For the Record (Record #3)(83)

“No one is even going to know that I wrote it,” she insisted.

“Maybe.”

“They’re here for you, Congressman Maxwell. Not for your scandalous girlfriend.”

“I’m sure someone out there is here for the scandal,” he joked.

Liz rolled her eyes. “Yes, those people seem to be everywhere.”

Liz had managed to avoid the news as much as she could, but Heather was sending sporadic updates when Liz showed up in the papers. The rumors were vicious, and even though Brady insisted that the people were just jealous and looking for a story, she still didn’t like it.

Luckily she was swamped and didn’t have a ton of time to dwell on it. The only thing that she had managed to do in the small moments of spare time she had was to write another article for her Dear Congress column about the environmental fracking legislation that was going around right now. Funny to think that Chelsea had given her the idea.

The editor had turned her column into a biweekly thing, and she didn’t want to miss a post amid her hectic schedule. She had even put the blog with Justin on hold for the time being. She told him she would start up again once the primary was over. It was getting harder and harder to do everything that she had on her plate, but she was trying to keep up.

Chris appeared at their side while Liz was still peering out to Brady’s captivated audience. “Hey. Y’all ready?”

“Of course,” Brady answered immediately. “Good to have you here this year.”

“And you?” he asked Liz with his ever-present goofy grin.

“I’m not the one giving the speech.”

“Still, your first election and you look a little jittery.”

“Gah, am I that obvious?” The guys just shrugged. “What? Are y’all born with the ability to hold your nerves in during the election?”

“Just a lot of practice,” Brady told her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

“Well, where’s Mollie? This is her first election. She should be here nervous with me,” Liz said.

Chris glanced away and grit his teeth. “We, uh . . . broke up.”

“What?” she and Brady asked at the same time.

“You didn’t tell me,” Brady said.

“I know; you’re in the middle of an election.”

“What happened?” Liz asked.

Chris shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “It actually happened after the fund-raising gala. Well, you know she left early for work stuff. That wasn’t the first time that happened. I was fed up with always coming behind work. She didn’t take it very well. It’s been kind of a rough week.”

That sucked. She liked Mollie, but Chris deserved someone who would put him first.

Brady glanced at her and she could see he was thinking the same thing. She was glad that they were on the same wavelength.

“Well, I just wanted to check on y’all. I’m not still in your speeches, am I?” Chris joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I got a new speechwriter,” he said, placing his arm around Liz’s shoulders. “And she insisted that I take you out of them.”

“Thank God. The man needed new material. I was tired of hearing my sad story replayed over and over again,” he said, nudging Brady. Then he turned to Liz. “So, you’re writing his speeches now, huh? Busy girl. Speeches, grad school, and those articles you’re writing.”

“I have to keep up with my boyfriend,” she joked.

Brady kissed her on the top of her head. “You’re the only one who can.”

Chris laughed softly. “I’m glad that Brady manned up and went after you. You two belong together.”

Brady’s team emerged from the back conference room and Chris took that as his cue to leave. Heather and Elliott led the group with Alex trailing, permanently attached to his iPad.

“We just received word that results will be in in a matter of minutes,” Heather told him.

All eyes turned to the mounted television screen, where muted broadcasts of the primary results were taking up the local news channel.

“Do you hear before they announce on television?” Liz asked.

“The results come to us first and then they’re reported out,” Elliott informed her.

Liz realized she was wringing her hands and quickly hid them behind her back. Composed. Resolute. Strong. She repeated the words that Heather had uttered like a chant in her head. It helped her get through the next few agonizing minutes.

“Just got it,” Alex said. Brady’s campaign manager walked forward. “Here we go. Final numbers read fifty-nine to forty-one percent to Congressman Maxwell.”

A cheer rose up from the people backstage with Brady. Liz turned and threw her arms around him. She didn’t know why she had been so freaked out. She knew the likelihood of his losing was small, but this was her first election. She felt compelled to hold on to her nerves for the unknown. Maybe one day this would all seem like a piece of cake, but right now it was fresh and new and exhilarating.

“Congratulations,” she whispered in his ear.

“Thanks, baby.” He squeezed her and then placed her back on her feet.

Everyone backstage seemed to want to come over and congratulate him too. Liz took a step back as Brady shook hands with the team that stood behind him the whole time and then his family. Just as Brady bent down to give his mother a hug, uproarious applause broke out in the convention center.