how about another slice of pizza?”
The room cheered and applauded. Bonnie opened the pizza box and placed a cold slice of pepperoni pizza on a paper plate and handed it to Gia. She took one bite and joined in the fun, staying about ten minutes. Then someone suggested they take the party to a nearby restaurant. Everyone quickly agreed and began cleaning up for the next day. Gia declined, then went back to her office. She sat down and tossed yet another slice of cold pizza on her desk.
A few minutes later Bonnie came barging into the office. “Oh, my God, Gia, you are never gonna believe who just walked into the front office,” Bonnie said excitedly. “Guess, guess, come on, guess. You are never gonna guess. I swear, never.”
“Who is it, Bonnie?” Gia asked dryly.
Bonnie’s eyes sparkled. “Keith Washington.”
Gia looked up. “What?”
“I know, I can’t believe it,” Bonnie said.
“He’s here, right now in the office?” Gia clarified.
Bonnie nodded nonstop and nearly squealed. “Yeah, he is. How crazy is that? He’s outside talking to the others.”
Danny came up behind Bonnie. “What’s he doing here? Did you call him? What does he want with you?”
Gia ignored Danny’s questions. She was too busy trying to get her senses back. Her stomach dropped as if she’d just fallen from the roof of the Empire State Building. Her heart began to race and her hands shook. She stood up and looked around the office, seeing everything perfectly in place. “Okay, fine, ask him to come in,” she said, faking calm. Bonnie nodded and hurried back to the front. A few seconds later he knocked on the open door and stepped aside smiling.
Keith Washington stood in the doorway of her office looking exactly as he had looked a few hours ago. Gia walked over. “Mr. Washington, good evening, please come in.”
“Ms. Duncan,” he said, extending his hand to shake. “Thank you for seeing me without an appointment. I usually don’t just barge in like this. I hope I’m not disturbing you too much.”
“No, not at all, have a seat,” she said as she went back to stand behind her desk. He remained standing.
“I apologize for the lateness of the hour. I won’t take up much of your time.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Washington?”
“First of all, you can call me Keith, please,” he requested. She nodded. “I’ll get right to the point. I’d like to facilitate an open dialogue with the mayor’s office as I have done with a number of other citywide community organizations.”
“That would be acceptable,” she said.
“Good. I’ll have my assistant contact you in the next few days,” he said, turning to leave.
She knew she should have just let him walk out, but she couldn’t. “You know the people of this city expected great things from the mayor and city council on all levels. Your father made a number of generous promises regarding housing, education and a comprehensive jobs plan initiative. Now three and a half years later he wants us to give him more time to ignore every one of his erroneous promises again. I don’t think so. Not this time.”
Keith stopped and turned back to her. “First of all, Ms. Duncan, you need to read not only transcripts of the mayor’s speeches, but also your own literature. OCC has backed Blake Washington both as city council member and mayor for the last ten years. And believe me when I say he does not make erroneous promises. You need to check your facts. Understand this, the mayor’s one and only concern is to help this city and further its economic growth.”
She nodded. “To play devil’s advocate, perhaps that can best be accomplished by a new mayor in the office.”
“You mean like Lester Jameson?” Keith asked.
“Hypothetically, yes. He has a reputation for helping the people.”
“If you say so. I’m sure you of all people would know best.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everyone knows that Lester Jameson has OCC in his pocket,
The room cheered and applauded. Bonnie opened the pizza box and placed a cold slice of pepperoni pizza on a paper plate and handed it to Gia. She took one bite and joined in the fun, staying about ten minutes. Then someone suggested they take the party to a nearby restaurant. Everyone quickly agreed and began cleaning up for the next day. Gia declined, then went back to her office. She sat down and tossed yet another slice of cold pizza on her desk.
A few minutes later Bonnie came barging into the office. “Oh, my God, Gia, you are never gonna believe who just walked into the front office,” Bonnie said excitedly. “Guess, guess, come on, guess. You are never gonna guess. I swear, never.”
“Who is it, Bonnie?” Gia asked dryly.
Bonnie’s eyes sparkled. “Keith Washington.”
Gia looked up. “What?”
“I know, I can’t believe it,” Bonnie said.
“He’s here, right now in the office?” Gia clarified.
Bonnie nodded nonstop and nearly squealed. “Yeah, he is. How crazy is that? He’s outside talking to the others.”
Danny came up behind Bonnie. “What’s he doing here? Did you call him? What does he want with you?”
Gia ignored Danny’s questions. She was too busy trying to get her senses back. Her stomach dropped as if she’d just fallen from the roof of the Empire State Building. Her heart began to race and her hands shook. She stood up and looked around the office, seeing everything perfectly in place. “Okay, fine, ask him to come in,” she said, faking calm. Bonnie nodded and hurried back to the front. A few seconds later he knocked on the open door and stepped aside smiling.
Keith Washington stood in the doorway of her office looking exactly as he had looked a few hours ago. Gia walked over. “Mr. Washington, good evening, please come in.”
“Ms. Duncan,” he said, extending his hand to shake. “Thank you for seeing me without an appointment. I usually don’t just barge in like this. I hope I’m not disturbing you too much.”
“No, not at all, have a seat,” she said as she went back to stand behind her desk. He remained standing.
“I apologize for the lateness of the hour. I won’t take up much of your time.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Washington?”
“First of all, you can call me Keith, please,” he requested. She nodded. “I’ll get right to the point. I’d like to facilitate an open dialogue with the mayor’s office as I have done with a number of other citywide community organizations.”
“That would be acceptable,” she said.
“Good. I’ll have my assistant contact you in the next few days,” he said, turning to leave.
She knew she should have just let him walk out, but she couldn’t. “You know the people of this city expected great things from the mayor and city council on all levels. Your father made a number of generous promises regarding housing, education and a comprehensive jobs plan initiative. Now three and a half years later he wants us to give him more time to ignore every one of his erroneous promises again. I don’t think so. Not this time.”
Keith stopped and turned back to her. “First of all, Ms. Duncan, you need to read not only transcripts of the mayor’s speeches, but also your own literature. OCC has backed Blake Washington both as city council member and mayor for the last ten years. And believe me when I say he does not make erroneous promises. You need to check your facts. Understand this, the mayor’s one and only concern is to help this city and further its economic growth.”
She nodded. “To play devil’s advocate, perhaps that can best be accomplished by a new mayor in the office.”
“You mean like Lester Jameson?” Keith asked.
“Hypothetically, yes. He has a reputation for helping the people.”
“If you say so. I’m sure you of all people would know best.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everyone knows that Lester Jameson has OCC in his pocket,
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