“City council mayor?”
“Yeah.”
“What didhewant?”
Colin arched his eyebrows and stared at his husband.
“Oh god,no!” Joshua moaned out. “Oh, god, Colin,pleasetell me they don’t….”
“They want me to run for Chris Bridges’ seat.”
Joshua’s mouth fell open. “Are yougoingto?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to commit to anything like that without talking toyou.” He turned to David. “Can I take it from the shit-eating grin you’re wearing that you think this is a good idea?”
David laughed out loud. “No, that isnotthe message I mean to convey with my shit-eating grin.”
“Whatisyour message?” Joshua asked him. “Do you think heshould?”
David laughed out loud again. “I think it’s an entertaining notion. And though it would be great fun to turn Colin loose in our city government… I donotthink he should do it.”
“Thankgod!” Colin breathed out. “Jesus, Josh, tell me you agree with Davy.”
“Oh, hell, yes, I agree with him! You’d be taking on another full-time job. It’d be worse than law school! I’dneversee you!”
“Atleastanother full-time job,” David told them. “One that had you hip-deep in city politics and driven crazy by sycophants and glad-handers begging for political favors.”
“I didn’t think our little city council had that kind of clout!”
“They award alotof city contracts,” David told them. “Lucrativecity contracts! And I feel sure they’re eager to tag you as city attorney, which would tack on atonof hours doing some reallydeadlyboring free attorneying.”
“Yeah, they mentioned it.” He took Joshua’s hand. “Look, Idon’twant to do this. But saying ‘no’ to it pretty much shuts the door on me ever going into city government.”
“Nah! Colin, that’s just not so,” David told him. “They’ll be back begging you to run every time someone retires. Take my word for it.” He nudged Colin’s elbow. “Hell, they’ve askedmethree times.” He leaned toward Colin. “But I’m also here to tell you not to give them an answer until I’ve helped you fashion a plausible enoughreasonfor turning it down that you don’t raise any hackles down at city hall.”
“You mean telling them ‘I hate fucking politics onlyslightlyless than I hate fucking politicians’ isn’t a good strategy?”
“I’ll help you work out a rejection statement that’s so filled with regret and appreciation for the offer that they’ll be standing in line to ask you again.”
“I don’twantthem to ask me again!”
“Tell me this: do you, as an officer of the court in Charlottesville, want the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to have a good working relationship with the Charlottesville city council, who - by the way - determine your salary?”
“I do.”
“Then I’d skip the part about hating politics and politicians. Because, like it or not, your job will always be entwined with the politics of this city. You work for the Commonwealth!”
“Why haven’t they asked Esther? She’s the oneI’dwant!”
“They HAVE! About a dozen times! Her polite and regret-filled refusals are the stuff of legend.”
“I didn’t get to talk to her before I left, but she gave me a weird look. So did Norm.”
“I bet theydid!”
“Have they askedhim?”
“Clayton?”
