CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Reynolds
My weekly meeting with Melda Rogers started out great.
“Well, Reynolds, it’s early August. We’re almost exactly three months out from the election, and things are looking rosy again.
Even with Jasper Hill having Thaddeus Clammett’s backing, you’re polling at an eighty percent approval rating.
Ninety percent of those polled said they’d be voting for you.
Eight percent said they would vote for Jasper Hill.
One percent each said they’d vote for either that lady who says she’s a witch or the guy who owns Dinardo’s Deli.
” She smiled at me. She looked relaxed as she sat in the chair in front of my desk.
“That’s wonderful news,” I said, but in the back of my mind I was worried about Thaddeus Clammett. I didn’t think he was finished in his push to get Hill elected instead of me. He didn’t give up easily.
“It is,” she agreed. “So, unless anything terrible happens, you barely even need me. We should cruise to a win in November.”
Melda wasn’t usually so optimistic, and her predictions were starting to make me uneasy.
She looked at her watch. “Oh, let’s turn on West Bay Today. This is the morning that Jacie Jankins is interviewing Jasper Hill.”
“I didn’t realize that was happening.”
She turned away from the TV, remote in hand, and looked at me. “I told you last week. It’s not like you to forget something like that.”
I decided not to tell her I’d been distracted by a long-haired stunner with the face of an angel and a perfect hourglass figure. I swallowed hard. “Did you also say that she’d be having me on for an interview soon?”
“Yes. You’re going on air with her next Wednesday.” She turned the TV on just in time to catch Jasper Hill walking onstage and waving to the crowd, who went crazy. He shook hands with Jacie Jankins, the long-time host of West Bay’s only local morning show, before sitting down.
“Wow,” Jacie Jankins said. “Did you hear that welcome you got, Mr. Hill? Your supporters showed up in droves.” The camera panned out to show the studio crowd.
“My God,” Melda said, looking shocked. “There are a lot of people in the crowd today. Is that Thaddeus Clammett front and center?” Her voice had gone shrill. “What the hell is he doing there?”
A pit formed in my stomach, and I put my coffee cup down. “I mean, you knew he was supporting Hill now, remember?”
“Yes, I knew that. I guess I just didn’t expect him to do it so publicly. He never showed up for things like that for you.”
True. But then he hadn’t been pushing an agenda then. The agenda to make sure I wasn’t re-elected.
Melda and I settled into our chairs, which were angled to see the TV on the wall to the right of my desk. Both of us were perched a little anxiously on the edge of our seats.
When the audience applause died down, Jacie welcomed Hill to the show.
“We’re so glad to have you here with us today, Mr. Hill.
” She gestured to the audience, and the camera went wide once again.
“And of course your beautiful wife and adorable children are here as well.” His family waved to the camera.
“I noticed that you have some powerful political backers in your corner today.”
“Yes, Ms. Jankins…”
“Oh,” she giggled, “please call me Jacie.”
“Of course. Thank you, Jacie.” Hill gave her a big smile and the TV host grinned and blushed like a schoolgirl.
“Good grief,” mumbled Melda. “Hill’s handsome enough, but he’s nothing compared to you.”
I didn’t even offer thanks. I was too concerned about where this debacle was heading.
“As I was saying, Jacie, I’ve been fortunate in recent weeks to have several former supporters of Mayor Taylor come over to my side. It’s a great vote of confidence and has already done a lot for my candidacy.”
Melda’s face had lost all color. “Several? What the fuc…”
“That’s amazing!” Jacie practically clapped her hands. “Why do you think they quit supporting Reynolds Taylor?”
Hill had been nothing but nice in his comments about me in the media up to this point, but I suspected that was about to change.
He got a smirk on his face. “Honestly? They cited a belief that it’s time for a change for West Bay, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Jacie Jankins leaned forward, eating this up. “Can you speak to some of those changes?”
“Certainly. First,” Hill said, staring into the camera, his brown eyes warm, “I’d like to address the fact that Mayor Taylor seems to believe that violent crime in West Bay should be expected.
I don’t agree with that at all. I believe if the police force has the proper budget to handle increased crime as the population grows, which they do, then the problem will solve itself.
We don’t need any costly task forces or initiatives set up with taxpayer dollars as Mayor Taylor proposes.
The police department just needs to do their job. ”
Jesus. He wouldn’t be getting law enforcement’s votes.
Jacie Jankins looked nonplussed at his statements. “Um… what else, Jasper?”
“I also don’t think the population increase is a good thing, like Mayor Taylor does.”
“What do you mean, Mr. Hill?”
“Mayor Taylor has worked to bring lower tax rates to industry to attract new businesses to town. With new businesses downtown comes growth, and growth can lead to crime if the budget isn’t managed properly.
Of course, those lower taxes also benefit long-standing businesses in West Bay, such as Mayor Taylor’s friends the Salazar family and his own family’s spice business. ”
Jacie blinked at Hill for so long without saying anything, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. No one went after the Salazar family.
But Hill just had. On TV. In front of the biggest audience in West Bay.
“Well,” Jacie said, clearing her throat. “Isn’t that interesting?” Everyone knew the Salazar family owned the television station for which she worked. Except maybe Hill. “We’ll be right back with more of our conversation with mayoral candidate Jasper Hill.”
Melda and I looked at each other as soon as the commercials came on.
Then our eyes snapped back to the TV. The commercial was the first TV ad I’d seen for Jasper Hill.
It was about family values. It showed Jasper, hand in hand with his wife and holding his youngest child as his family of five walked into church together.
His locally adored parents followed just behind them.
Then the camera cut to a montage of me over the past four years.
Each photograph showcased me with a different beautiful woman on my arm.
There were a lot of photos. Nico Salazar, whose reputation with the ladies was even worse than mine, was often in the photograph with a woman on each arm as I grinned right beside him.
“Oh God.” I put my head in my hands to avoid the images.
I couldn’t drown out the sound, though. “Jasper Hill puts his family first and West Bay second. But Mayor Reynolds Taylor… well, does he even have a family? It seems like he’s too busy spending time with hundreds of beautiful women and his playboy friends to even think about settling down.”
Jesus. This was terrible.
And then the show came back on.
Jacie seemed to have recovered from the Salazar comment. “We’re here today with Jasper Hill, who’s running for mayor against universally beloved standing mayor Reynolds Taylor. Mr. Hill,” she turned back to him, “what else do you think you could do better than our current mayor?”
He grinned at her. “Well, I know I don’t look like a movie star like he does, Jacie, but I sure do value my family. I can’t say the same thing for Mayor Taylor. When I’m mayor of West Bay, I’ll be bringing traditional family values back to our great city.”
Jacie cocked her head. “Mayor Taylor has been dating socialite Whitney Masters for several months now, and it appears that they’re serious.”
Hill laughed. The fucker laughed. “We’ll see how long that sticks, Jacie.”
Jacie Jankins’ eyes widened, but she nodded. I’m guessing she didn’t think this interview was going to be quite so divisive. “I hear what you’re saying, Mr. Hill, and I understand that you also take issue with Mayor Taylor’s sporadic church attendance.”
“Sporadic? Non-existent is more like it.”
“And you think it’s important for the mayor to attend church?”
“I do. The mayor is in such an influential position, but the only places the current mayor is seen regularly besides his mansion and city hall are nightclubs and swanky restaurants that most of us regular people can’t afford to frequent.” Hill gave the camera a big smile.
“So, are you saying that Reynolds Taylor isn’t a ‘regular’ person?”
“Do you think he is?” he asked in disbelief.
The crowd clapped. “No, Jacie, I don’t think he’s your average West Bay citizen.
He inherited billions of dollars. Billions with a ‘b.’ He invested in stocks and made even more money.
He’s set to inherit the wildly successful Taylor Spice company.
He dates models, actresses, and heiresses.
He wears Tom Ford suits. He has a personal driver and rides around town in a Rolls Royce Ghost. If he didn’t live in the Mayor’s Mansion, he’d live in one of his three other residences.
And they’re all nicer than the Mayor’s Mansion.
So, no, in answer to your question, I don’t think he’s just a regular guy. ”
“You’ve made some good points, for sure,” Jacie Jankins said.
She was in a difficult position. She wasn’t known for being a hard-nosed reporter.
She was a gossip queen. She was trying to toe the line between agreeing too much with Jasper Hill and potentially turning off viewers and being seen as biased in favor of me.
Plus, she knew I was probably watching, and that I was coming on her show next week. I didn’t envy her.
“So,” Jacie continued, “anything else you’d like to say? We have time for perhaps one more point.”
“Sure, Jacie. I’d like to talk about how much I love West Bay. I know Mayor Taylor often says that no one loves West Bay like he does. If that’s true, why did he leave our great city so often?”
“What do you mean, Mr. Hill?” Jacie smiled awkwardly at the camera, as if hoping they were going to tell her she had to cut to the next segment.
They didn’t.
“Well, I went to school right here in West Bay. From my elementary school years, all the way through college at West Bay University, I’ve never left town.
I work in our new downtown area in the Lancaster building.
I eat in West Bay, go to church in West Bay, vacation in West Bay at the beach, send my children to school in West Bay, my wife and parents work in West Bay… I could go on.”
“And how does that relate to our current mayor?” Jacie looked confused. But I wasn’t.
“I’m glad you asked. Mayor Taylor went to elementary school through high school at a prestigious Southern boarding school. It happens to be the same one the Salazar men went to as well. When he graduated, did he come home to West Bay to attend our world-renowned school of business at West Bay U.?”
“I’m guessing no?” Jacie said.
“That’s right. Mayor Taylor went to Harvard for his undergrad and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School for his MBA.
After graduation, he still didn’t come home.
No, he went to New York City, worked in the New York office of Taylor Spice, and made millions in the stock market.
He didn’t come back for good until he was twenty-six years old.
” He turned and looked into the camera. “So, I ask you—how can Mayor Taylor love West Bay so much if he hasn’t even lived here that long?
He was only here full time for two years before he ran for mayor. ”
When the camera panned back to Jacie, she was owl-eyed and standing up.
“These are all excellent points. I’m sure Mayor Taylor will have a lot of answers when he comes on with us next Wednesday.
For now, I’d like to thank Jasper Hill and his family for coming on the show today.
” The audience clapped wildly as the camera panned to Hill.
He was holding two of his three children while his wife stood beside him, her hands on the shoulders of their smiling third child. They looked like the perfect family.
“Thanks for having us,” Hill said, then he and his family waved at the cameras as the closing song started playing.
The first commercial was another Hill campaign ad.
This one showed pictures of Jasper and his wife through the years, growing up side by side in West Bay.
Then they switched to pictures of me in my boarding school uniforms, then at Harvard and the Wharton School, then out at clubs and restaurants in New York with semi-famous women.
The background audio talked about our stark differences and about how Hill was a true product of West Bay while I was an outsider.
Melda turned the TV off.
We sat there in silence for a long time.
When she broke the silence, it was to ask a question I didn’t want to answer.
“Clammett didn’t just go over to Jasper Hill’s side over something minor. Did you do something to piss Thaddeus Clammett off in a major way?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you not want to tell me what it was?”
“Not really.” No way in hell, actually.
“Gotcha. Any way you can get him back on your side?”
“Nope.” There was no way I was going to back down and take him up on his offer to back me instead of Jasper Hill as long as I let him ‘have’ Nadine one day a week for the next few months. That wasn’t happening.
“This is bad, Reynolds.”
“Yes, Melda, I gathered that.” I got up and went to stare out the window. “I guess we need to hire someone to make some commercials.”
“I know a company. I’ll call them when we’re finished.”
“Are we not finished?”
She looked depressed, anxious, and sad. I felt a bit bad for her. She’d looked so happy and relaxed just twenty minutes ago. “Whatever you do, Reynolds, don’t be seen with anyone other than Whitney Masters. Okay? No other women, period.”
“Gotcha.” I rubbed my temples. If I could go back in time and not do the auction…but no, I was enjoying myself too much with Nadine to even think that.
I’d just have to do damage control.
Jasper Hill had come out to play, thanks to Thaddeus Clammett, and I needed to be ready to defend myself on TV next week.
A thought crossed my mind. A terrible thought.
It was imperative that no one had seen us or taken a picture of Nadine and me outside Bahia Del Sol.
Luckily, I didn’t think they had.