Gynophagia Chronicles: Samantha
Saturday, October 2, 2218, 6PM
Dillon Kramer Campaign Headquarters, Danville, CA
Narrative Reconstructed by Peter Howard
The polls were narrowing. Marcus Jackson was on a roll and catching up, and the mailers were piling up. There were thousands of them. Elizabeth preferred this than making calls and getting hung up on all the time. They had four girls doing that, proven volunteers from schools in Alamo, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. The ten girls that Elizabeth supervised stuffing envelopes “The Mailer Department” were nose to the grindstone types. It took most of last week to weed out the thicko bettys that did nothing but arse around. On Tuesday school was closed again due to an insident.
The journalism students were ecstatic over this, but no one else was. Academics being no small part of a girl's survival, anything that gets in its way is so much more than an annoyance. Extra Curricular activities are the only way to mitigate such things, so, that morning Elizabeth reported to Cindy Livingston and spent the entire day here.
Cindy was quite happy to have her. An extra set of hands to care for menial things were always welcome, especially hands that were competent and serious about the job.
That evening was memorable, however. two idiot giblets that did at all nothing but talk proved too much for Elizabeth to take! She went fuming to Cindy Livingston and began a rant that would have made Da proud!
Cindy Lynch listened with apparent stoicism till Elizabeth was done. Then she strolled over to the two girls and watched them for what seemed like too long. Finally, the girls deigned to take note of this tall, big haired professional standing over them.
“Interesting,” Cindy said. “What exactly does the social happenings at your school have to do with this job here?”
The two looked fearfully at Cindy for a pregnant moment, then the woman fired the two girls on the spot. That was about 5pm Tuesday afternoon. As soon as the two left Cindy called Elizabeth to her desk to tell her she was now in charge of The Mailer Department.
“You give me the names of anyone who doesn't cut it!” Cindy told her.
Elizabeth had been here every afternoon since, and all day today.
Ma was already complaining that Lizzy was never home. “When do ya do yer homework? What time do ya have for it? How are ya eatin'? What are ya eatin'? They're ruddy slave drivers these shites are!”
“Mind yee're language, Woman!” Da roared every time, ending Ma's rant. Elizabeth loved her Ma.
“Irish Miss!” called Cindy.
“Yes, ma'am?”
“I need you to look at this speech,” she called back.
Correcting the speeches Cindy wrote for Congressman Kramer was the other part of Elizabeth's job. Ever since Dillon Kramer delivered Elizabeth's modified speech the first time, he'd insisted the girl have the opportunity adapt the language.
Innitially, Cindy was dubious about it. But as Elizabeth continued to help Cindy marshal the minions, and generally make her life easier, Cindy had warmed to Elizabeth tremendously.
Elizabeth left the Mailer Department (which consisted of one long table with ten girls working furiously), collected the speech from Cindy and went to to take one of the shared desks.
There was only one available. It was directly opposite that tall handsome man with that dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He smiled at her as she sat down. Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat when she looked at his face, she had to avert her eyes for fear of turning to stone.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi,” Elizabeth croaked. She'd noticed him when he came in. Handsome rake, she thought, but was not close enough to really see him. Now she was close. Rake was not the right word. The accident that she might be so near such a man could only be an act of God. Such a face might have Elizabeth pay a tad bit more attention to Da's sermons.
That disarming smile he wore was no accident, either. He was beautiful when it crossed his lips. She could call him a rake, but that seemed so beneath him. Ma would surely say it... “tha' lad is such a rake,” Elizabeth could hear her say, as she often did of attractive men.... All Elizabeth knew is that her heart raced when he turned his eyes to her.
“Miss Livingston says you're one of the goto girls to talk to if I have a question,” the man said.
“Ah...” Elizabeth had no idea how to give her customary witty response to this man. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said. “Can you show me how to use this? It's got me a little lost.”
Thankful for the distraction, Elizabeth walked around the desk to see the papers to which he referred.
“Ah!” she said when she looked at it. “The positions... yes, it's not very well organized, unfortunately. I have an electronic copy on my PDA if ye would like it. Should I send it to ye? That way ye can search it more easily.”
“Would you?” he asked. My god he was beautiful looking up at me like that! Please put yer hands on me! I've no teats! Curse you, Ma, why do ye have teats and I have none? He won't be havin' me on his arm with no teats! “My email is David Colvert, all lower case, at Georgia University dot EDU. David is my name, by the way.”
“Elizabeth,” she said.
“I know,” David smiled in so wickedly beautiful a way. “I kinda asked who you were when I came in.”
Elizabeth very nearly fainted. She returned to her desk and began going over the speech. She found her ability to concentrate completely shaken. She forced herself, but she was noticing David's eyes were constantly looking up at her while he made those cold calls. His nice voice wafted to her ears as he charmed voters over the line with deft eloquence. He was obviously good at searching on his PDA.
“No, Congressman Kramer absolutely supports that. In fact, he voted three times this year, and two more last in favour of bills that were supportive of that issue. I can give you the bill numbers if you like, I have them right here.”
What was this speech about, anyway? Bloody hell. Forming Policy over the conflict between Japan and Australia. Two friends who should not be enemies... blah, blah bloody blah... It was impossible to focus with him sitting there.
Elizabeth stood, smiled at David, who smiled back. Her heart skipped a beat but she managed to go to Cindy.
“Irish Miss, what's up?”
“Miss Livingston,” Elizabeth said. “May I do this outside? The noise... I'm sorry...”
Cindy smiled. “Yeah... that noise, he's too pretty to be around, I get it.”
Caught! Damn! Elizabeth wanted to die.
“Go find a quiet place and get that done. Do what you have to do. I need it as soon as you can get it to me. Dillon's delivering it in an hour.”
“Yes, ma'am,” Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth found a spot in the back, and sat down with her PDA to make alterations to the speech. It took about thirty minutes. She sent it directly to Cindy and walked inside to her desk.
“I just got it,” she said with her big hair shaking. “Not a moment too soon. Go dismiss your girls, I need quiet.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“And help clear the room. It's time to leave people alone. Saturdays evenings are a bad time to do cold calls anyway. Tania! Here, now! Go, Missy, go! See you Monday.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Elizabeth went to her table first and told the girls to go home. Be back Monday. That was when she turned around and bumped smack into David.
“I'm so sorry!”
“My fault,” he said. “I was going to ask you. Would you like a ride home?”
“I.... that's very nice of ye,” she said.
“I'll meet you outside,” he smiled.
True to his word, ten minutes later, David was waiting for her outside. He smiled at her and guided her to a very nice navy blue car. The front seat was huge and comfortable. She slid into it and tried to relax. She wondered at his nice looking hands. Would you put ye're mitts on me? Please?
But David started the car, gave her that smile, and began driving.
“I'd love to have you for dinner,” he said.
“What?”
“Oh, sorry,” he apologized. “That came out wrong. I mean I'd love to take you to dinner. At a restaurant. Are you hungry?”
“A little,” she said. I'm not dressed for dinner.
“I know a very nice bistro just down the street. They serve the best tenderloin. Can we stop there for a quick bite?”
Unable to respond verbally, Elizabeth simply nodded. A date! With a real man! A really beautiful man!
“I have something to show you,” David said.
“Really?”
“It's not... it's something someone put on my desk by accident. I'm not sure what to do about it.”
Elizabeth's head whipped around. “What is it?”
“I'll show you when we get there. Let's talk about you,” David said. “You're Irish, obviously, since they all call you Irish Miss at the office.”
“It's a joke Cindy started.”
“It's adorable,” David said. He was pulling back to the curb, parking the car.
They walked, and Elizabeth's mouth poured out her history, her family, her hopes about politics and how being a speech editor was a dream come true and a frustration at the same time.
“It's like, be careful what you ask for, ye might get it!”
“And you got it,” David smiled, then turned to the Bistro's hostess. “David Colvert.”
“Yes, Mr. Colvert. Your table is ready.”
“You made reservations?”
“I was hoping,” David said.
Elizabeth's senses were on fire. I might not go home tonight! This man might take me tonight! We'll live happily ever after! My God, he might be the one! I can't believe this!
Elizabeth felt awkward as she felt her self waddling to her seat. She fell into it too heavily. There was no place to put her hands. Where do ye put yer hands?
“Anyway,” David said. “I fly back and forth across country, actually. I wanted to support this guy. That's why I volunteered.”
“Where are you from, then?”
“Georgia, actually.”
“And ye come to help on a California Senate campaign? Why?”
“Well, Dillon Kramer is Senator Garvey's protégé, and my father is a huge fan of Senator Garvey. Kramer's platform is identical to Garvey's, so he'd keep the faith, as it were. And I'd love to be able to tell pop I was there when... you know...”
Elizabeth nodded.
“What does your father do?”
“He's retired, now. He worked as a school teacher. May I order for you? You have to try this.”
Elizabeth enjoyed dinner. They spoke of family and dreams. Dinner was probably good. But Elizabeth ate knowing only that the most beautiful man there was sat across from her.
It was dark when they went outside, and cold. He put his jacket over her shoulders as they walked down the street. When he went to unlock the car, he fumbled with the keys nervously. She felt so sorry for him suddenly. Was he nervous? Why?
“Sorry,” he said, finally getting the door open.
In the driver's seat, he put the key in the ignition, then sat back.
“Elizabeth,” he said.
“Yes?”
“I really like you.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
Then kiss me!
“I can't stand it any more. I have to show you this!” He picked up a Manila envelope that was sitting between them and handed it to her.
“What's this?”
“Please read it,” he said, turning on the dome lamp.
Elizabeth read. She read some more. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up.
“I.... isn't this illegal?”
“I'm pretty sure it is,” David said.
“My God, David. Garvey is a criminal! And according to this, Kramer is neck deep in it!”
“Yeah,” David said, nodding. “I can't go back there.”
“We have to warn Cindy!”
“Elizabeth, when this gets out, Cindy and everyone in that office are going to get culled!”
“What? Why?”
“Because they're connected! You can't go back there! You can't! I have to take this... I don't know... the police might try to bury it. Maybe a reporter. I'll have to figure out who's good.”
Elizabeth thought.
“My friend Samantha is good. But she's... I haven't seen her. She's not around. Lee Anne Vickers.”
“Who's that?”
“She gets published in the Herald often enough.”
“Think we can go see her?”
“I can do that, I suppose.”
“Can we go now?”
“Now?”
“Yes,” David said. “I don't want to sit on this. If California politics is anything like Georgia politics, it's life and death. People get killed.”
Elizabeth thought. It's Saturday. It's not yet eight... why not?
Elizabeth made two calls. One to Lee Anne, who would see her now. And one home, to tell Ma that she would not be home till late. Lots of work, she told Ma. Overnight, maybe.
Lee Anne's home was south of the high school by about five blocks.
Lee Anne answered the door looking pretty as ever.
“Nice to meet you,” she said with shining eyes as she met David. She let them into a well appointed home.
The Vickers family consisted of Mr. Vickers four girls. Lee Anne's last twin had been culled in August when school started. Her three remaining sisters were all younger by a year, juniors at Franklin High and Lee Anne's mother had not yet been replaced since she'd been culled herself the year before. Not that Mr. Vickers did not have enough women courting him, he just did not seem interested in any but his five concubines.
Lee Anne gasped as she read and was told the contents of the envelope.
“This is big!” Lee Anne said. “This is flipping huge!”
“It is,” David said. “I don't know where to start. But you're a high school student. I don't know what you can do about it.”
Lee Anne proceeded to explain to David the curriculum of Franklin High and the journalism program there.
“It's one of the most successful in the country!” Lee Anne said making Elizabeth cringe. Elizabeth hated hyperbole, and that certainly was. “I have to fact check some of this,” Lee Anne said. “Can you help me, Liz?”
“I can come after Church tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, cringing at being called “Liz.”
“Okay. Some of this is going to be tough to nail down, I think. Parts of it are easy... I'll do what I can tonight. Can I keep this for now?”
“I don't want it,” David said.
“I'll come tomorrow, then,” Elizabeth promised.
Lee Anne walked them out to David's car, much to Elizabeth's annoyance, and seemed to want to chatter on forever. When they were finally away, Elizabeth lamented that they were far too close to her house. David pulled up to it and Elizabeth sat there.
“I had a nice evening with you,” David said.
“I wish it didn't have to end,” Elizabeth said.
David smiled. “It doesn't.” He leaned in and kissed her. Her first kiss. It surprised her, but did not shock. It sent thrills through her. Her panties were wet.
In short order, Elizabeth had her thighs around David's waist and arms around his neck as he backed her into his hotel room. That night she bled, she cried and she knew utter joy.