Post by westernsunset on Nov 8, 2018 3:23:53 GMT 10
Title: New Blood
Rating: R (for language!)
Summary: New addition to my Tortall / West Wing AU featuring presidential candidate Jon, campaign manager Alanna and new speechwriter Gary!
New Blood
Alanna Olau was a busy woman. A national presidential campaign meant she was up every morning at 6am and sometimes didn’t get home until midnight, usually without a moment of rest in between. From the moment she woke up she was answering emails and taking calls from satellite campaign offices across the country. She helped coordinate Jon’s travel, media appearances, and events in every state. Every night, she took a look at the numbers from their various offices to make sure they were on track to meet their voter registration and door-knocking goals. She would strategize with Jon about where to put their scarce resources, approve donor requests, and work on outlines for his speeches. Her head swam with details of the campaign and more than once this week she’d woken up at 3am with a new idea, or something she forgot to do.
It was worth it though. Alanna was passionate about Jon Conte, and his ideas for America. She’d showed up at his campaign office for his second Congressional run and had proven to be a hard-working and intelligent volunteer. For his next campaign, Jon gave her a paid position, both on the campaign and eventually in his district office. By the time he ran for Senate, Alanna was his campaign manager and later his chief of staff (never at the same time of course. Alanna didn’t always take the ethics rules seriously, but Jon did).
She couldn’t even complain about the level of work if she wanted to. It had been her idea for Jon to run for president. She’d laid out the facts, the political reality in this country and made Jon believe not just that he could win, but that his win would change America for the better. She still thought that. But five and a half hours of sleep was enough to make even the most committed supporter question things.
She took a sip from her extra large coffee (first of many that day) and strode into the dark campaign headquarters. As usual, she was the first one there. Or so she thought.
Alanna noticed a light on in her office and she shook her head, smiling. She must have forgotten to turn it off last night.
The first thing she noticed when she walked in was a second desk, crammed into the corner of her not-very-spacious office. The second thing she noticed was a lanky man tapping away at a laptop, who looked up when she came in.
“You must be Alanna,” he said, standing up to shake her hand.
Alanna didn’t move, or rearrange the coffee, Blackberry and folder she was carrying to shake the man’s hand.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, wondering if she should be worried.
“I’m Gary, I’m the new speechwriter,” he said.
“I didn’t hire you.”
“No you didn’t.”
“So why are you here?”
“Senator Conte hired me,” Gary said sheepishly.
“Well this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Alanna said, peeved. “When did he ‘hire’ you?”
“Last week. I was working for Governor Eldorn--”
“Woah woah woah!” Alanna cut him off. Governor Eldorn was the other Democrat running for the nomination who had just dropped out. “You were working for Eldorn last week and now you’re here? Let the body go cold in the grave at least!”
Gary raised his eyebrows. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t seem to have any loyalty to your former boss,” Alanna said, a little louder and a little slower than she needed you. “Jumping ship as soon as he went down.”
Gary knitted his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.
“Well?! Don’t you think so?” Alanna said.
“I don’t,” was Gary’s calm, measured reply.
“Well I do, and I’m the campaign manager, and I don’t want someone I can’t trust on the campaign!” Alanna was shouting now. “So get out of my office!”
“It’s not just your office anymore.” It seemed the angrier Alanna got, the calmer Gary became, and it was starting to piss her off.
“Excuse me!?”
“Senator Conte hired me. If he wants me off the campaign, or he doesn’t trust me, he can tell me himself, but until then, I’m going to keep working on his remarks for the event in Wisconsin.” With that, Gary sat back down at his desk and started typing again.
“You won’t last,” Alanna said icily from her own desk.
“Maybe not.”
“This isn’t just a job. You can’t work for Jon if you’re going to bolt at the first sign of trouble.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“That’s your right.”
Alanna realized this was going to be like arguing with a brick wall. Gary wasn’t even looking up from his computer, so she set her things down, and started to check in with the offices on the east coast that were opening.
When Jon came in at eight, Alanna was hot on his heels.
“We need to talk,” she said, shutting his door.
“Good morning to you too,” Jon said, juggling his own large cup of coffee and speech drafts.
“Why the f*** did you hire a senior staffer without checking with me?”
“Oh, you met Gary.”
“Uh, yeah Jon I ‘met Gary’ he’s in my goddamn office.”
“Well, it’s not your office anymore, it’s the office you share with Gary. Our new speechwriter.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Oh come on Alanna,” Jon said, frustration rising. Clearly Alanna wasn’t the only one making do on very little sleep. “You know I trust you more than anyone, but you’re spreading yourself too thin and it’s starting to show. Gary’s just here to handle the speeches,” Jon said.
“And it doesn’t bother you he just left the Eldorne campaign? Jon, he could be a spy!”
“Why would that matter? Eldorne’s out of the race and you have to admit, he made some great speeches and his performance at the debates was impressive. I’ve seen Gary write, all the pithy phrases and well-articulated policy was Gary’s doing, not Eldorne’s.”
“And it doesn’t at all bother you that he didn’t support you in the primary? He threw himself behind a different candidate! And then went that went south, he came here! He has no loyalty Jon!”
“You don’t even know him,” Jon said.
Something in the way he said it gave Alanna pause. “Wait. You do know him. Who is he?”
“I told you, he’s our speechwriter.”
“No, who is he to you?”
After a pause, Jon said, “he was a year above me at Exeter.”
“Christ,” Alanna said.
“Alanna come on, it’s not like that—”
“He’s a prep school boy, of course! You needed someone rich and white if you’re going to really win this thing—”
“That’s not fair and you know it. You haven’t even seen him write, he’s talented—”
“Oh I’m sure he is, best education money can buy, right Jon?”
“I can’t talk to you when you get like this!”
“When I get like what?! Am I being too aggressive for the rarified Ivy Leaguer? Is that it? You think I’m scaring away the big donors? Why don’t you just fire me, bring in Brad McWhite to do a better job!”
The two stood facing each other. If Alanna had been five inches taller, they would have been nose to nose. Jon completely forgot how small his friend and advisor was when they argued. Alanna could make herself seem ten feet tall and cow the most terrifying men with her intellect and strength. She knew how to push Jon’s buttons, better than anyone. And it usually took a screaming match before he realized he was so angry because she was right, and he was wrong.
Jon sighed. “You know what. You’re right. It was completely wrong of me to hire Gary without running it by you. I thought it would be a decision we could both agree on and I wanted to snap him up before someone else did, but I wasn’t thinking, and I should have realized that ultimately, it’s you who has to work and coordinate with the staff. I’m sorry about that.”
Just like that, the wind was out of Alanna’s sails. It was why she continued to stick by Jon year after year. It was probably why he would become the president. He had a knack for really hearing people’s concerns buried beneath everything else and addressing their worries. And he didn’t make empty promises. As long as Alanna had known him, he’d taken even the harshest criticism into consideration, changed his behavior, and used people’s disagreement to make him a stronger elected official. Years of experience with Jon told her that in the future, he would check with her about staffing decisions, he’d make sure not to blindside her again.
She sighed. “I still don’t know if I trust him.”
“I’m not asking you to trust him right away. Be open to him surprising you,” Jon said, clearly relieved his campaign manager wasn’t still angry.
Alanna huffed. “And I expect to have final review of all speeches.”
“Of course.”
“Fine. Then I’m going to look over whatever drivel he produced for the Wisconsin event.”
“Sounds fine,” Jon said. “I have a donor call in ten, work out any issues with Gary. Can you get me a final draft by 2pm?”
“Probably,” Alanna said, then added in a murmur as she left, “unless I fire him first.”
Jon wisely pretended not to hear the second part.
When Alanna came back to her office, Gary was still at the desk, tapping away.
“The Senator seems to think you’ll bring something valuable to the team,” she said. “I’m not convinced yet.”
Gary nodded. “Hopefully I can change that.”
“Hmm,” Alanna hummed noncommittally. “Give me that speech when you’re done with it, so I can look it over.”
“Already printed and on your desk. I’m working on a new stump speech about the economy now, but I’ll make the edits to the Wisconsin remarks when you’re done with it.”
Alanna nodded, secretly impressed with how fast Gary worked. “Fine.”
“Great.”
As volunteers started to file into the headquarters, Alanna got up to shut the door to her—their—office, trying not to bump into the new desk on the way.
Rating: R (for language!)
Summary: New addition to my Tortall / West Wing AU featuring presidential candidate Jon, campaign manager Alanna and new speechwriter Gary!
New Blood
Alanna Olau was a busy woman. A national presidential campaign meant she was up every morning at 6am and sometimes didn’t get home until midnight, usually without a moment of rest in between. From the moment she woke up she was answering emails and taking calls from satellite campaign offices across the country. She helped coordinate Jon’s travel, media appearances, and events in every state. Every night, she took a look at the numbers from their various offices to make sure they were on track to meet their voter registration and door-knocking goals. She would strategize with Jon about where to put their scarce resources, approve donor requests, and work on outlines for his speeches. Her head swam with details of the campaign and more than once this week she’d woken up at 3am with a new idea, or something she forgot to do.
It was worth it though. Alanna was passionate about Jon Conte, and his ideas for America. She’d showed up at his campaign office for his second Congressional run and had proven to be a hard-working and intelligent volunteer. For his next campaign, Jon gave her a paid position, both on the campaign and eventually in his district office. By the time he ran for Senate, Alanna was his campaign manager and later his chief of staff (never at the same time of course. Alanna didn’t always take the ethics rules seriously, but Jon did).
She couldn’t even complain about the level of work if she wanted to. It had been her idea for Jon to run for president. She’d laid out the facts, the political reality in this country and made Jon believe not just that he could win, but that his win would change America for the better. She still thought that. But five and a half hours of sleep was enough to make even the most committed supporter question things.
She took a sip from her extra large coffee (first of many that day) and strode into the dark campaign headquarters. As usual, she was the first one there. Or so she thought.
Alanna noticed a light on in her office and she shook her head, smiling. She must have forgotten to turn it off last night.
The first thing she noticed when she walked in was a second desk, crammed into the corner of her not-very-spacious office. The second thing she noticed was a lanky man tapping away at a laptop, who looked up when she came in.
“You must be Alanna,” he said, standing up to shake her hand.
Alanna didn’t move, or rearrange the coffee, Blackberry and folder she was carrying to shake the man’s hand.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, wondering if she should be worried.
“I’m Gary, I’m the new speechwriter,” he said.
“I didn’t hire you.”
“No you didn’t.”
“So why are you here?”
“Senator Conte hired me,” Gary said sheepishly.
“Well this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Alanna said, peeved. “When did he ‘hire’ you?”
“Last week. I was working for Governor Eldorn--”
“Woah woah woah!” Alanna cut him off. Governor Eldorn was the other Democrat running for the nomination who had just dropped out. “You were working for Eldorn last week and now you’re here? Let the body go cold in the grave at least!”
Gary raised his eyebrows. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t seem to have any loyalty to your former boss,” Alanna said, a little louder and a little slower than she needed you. “Jumping ship as soon as he went down.”
Gary knitted his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.
“Well?! Don’t you think so?” Alanna said.
“I don’t,” was Gary’s calm, measured reply.
“Well I do, and I’m the campaign manager, and I don’t want someone I can’t trust on the campaign!” Alanna was shouting now. “So get out of my office!”
“It’s not just your office anymore.” It seemed the angrier Alanna got, the calmer Gary became, and it was starting to piss her off.
“Excuse me!?”
“Senator Conte hired me. If he wants me off the campaign, or he doesn’t trust me, he can tell me himself, but until then, I’m going to keep working on his remarks for the event in Wisconsin.” With that, Gary sat back down at his desk and started typing again.
“You won’t last,” Alanna said icily from her own desk.
“Maybe not.”
“This isn’t just a job. You can’t work for Jon if you’re going to bolt at the first sign of trouble.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“That’s your right.”
Alanna realized this was going to be like arguing with a brick wall. Gary wasn’t even looking up from his computer, so she set her things down, and started to check in with the offices on the east coast that were opening.
When Jon came in at eight, Alanna was hot on his heels.
“We need to talk,” she said, shutting his door.
“Good morning to you too,” Jon said, juggling his own large cup of coffee and speech drafts.
“Why the f*** did you hire a senior staffer without checking with me?”
“Oh, you met Gary.”
“Uh, yeah Jon I ‘met Gary’ he’s in my goddamn office.”
“Well, it’s not your office anymore, it’s the office you share with Gary. Our new speechwriter.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Oh come on Alanna,” Jon said, frustration rising. Clearly Alanna wasn’t the only one making do on very little sleep. “You know I trust you more than anyone, but you’re spreading yourself too thin and it’s starting to show. Gary’s just here to handle the speeches,” Jon said.
“And it doesn’t bother you he just left the Eldorne campaign? Jon, he could be a spy!”
“Why would that matter? Eldorne’s out of the race and you have to admit, he made some great speeches and his performance at the debates was impressive. I’ve seen Gary write, all the pithy phrases and well-articulated policy was Gary’s doing, not Eldorne’s.”
“And it doesn’t at all bother you that he didn’t support you in the primary? He threw himself behind a different candidate! And then went that went south, he came here! He has no loyalty Jon!”
“You don’t even know him,” Jon said.
Something in the way he said it gave Alanna pause. “Wait. You do know him. Who is he?”
“I told you, he’s our speechwriter.”
“No, who is he to you?”
After a pause, Jon said, “he was a year above me at Exeter.”
“Christ,” Alanna said.
“Alanna come on, it’s not like that—”
“He’s a prep school boy, of course! You needed someone rich and white if you’re going to really win this thing—”
“That’s not fair and you know it. You haven’t even seen him write, he’s talented—”
“Oh I’m sure he is, best education money can buy, right Jon?”
“I can’t talk to you when you get like this!”
“When I get like what?! Am I being too aggressive for the rarified Ivy Leaguer? Is that it? You think I’m scaring away the big donors? Why don’t you just fire me, bring in Brad McWhite to do a better job!”
The two stood facing each other. If Alanna had been five inches taller, they would have been nose to nose. Jon completely forgot how small his friend and advisor was when they argued. Alanna could make herself seem ten feet tall and cow the most terrifying men with her intellect and strength. She knew how to push Jon’s buttons, better than anyone. And it usually took a screaming match before he realized he was so angry because she was right, and he was wrong.
Jon sighed. “You know what. You’re right. It was completely wrong of me to hire Gary without running it by you. I thought it would be a decision we could both agree on and I wanted to snap him up before someone else did, but I wasn’t thinking, and I should have realized that ultimately, it’s you who has to work and coordinate with the staff. I’m sorry about that.”
Just like that, the wind was out of Alanna’s sails. It was why she continued to stick by Jon year after year. It was probably why he would become the president. He had a knack for really hearing people’s concerns buried beneath everything else and addressing their worries. And he didn’t make empty promises. As long as Alanna had known him, he’d taken even the harshest criticism into consideration, changed his behavior, and used people’s disagreement to make him a stronger elected official. Years of experience with Jon told her that in the future, he would check with her about staffing decisions, he’d make sure not to blindside her again.
She sighed. “I still don’t know if I trust him.”
“I’m not asking you to trust him right away. Be open to him surprising you,” Jon said, clearly relieved his campaign manager wasn’t still angry.
Alanna huffed. “And I expect to have final review of all speeches.”
“Of course.”
“Fine. Then I’m going to look over whatever drivel he produced for the Wisconsin event.”
“Sounds fine,” Jon said. “I have a donor call in ten, work out any issues with Gary. Can you get me a final draft by 2pm?”
“Probably,” Alanna said, then added in a murmur as she left, “unless I fire him first.”
Jon wisely pretended not to hear the second part.
When Alanna came back to her office, Gary was still at the desk, tapping away.
“The Senator seems to think you’ll bring something valuable to the team,” she said. “I’m not convinced yet.”
Gary nodded. “Hopefully I can change that.”
“Hmm,” Alanna hummed noncommittally. “Give me that speech when you’re done with it, so I can look it over.”
“Already printed and on your desk. I’m working on a new stump speech about the economy now, but I’ll make the edits to the Wisconsin remarks when you’re done with it.”
Alanna nodded, secretly impressed with how fast Gary worked. “Fine.”
“Great.”
As volunteers started to file into the headquarters, Alanna got up to shut the door to her—their—office, trying not to bump into the new desk on the way.