“It’s Taylor, Kim. Call meTaylor.”
“Ma’am, with all due respect, I can’t call you Taylor. And… I can't be your chief of staff. I’m just an intern.”
“Kim, did you get into this business to get shit done or talk about the shit that you can’t do?”
“To get shit done,” Kimberly quietly confirmed. “I wanna get shit done,” she repeated with a bit more confidence.
Taylor smiled. “Well, all right, Miss Graham. Let’s get to work.”
VICTOR
“They’ve called Minnesota for us, Governor.” Nathan, Victor’s campaign manager, grinned from ear to ear when he approached. “Ohio as well.”
“Indiana? Illinois?” Victor asked.
Taylor chuckled and narrowed her eyes at her husband. Victor knew it was a weird question to ask. Yet, he asked, nonetheless.
“Of course, you won Indiana and Illinois. In what crazy alternate universe would you have not won the state that you govern?”
“I’m just checking.”
Kena entered the suite and looked around at the chaos. She wasn’t new to campaigning, but the presidential campaign was a completely different animal.
“Have you been downstairs yet?” Victor asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, how is it?”
Kena peeled off her blazer and chuckled. “Energetic.” She tossed it on the back of the sofa and walked to Taylor. “I heard you fired your stylist.”
Taylor turned to Kena and crossed her arms. “I sure did. Whatchu gon do? Whoop my ass?”
Kena blew out a frustrated breath. “I should!” she squealed. “Firing your stylist on election day is crazy!”
Taylor raised a brow. “Girl,” you should see what she picked out for me. It was like she’d gone into Valentino and bought the ugliest milk-maid getup she could find.”
Kena giggled. “Was it really that bad?”
Victor chuckled, amused by the lighthearted banter between Kena and Taylor. It was heartwarming to watch the growing friendship between the women in his life. Kena wavedTaylor off and turned to him with a smirk. “You took Cali, by the way.”
Victor laughed and scanned the suite for Jaysen. He found him by the coffee machine with his cellphone pressed against his ear. “You hear that, Baby Bro? Hollywood just voted republican! I’m a bad man!”
Victor’s boisterous bravado was silenced by the look in Jaysen’s eyes when he ended the call. Whatever news he was carrying had caused him to turn pale. Had he just gathered information about the election that the rest of them were not privy to?
Victor watched Jaysen inhale a deep breath and stuff his phone in the pocket of his suit coat. As he walked their way, Victor could tell that his little brother was stilling himself to share the very news that had just turned him white as a sheet. He suspected that whatever Jaysen had to say to, had nothing to do with the election.
Victor stood warily and weaved through busy staffers to meet Jaysen halfway. “What?” he mouthed, hoping that he’d misjudged his brother’s demeanor.
Sadly, the tears pooling in his eyes proved that he had not.
CHAPTER 40
NIYAH
The hospital administrator ushered them into the hospital’s family room. “Dr. Creed, you should be comfortable here. I’ve sent for some water and muffins.”
“Thank you, Melinda.”
