“Before Jack, there was no one. I was barely out to myself when I met him. After Jackson, well.” Park shrugged. “You know how it is. Opportunities avail themselves.”
Martha narrowed her eyes. “If you ever retire, I want to see all the juicy detailsin your tell-all book.”
Martha liked to fish for details about Park’s affairs, but Park wasn’t willing to share them. “I’ll just say, there are a few members of the New York Assembly whom I’m guessing have sexual preferences that will surprise you.”
“I both want to know desperately and don’t want to force you to tell me.”
Park grinned. “That’s why we’re friends.” He rubbed a hand overhis face. “I feel bad for smiling. This is such a terrible situation.”
But before Park could speak more, his phone rang. It was Dum. “Mr. Abraham is here to see you.”
Park sighed and pushed himself up off the chair.
Dan Abraham was a good lawyer because he was whip-smart and knew his part of the law inside out, but he was also dead handsome and had charm oozing out of his pores. Itmeant that most people he spoke with didn’t catch that they’d been swindled until Dan was long gone. His jet-black hair currently looked like it had about a pound of pomade in it, and his equally dark eyes bored holes into Park.
“I ran a background check on your boy,” Dan said.
“Everyone has,” Park said, gesturing at Martha, who shrugged.
“Fine. Columbia undergrad, Columbia Law, workedas a prosecutor, now defends rich white guys. Perfect on paper. Except that he’s also a member of some LGBT lawyer organization and there are photos out there of him marching in Pride parades.”
“Yes. And?” Park already knew what Dan planned to say, but he wanted to make Dan say it.
Martha spoke up first. “You know, Thompson came out in favor of marriage equalityandhe campaigned on ananti-discrimination law in New York State. It would make him look like an asshole if he made an issue of Park hiring a gay lawyer. I don’t see how this is a problem.”
“Thank you, Martha,” said Park. Apparently Dan hadn’t found the overlapping addresses, or hadn’t put that together himself. As ever, he worried more about image than anything else.
Dan grumbled a few curses and said, “No,but they could...”
“There’s no hypocrisy,” Martha said, irritation in her voice. “Park voted in favor of Thompson’s anti-discrimination bill in the New York Assembly.”
“But the base—”
“This is New York, not Alabama. If Park were running nationally, you might have a tiny bit of a point,” said Martha. “You’re only mad, Abraham, because you don’t like gay people.”
Dan sputtered. “That’snot true.”
Park was grateful Dan didn’t know about him. He sighed. “Was that all you came here to say? That you ran a background check that revealed Jackson Kane is gay? Which we all already knew?”
Dan looked defeated. “I just think it’s a bad idea. The RNC—”
“Can suck my dick,” said Martha. “They want a Republican in that seat more than they care about who is or isn’t gay.”
Danthrew up his hands. “Fine. I don’t like it, though.” He turned on his heel and left the room.
Park watched him go, hoping Dan’s opinions were a minority opinion.
