Someone elseasked if Park had dated Zoe Haufman. “No. I met her once, long enough for us to get our photo taken together, and her parents are donors, but that was the extent of our relationship.”
Through all of it, Park kept remarkably calm despite how he must have been feeling, one of his superpowers that made him a good politician. A few members of the press asked rude questions, but Park was nevervisibly rattled. In fact, he seemed happy.
Maybe it was because of the weight finally lifted off his shoulders.
After fifteen minutes of questions, Martha shut down the press conference and sent everyone away. Once the room cleared, Park let out a breath. He took his arm out of the sling and rubbed his wrist; it clearly still bothered him. But then he smiled at Jackson. So Jackson smiledback and walked to him.
“I did it,” Park said.
“I’ll say.” Jackson touched Park’s arm and leaned in for a quick kiss.
Park practically beamed.
“It was the right thing to do,” Martha said, sparing a glance at Dan, who grumbled as if he still disagreed.
Probably he did. Jackson didn’t care.
Martha pulled Park aside to have a sotto voce conversation. Jackson held back. They’dspent most of the previous afternoon meeting about this very press conference. Martha had poll numbers and had run a bunch of statistical models, and all of her data indicated Park would take a hit from this announcement, but not a big enough one to push him out of the race. Sam had a statement to the press ready to go, and indeed now sat on the floor with his laptop in his lap, probably sendingit out.
And Jackson had spent the last two days wondering if he could really handle being in a relationship with a politician and had concluded that, because it was Park, he’d figure out how to do all this.
“The situation with the press is about to get bad again, isn’t it?” Jackson asked when Martha and Park walked over to him.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll never get to leave the hotel again,”Park said with a frown.
“It’ll blow over. A friend of mine who works at thePostsays they’re about to break some juicy story about a teacher at one of the elite high schools fudging students’ grades in return for kickbacks from parents. You’ll be old news by the end of the day.” Martha’s delight rang across in her voice.
Jackson laughed. “I can’t tell if you’re more excited to have thespotlight taken away or by the scandal.”
“Some of both.”
Park rolled his eyes. “I’m starving. Can we go eat?”
“Coming out of the closet builds up an appetite, eh?” said Martha. “Lucky for you, I’ve got Dee and Dum on standby. There’s a pub on Columbus with good mac and cheese that I think we can get in and out of before the news spreads too far. Want to give it a shot?”
“Soundsgood to me. Come with us?” Park shot Jackson a puppy dog look.
Jackson smiled. Yeah, he was smitten enough he’d follow Park anywhere. “Lead the way.”
