“I thought you wanted me to go, dad?” I ask, not meaning to sound like I’m rubbing it in but I’m getting worried now. I’ve never seen dad so worked up over anything.
His election week is his favorite of the whole year, the one time he can be patted on the back by the whole town and pledge them his support for the coming year.
But this year it’s different. For me, it’s like a whole new world has been opened. The sleepy town of Woods End is suddenly just that now that I’ve met James Silverthorn.
Dashing, handsome, strong, and smart.
Successful and I’m supposing rich enough, without the need for anything this place has to offer.
“Why did Mr. Silverthorn choose to run for Mayor?” I hear myself asking my dad, ignoring his own personal angst as I change the subject back to my own satisfaction without meaning to.
“Why… I really don’t know,” Dad admits.
“He’s wealthy, more money than this whole town I think,” he muses, joining in my own curiosity for a moment.
“Has a string of successful enterprises, never married, no children…”
I hear myself breathe out with a final sigh of relief. The one thing I’d never even considered was that he might be taken.
As soon as I saw him, I knew I was his. Well. Going to be his anyway, now I know for sure.
“Why would you ask anyway, Krystal?” Dad asks me suddenly, sounding suspicious and depressed all over again.
I’m in the middle of my own moment of mild panic, hoping that James doesn’t think I’m taken. Or that I don’t want him to take me.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to go to the ball and now you want to… want to know all about this… Silverthorn fellow. I don’t like it,” he finally shouts, holding a finger up in the air as if he could strike the very idea from the world.
As if he could just erase James Silverthorn with a movement of his hand.
But we both know he can’t, it’s too late for that now.
“Take it easy, dad,” I console him, getting up and going over to him, lowering his arm and feeling how tense he is, suggest he go lie down for a while.
I only manage to get him to his desk and rubbing his shoulders for a few minutes, I feel a little better once he relaxes by a degree or two.
“We both have so much to do yet, honey. I can’t afford to relax,” he complains.
“And you can’t afford to give yourself a heart attack either,” I warn him, pecking his cheek as I promise him I’ll sort through his fliers, the menu, and then double-check with the venue to make sure everything’s going to plan.
“So you’re still coming?” he asks as I leave his office, turning around and feeling my hands go to my hips.
“Dad. Really?” I ask him, trying to make light of it but not wanting to get into it all over again.
I’ll let it go for now, but there’s no way on earth I’m giving up the chance to see James again.
The very idea I even have to wait until tomorrow already feels like too long for me.
It’s where I belong now, it’s the only place I want to be.
I mechanically go through the motions of my duties as campaign assistant, manager really.
Like every other time before, it’s running like clockwork. The menu, the food, the ballroom. It’s all set.
All dad has to do is polish his speech, do some meet and greets tomorrow, and hand out his fliers as people walk by, reminding them it’ll be time to officially re-elect him in a couple of days’ time.
The few other candidates will do the same, but everybody knows that Woods End’s Mayor is Bob Newland.
Always has been.
But will it always be that way?
I’d never admit it to my dad, but I know who has my vote. And a whole lot more, when the time comes.
Jeez, listen to me. I’m really talking like James is as head over heels as I am.
I know I said I never believed in love at first sight, but having come so close to kissing him. Having him touch me like he did, covering for us both with my dad.
I know what I feel inside.
I just hope he feels the same too.
It’s hard to break my train of thought, but somehow I manage to get through everything and think about James nonstop the whole time, dad eventually busying himself with his speech and a few phone calls from well-wishers which cheers him up a little.
It’s getting dark by the time I’m done with everything I have to attend to and I almost stop thinking about James until I overhear one of my dad’s calls.
Realizing how upset it makes him tells me who it’s about.
“Oh he did, did he…? Well, we’ll see in a few days. The people of Woods End will have their say. Then our little friend will be scuttling out of town as fast as he breezed in, but this time with his tail between his legs,” he shouts before slamming the phone down, making me jump.