"I'm good. Not sore anymore. That's good. I think it means I'm getting use to you being back there," Avery said.
"Are you okay? You sound a little tense." So Kane was learning him as he learned Kane. Good, it had to mean he cared.
"I'm good, just making a decision on some business. I have a question for you," Avery said. He sat back against his desk, his leg bouncing with anticipation.
"Shoot," Kane replied.
"All right, here's the question and I'm nervous so I'm just going to dump it out there. Pay attention," Avery said.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Kane asked again, concern in his voice.
"Are you listening?" Avery asked, ignoring Kane's question.
"Yes?"
"I'm into you. I mean really into you. Like always into you. Do you feel the same way about me?" Avery's heart thumped wildly in his chest, and he closed his eyes.
"Yes," Kane replied quietly. Thank God!
"Good. I'll see you later. I'll call you when I'm done here," Avery said, but Kane's voice stopped him from dropping the phone back on the hook.
"That's it?" Kane asked. Avery almost hit himself with the phone as he jerked it back up to his ear to hear what Kane said.
"Yes! Thank you for agreeing, it's what I needed to know. I'll explain later. Take care. I'll call you soon." Avery waited to hear Kane hang up before he did. Relief caused him to plop down in the chair closest to him. The dating game rules dictated they needed more time before giving declarations such as that one. But time was something he didn't have right now. Forcing himself up, he went straight back to the conference room. His decision made.
"Gentlemen, thank you for waiting, and you too, Mom, Janice," Avery said, giving his mom a warm smile before he continued. He didn't take his chair. Instead, he stood at the head of the table, looking down the row of people.
"I've met a man, not a woman. Someone I see a long-term future with." Avery kept his gaze focused, looking each person in the eye, refusing to look at his mother. This would mean more to her. He'd wait to talk this through with her later.
"They discussed this with you from the beginning, Mr. Adams. You can't be openly gay and have any chance of winning," Mr. Joslin said.
"I understand that, but it doesn't change the facts," Avery argued.
"Do you understand what we are telling you? There is no way you would be supported if you ran as a gay man. How long could you have possibly known him if you talked about this before and he wasn't a factor?" Mr. Joslin asked.
"The length of the relationship isn't important," Avery replied.
"So we hide him. You aren't the only gay man in office. We can find a nice filler woman to stand in. No one has to know…" Mr. Freeport was on a roll, the other two nodding along with him. He could see their minds ticking away with the possibilities.
"I'm not interested in hiding him. I'm not unsympathetic to the complications this poses or unfamiliar with the odds of running a viable campaign as a homosexual. Regardless, it doesn't change the facts, I refuse to hide him." Avery left no further room for discussion on the subject.
"Avery…" Kennedy Adams said from across the table. Finally, he looked over at her, and based on the look in her eyes, he couldn't tell where she was headed with her line of thinking, but whatever she had to say, needed to be said in private.
"Mother, I'm not hiding him," Avery said, just as stoned-faced and hard as he had said to the three political strategists in front of him.
"You honestly can't make this kind of decision on a recently found piece of ass, Adams. This affects more than just you," Mr. Joslin said. He was clearly disgusted with Avery's turnabout.
"Don't ever talk about him that way again." Avery turned his steely gaze in the man's direction. He understood all the time and effort they put into making this campaign a reality, but he'd climb over this table and beat the shit out of anyone who dared trash Kane.
"No offense, I swear, but come on, man. Everything's in place. You're the ticket back in. It's been sixteen years since we ran the White House. You know all this," Mr. Joslin said, changing his tactic. He appeared to believe acting like Avery's buddy would encourage him into the better decision.
"I do, but I'm gay. This country's too narrow-minded and I can't—and won't—put him through it. He's been through too much." Avery had just pulled himself from the race. He schooled his facial features, kept his game face in place, and let his internal emotions run rampant. This decision was huge and based completely on emotion over a man he'd known for a short time. But seriously, what a man! He allowed the thoughts of Kane to fill his heart and his mind, giving him strength.
"So that's it then. Everything's over? You just let us go on and on for nothing?" Mr. Freeport said.
"It's truly unfortunate. I would have loved to give this a shot, but I won't hide him. When you're ready to run an integrity-driven campaign, based on the honest truth of who I am, give me a call." Avery wasn't going to let them pin this on him in a negative way. It wasn't his fault the United States mentality was so incredibly shallow and narrow-minded.
He said what needed to be said and walked to the conference room door. No one moved. Janice looked proud of him and that meant something since he'd have to listen to her every day about this decision. His mother sat back in her seat, her eyes calculating. Anything could be going on inside that head of hers.
"Janice, will you show our guests out?" Avery left the room, taking long strides to the front door. He needed fresh air and perspective. This was right! Absolutely the right thing to do, he just wished he'd known Kane longer. Had the time under their belts to have commitments and those three little words spoken, but he also couldn't rip those possibilities from them. He wanted those words with Kane. He'd get those words from Kane. Kane was meant for him.