I’d most likely babble and feel more like an idiot.
Every so often I’d also come across his name if I looked something up in the Congressional Record, and once I even caught him on C-SPAN when he was speaking on the floor. Knowing it would only make me depressed, I never looked at his voting record. Like any freshman, he voted the party line. I did notice bills he introduced or co-sponsored, and I was always happy to see that none of them were too offensive to me. Some I might have even voted for myself. And when he spoke on the floor, he was pretty amazing. He was eloquent and looked great on camera. When I started getting too enthralled, I’d change the channel to the C-SPAN 2 to see some geezer senator lecture the empty Senate chamber.
There were the occasions when I would see Michael with other women. Like every member of Congress, he spent a good part of his day just walking back and forth to votes, hearings, and then meetings and more meetings. The best use of time was to have mobile meetings with people as you made your way from one appointment to the next. I did it all the time with staffers, colleagues, lobbyists, and even constituents. Somehow when I saw Michael walking alone with a woman, I always suspected there was more to the conversation than just congressional business.
This was especially true when crazy Cathy Mathers was at his side, fawning all over him. Maybe he was getting to know her better, and he really liked her. I watched once as she tossed her head back laughing at something he said as they walked down First Street, no doubt to the cozy confines of the Republican National Committee. Was he flirting with her? They’d called him an eligible bachelor, but he really wasn’t yet. Should he be flirting with her if he was in the middle of the divorce? He was a smart guy. Didn’t he think she was even a little bit ridiculous? The next time, I’d see him alone with a guy, and I wondered if it was all in my head.
Long ago, I’d admitted to myself that I was lonely, so I tried to put it all in perspective. I hadn’t had a serious relationship in a few years, and lord knows a woman mayor couldn’t go around having meaningless flings. Male mayors could get away with it, but there was no way a woman could. Now I was in an even higher profile job with immense stress. It was no wonder I wanted attention from a man.
Since I’d broken my ankle, Alan had been attentive to some of my needs, looking in on me and lending a hand when I needed one. We’d gotten to know one another fairly well. He was also a Democrat, so there were no messy political debates. Alan didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to ask me out, but I hadn’t encouraged it. I wasn’t sure if I’d like that or not. He was adorable in his own way, but there was just something boring about him. He was almost too nice.
That’s how Michael was different. On the surface, we had nothing in common, yet I was drawn to him, and I swore there was a spark between us before I went off on my health care tirade.
I tried to explain the attraction away by likening it to a silly crush I had on a popular fraternity boy. He’d been in the same English class my freshman year, and caught my eye the moment he pronounced Evelyn Waugh’s name properly and then corrected a stupid sorority girl, informing her that Mr. Waugh had been a man, not a woman. I was smitten, but you know what? He was still a member of one of the dumbest frats on campus, and he dated girls who drank and made out with other girls in bars as if they were being filmed for Girls Gone Wild . My crush was over by the end of the semester. I was hoping for the same with Michael.
~~~
One night in the spring, Larry and I walked into the local D.C. Boys and Girls Club. Larry was scheduled to speak at the open house for the new facility, built partially with donations from the NFL. Trish wasn’t up for it, so I tagged along as a supportive friend. My cast was off, the crutches were
Every so often I’d also come across his name if I looked something up in the Congressional Record, and once I even caught him on C-SPAN when he was speaking on the floor. Knowing it would only make me depressed, I never looked at his voting record. Like any freshman, he voted the party line. I did notice bills he introduced or co-sponsored, and I was always happy to see that none of them were too offensive to me. Some I might have even voted for myself. And when he spoke on the floor, he was pretty amazing. He was eloquent and looked great on camera. When I started getting too enthralled, I’d change the channel to the C-SPAN 2 to see some geezer senator lecture the empty Senate chamber.
There were the occasions when I would see Michael with other women. Like every member of Congress, he spent a good part of his day just walking back and forth to votes, hearings, and then meetings and more meetings. The best use of time was to have mobile meetings with people as you made your way from one appointment to the next. I did it all the time with staffers, colleagues, lobbyists, and even constituents. Somehow when I saw Michael walking alone with a woman, I always suspected there was more to the conversation than just congressional business.
This was especially true when crazy Cathy Mathers was at his side, fawning all over him. Maybe he was getting to know her better, and he really liked her. I watched once as she tossed her head back laughing at something he said as they walked down First Street, no doubt to the cozy confines of the Republican National Committee. Was he flirting with her? They’d called him an eligible bachelor, but he really wasn’t yet. Should he be flirting with her if he was in the middle of the divorce? He was a smart guy. Didn’t he think she was even a little bit ridiculous? The next time, I’d see him alone with a guy, and I wondered if it was all in my head.
Long ago, I’d admitted to myself that I was lonely, so I tried to put it all in perspective. I hadn’t had a serious relationship in a few years, and lord knows a woman mayor couldn’t go around having meaningless flings. Male mayors could get away with it, but there was no way a woman could. Now I was in an even higher profile job with immense stress. It was no wonder I wanted attention from a man.
Since I’d broken my ankle, Alan had been attentive to some of my needs, looking in on me and lending a hand when I needed one. We’d gotten to know one another fairly well. He was also a Democrat, so there were no messy political debates. Alan didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to ask me out, but I hadn’t encouraged it. I wasn’t sure if I’d like that or not. He was adorable in his own way, but there was just something boring about him. He was almost too nice.
That’s how Michael was different. On the surface, we had nothing in common, yet I was drawn to him, and I swore there was a spark between us before I went off on my health care tirade.
I tried to explain the attraction away by likening it to a silly crush I had on a popular fraternity boy. He’d been in the same English class my freshman year, and caught my eye the moment he pronounced Evelyn Waugh’s name properly and then corrected a stupid sorority girl, informing her that Mr. Waugh had been a man, not a woman. I was smitten, but you know what? He was still a member of one of the dumbest frats on campus, and he dated girls who drank and made out with other girls in bars as if they were being filmed for Girls Gone Wild . My crush was over by the end of the semester. I was hoping for the same with Michael.
~~~
One night in the spring, Larry and I walked into the local D.C. Boys and Girls Club. Larry was scheduled to speak at the open house for the new facility, built partially with donations from the NFL. Trish wasn’t up for it, so I tagged along as a supportive friend. My cast was off, the crutches were
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