Page 31 of Definitely (Maybe) Dating
Piper was more of a do-it-yourself kind of woman. Especially when others were counting on her. But Josh said it wouldn’t be a big deal, so she hoped Josh came through; otherwise, Skye might lose her house, which was the only place Piper considered home.
Not to mention, letting down a group of girls who’d had a lifetime of letdowns.
10
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After a particularly difficultweek during which a handful of bad guys walked on technicalities, driving his mom to three different appointments, and logging over a hundred auction items, Josh found himself once again back at his desk. It was well past the dinner hour, the office staff had cleared out, and he still had a couple hours of work.
The charity dinner had taken on a life of its own. So had his campaign. Between signing for boxes of sequenced tablecloths and preparing for an upcoming case involving a real estate scam, Josh was averaging sixteen-hour days—and on the fast track to early career burnout. Unfortunate timing, since he had coffee with his campaign strategist the next morning and he hadn’t had a spare moment to consider his next steps. At this point, he was beginning to think that maybe it was big goal, bad timing.
Deciding head home, he gathered up his things and headed to his car. August was in a mood. A slight chill cut through his jacket as the fog, so thick it stuck to his lungs, made the air heavy. He took it as a sign that summer and fall were engaged in a battle of the fittest, and he’d put ten to one odds that fall was going to emerge the victor.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and was reaching for his keys when he spotted the mayor heading toward the Whiskey Depository, an upscale, membership only bar and restaurant across the street that specialized in overpriced steaks and one of the largest collections of whiskey in the country.
The last thing Josh wanted was to shoot the shit with a guy who, as it turned out, dished out shit for a living. The mayor had been dodging his calls, making Josh question the man’s intentions behind convincing Josh to run in the first place. As the incumbent who was leading twenty points in the latest polls, Mayor Caldwell was a shoo-in. While he had no control over who would be the next District Attorney, his endorsement would go a long way. With the current DA retiring at the end of this term, the seat was up for grabs.
Prior to a few months ago, running for office hadn’t even been on Josh’s radar. It had been the mayor who had approached him, all but begged him to announce his candidacy, promising his full support. At first, Josh had politely declined. While running for the position was always in the back of his mind, he still had a lot of work he wanted to accomplish first. He’d gone to work for the District Attorney’s office to make a difference, to represent the state in prosecuting people who had zero remorse for their actions and ensuring that the people who went to court should be on trial to begin with.
His strength was as a trial lawyer, arguing cases in a courtroom, whereas the District Attorney spent a good amount of time managing and assigning cases, which would give Josh a bigger say in which cases that went to trial. Granted, the DA’s workload made Josh’s look like a book report, and the responsibility with the job was eminence. But when Josh’s nemesis, a high paid ambulance chaser, Russel Heinz, who had screwed Josh’s family by filing a bogus suit against Josh’s dad, announced his intentions to run, Josh knew what he had to do.
“Mayor Caldwell!” he called out, and it appeared the mayor’s dodging extended to childish antics, such as pretending to be hard of hearing.
Dumping his briefcase in his car, Josh started across the street, managing to catch the mayor as he was about to enter the restaurant. “Let me get that.” Josh opened the door and ushered Caldwell inside.
“I’ve been meaning to call you,” the mayor began. “It’s just been a crazy time, with the election and Kitty wanting to make the auction the event of the century. You know how busy it can get.”
“Oh, I know.” Josh went to explain how full his plate had become when he noticed the older man’s appearance.
The mayor didn’t just look busy; he looked harried. His suit was wrinkled, his tie askew as if he’d slept in it, his gray hair was standing on end and looked thinner than usual. Then there were the thin lines of exhaustion under his eyes. His disappearing act might have less to do with dodging and more to do with burnout, which had Josh questioning the wisdom of his decision.
“Which is why I thought I could buy you a drink,” Josh said, knowing he could use one himself. Being DA was his endgame, had been since he enrolled in law school. Days like today, it felt more like a life sentence than a life goal.
“As long as you’re buying.” The mayor clapped him on the back.
They took a seat in the bar area, choosing a table near the window, which looked out onto the gas-lamp lit Chapman Square. Lined with hundred-year-old elms and ginkgo trees, twinkle lights strung from lamp post to lamp post, the plaza was one of Josh’s favorite places in the city.
“Kitty says you’re doing a bang-up job helping with the fundraiser,” Caldwell said. “I know you’re swamped and planning a party isn’t high on your list.”
“Or even in my job description.”
The mayor ran a hand through his hair, which only made it messier. “There will be a lot of movers and shakers there. Volunteering will go a long way toward gaining some local support.” The mayor leaned in. “The kind of support that matters.”
The support that mattered to Josh was the support of the everyday people. People like his old man, who deserved more from the justice system than what he had been dealt.
“In fact, I’m meeting Kent Spring for dinner. Have the two of you met?”
“A few times, casually.”
Josh and Kent did not run in the same circles, but they had, on occasion, bumped into each other in court. Kent was the head of one of the largest family-owned logging companies in the region. He was known for wining and dining politicians and greasing hands. When that didn’t work, he invested in a team of lawyers to find the loopholes in matters that Josh believed should be iron clad. The Spring family also invested their time, and money, into local politics.
The mayor was a standup guy, but it didn’t matter how clean you played the game if you were watching from the stands. Josh understood how the game was played, how the support of legacy families could turn the tide. Didn’t mean he had to like it—or give in to it.
“Maybe it’s time you had an official meeting of the minds.”
A few months back, when Josh announced to his family he was running, Clay had asked if he really thought someone could run a clean race and win. Josh’s immediate answer had been a resounding yes. Lately he was beginning to have his doubts, beginning to question what kind of man he’d have to become in order to win. And would that man make his father proud.
“Maybe,” Josh said with a smile. “I can stay for drinks, but I don’t want to intrude on your dinner.”
