ALL IN: Race for the White House (24 page)

My first return text was to Lisa:
Lisa, please don’t misunderstand, the car was a result of an offhand comment I made to Gene last night - probably had too much to drink. Please do not discuss with Sandy, I will talk to you when I get to the office tomorrow - sorry - don’t want you upset - Jack

I didn’t expect one little text to fix the problem. I know enough about the female mind to know Lisa would be hurt and feel betrayed. I was mad at myself for not seeing this coming. As a precaution, I hit delete on Lisa’s message and my response.
 

I got out of bed and walked over to a big, overstuffed, soft, brown and vanilla cloth chair Sarah had placed next to the window. One of her favorite things was to look out on the new morning from that spot. It was a bright, gorgeous day. There was a light snow on the ground that didn’t look like it would last long, but it made everything look so clean.

“You getting up?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah, I gotta call Bud. He texted he had great news about South Carolina. I don’t think any news could top last night.” I said while dialing.
 

Bud answered, “Hey, Jack. How’s it going today?”

“Good, Bud. It was epic getting all those folks together for the fundraiser; I think you set a record. It’s like they couldn’t get the money out
fast
enough.”

“I’ve got some incredible news.” Bud sounded almost euphoric. I was curious to hear what got Bud so excited. It wasn’t like him to get so worked up in a positive way.
 

“This doesn’t sound like the Bud I know, what is it?”

“Hobbs got us the University of South Carolina Football Stadium for Saturday night.” He continued, almost giddy, “It’s his Alma Mater, he’s a major donor to their expansion, he made a call and got it.”

Hobbs was a major supporter of the Gamecocks Football Program. He’d donated tens of millions to expand the stadium; the most recent in a long history of renovations put the capacity at 88,000 screaming football fans.”

“For this Saturday, Bud? How are we going to even put a dent in a place that size? It could end up backfiring on us if we end up with a few hundred people there. Can you imagine how stupid we’ll look? The media would love for us to fail like that. We’ll look like assholes down there; they’ll laugh us out of the place, such short notice. Tell them another time, Bud.”

“That’s the best part of the whole thing; Hobbs Conglomerate owns a major recording studio. He made a call and they promised us three A-list acts to bring the people. I gave the go ahead, I hope you aren’t pissed, but this was too good to pass on.”

“I’m okay with it, but I’ll tell you this: if I get there and the attendance is crap, then I’ll cancel. The people who show can listen to the music but without me.”

“Jack, I think this is a great way to reach people. I’m going to call the local media outlets in Columbia and blitz the advertising.”

“Bud, you know when I was nineteen I went to a festival in Canada, where they had sort of a mini Woodstock. Thousands of kids showed up; they called it the Canadian Jam. Why don’t we call this the Energy Jam?”

“I like it. I’ll get the guys at
My Basket
to spread the word for us on the internet with an introduction to promote your energy ideas. They said they could print any message we want and distribute it to millions on the internet and text within a few minutes of my call.”

“Do it, and tell em to keep on hitting it hard. To get that many people to show up, don’t even think about charging for this. This can’t be a fundraiser, Bud, it’s gotta be for show.”

Sarah rolled out of bed and walked over to her closet. It was actually a large room outfitted like a small boutique leading into a private bathroom. I had surprised her with the renovation for her birthday last year.
 

“When did you come up with this, Bud?”

“That’s the thing, it was Hobbs idea. He called me early this morning and made the offer.”

“Bud, can you imagine a guy like Hobbs? He always has a winning hand either way. He has Barker already, and with everything he is doing for us, we will owe him big time. Do you ever worry, we will owe too many large debts? I hope Hobbs isn’t setting us up.”

“Jack, listen, he wouldn’t have done so well for us last night if that were the case.”

“You’re right, Bud, there really is no one else in the game like you, Singer, spend whatever it takes to get the people in there.”

“It will be like the circus is coming to town. We’ll pass out tickets at the University and all over town; trust me this will be great.”
 

“Bud, now Tip’s message makes sense about the security. We’ll need plenty of off-duty cops there. Ask Hobbs’ people to coordinate with Tip. I’m sure they have a small army of guys who regularly work those football games we can use.”

“As soon as we hang up I’ll be calling Gene to tell him you love the idea.”

“Bud, tell Hobbs we want him to play a small part in the administration; tease him with Ambassador to Great Britain.”

“Are you serious? Would you really give him that?”

“Sure. Did you see his tribute to King Henry? His big ego will fit right in over there with the queen. He probably wishes he was part of the family. Manipulate the guy. Tell him we’re impressed with his ability to organize parties and events. Get him to spend this thing into the stratosphere. Believe me, the guy would love to be Ambassador, and it’s a bonus because he didn’t even hint about it. He’ll be disarmed, thrilled over it. He might even subconsciously sabotage his support of Barker for it.”

“Jack, I am humbled.”

“Most important, Bud, make him feel personally responsible for the success of this thing, make him own it. It’s his name on the party.”
 

Hobbs was like a big spoiled kid, and we were his latest toy. We would use his interest to our advantage before he tired of us and went on to the next thing. The ambassadorship would give this legs that would last. I was also playing Bud subtly, putting it on him by making him responsible to communicate my wishes to Hobbs. It would be interesting to see if the two of them could pull something this big off in three days.
 

Sarah emerged from her closet and walked over to plop into the chair with me. She put one arm under my back and one leg over my two.
 

“What’s Bud got cookin?” She asked.
 

“You’re not going to believe this. He’s got the Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia booked for Saturday Night. Hobbs is setting up the event and staging three big acts to drag the people in, all for free.
 

“It’s nice of him, Jack, wonderful, even, but do you ever worry the guy is doing too much and payback will be a bitch?”
 

Sarah always cut to the chase and didn’t pull any punches. I tended toward jumping in headfirst while she was more cautious. It made for a good match.
 

“I’ve thought about it, but he’s already bought and paid for Barker, if we don’t take his money it will go to Griffin or somebody else. The kind of cash he’s throwing around buys media. We have to keep our eye on the prize; we can’t help anyone if we don’t win. You love to help people; at least we can feel good about our intentions.”

“You’re right about wanting to help people.”

“Honey, the rich will always be on top. Hobbs has influence no matter who is in the White House; it might as well be us.”

“You’re right. You know me, I’m always a little worried; please be careful.”

“Careful with Hobbs or the event in South Carolina?” I knew what she meant. Sarah worried even when I was in a group of ten people.
 

“Both, Jack.”

“Sarah, you don’t have to worry about either. As president, I’ll have Bud handle Hobbs. I might end up spending five minutes with him at White House parties and maybe take a couple of calls a year.
 

“Really, Jack? A few minutes a year - in return for all this?”

“That’s it, Hon, and for the stadium event we are going to have wall to wall cops and I’ll be in and out. I’ll be there for the last act, do my thing, and leave.”

“Alright, it always sounds good when you say it. What are your plans for the next couple of hours?”
 

“Well, I thought we’d go see Mom and Dad and spend some time with them before all heading to the airport. I’d like to meet Karen’s husband, Joe, too.”
 

“That’s nice, your mom loves Karen, and I think she likes taking care of your mom. You’ll see a change in them both, your mom seems much better. Karen rinsed her hair medium brown and looks ten years younger. I want us all to fly back right after; maybe we could relax for a few minutes together.”

“Daddy, can I come?” We heard Martha’s excited, almost frantic voice through the rapid knocking on our bedroom door. I got up to unlock the door joking with Sarah, “She can’t be talking about Grammy’s.” I opened the door, Martha’s light little body jumped into my arms, hugging for all she was worth, “Daddy can I come, please, please, please?”

“Come where, Honey?”

“Mom, make him take me,” she begged, “I got a text, Devon, Billie Rubin and Fantasy are going to be with Daddy at the University of South Carolina on Saturday!” She was so out of breath she barely finished with “I have to go; I’ll just die if I don’t!”
 

Hugging Martha, taking advantage of the rare affection from my fifteen year old, I looked over at Sarah for some direction, saying, “The word’s out already?”

Martha exclaimed, “Dad, kids are downloading tickets right now-wah. It’s my dad, please take me. Mommy, please make Daddy take me!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Just before seven Sunday night, Sarah and I, along with the girls, had planted ourselves down in front of the TV to watch the broadcast. Lexi had filmed both the concert and an interview with Martha and me on our trip back to Alexandria after the show.
 

Watching from our living room - “I hope she gets me with Fantasy backstage, Dad, I would love it if the kids from school see that,” Martha was excited.
 

Secretly, I hoped the opposite, preferring Sarah not to see the twenty minutes the Brit star spent hanging on me. I thought she must have been high on something the way she was carrying on Saturday night.

Lexi opened her Sunday night news show.
 

“It has been a long time since this reporter has witnessed something this exciting,” Lexi’s voice was dubbing over the video of the Concert the night before.
 

“Fantasy, the number one pop star on the planet, has finished a ten-minute remix of her hit song ‘Naughty Girls.’ Moments before, the backstage area was teeming with fifty girls wearing black dresses with a matching white stripe across the hips. The dancers were frantically moving about in, what seemed to this reporter, to be organized chaos. Somehow, it all worked as the performers made ready to strut out onto the stage to back up the Superstar. From our vantage point, stage left, we heard the loud crackle and felt the intense heat from flamethrowers reaching into the sky. It sounded like a hundred hot air balloons coming too close. The strong smell of burning propane and spent Pyrotechnics filled the air. The thick fog of rising smoke remained into the clear night lit from the glow of a seventy-five foot high mega screen playing provocative scenes of the British girl singer. The performance was completely mesmerizing; at one point the star, flanked by her scantily clad backup dancers, matched the screen behind move for move.”

Later in the broadcast Lexi appeared in person and spoke,
 
“Fantasy so captivated the audience, they roared into a frenzy as the petite blonde raised her fists repeatedly shouting for what seemed like five full minutes… ‘Get your hands up, get your hands… get your hands up for the next President of the United States’….

“Finally taking the stage, Senator Jack Canon’s voice raised over the cheers….”

“Look, there’s Daddy,” Bethany announced.

The video showed me addressing the crowd
, “What a night – look at those stars – you’re all bright lights in my eyes – how about Fantasy - isn’t she something?”

I continued,
“You know, I had a chance to talk to her backstage tonight. She’s not only beautiful, she’s a smart girl.” Shouting into the microphone over a hurricane of applause, “I want to thank Devon and Billie Rubin for the great rap and country music they brought to this stage here tonight.”
 

Lexi continued the narration over the film, “
We heard cheering build to an almost continuous thunder roar as Canon continued to whip up the already wildly excited crowd… That was the scene from Columbia, South Carolina last night
.”
 

“Shush up. It’s back on,” Bethany attempted to quiet her big sister.
 

It was rare we would all sit in front of the TV to watch a Sunday night news show. We watched movies together as a family, but tonight
was
different. It wasn’t Dad on the tube saying something boring the girls refused to watch. They usually covered their ears. Tonight it was Dad and Martha; that was a horse of a different color.
 

A commercial came on and gave us all simultaneous license to talk.

“Everyone, please, one at a time, we are all excited,” Sarah tried to calm the girls and me.
 

“That’s seven commercials in a row, Daddy,” Bethany was impatient but enthralled seeing her sister on television. Lexi continued where the show had left off at the last break, “
We had the opportunity to sit down with Senator Jack Canon and his lovely daughter, Martha, last night during their plane ride back to Washington. Tonight, on
Brief Encounters
, you will see our exclusive interview in its entirety.”
 

“Look, Mom! Look! Fantasy’s teaching me her dance. Look, Mommy without her shoes she’s the same height as me. She’s so pretty, Mom.”

“You both have the same color hair, too,” I added, “but I think you’re a little prettier than she is.”