. I need to dive into some research first,"I respond before I set my phone aside and focus on the task at hand.
I pull up voter demographics, past election results, and any articles I can find about local issues. After a while, my eyes startto blur, and I realize I haven’t moved from my desk in over an hour. I drag myself to the kitchen and brew another pot of coffee for fortification before I delve back into work.
Starting a spreadsheet to organize the information I’ve gathered is tedious, but it's something I’m good at. My mind wanders as I type, imagining the campaign events we could host.Maybe a book fair at Salty Pages or a beach clean-up event. We need something that shows Aunt Maggie’s commitment to the community. She doesn’t want the town to get ruined by the youth taking over. She wants it to remain as it is, very unlike Ethan’s ideas.
I pull up another document and start drafting a campaign flyer. As I work, I can’t help but think about Ethan. What’s his angle? Why does he suddenly care about town politics? I can’t picture him shaking hands and kissing babies. I snort at the mental image. After what feels like an eternity, I stretch and look at the clock.
Only two hours have passed.
