Chapter Eight
As a compromise to forcing Park to stay in his room, the hotel agreed to close off a section of one of their two restaurants so that Park and his staff could eat at real tables without being bothered by the press. Martha had a long list of people who wanted to have a word with Park about campaign-and policy-related issues, so he agreed to see them as long as they didn’tmind him eating.
And so Park and a dozen of his closest advisors sat, taking meetings, in the alcove of a hotel restaurant with two Michelin stars. Park—ravenous from not having eaten a real meal in almost two days—ordered half the menu. They all settled in to answer stupid questions.
The food was superb. The first course was some kind of artichoke soup that tasted savory and salty anddelicious, and Park sipped it while the outgoing senator—a Democrat who tended to vote with his Republican colleagues in the Senate—sat across from him and told him how hellish the situation must have been, as if Park didn’t know. The soon-to-be-dowager Senator wished for a speedy resolution to Park’s problem, as if it were just a dip in his poll numbers or a case of the flu.
The second coursewas a flatbread laden with goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and asparagus, and it melted in Park’s mouth. He sliced it in half and offered Martha the first pick as he listened to the Mayor of the City of New York assure him that the NYPD was working 24/7 to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Park thanked him and offered a piece of the flatbread, which the mayor declined.
The main coursewas a steak, dry-aged wagyu beef, a rib eye because Park preferred that cut. The chef served the steak with a vegetable medley and fingerling potatoes with a little blue cheese sprinkled on top. It was probably the best steak Park had ever had. A series of Republican Party hacks came in, were introduced to Park, extended their condolences, and left.
The waiter offered Park a glass of cognac,so he consented and sipped it slowly as a man named Kenneth Tucker—some kind of low-level Republican National Committee flunky, from what Park could tell—tried to convince him that even if he lost this election, there were numerous other opportunities at the national level or would he consider running for governor? When Park explained that he liked the rigors and minutiae of the legislature, Mr.Tucker nodded, thanked Park for his time, and told him what a joy it was to meet him again.
While Park and Martha debated between the cheese plate and a sweeter dessert, the RNC chair himself showed up to assure Park he had the full backing of the party and they hoped this matter could be swept under the rug quickly, because they wanted this seat badly. Then he said something about Park beingmore careful about the company he kept, but when Park asked for clarification, the man looked at his watch and said he had to go.
When Park finally got his hands on a slice of flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of caramel gelato, half of which Martha ate, one of his big donors stopped by to say his continued support was contingent on Park being exonerated.
Once the meetings were finishedand Park felt so full he didn’t think he’d be able to eat again for a week, Martha said, “That...happened.”
“At once the best and worst dinner I’ve ever eaten.” He wiped his hands on the fine cloth napkin and placed it on the table. “I’m glad we got to eat down here, but I still miss the outside. Is it sunny?”
“I wouldn’t know. Sam?”
“It rained this afternoon,” said Sam.
“Interesting,”said Park.
“This is all very entertaining,” said Dan, “but if we’re done here, I’d like to get some shut-eye. It’s been a long day.”
“Agreed,” said Park.
He and Martha rode the elevator back up to his room together, and he felt a pang about Jackson’s absence. When Park at last dropped on the empty bed in his empty hotel room, he thought about Jackson, where he was, what he might bedoing, and if he missed Park. Jackson had worked crazy hours in his prosecutor days and lived mostly off takeout, but he always brought Park home some dumplings or garlic knots or whatever he thought Park might like. If he came home after Park had gone to bed, he’d slip into bed beside Park and give him a hug before settling down to sleep.
Given the circumstances, Jackson probably wasn’t feelingthe same nostalgia, and the situation was untenable besides, but it didn’t stop Park from lying in the dark wanting that more than he wanted the Senate seat.
* * *
While Park ate the best meal of his life, Jackson and Reed huddled behind Reed’s computer as Reed called up everything he’d found while Jackson had been at Park’s hotel.
“I thought you were busy today,” Jackson said, marvelingat all the windows Reed had open on his computer.
“Eh, the court hearing was mostly a formality, and Judge Malone kept us all waiting for almost an hour before he deigned to see us, so I killed time searching online for info about your new client.”
“Did you find anything interesting?”
“I’m sure you know most of this stuff. He’s heir to the Tech Mart fortune but split from the companysix years ago to found streaming media platform Ving, which has become a multi-million-dollar enterprise, although officially, he’s no longer affiliated with the company. He divested his financial interest when he ran for the Assembly, although I’m sure there’s still a chair at the board table with his name on it.”
Jackson guessed that as well. Park could be impetuous but it seemed unlikehim to completely abandon something he’d worked hard to make.
“Elected to the New York State Assembly four years ago, served one term, declined to run again on the pretense of returning to work for his company but actually to gear up to run for Senate.”
“I inferred that. What else?”
“His record is...not the greatest, if you’re a member of the vast left-wing homosexual conspiracy suchas yourself. He did vote for a broad anti-discrimination bill, but he has endorsed Republican candidates with appalling records on gay rights and after that lawsuit against the florist in Binghamton who wouldn’t supply flowers to a gay wedding started making its way up the appeals court circuit, he was pretty mealymouthed in interviews when reporters asked about it, just saying he believed in theFirst Amendment. Also the Log Cabin Republicans have been trying to get him to speak at their meetings, but he keeps turning them down.”
“Sure. Speaking to a room full of gay people makes you seem gay by association.” Jackson inserted a fair amount of sarcasm in his voice. He hated Park’s record; it showed paranoia more than political conviction. Jackson wasn’t thrilled with Park’s devotionto the Republican Party, either; he talked a good game about wanting to change it from the inside, but that didn’t take away from what the party had come to embody in recent years. But wasn’t it just like Park to get in there and try to fix everything, as if he alone could mold the world to his vision of it. Park could ignore the less savory parts of the Republican Party because the prejudice andthe policies didn’t affect him directly...as long as he stayed in the closet.
“Pretty sure fucking another man will make you seem gay,” Reed said, raising an eyebrow. “Because here’s the other thing I found.”
