“The people that run the community have the money, and they're at the municipality meetings," Neal shot back.
"I think it's worth a conversation about changing up our approach,” Todd said carefully in the tense silence. “We could plan for you to have a good mix of traditional events and more casual community-based events on your summer schedule.”
“Casual? Our campaign strategy is to turn the mayor into a weekend baseball dad? This is politics, not a popularity contest at the PTA meeting,” Neal said.
“Your polling numbers are suggesting it’s a popularity contest that you’re losing,” Amber shot back. She looked at Theo directly. “This isn't your father's campaign anymore. Even your election signs need a modern twist: ‘honoring tradition, leading with integrity’ is great, but the younger generation of voters want to be seen and heard about things that matter to their generation, not their parents’ and grandparents’.
“That photo with my niece was all over social media. People need to see an accessible side of the mayor instead of seeing you hobnobbing with rich, old guys on the golf course.” Amber knew she’d offended Theo as soon as she said it, but it was too late. Theo’s eyes went cool, and his jaw tightened, but it was true. Neal was out of touch if he thought Theo could win an election with the same old strategy they had used for Theo’s grandpa’s time in office, for crying out loud.
"Why are you even in this meeting?" Neal said. “Shouldn’t you be getting us coffee?”
No, he did not just say that. Amber was saved from a response that most likely would have resulted in her being fired by Theo.
"Neal," Theo barked. “Uncalled for.”
“I apologize,” Neal said, looking anything but sorry. “We’re not running a campaign on whimsy and feel-good moments. We need serious strategies for serious voters. Not...whatever thisis,” he waved his hang vaguely at Amber. The message was clear as a bell.
Her face blazed, and she bit down on her lip hard in order to not tell Neal where he could put that coffee. So what if he didn’t like her ideas? She was mediocre at most things, but she knew people. SheknewTheo’s campaign needed new life breathed into it or he was going to lose.
“Thank you for your input, Amber,” Theo said, tight-lipped and stiff, in the tense silence. “Neal is right. We need to concentrate on our key demographic. These distractions aren’t going to win an election. Let’s move on to discussing the budget."
For the rest of the meeting, Amber tried not to take it personally that Theo had essentially sided with Creepy Neal. She knew the pressure he was under, and that new ideas were a risk.
She knew all that, but it still stung to be dismissed.
“He’s not goingto be happy about this,” Todd murmured, leaning over Amber’s desk to look at her computer on Friday morning. “He despises social media.”
Amber grinned. “Who doesn’t have social profiles in this day and age? It’s a missed opportunity.” She clicked on the last tab and voilà—Mayor Theo Clairmont had his own accounts across all the major social channels.
Northfield had its own social accounts for the town of course, but Theo needed his own profiles to work for him. It was basic public relations, and now her boss had one too. With an updated slogan.
Theo Clairmont
Serving historic Northfield, NY. A New Chapter for Northfield.
Reach out, share your vision, and let’s make it happen together.
#MayorClairmont #NorthfieldNY #NorthfieldForward
She was quite proud of her little project. Since the disastrous meeting on Monday, she had spent the week being the perfect personal assistant despite Theo giving her suspicious looks every day as if he were waiting for her to get herself fired.
Oh, she still left him cheeky Post-its, and she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking in to organize his files and tidy up his desk, but she had been laying low for the most part.
Until this morning when she had been scrolling her socials and saw Philip Beckerman’s post. It was a photo of him and his kids and a big, goofy white poodle right before he threw the first pitch at a Northfield Little League baseball game. The post had almost three thousand likes and it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours.
That washeridea.
Granted, it wasn’t something that hadn’t been done by hundreds of mayors of small towns before, but she knew what a great event that would have been for the mayor to do. Plus, Theo would have enjoyed it, she knew it. The man needed some fun in his life.
Instead, he was going to boring historical lunches that Neal had set up. What a waste.
So, on a whim, she decided to bring Theo into the twenty-first century.
“I hear the boss now. Well, it’s been nice knowing you,” Todd winked and ducked out of the doorway just as Theo greeted Diane on his way in. He’d had a breakfast speaking engagement at a local university earlier, and she hadn’t seen him yet today.
“Coward,” she called after him. “Good morning, boss,” she chirped when Theo stopped in her office doorway.
He held up two yellow Post-its. “Lily Hart requestsa permit for goat yoga on the village green?” One eyebrow rose in skepticism.
