Page 22 of Power Moves
‘It was a terrible idea in the first place.’
‘It had potential,’ I insist.
Archie shakes his head too, his face breaking into a reluctant smile as something bigger than a paper-bag balloon swells in my chest.Thisis why I love my job: problem-solving, banter, the random shit we do for the greater good. I am keeping my enemy close!We will win this election!
Up in the sky the bats are still circling, chattering to each other in vampirical glee. Archie gazes up at them too, and for a moment, we are both hypnotised by the scene above us. When I look down, his eyes are already on me.
‘So about the Nancy story …’ he begins.
‘Barely made the Sunday paper. I hope you noticed how I nailed the damage control.’
‘It’s more about—’
I hold up my hand. ‘Honestly, Archie, don’t worry.’
He’s a career guy, I’m a career gal, and we’re in careers for opposing teams. Politicians distrust the media, and vice versa.I already know that. It’s not worth discussing and it’s definitely not worth a fake apology.
‘What do you reckon about this?’ I ask, gesturing to the building site on my left, where a giant steel skeleton looms over us. The finished gym, funded by the infrastructure grant, will have views right over Lilac Beach. Property developers would pay millions for that view. Meanwhile, Boss is gifting it to the next generation.
Archie rolls his eyes. ‘Same shit, different day. You’d reckon the rich kids would get sick of all these handouts.’
‘It’s apublicschool.’
‘From a catchment area where the median household income is over four times the national average. Have you seen the car park here at pick-up time? There are more luxury SUVs than students. Speaking of …’ he mutters.
I see his gaze fall on the giant Audi with tinted windows that has double-parked in front of the school entrance.
I raise my hand in a wave as Boss steps onto the footpath. He nods in greeting. I can see the Channel 4 guys lugging their gear down the hill too.
I check my watch. We’re almost ready to kick off. The bats are still squawking in spirals above us but now that I think about it, we don’t need this school to look too perfect. In fact, a bit of guano will bring some much-needed grit to the story.
CHAPTER 11
There’s a good turnout for the Lilac Beach press conference, which I predicted given the school’s proximity to the cafe up the road. If there’s one way to a journalist’s heart, it’s through food. And coffee. And scandal, obviously.
Boss is sailing through his talking points, just like I knew he would. The bats are still cavorting overhead, which I’ve decided I’m now thrilled about. This is definitely better for the optics. It’s so hard to remember all the different privileges you have to watch out for: beachside privilege; inner-city privilege; North Shore privilege; cashed-up-bogan privilege. It’s a minefield out there.
The press and their cameramen are gathered in a semi-circle facing Boss, who stands behind a collapsible lectern. I stand off to the left, just out of view of the cameras.
After about fifteen minutes, Boss looks over to me and I nod almost imperceptibly—one of the codes we worked out years ago. ‘Okay, last question,’ he says to the crowd.
Archie speaks up before anyone can get a word in. ‘Any comments on Nancy Miller’s polling numbers?’
Classic Archie. I step towards Boss to play Bad Cop. ‘We’re here to talk about the education infrastructure project,’ I warn the crowd.
Archie determinedly avoids my gaze. ‘Minister, Nancy Miller’s polling numbers indicate the party could be on the way out, which could have severe implications for the future of education infrastructure in this state, wouldn’t you say?’
I move towards the collapsible lectern to pull it down. ‘I think we’ll wrap up here.’
Boss raises his hand to halt me. ‘It’s fine, Mill.’ He turns back to the gathered media. ‘Archie, I’m always delighted to receive questions about the party. I’m very passionate about team loyalty, which is something you’d know about if you’d managed to stick with the Roosters for more than one season.’
There’s a ripple of laughter and I flush with pride. I couldn’t have scripted that better myself. I glance at Archie to check his reaction, but his expression is unflinching. He’s singularly focused on Boss. ‘So the polling numbers …’ he prompts.
‘Ah yes,’ says Boss. ‘I think we can safely say that the polling numbers for Miller’s electorate indicate there’s work to do, but as I’ve said before, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get the job done. And Nancy Miller is an impressive woman. She always cuts a fine figure, so I know—’
‘Excuse me,’ interrupts Archie. ‘Did you say she “cuts a fine figure”?’
My stomach plummets. I was hoping no one would notice that.
